Know your birdsong! Click through our quick guide to the calls of common Irish birds

This is the time of year birds are at their loudest. During this relatively brief window from early April until the end of May birds are on the move. The summer brings about an influx of birds from the south moving into Ireland. Here is a selection of common Irish birds along with the their own distinctive bird songs. Information for this article was provided by the Bird Watch Ireland website.

Biofuels are worse than fossil fuels, research finds

Biomass is often described as a clean, renewable fuel and a greener alternative to coal and other fossil fuels for producing electricity. But recent studies have shown that many forms of biomass especially from forests produce higher carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. In particular, a growing body of peer-reviewed, scientific studies shows that burning wood from whole trees in power plants to produce electricity can increase carbon emissions relative to fossil fuels for many decades—anywhere from 35 to 100 years. This time period is significant: climate policy imperatives require dramatic short-term reductions in greenhouse gases, and these emissions will persist in the atmosphere well past the time when significant reductions are needed.