Donal Hickey on the consequences of energy consumption.

HALLOWE’EN is almost here, a time when long nights and more hours of darkness are ushered in. But, in a world that has become obsessed with light, there are many urban areas where darkness scarcely exists any more and the sight of star-speckled skies is a rarity.

HOPES are again being raised of a major gas find in a huge area in the Atlantic, about 150km off the west and south coasts.

AS our eating habits change, more and more of our food comes wrapped in various forms of aluminium. For instance, more than 90 million aluminium trays are used each day in Ireland, a staggering figure by any standards.

THE little known Kerry Slug has crawled its way into the spotlight following a recent decision to re-route a small section of a major new roadway linking Cork and Kerry.

AT one time, mink coats were fashionable among stylish folk, but the animal that provided them has now become a pest in parts of Ireland.

PEOPLE that regularly drive past a school in the morning, or mid-afternoon, must be asking themselves: Does any child walk to school any more? These are the times of the day when you’ll find traffic jams outside practically every school in Ireland, causing hazards not only to other road users but also to children who weave in and out between vehicles.

RARELY has bird life in Ireland been receiving such publicity. Eagles, kites and hen harriers are all making headlines and attention could now be turning to the plight of songbirds which are facing a relatively new threat.

IF present trends continue, there could be an extra million people living in Ireland by 2021.

EVEN with dreaded climate change it’s a case of every cloud having a silver lining — for some.