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CLI8205 Climate and Sustainability

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: Climate and Sustainability
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Sciences
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 010701 - Atmospheric Sciences
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Rationale

The tremendous impact of climate change and climate variability on our natural and build environment ultimately links the climate change debate to the concept of sustainability and sustainable resource management. The associated policy making processes are underpinned by our scientific understanding of the natural world. This course communicates the link between scientific understanding of climate change and sustainability. It provides insight into contemporary policy making processes and discusses successful examples.

Synopsis

This course is focused on policy communicating international, national and state wide activities. It reviews processes such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) leading to the Kyoto protocol, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process, the responses to climate change and policies developed by state and federal government, and introduces practical approaches of using climate information to drive policy making. It reviews the history of the sustainability concept, Carbon Emission trading strategies, National Climate Change Adaptation Policy, the recent reports by the Australian economists Ross Garnaut and Lord Stern, the former Head of the Government Economic Service and former World Bank Chief Economist Stern.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of the risks of climate change
  2. evaluate the state of the climate system
  3. assess the impact of climate change upon the natural environment
  4. review the history of sustainability
  5. understand the link be science and sustainability
  6. present concepts models of the climate system

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Introduction Global Climate and Environmental Changes 15.00
2. The history of the sustainability concept 20.00
3. Climate policy in natural systems 20.00
4. Climate policy in energy sector 10.00
5. Institutional policy to promote sustainability in changing climate 35.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=CLI8205)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Rogers, PP, Jalal, KF & Boyd, JA 2013, An introduction to sustainable development, Revised edn, Earthscan, London.
World Bank 2011, World development report 2011: conflict, security and development, World Bank, Washington DC.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Elsevier, Global Environmental Change.
(available through USQ Library's e-library.)
International Journal of Climatology, Royal Metrological Society.
(available through USQ Library's e-library.)
IPCC 2013, Working Group II Report "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability",
<>.
IPCC 2014, Working Group I Report "The Physical Sciences Basis",
<>.
Journal of Climate, American Meteorological Society.
(available through USQ Library's e-library.)
Sustainability Science, Springer Publisher.
(available through USQ Library's e-library.)
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science
(available through USQ Library's e-journal library.).
Nature Publishing Group, NATURE GEOSCIENCE
(available through USQ Library's e-journal library.).
Nature Publishing Group, NATURE
(available through USQ Library's e-journal library.).

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed 精东传媒app 52.00
Examinations 2.00
Private 精东传媒app 115.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
Assignment 1 100 20 28 Aug 2020
Assignment 2 100 20 02 Oct 2020
Take Home Exam 100 60 End S2 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This will be an open examination. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via 精东传媒appDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4).

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course (i.e. the Primary Hurdle), and have satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), i.e. the end of semester examination by achieving at least 40% of the weighted marks available for that assessment item.

    Supplementary assessment may be offered where a student has undertaken all of the required summative assessment items and has passed the Primary Hurdle but failed to satisfy the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), or has satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised) but failed to achieve a passing Final Grade by 5% or less of the total weighted Marks.

    To be awarded a passing grade for a supplementary assessment item (if applicable), a student must achieve at least 50% of the available marks for the supplementary assessment item as per the Assessment Procedure (point 4.4.2).

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    This is a restricted examination. Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during a Restricted Examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination). Students whose first language is not English, may, take an appropriate unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. The due date for assessments is the date by which a student must despatch an assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date if requested by the Examiner. Students must retain a copy of each item of assessment. This must be produced within 48 hours if required by the Examiner.

  2. Students who obtain an overall passing mark, but who do not perform satisfactorily in an examination, may, at the discretion of the examiner, be granted a supplementary examination. Students will be granted a deferred examination only if they perform satisfactorily in all other assessment items.

  3. Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide

Date printed 6 November 2020