Liam Leonard

Drawing on almost 20 years of Liam Leonard’s research in the field, The Sustainable Nation: Politics, Economy and Justice provides a detailed case study of a modern European state’s tumultuous development through first decades of the Millennium. As the Republic of Ireland experienced an initial phase of accelerated growth, followed by a dramatic economic downturn, the nation’s attempts to expand its infrastructure was met with resistance from communities concerned about local environments. The Sustainable Nation: Politics, Economy and Justice looks at some of the conflicts that emerged as part of the Irish people’s attempts to achieve a sustainable form of development. Other issues such as the rise of a multicultural and globalized society as well as issues of social justice are also explored within this study. This book represents a culmination of Leonard's research on Ireland which began at the turn of the Millennium. The book provides an in depth and up to date study on Ireland's growth and the substantial changes experienced there during the last two decades.

There is a growing acknowledgment amongst professionals and academics that we need to develop new responses to crime. This book provides an insight into the first introduction of restorative justice to the criminal justice system in the Republic of Ireland. By analysing six case studies of restorative conferencing events, the authors aim to address the salient question of how restorative conferencing for young offenders can facilitate an exchange process whereby forms of reparation and social regulation may be achieved. The restorative justice process has much to offer, and the authors argue that this concept, particularly as it centres on the greater use of non custodial sentences, will not only bring about changes in the law but also have significant implications for social regulation.

This volume of the "Advances in Ecopolitics" examines the impact of the economic crisis on peripheral European states such as Ireland and Greece. Following an introductory chapter, it is divided into two geographically-focused sections, the first on Ireland, the second section on Greece. Specifically the book focuses on governance, sustainable politics and environmental policies, within the context of accelerated growth and the subsequent economic downturn. It also examines issues of governance and politics within these peripheral states, in addition to the development of policies within an EU/EC context. The book concludes with a discussion of the future for sustainable politics in the peripheral states of Europe, in the aftermath of the global downturn. "Advances in Ecopolitics" is essential reading for all academics, researchers and practitioners who are involved in the areas of environmentalism, providing insight and extending understanding of these issues.

This book is based on research and observations undertaken for the author's PhD thesis at the National University of Ireland, and represents a case study of national and regional campaigns against both the Irish state's Regional Waste Management Plans and the corporate sector's attempts to develop waste incinerators or dumps in various parts of Ireland. This book provides an in depth account of the mobilizing patterns and framing processes of community campaigns which emerged in the wake of the Irish state's introduction of regional plans for waste management, which included plans for municipal 'waste to energy' plants or incinerators. It is the only book with a sole focus on this aspect of Irish society during the 'Celtic Tiger' boom which preceded the current economic downturn, and examines policy, population, development social issues and local and national electoral processes in detail at a time of immense change in the Republic of Ireland. As such, it provides a salient insight into the societal shifts which provide opportunities for social movements to oppose state or corporate plans which may be perceived to have human health or environmental risks associated with them.

“The Environmental Movement in Ireland” examines key themes in Irish environmental politics, including the main components that have come to define such events, and incidents of environmental collective action in this country during forty years of growth and development. The author analyses the mobilisation and framing processes undertaken in these disputes, locating them in the context of a wider rural identity that has shaped grassroots environmentalism in the Irish case.

"The Transition to Sustainable Living and Practice" provides a series of insights into real alternatives to the current economic malaise, with an examination of key themes such as transition towns, traditional villages, new green financial concepts, the sustainable utopia, co-operative farming, sustainability and activism, ecofeminism, green protectionism, intentional communities and a green philosophy of money.

“The Environmental Movement in Ireland” examines key themes in Irish environmental politics, including the main components that have come to define such events, and incidents of environmental collective action in this country during forty years of growth and development. The author analyses the mobilisation and framing processes undertaken in these disputes, locating them in the context of a wider rural identity that has shaped grassroots environmentalism in the Irish case.