Science Week 2024
This year’s Science Week theme is harnessing the power of regeneration. The decisions we make today will greatly impact future generations and so it is important to take learnings from the past to inform our decisions for the future.
From protecting our natural world, adopting more sustainable approaches to energy supply, embracing technological advancements and investigating new solutions to safeguard our health, it’s time to reimagine the way we engage with the world around us and enhance our collective strengths.
BluePrint
The BluePrint project aims to engage with flood-affected communities across generations, in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, from the villages of Eglinton and Newtownstewart. BluePrint is a recipient of the Creative Climate Action fund, an initiative from the Creative Ireland Programme. It is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Dr Paul Deane on RTE One's Futureville Ireland
MaREI researcher Dr Paul Deane from University College Cork will featured on RTE One’s Futureville Ireland. This will air on RTE One on Thursday, the 14th at 7.00 pm.
Futureville Ireland is an ambitious new three-part series presented on consecutive evenings by Carla O’Brien and Dr Lollie (Lorraine) Mancey on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player that offers a vision for a re-imagined Athlone as a major Irish city in 2050 – Futureville. What could it look like? What could daily life be like for the residents? How can science shape our future for the better?
Science Week on RTÉ has been produced in collaboration with Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland).
Teaching Resources for Youth-Informed Biodiversity Education (TRYBE)
It’s the first anniversary of the launch of the TRYBE resources and the government has recently responded to the Calls to Action from the Children and Young People’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss – TRYBE directly responded to the call for more educational resources on biodiversity for children – just a reminder that the resources are all still available for free download (or request a copy) here.
TRYBE was an initiative which seeks to engage and empower children and young people with knowledge to understand the value of biodiversity and to address the critical challenges of biodiversity loss.
Read the government’s response to recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss here.
Get To Know
Get to know some of our researchers in MaREI’s Circular Economy Energy and Environmental Systems (CEEES) Research Group at
University College Cork. The group focus on renewable advanced fuel production in circular economy systems & consists of approximately 20 researchers.
CEEES’s work facilitates the development of roadmaps, which describe how Ireland can initiate a green gas industry, which would contribute to mandatory renewable energy targets for renewable heat and transport fuel.
Events
Science at the Marina is a community-focused event bringing together leading scientists and innovators to engage the public in cutting-edge research and advancements in science and technology. This initiative aims to inspire future generations and foster a culture of curiosity and learning. This event is funded by Research Ireland.
This one-day, FREE event takes place at the Marina Market in Cork City on Saturday, 16th November 2024, from 11:00 to 16:00 for Science Week. It invites families and curious minds of all ages to a day packed with hands-on discovery and excitement.
Science on Stage will featured a talk from MaREI’s Dr Lydia Cumiskey, MaREI discussing the BluePrint Sound & Light Installation at 2pm. Experience an evocative sound and light installation about climate change and community resilience. Dr Cumiskey introduces this unique piece co-created with artist Sara Walmsley.
Community Response: Planning For Future Flood Events
On November 14th at the Mall Arts Centre from 6 – 9pm, Youghal’s Blue & Green Network climate action project Pathways: Building Community Climate Resilience hosts its final event – a public meeting at which expert speakers and local community members come together to discuss how a community-based flooding resilience plan can be developed.
There is an open invitation to all walks of people in Youghal and the Network hopes that people will welcome the opportunity to engage in discussions around what is needed to prepare and respond to flood events, which may increase as sea levels rise.
The discussion will be chaired by Aoife Deane of MaREI, UCC and six panellists will give a short presentation. The panellists are Professor Robert Devoy of UCC; Jordan Delmar of Met Eireann, David Moran from the Office of Public Works, Veronica Santorum, lead artist with the Pathways project, Caroline Leahy from Midleton Flood Forum and local Councillor Mary Linehan Foley.
Planning for citizen participation in the EU Mission to Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030
For anyone interested in the EU’s Mission Ocean & Waters and/or citizen participation on Thursday 14th, 2 pm CET, David Whyte from MaREI University College Cork will give a talk on will be discussing our new paper: “Planning for citizen participation in the EU Mission to Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” in the Anthropology of the Seas (ANTHSEAS) network meeting. The link and talk abstract are below for anyone who wants to join!
Link: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/85019396702#success | Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40152-024-00385-x
MaREI Podcast – Poetry of Renewable Energy
This episode of the MaREI Podcast is about renewable energy. It features a reading and discussion of a poem – Wind and Wave, by Derek Mahon – which explores renewable energy technologies of wind turbines and wave energy.
The podcast opens with a historical preamble on the long history of wind technologies, particularly windmills, which sets the scene for the entrance of its modern cousin: the wind turbine. The poem and the discussion of the poem switch between the human scale of wind blowing a musical instrument and the planetary scale of wind powering the electrification of our modern lives. The podcast features an interview with Brendan Tuohy, the chairperson of EirGrid (the electricity system operator in Ireland), who previously had the poem published in EirGrid’s annual report and who presents a perspective on the role of poetry in the energy transition.
This episode is written & produced by MaREI’s Fionn Rogan & Evan Boyle.
COP 29
Dr Barry Hayes, Sumaya Mohammed, Cian Walsh and Dr Fionn Rogan, who, along with Erin O'Riordan, will attend COP29 in the coming days. Picture by Rubén Tapia.
Students and researchers from University College Cork including MaREI’s Dr Fionn Rogan & Dr Barry Hayes will attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties (COP) when the 29th edition of the summit takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan this week.
Dr Fionn Rogan, Senior Research Fellow in Energy Systems Modelling at MaREI, UCC who will lead the delegation, said “The annual COP is an opportunity to evaluate progress on the climate action pledges that were made last year. In addition to the pledge to transition away from fossil fuels, last year’s COP agreed targets to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030.
“COP29 in Azerbaijan has been billed as the finance COP. Success or failure will be measured on whether or not the countries of the world can agree sufficient climate finance to achieve targets for energy, loss and damages, and climate adaptation. I’m honoured to be leading the UCC delegation that will observe at first hand the progress of the negotiations and will be present to remind all negotiators of the urgent need to reach agreement,” he said.
