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Ireland imports 88% of its energy requirements. Oil makes up 59% of total final energy consumption (TFC). Import dependency, low fuel diversity and volatile prices leave Ireland vulnerable in terms of energy security. The Supply/Demand Index, developed by the energy research centre of the Netherlands (ECN), has been used previously as a metric to assess Irish energy security. The method assesses both supply and demand side quantitative factors by sector, assigns expert opinion weights to these factors to allocate risk, and give a relative picture of energy security when compared to EU benchmarks. The thesis further develops this index in order to address a number of limitations and to develop further insights into energy security. Firstly, the update develops a time series dataset taking into account the most recent Irish Energy balance data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and EUROSTAT, while economic-energy indicators are supplemented from the ODYSSEE database. Secondly, given Irelands reliance on the UK for the primary energy supply for refined oil products and natural gas, an appropriate restructuring of Irish primary energy supply risk is developed to account for the risk in UK chain of primary energy supply. This is deemed necessary given the shift in UK energy balance from net exporter to net importer of energy. Moving from energy index analysis to energy systems analysis, this thesis develops the first energy security scenarios for Ireland to 2050 using long term macroeconomic forecasts to 2050, with oil production and price scenarios from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), soft-linked to the Irish-TIMES energy systems model. The analysis focuses on developing a least cost optimum energy system for Ireland under scenarios of constrained oil supply from 2012 (0.8% annual import growth, and –2% annual import decline) and subsequent sustained long term price shocks to oil and gas imports. The results point to gas becoming the dominant fuel source for Ireland, at 54% total final energy consumption in 2020, supplanting oil from reference projections of 57% to 10.8% TFC. In 2012, the cost of net oil imports stood at €3.6 billion (2.26% GDP). The modelled high oil and gas price scenarios show an additional annual cost in comparison to a reference of between €2.9bn and €7.5bn IX by 2020 (1.9% - 4.9% of GDP) to choose to develop a least cost energy system. Investment and ramifications for Irish energy security are discussed. In a climate constrained future, hybrid energy-economy model coupling gives additional insight into interregional competition, trade, industrial delocalisation and overall macroeconomic consequences of decarbonising the energy system. Decarbonising the energy system is critical in mitigating climate change. This thesis summarises modelling methodologies developed in the International Energy Agency Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (IEA-ETSAP) community to assess economic impacts of decarbonising energy systems at global and national levels. The range of economic impacts is regionally dependent upon the stage of economic development, the level of industrialisation, energy intensity of exports, and competition effects due to rates of relative decarbonisation. Decarbonisation targets of developed nations are estimated to result in a manageable GDP loss in the region of 2% by 2050. Energy intensive export driven developing countries, such as China and India, and fossil fuel exporting nations can expect significantly higher GDP loss of up to 5% GDP by 2050. The approaches outlined within have guided the first evidence based decarbonisation legislation and continue to provide additional insights as increased sectoral disaggregation in hybrid modelling approaches is achieved. This thesis develops a general equilibrium feedback in technology rich integrated energy systems modes to equitable burden sharing rules for climate change mitigation at an Irish and Global scale. The IEA-ETSAP hybrid global Integrated Assessment Model TIAM-MACRO is used to investigate the efficient bottom-up energy system required to meet a 2°C limit target with 66% probability while optimising for consumer welfare. Least cost efficient 2°C scenario (2DS) emissions are compared alongside burden sharing rules, including contract and convergence equalisation of emissions per capita, equalisation of regional GDP loss, compensation for energy cost increases in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), full compensation for GDP loss in LDCs and two interpretations of the "Brazil Proposal" of historical cumulative responsibility for temperature forcing. X The results in this thesis for equal future emissions per capita challenge statements that this approach will aid emerging economies, mainly China and India. This thesis shows that China, India and developing Asia suffer increased economic losses using equal per capita burden sharing rules in comparison to the efficient least cost scenario. China fares best when the burden sharing rules focus on equalisation for economic losses, while India, Other Developing Asia, and Africa have greater economic benefits when rules focus on equitable cumulative emissions per capita. Finally this approach can quantify the levels of capital transfer the Green Climate Fund should manage going forward, indicates which regions should pay, which regions should receive, and quantify the amount of capital transfers.

