With SYLVIA THOMPSON
SUSTAINABLE SHOW
The Irish Sustainable Building Show runs from Thursday to Saturday next in the Simmonscourt, RDS, Dublin. The show, which is principally a trade show, also attracts homeowners keen to see new energy-saving building technologies. Visitors will be able to see construction methods in the ‘low energy’ show house.
A free seminar programme will provide information on BER certification, retrofitting your home, passive houses, domestic solar, thermal and wind power and the home energy saving scheme.
See sustainablebuildingshow.com to register online for free entry. Admission €15 at the door.
WEEK OF ORGANICS
National Organic Week, which encourages more people to taste, buy and cook organic food, starts on Monday. Alongside the free tastings of organic produce in shops and farmers’ markets throughout the week, there are many other more engaging events.
These include farm open days (Nano Nagle Centre, Ballygriffin, Mallow, Co Cork on Wednesday and at the Co Wexford Organic Centre, Foulksmills on Friday), farm walks (at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Monday at 2pm and the Organic Horticultural Unit, Beachlawn, Ballinasloe, Co Galway on Thursday at 6pm) and a host of events including harvest celebration and organic training course for women only at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim. See bordbia.ie for full list of events.
THE CARBON QUESTION
The whole subject of how to get the excess carbon out of the air to halt climate change is scientifically challenging to the average punter. Yet, that is what we must do, according to James Hansen, NASA’s climate scientist and Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.
New Zealand based scientist, Peter Stephens suggests that carbon can be effectively stored in soils and plants. He will give a public talk on how to measure the quantities of carbon the different plants and soils can hold on Monday at 6pm in the Central Hotel, Exchequer St, Dublin 2. The free event is organised by the Carbon Cycles and Sinks Networks.
Advanced booking advised on e-mail corinnabyrne@gmail.com
ECOWEB
greenawards.ie
Now in its second year, the Green Award scheme aims to give recognition to businesses and public bodies for environmentally focused initiatives.
This year’s awards of which two extra categories are included: the green entrepreneur and the green small- to medium-sized enterprise brings the complete list of awards to 20. Next Friday is the closing date for receipt of entries.
sthompson@irishtimes.com