ONE of the most uplifting things about visiting a school, especially a primary school these days, is to immediately sense a keener awareness of nature and the environment.

SLOWLY but, hopefully, surely the message is hitting home that there are better ways of getting around cities than by car, bus or train.

The sight of a carcass of a mature deer on the roadside in the precincts of Killarney National Park, recently, brought home in a graphic way the fact that large numbers of animals, large and small, are being killed on our roads.

RECENT storms and awesome tidal surges not only did enormous damage to the coastline, they also washed in a startling volume of waste showing that large-scale dumping takes place at sea.

PEOPLE out walking by the sea during the Christmas and New Year period, especially those who hadn’t done so for some time, may have noticed fresh erosion in areas.

WE can see the effects of climate change outside the front door.

TREATMENT of public water supplies costs around €1bn per year, a huge sum when treatment is not necessary for many of the uses of water.

THOUGH cycling is becoming ever more popular in Ireland, we’re still a mighty long way from having the facilities that other EU countries are providing for people that prefer the bike as a mode of transport.

THE younger generation might be forgiven for believing that recycling is a new concept here. In fact, it’s quite old.

THE large amount of smoke rising from chimneys since the onset of winter tells us that traditional fuels such as coal, wood and, to a lesser extent, turf, still keep the home fires burning.