About this tour
Our study tour to Dublin explores how environmental economics takes shape in a national context marked by both opportunity and constraint. Ireland faces sharp tensions between its reliance on agriculture, which sustains rural economies but drives high emissions, and its ambitions for renewable energy and climate leadership. Through visits to farms, wind and solar projects, policy institutions, and urban fieldwork in Dublin, we will examine how food systems, energy transitions, and everyday behavior interact in shaping environmental outcomes.
Learning outcomes
- Connect theory to practice by analyzing how Irish case studies in agriculture, renewable energy, and climate policy illustrate core concepts in environmental economics
- Examine how Irish agencies, firms, and communities facilitate or constrain the green transition
- Reflect on environmental behavior and perceptions through field observations of urban sustainability, transport choices, and cultural practices
- Critically assess trade-offs in Ireland’s “climate dilemma,” especially the tension between agricultural exports, rural livelihoods, and emissions reduction
Possible activities
- Participate in urban field work that allows us to observe energy use, transport, and everyday sustainability practices
- Visit local farms and players in the food system, including organic farming and foraging, to reflect on Ireland’s agricultural dilemmas
- Discuss opportunities and barriers in renewable energy expansion at a wind farm or solar energy provider
- Learn from organizations like SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) about topics including Ireland’s national climate and energy policy