Geography

The course introduces fluvial (river), estuarine, and coastal environments from a geomorphic systems perspective. Geomorphology is the study of landforms, and the materials and processes involved in landform formation and change. The principal geomorphological focus of this study is the river catchment, which includes valley hillslopes, river floodplains, and river channels themselves. The course also considers links to transitional waters (e.g. estuaries) and geomorphic process environments found in the coastal zone. Students learn about the key themes and approaches employed by geomorphologists to understand these settings, and they gain an understanding of the variety of landforms found in a range of catchment and coastal settings.

There is little disagreement that far-reaching societal, technological, political, and economic transformations are required if we are to avoid the worst effects of global, anthropogenic environmental change. What form these transformations should take and who should take responsibility for them are, however, far from settled. This course considers some of the key conceptual debates and environmental conflicts arising in this context. Examination of these debates and conflicts demonstrate the contested and uneven nature of environmental change and the measures sought to address these changes. The course helps students develop a more nuanced, critical, and multi-disciplinary understanding of environmental change and the different, often contested, ways of responding to such changes. The course consists of weekly interactive lectures/seminars, guest lectures, and set readings. Lectures introduces students to key concepts and perspectives drawn from the broad field of political ecology. Each week part of the class is set aside for students to develop their research projects. These projects focus on a key area of environmental contestation in Ireland through a political ecology lens.

What makes planet Earth so remarkable? Our planet is shaped by many interacting environmental systems operating from atomic through to global scales. Understanding the science of these systems is central to developing an advanced knowledge of the physical environment. This course explores fundamental Earth surface systems (e.g. tectonics, atmosphere & oceans, landscape development, climate change), focusing on core concepts, processes, their significance within a broader environmental context and their relevance to the human species.

The extraction, production, distribution and use of energy sources has significant environmental, social, political and economic impacts. Impacts are multi‐scalar, ranging from global climate change to socio‐cultural disruption at local, national and regional scales. This module exposes students to these impacts and related energy geopolitics with detailed case studies. The module also gives students a comprehensive background of the development and use of promising future post-carbon alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, and biofuels. It discusses how to build the energy-efficient architecture of a low carbon economy and develop sustainable energy system design for the future.

This course is a study of countryside planning and the contemporary issues, functions, and conflicts of different landscapes, ranging from traditional rural to peri-urban settings. The course examines cultural landscapes, local, national and international policy, planning processes, governance, actor analysis, EU physical planning approaches, landscape analysis and multifunctional landscapes, nature and water management, recreation, cultural heritage, national parks, rural development programs, agricultural diversification and social farming, peri-urban agriculture, counter-urbanization, and rural-urban relationships.