Frances Fahy

Mind the gap! Householder attitudes and actions towards waste in Ireland

The growing volume of domestic waste is a particularly visible manifestation of the environmental problems caused by high levels of economic growth and consumption in Ireland, while the effective management of waste is becoming progressively problematic for policy-makers and householders alike. Surveys of public opinion demonstrate a gap between concern for the environment and actions to protect it. However, there has been little consideration of public views of, and behaviour in relation to, the waste sector. An in-depth study of public actions and attitudes towards waste in Ireland was conducted in response to this paucity of information. The research revealed a complex landscape of attitudeaction relationships influenced by factors ranging from personal characteristics to social and institutional contexts. Attention to this complexity by policy makers in Ireland will be essential if the management of household waste is to be improved.

Sustainable consumption and governance: reflecting on a research agenda for Ireland

Abstract Contemporary consumption represents an archetypal ‘wicked problem’, being linked to climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion, while also functioning as a cultural signifier and a driver of economic growth and innovation. The Janus-faced nature of consumption is an important indicator of the complexity facing those who aspire to encouraging more sustainable consumption patterns. This paper argues that there are outstanding, and related, areas of contention that need further research in order to generate a more comprehensive and coherent picture of consumption and how it may be made more sustainable. In essence attention needs to be paid to the practices of consumption, its governance and also how practices and governance interact. This paper examines everyday practices and their regulation in two key areas of consumption in Ireland – how we get around (transport) and how we live in our homes (heating/cooling, lighting, cleaning and eating) – to identify current gaps in social scien...

The Reality Of The Locality: Exploring Spatial Aspects Of Quality Of Life In Galway City, Ireland

Quality of life is increasingly recognised as a vital component of sustainable urban development. Indicators are used to assess quality of life and to monitor progress towards sustainability over time. An emerging body of literature contends that these indicators need to be derived in close consultation with target populations in order to optimise the extent to which they capture the real determinants of quality of life in particular places. Furthermore, quality of life considerations vary signifi cantly across urban neighbourhoods and consequently the spatial scale at which such studies are conducted may have signifi cant implications for the results obtained. This study focuses on spatial variations in quality of life in Galway, a city of approximately 70,000 people, situated on the west coast of Ireland. Galway is reported as having an exceptionally high quality of life, however, signifi cant variations are found to exist across city neighbourhoods. Factors contributing to this spatial pattern are explored in this paper. An important lesson emerging from this study is that quality of life indicators derived at the neighbourhood level are of utmost importance when assessing the reality of living in different urban settings.

Community-Based Quality of Life Indicators for Urban Areas as Derived in Galway City, Ireland

This paper describes how promoting the quality of life and well-being of citizens is increasingly recognized as an essential component of sustainable urban development. The use of indicators is considered by many to be a key element in giving practical effect to the concept of sustainable cities. However, an emerging body of literature acknowledges that indicators are unlikely to be acceptable or particularly useful unless they are developed in close consultation with their target populations. Community-derived indicators allow individual citizens and communities to express and measure the most important determinants of quality of life for them. This participatory approach raises awareness of elements of the urban environment that are highly valued by citizens and has the potential to contribute to improving local governance. The derivation of quality of life indicators and their observation in urban settings, together with the compilation, analysis, and interpretation of related databases, are highly problematic, not least because the indicators tend to be qualitative in nature and difficult to measure objectively. The use of community-derived quality of life indicators in sustainable urban planning is reviewed in this paper. The process of developing such indicators in Galway (Ireland), one of the fastest growing cities in the European Union (EU) is examined in detail. The manner in which the municipal authority may utilize these indicators to monitor quality of life trends and as a practical tool for bolstering participatory democracy is discussed. This enhanced governance is demonstrated to be a potentially influential process of promoting sustainability practices in cities.

Imaginaries and practices : learning from 'ENERGISE' about the integration of social sciences with the EU Energy Union

This chapter aims (1) to identify problematic framings relating to the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research with the developing EU Energy Union and (2) to account for the practice of SSH-related energy policy integration with regard to the disciplines, actors, initiatives and processes involved. It articulates an imaginary of SSH and policy integration prevalent in Horizon 2020 funding calls relating to the EU Energy Union, which prefigures what is asked of SSH. Implications of this imaginary for the framing, substance and process of energy policymaking and the role of SSH research therein are discussed. An alternative imaginary is depicted, based on reflection on ‘European Network for Research, Good Practice and Innovation for Sustainable Energy’ (ENERGISE), a three-year, pan-European Horizon 2020-funded project being undertaken by the authors and other partners. The conclusion identifies priorities which need to be addressed in future Horizon 2020-funded research, centring on further probing of alternative imaginaries of, and approaches to, eliciting energy policy integration of SSH.