Horizons

The release of seals into the Irish sea after being carefully nurtured back to health by the Irish Seal Sanctuary draws unseasonally large crowds on to the beaches throughout the winter. Tomorrow should be no exception - as the sanctuary sends a seal pup back into the wilds around 11 a.m. at Bull Island, Dublin. The event will be featured on Derek Mooney's RTE One Radio programme between 11 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. RTE's principal nature man is spending a lot of tomorrow on Bull Island looking at the wading bird population there. Listen in at other times between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 6.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the sanctuary is desperately seeking funds from the Government to help it to run its wildlife hospital and continue with its rescue and rehabilitation work. The Irish Seal Sanctuary is based at An Clochan, Tobergregan, Garristown, Co Dublin. Tel: 01-8354370.

The Irish Seal Sanctuary is releasing a seal pup back into the sea at around 11 a.m. tomorrow, at Bull Island, Dublin.

Trust the French to come up with the idea of doing a worldwide survey on young people's thoughts about the urban spaces in which they live. Seven- to 17-year-olds are invited by the French architecture centre, Arc en Reve, to say what they like and what they hate about their city, give their ideas on how it might develop and their dreams of an ideal city. The most original, unexpected, serious and humorous replies will be printed as postcards. A workshop will be held in Dublin in conjunction with the initiative. Submissions should be sent to: CiteCity, Arc en Reve, Entrepot, 7 Rue Ferrere, F33000, Bordeaux, France, by February 16th. Tel: 01-6614100 for more details.

With the first snowdrops of the year well up by now, the Irish Garden Plant Society is settling into its season of lectures and slideshows with a talk entitled "Diary of a Plantaholic" by Carmel Duignan, on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Institute of Engineers, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Billed as one of the strengths behind RTE's gardening programmes, Duignan is reputed to have visited more nurseries than most of us have had hot dinners! You can become a member of the Irish Garden Plant Society by contacting David White (by post only), c/o the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9. Gardening lovers may also be interested in checking out the just-published A Heritage of Beauty - the Garden Plants of Ireland, an illustrated encyclopaedia by Dr E. Charles Nelson.

How many businesses are genuinely making a difference is the question one asks after visiting the current exhibition at the ENFO office, entitled "Business Making a Difference". The examples of cleaner production and best practice in waste management, recycling and re-use in Irish manufacturing seem to be pretty thin on the ground, if this show is anything to go by. Organised by IBEC, which has 7,500 member companies, one would expect more. One good example of good environmental practice represented is Thermoking Galway, which switched from a wet-sprayed solvent paint to a waterbased polyester paint for its transport temperature control units. This reduced its volatile organic compounds from 50 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes. Materials, energy and labour content of the process were also drastically reduced. The exhibition continues at ENFO, the environmental information services office at 17 St Andrew's Street, Dublin, until the first week in March, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.5 p.m., admission free.

Residents in the Dublin Corporation area can avail of an offer to buy compost bins for £20 by sending their name, address and cheque/postal order or bank draft made payable to Dublin Corporation to: Dublin Corporation, Engineering Cash Office, Block 1, Floor 4, Civic Offices, Fishamble St, Dublin 8. Payment may also be made by credit or laser card by calling 01-6722301/ 6723925, 9.30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2.15 p.m. - 4.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. A receipt will be issued and compost bins can be collected from Dublin Corporation's depot at Collins Avenue Ext, Dublin 9. Arrangements can also be made to have the bins delivered.

Web World

www.unescosources.org

This is the online version of the monthly information magazine from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It contains an interesting mix of stories from around the world on human rights issues, world heritage, education and the culture of peace. Good, easily accessible layout.

The Horizons column can be contacted at horizons@irish-times.ie