HORIZONS

Stop the lightsWhen 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses in Sydney, Australia, turned off their lights for one hour on March 31 last year, the world took notice.

Watching how Sydney icons such as the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House had their lights turned out provoked city councils across the world to join in the symbolic gesture to highlight climate change, energy wastage and light pollution.

So, next Saturday, city councils in places such as Chicago, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Vancouver and Dublin will encourage individuals and businesses to switch off non-essential lighting for one hour. Dublin's Lord Mayor, Paddy Burke, has asked everyone "to recognise the need for action on global warming and the need to conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions and also the need to reduce the light pollution of our night skies."

Councils in Galway, Limerick, Wexford, Wicklow, Kilkenny and Tralee have all signed up to turn off all non-essential lighting from 8pm-9pm next Saturday.

The campaign is also backed by Friends of the Irish Environment and the Irish Light Pollution Campaign.

To sign up for Earth Hour 2008 see www.earthhour.org

It's official, veggies are cool

Going vegetarian may be the most effective way to fight global warming. So says Brother Phap De, who will give a talk, Mindfulness and the Environment, in the Jonathan Swift Lecture Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College, Dublin, on Wednesday at 7.30pm.

"A vegan prevents about 1.5 fewer tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year than a meat-eater does," he says. Brother Phap De is a member of the Plum Village monasteries, which follow the teachings and practices of poet, peace and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh.

All the monasteries in the Plum Village tradition in north America and Europe practise vegetarianism and also have one car-free day per week. See www.earthpeacetreaty.org for suggestions on how to take action to live in peace and harmony with the earth.

Protecting Red Grouse

A two-year national survey of the gamebird Red Grouse is under way. The aim of the Birdwatch Ireland survey is to find out the numbers and whereabouts of Red Grouse so that their habitats (peatlands including raised bog, blanket bog and heath) can be protected.

You can hear about the issues facing Red Grouse on a hike in Wicklow Mountains National Park, Glendalough,

Co Wicklow, on Saturday, April 5th. To book a place on the free hike, Tel: 0404-45656. See also www.wicklownationalpark.ie

Broadleaf initiative

A joint initiative between broadleaf charity Crann and jam-making company Folláin is encouraging people to plant trees.

Anyone who returns four tree tokens, which can be found on the company's jars of preserves, will receive a tree (wild cherry, mountain ash, alder or Irish oak) free in the post.

The trees will be sent in biodegradable cardboard tubes ready for planting. Alternatively, Crann will plant a broadleaf tree on the person's behalf and issue a certificate to the recipient. The offer ends in April.

[  sthompson@irish-times.ie ]