Year: 2020
This Discussion Document is the basis for the first phase of the Consultation Process where feedback / comments are sought on the proposed directions of the new EPA Research Strategy.
Authors: Stuart Green, Shafique Martin, Saeid Gharechelou, Fiona Cawkwell and Kevin Black, December 2019
Year: 2019
Hedgerows are an important feature of the Irish landscape. They perform multiple functions, acting as boundary markers, reservoirs of biodiversity, controlling run-off and they store carbon in above-ground biomass. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an active remote sensing tool, imaging radar, to estimate biomass in hedgerows.
Authors: Mike G. Whitfield, Mohamed Abdalla, Giuseppe Benanti, William Burchill, Dru Marsh, Bruce Osborne, Brendan Roth, Matthew Saunders, Pete Smith and Mike Williams, December 2019
Year: 2019
This project was concerned with improving the national inventory of GHG emissions from Irish soils. The IPCC's Tier 2 and 3 methodologies were used, effectively upscaling regional data on N2O and CO2 to the national level, through a combined process-based model and geographic information system (GIS) approach.
Authors: Celine McInerney, Conor Hickey, Paul Deane, Joseph Curtin and Brian Ó Gallachóir, December 2019
Year: 2019
The European emissions reduction policy is clear and calls for the energy sectors, particularly the electricity sector, to be carbon neutral before 2050. The objective of this study is to examine how the decarbonisation of the power system will impact the investment case for both electricity generation and infrastructure assets.
Authors: Darius Ceburnis, Colin D. O’Dowd, Stephen G. Jennings and Margaret Ryan, December 2019
Year: 2019
This fellowship project supports extensive research efforts on particulate matter (PM) studies in Ireland and at Mace Head station, particularly for building a knowledge base and establishing and sustaining long-term measurement series at the station.
Authors: Justin Doran, Thomas McDermott, Paul Kilgarriff, Swenja Surminski and Mauricio Perez Alaniz, November 2019
Year: 2019
Climate change is likely to lead to physical changes in temperature and precipitation and sea level rise, and Ireland is already experiencing the effects of climate change on its weather patterns. This project identifies several interacting factors that should be considered in designing efficient climate change adaptation strategies.
Authors: Eileen Culloty, Alan Smeaton, Jane Suiter, Padraig Murphy, Pat Brereton, Dian Zhang and Dave Robbins , November 2019
Year: 2019
Research indicates that public concern about climate change is largely derived from media consumption. This project investigated coverage trends on climate change across print, broadcast and online media in order to make recommendations for climate change communicators.
Authors: Eileen O’Leary, November 2019
Year: 2019
This report aims to distil out the best practices from the 28-Country EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 (EIR).
Authors: Jennifer B. Donlan, Jean O’Dwyer and Kenneth A. Byrne, November 2019
Year: 2019
Peatlands play a vital role in the carbon cycle in terms of carbon storage and biosphere–atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases. Drainage and conversion to agriculture dramatically alters these processes and transforms the ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source. A key prerequisite for assessing the magnitude of such emissions is to estimate the area of peatland under agricultural use, in this case cultivation.
Authors: Darius Ceburnis, Colin D. O’Dowd and Margaret Ryan, November 2019
Year: 2019
This fellowship enabled and sustained scientific operations at Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station. The advanced method of dual carbon isotope analysis will allow better identification of natural and anthropogenic source contributions, which is essential for quantifying human-induced global climate change.
Authors: Eoin Byrne, Kevin Fitzgibbon and Anca Minescu, October 2019
Year: 2019
This project developed a new online national WRI database by collaborating with the water research community in Ireland, using an interactive consultation and design process. It is a central database of information on all WRI in Ireland, including the types of WRI available for various research areas and applications, from the freshwater sector to the marine, climate and agriculture sectors.
Authors: Éva Ujaczki, Chinnam Rama Krishna and Lisa O’Donoghue, October 2019
Year: 2019
The Algeopolymers project study focused on a state-of-the-art review related to geopolymers, including the use of wastes and by products as core ingredients in geopolymer products. The objective of the research was to investigate the potential for Irish wastes (fly ash, bauxite residues, etc.) to be used in geopolymer applications and the opportunities for these geopolymer applications within the construction industry in Ireland.
Authors: Achim Ahrens, John Curtis, Seraphim Dempsey, Mel T. Devine, Tom Gillespie, Gianluca Grilli, Stephen Hynes, Ronan C. Lyons, Peter D. Lunn, Seán Lyons, Terence J. McElvaney, Edgar Morgenroth, Kyle Moore, Martin Murphy, Áine Ní Choisdealbha and Anne Nolan. Editor: Seán Lyons, October 2019
Year: 2019
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) Environment Research Programme 2016-2018 brought together a diverse set of research topics in which the environment interacts with economic and social processes. Detailed in this report are findings from 7 projects which were undertaken as part of the wider Programme.
Authors: Eoin Byrne, Kevin Fitzgibbon, Anca Minescu and Julia Blanke, October 2019
Year: 2019
This project addresses water reuse in the context of the circular economy in Ireland. This study has reviewed the policy background for water reuse; assessed the international practices in water reuse; examined the main technologies that are used for water recovery and their suitability; and conducted significant stakeholder engagement, including the first national public survey on attitudes to water reuse in Ireland.
Authors: Chinnam Rama Krishna, John Mulcahy and Lisa O’Donoghue, September 2019
Year: 2019
The LCDVal project aimed to illustrate the potential indium value contained in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) accessible via recovery techniques, therefore turning liquid crystal panel waste fractions into a resource for critical raw materials.
Authors: Bernadette O’Regan, Richard Moles, Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty and Rachel Shawe, September 2019
Year: 2019
Substantial environmental costs result from infant feeding decisions, not only regarding milks, foods and equipment purchased, but also regarding disposal of plastics, packaging and food waste. Existing infant feeding policies and waste management guidance do not address the disposal and waste aspects.
Authors: Geraint Ellis, Therese Hume, John Barry and Robin Curry, September 2019
Year: 2019
This synthesis report presents the main findings from a desk study on Catalysing and Characterising Transition (CCTransitions), which was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Year: 2019
This independent review examines the performance to date of the EPA’s 2014-2020 Research Programme.
Authors: Brendan Flynn and Pádraic Ó hUiginn, September 2019
Year: 2019
The EPIIC (Environmental Policy Integration: Innovation and Change) project explored the relevance of environmental policy integration (EPI) for Irish environmental governance. EPI involves bringing environmental concerns into all other policy sectors, notably into agriculture, energy and transport.
Authors: Jane C. Stout, James T. Murphy and Saorla Kavanagh, September 2019
Year: 2019
The Pollival project used pollinators and pollination services, which have public and political appeal, as a case study for assessing the market and non-market values of ecosystem services.
