Contemporary Environmental Issues B

This subject is not offered in 2014.

120 hours

The Melbourne School of Land and Environment (MSLE) welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and School policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable the student’s participation in the School’s programs. MSLE contributes to the New Generation degrees and offers a broad range of programs across undergraduate and post-graduate levels many of which adopt a multi-disciplinary approach.

Students of the School’s courses must possess intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the School. Candidates must have abilities and skills in observation; motor in relevant areas; communication; in conceptual, integrative, and quantitative dimensions; and in behavioural and social dimensions.

Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however students need to be able to participate in the program in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

I. Observation: In some contexts, the student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and applied sciences. More broadly, observation requires reading text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. The candidate should be able to observe details at a number of scales and record useful observations in discipline dependant contexts.

II. Communication: A candidate should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.

III. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function necessary for participation in the inherent discipline-related activities. The practical work, design work, field work, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, require varying motor movement abilities. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites, urban, rural and/or remote environments.

IV. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of professionals in land and environment industries, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

V. Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel their disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

In 2013 the special topic for this subject will be Consumerism and the Growth Paradigm: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. This interdisciplinary course focuses on theoretical, empirical, and policy issues surrounding the core ideas of consumerism, economic growth, and sustainability. Drawing on sociology, psychology, ecology, normative ethics, economics, and politics, students will critically engage questions about why people consume, how consumption and economic growth impact on the environment, and what influence institutions and public policy have, or could have, on consumption patterns in society. Some attention will also be given to counter-cultural ‘alternatives’ to consumerism and the growth paradigm, such as the voluntary simplicity movement, transition towns, and the steady-state economy. By providing interdisciplinary perspectives on these and other issues, the aim is to enable students to recognise the complex relationship between consumption, growth, and sustainability, and to develop the skills needed to effectively confront the various social, ecological, economic, and political issues raised by consumerism and growth in today's world.

Topics include: (1) What is Sustainable Consumption? (2) Cheap Energy and the Origins of Consumerism (3) An Early Critique: The Case of Henry Thoreau (4) The Income-Happiness Paradox: Is More Always Better? (5) Consumption, Growth and Externalities: Where Economy Meets Ecology (6) Stuff is Not Just Stuff: Consumption as Meaning and Identity (7) The Political Economy of Consumption: The Growth Paradigm (8) Resisting Consumerism: Voluntary Simplicity and Transition Towns (9) Examining Structure: Willing Consumers or Locked In? (10) Policies for Sustainable Consumption (11) Policies for Post-Growth Economics (12) Beyond Consumerism and the Growth Paradigm

• Gain advanced analytical skills related to contemporary environmental issues
• Become familiar with current debates in contemporary environmental issues
• Expand their knowledge of environmental theories
• Research an individual topic in the specialised area of study of this subject

Research Essay 50% (3,000 word research essay)
Assignment 50% (1,500 word policy statement plus 5 minute presentation)

The subject coordinator will provide a list of required readings.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Independent research on topics relevant to the subject
• Participate successfully in group discussions
• Further develop their critical thinking though readings, class discussions, collaboration and assessment
• Further develop analytical approaches and knowledge in contemporary environmental issues