A cleaner Ireland - A climate of change

ONE of the great annual Irish events was highlighted again yesterday, though tens of thousands of volunteers have been working on it for a very long time.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley launched the 2009 National Tidy Towns Competition. There are very few if any civic organisations that engender such a spirit of community or such a positive pride of place.

For the first time in its 51-year history the competition will incorporate a special climate change award. The aim is to facilitate community groups to consider their carbon footprint to raise awareness of the relevance of climate change issues.

This competition has been very successful in encouraging higher standards of environmental care and it would be a truly wonderful advance if it was to encourage a realistic response to climate change.