GIVEN that many of the sources of our drinking water are polluted, about the only surprise to emerge from the current contamination of public water supplies in Galway is that it did not happen a long time ago, somewhere in the country.

TRAVEL outside any Irish town, on a Monday morning, for about just as long as it takes to eat a carton of chips and you’re almost certain to find packaging strewn around the roadside.

HOW to protect the many ancient treasures of the Burren is becoming a challenge, with monuments under threat from scrub which has grown prolifically in the past 30 years.

CALLS to allow landowners charge walkers going onto their property are being rejected by the Government, for the moment at least.

THERE can be few more magnificent sights off the coast than the spectacle of the Skellig Rocks sitting serenely in the Atlantic on a clear, sunny day. But, of the two million tourists that come to the south-west each year, only a fraction ever go to the trouble of taking a ferry to these remote citadels.

In the boating community, of which I’m a member, there has been some discussion recently about the negative effects of the wash or wake that boats produce.

CONCERNS voiced by anglers and conservationists about pondweed — both the Canadian and African varieties — in some of our most famous lakes highlight the impact of many invasive, alien species in Ireland.

ONE of the most visible signs of the urbanisation of Ireland must surely be the huge number of apartments that are being provided in our cities and towns.

HOW to change a national addiction to the car is one of the big challenges facing the government as it attempts to bring about a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

MANY people have been talking about exceptionally prolonged, windy weather this winter, which has caused a good deal of damage.