MIKE CARNEY describes his birthplace as the ‘’most beautiful place on earth’’.

IN TOUGH times for farmers, lime is currently being promoted as the cheapest fertiliser available.

SERIOUS questions are being raised about the impact on Ireland’s environment of the so-called “greening’’ of the EU’s agriculture policies (CAP).

THE comeback of the bike is one of the more notable transport phenomena of recent times.

VISITING the Burren, in Co Clare, is always a refreshing experience that usually throws up delightful little cameos.

THOUGH hundreds of wind turbines have already been erected around the country, with the largest number being in elevated areas of Cork and Kerry, a national debate on a vexed issue is just getting underway.

IT’S hardly a thought uppermost in their minds, but people working in their gardens these days, as they prepare to grow their own vegetables, are helping to make the world a better and healthier place.

A NEW way of reporting pollution is welcome, but tricky. An iPhone app, launched by the EPA, makes it easy to contact your local authority, on-the-spot, with a complaint.

AS I type, I’m keeping one eye on a cat lurking in the bushes near a bird feeder outside the window.

OUR wetlands are not just for scientists to study; they are there to be enjoyed by everyone.