James Glynn of the U.S. Navy writes from Norfolk, Virginia, to Alden Partridge in Norwich, Vermont; he wishes to enter the Academy, but would like more information. ; Transcription by Joseph Byrne. Transcriptions may be subject to error.

Inspection report of the quarters of the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy by the officer of the day, James Glynn, on 28 July 1823.

BACKGROUND: Transition discourses are gaining prominence in efforts to imagine a future that adequately addresses the urgent need to establish low carbon and climate resilient pathways. Within these discourses the 'public' is seen as central to the creation and implementation of appropriate interventions. The role of public engagement in societal transformation while essential, is also complex and often poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to enhance our understanding regarding public engagement and to address the often superficial and shallow policy discourse on this topic. MAIN TEXT: The paper offers a review of evolving literature to map emergent public engagement in processes of transition and change. We adopt a pragmatic approach towards literature retrieval and analysis which enables a cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral review. We use a scoping review process and the three spheres of transformation framework (designated as the practical, political and personal spheres) to explore trends within this complex research field. The review draws from literature from the last two decades in the Irish context and looks at emergence and evolving spaces of public engagement within various systems of change including energy, food, coastal management and flood adaptation, among others. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the siloed and fragmented way in which public engagement in transitions is carried and we propose a more cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary approach which depends on bringing into dialogue often contrasting theories and perspectives. The paper also illustrates some shifting engagement approaches. For instance, nexus articles between the practical and political spheres suggest deeper forms of public engagement beyond aggregated consumer behaviour to align technological delivery with institutional and societal contexts. While most articles in the practical sphere draw largely on techno-economic insights this influence and cross-disciplinarity is likely to draw in further innovations. ...

Background Transition discourses are gaining prominence in efforts to imagine a future that adequately addresses the urgent need to establish low carbon and climate resilient pathways. Within these discourses the 'public' is seen as central to the creation and implementation of appropriate interventions. The role of public engagement in societal transformation while essential, is also complex and often poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to enhance our understanding regarding public engagement and to address the often superficial and shallow policy discourse on this topic. Main text The paper offers a review of evolving literature to map emergent public engagement in processes of transition and change. We adopt a pragmatic approach towards literature retrieval and analysis which enables a cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral review. We use a scoping review process and the three spheres of transformation framework (designated as the practical, political and personal spheres) to explore trends within this complex research field. The review draws from literature from the last two decades in the Irish context and looks at emergence and evolving spaces of public engagement within various systems of change including energy, food, coastal management and flood adaptation, among others. Conclusions The results highlight the siloed and fragmented way in which public engagement in transitions is carried and we propose a more cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary approach which depends on bringing into dialogue often contrasting theories and perspectives. The paper also illustrates some shifting engagement approaches. For instance, nexus articles between the practical and political spheres suggest deeper forms of public engagement beyond aggregated consumer behaviour to align technological delivery with institutional and societal contexts. While most articles in the practical sphere draw largely on techno-economic insights this influence and cross-disciplinarity is likely to draw in further innovations. Nexus articles between the political and personal sphere are also drawing on shifting ideas of public engagement and largely stress the need to disrupt reductive notions of engagement and agency within our institutions. Many of these articles call attention to problems with top-down public engagement structures and in various ways show how they often undermine and marginalise different groups.

Lecture Notes in Energy Volume 30 ; In: Informing Energy and Climate Policies Using Energy Systems Models ; In a climate constrained future, hybrid energy-economy model coupling gives additional insight into interregional competition, trade, industrial delocalisation and overall macroeconomic consequences of decarbonising the energy system. Decarbonising the energy system is critical in mitigating climate change. This chapter summarises modelling methodologies developed in the ETSAP community to assess economic impacts of decarbonising energy systems at a national level. The preceding chapter focuses on a global perspective. The modelling studies outlined here show that burden sharing rules and national revenue recycling schemes for carbon tax are critical for the long-term viability of economic growth and equitable engagement on combating climate change. Traditional computable general equilibrium models and energy systems models solved in isolation can misrepresent the long run carbon cost and underestimate the demand response caused by technological paradigm shifts in a decarbonised energy system. The approaches outlined within have guided the first evidence based decarbonisation legislation and continue to provide additional insights as increased sectoral disaggregation in hybrid modelling approaches is achieved.