Horizons

Clean air inside and out: Indoor air pollution is a greater health hazard than outdoor pollution, according to a recent report from the EU Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy.

The study, carried out by the Physical and Chemical Exposure Unit, found that reduced ventilation and extensive use of new building materials has produced an atmosphere in many homes and offices which is filled with volatile and dangerous chemicals.

Irish author Pat Thomas will discuss ways to reduce the toxic overload in our homes at a talk at the Cultivate Sustainable Living Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin next Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. Thomas's new book, Living Dangerously: Are Everyday Toxins Making You Sick? (Newleaf), gives practical advice, such as how using fewer household cleaning agents can, ironically, clean up your domestic environment.

Meanwhile in Cultivate on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m., environmentally responsible investments and ethical pension funds will be discussed. The speakers include Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe, whose investment choices came under scrutiny recently. For more details of both talks, tel: 01-6746396.

Essential research

A researcher, Julia Sigwart, has been assigned by the Heritage Council to compile a comprehensive database of biological records held in Ireland. The move is part of the council's ongoing efforts to establish a national biological records centre. Such a centre would provide essential information on land, freshwater and marine species and habitats, so that protective measures can be set down during new or ongoing urban and rural development.

Preliminary results of the data collection will be posted to www.heritagecouncil.ie/audit Sigwart is interested in hearing from environmental organisations which hold records on species. For further details, tel: 01-6602040 or e-mail julia.sigwart@ucd.ie

Make the change now

The amount of energy available from oil and gas will begin to contract within the next 12 years, according to a new book, Before the Wells Run Dry - Ireland's Transition to Renewable Energy (Feasta, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, €12.95).

The book will be launched on Thursday by Hermann Scheer, a member of the German Bundestag and campaigner for the replacement of nuclear and fossil fuels by sustainable energy sources. Scheer's lecture begins at 7 p.m. in Room 259 of Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin.

Electrical charge

Up to one million tonnes of waste will have been produced from electronic and electrical equipment by 2005, according to a recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency. There are approximately 20 companies recycling waste from these sources in Ireland now, according to an article in the current issue of Construct Ireland. Writer Pat Kennedy argues that a substantial reduction in waste from these sources will only come about when manufacturers implement more environmentally conscious designs and replace hazardous substances. See also www.constructireland.ie