The drive towards a knowledge-based economy requires the creation of a social and cultural environment conducive to successful and exploitable research. Therefore, legitimate societal concerns and needs have to be taken on board. This is particularly important for the energy field, which has an impact on the everyday life of all citizens. Wherever possible, Energy Researchers will be encouraged to develop science in society perspectives from the very beginning of the conception of their activities. Where appropriate, cross-thematic partnerships will be established, which will focus on bridging the gap between energy science and technology and society’s interests. Opportunities for the integration of well-established areas of research on the socio-economic dimension, societal concerns and behaviour change, will be the focus of the Energy and Society Group.
People
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Dr. Frances Fahy Lecturer in Environmental Geography, School of Geography and Archaeology Phone: (091) 49 2315; Email: frances.fahy@nuigalway.ie ——— Dr Fahy’s interests are in the field of environmental planning and sustainability, specifically the social and cultural consequences of environmental change. She is currently the Project Manger of ConsEnSus (Consumption, Environment and Sustainability), a large-scale EPA/STRIVE project (2009-2013), which is exploring key areas of domestic consumption that impact directly on the environment. |
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Dr. Kieran Hickey Geography Phone: (091) 49 2128; Email: kieran.hickey@nuigalway.ie ——— Dr. Kieran Hickey’s main research and teaching interests are on climate change and natural disasters mainly focused on changing patterns of storminess and he is also interested in natural history particularly the natural history of wolves in Ireland. |
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Mr. Rónán Kennedy School of Law Phone: (091) 49 5626; Email: ronan.m.kennedy@nuigalway.ie ——— Rónán Kennedy is a member of the Law School at NUI Galway and teaches courses in environmental legislation, information technology law and intellectual property (principally copyright). He is also the co-ordinator of the new LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance. He has published in the areas of planning law and environmental law, and is currently researching Irish climate change law and policy. |
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Dr. Henrike Rau Political Science and Sociology Tel: (091) 49 5104; Email: henrike.rau@nuigalway.ie ——— Dr Henrike Rau is a lecturer in Political Science and Sociology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Her current research focuses on socio-cultural and political aspects of consumption, especially with regard to (un)sustainable transport patterns. She currently leads research on transport, mobilities and the ?consumption of distance? as part of ConsEnSus, an EPA Ireland-funded collaborative project between Trinity College Dublin and NUI, Galway on consumption, environment and sustainability (www.consensus.ie). Her other areas of expertise include environmental sociology, social-scientific and interdisciplinary sustainability research and cross-cultural studies. She is particularly interested in the implications of human time use for sustainability. |
Some Active Energy and Society Projects
- EN-2009-14: ConsEnSus: Challenging individual consumption patterns in the areas of energy, food, transport & shelter
- EN-2008-13: Determination of the Minimum Measurement Framework Necessary to Monitor Operational Energy in Office Buildings
