Lecture 1 10:00 11:00 Thursday E6A 102

Lecture 2 13:00 14:00 Friday E7B 100

Workshop 1 10:00 11:00 Friday W5A 203

Workshop 2 13:00 14:00 Thursday W5A 203

Workshop 3 12:00 13:00 Thursday W5A 203

Workshop 4 11:00 12:00 Friday W5A 203

Workshop 5 11:00 12:00 Thursday W5A 203

External Session #1 - 9-4 pm, Saturday August 30th, 2014. E5A 260

External Session #2 - 9-4 pm, Saturday November 1st, 2014. E5A 260

Welcome to ENV267 Australian Environmental Futures.

In Australia, the management of resources and the biophysical environment is rarely out of the media or far from political controversy.  Environmental management issues are wide-ranging, and while issues such as climate change are increasingly framed at the global scale, issues such as water security and land degradation are often considered at (inter)national and more local scales.  Surrounding most environmental management issues are vigorous debates about the sustainability of prevailing modes of development and resource use.  Hence, our environment is certain to remain one of the central political and managerial issues in the 21st century in all local, national and global contexts.

This interdisciplinary unit introduces and critically examines key environmental, social, economic, cultural and political processes and relationships that underpin environmental management and sustainability in urban, rural and remote Australia.  Vital environmental and social issues are considered in the context of integrated and adaptive approaches to management from local to global scales.  We also explore fundamental concepts such as environmental justice, governance, decision-making and system connectivity, and we encourage students to discover more about the past and present in order to contribute to improved environmental futures in Australia and around the world.

ENV267 builds on the foundations of environmental management introduced in ENV118 by engaging students to consider both the social and biophysical sides of inquiry and management for a range of environmental issues.  Through investigation of new and constantly evolving issues and their contexts, we reveal that the reality is that sometimes we are faced by more questions than answers!  Understanding these conditions sets the stage for advanced courses in the environmental management, environmental science, human geography and planning programs*.  Integrated into this unit and these programs are a range of professional literacy skills, which, together with an understanding of the key environmental issues, are designed to enhance employability within the field environmental management and in related fields.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All assignments are to be submitted via Grademark, the university online submission and marking system - found as a link in iLearn. Grademark is a paperless grading system where your assignments are submitted online and marked by staff online. Submissions via grademark are also checked for plagiarism by Turnitin. Turnitin automatically compares your work to the work of your classmates, previous students and material available on the internet. Hard copys of assignments are no longer accepted and will not be marked.

For more information on Turnitin and Grademark:

http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm

DEADLINES, EXTENSIONS AND PENALTIES

Deadlines set for assignment submissions will not be altered except in exceptional circumstances.  In all cases, extensions must be applied for before the due date and must be supported with appropriate documentation (medical certificate, counsellor's certificate, statutory declaration).  Where an unavoidable disruption warrants an extension, you may also wish to consider applying for Special Consideration.  Requests for special consideration are submitted via ask.mq.edu.au. Instructions of how to submit your special consideration form online at: http://stat.mq.edu.au/files/file/How%20to%20submit%20special%20consideration%20online.pdf.

Extensions will not be granted in cases of poor time management.  Only the Unit Convenor can authorise extensions.  Late submissions will not be accepted once marked assignments have been returned unless otherwise approved by the Unit Convenor.

Late assignments will incur a late penalty of 10% of the total mark per day.  Weekends will be counted as 2 days.  Students who fail to complete and submit ALL assignments and sit exams for the Unit WILL FAIL THE UNIT i.e. all assignment task must be completed as a minimum prerequisite to pass the unit. Penalties will also be incurred for plagiarism, that is, the use of another persons’ work and presentation as your own (see University Policies and http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html).

GRADING

Each assignment will be marked, commented upon and returned to you via Grademark. Grading is conducted in line with the universities grading policy (http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html)

The overall learning objective of ENV267 is to develop a broad understanding of biophysical, economic, social, cultural and political processes and relationships that underpin resource use and environmental management today.  The unit is predominantly focused on these matters as it relates to Australia, although global perspectives are intrinsically linked to the material covered.  The unit has four parts: Contexts (weeks 1-3), Issues (weeks 4-8), Tools (weeks 9-12), and a Synthesis (week 13).

The course will:

1.    build your understanding of, knowledge in, and skills in environmental management;

2.    highlight the importance of an integrated biophysical and social approach to environmental management;

3.    challenge you to reflect on diverse perspectives and approaches to environmental management;

4.    debate contemporary issues that continue to evolve such as ownership, governance and sustainability; and,

5.    engage you in the application of your research skills, your understanding of environmental management, and your ability to engage with complex debates.

To complement the lectures and assessment tasks, the tutorial series is designed to provide students with opportunities to debate, discuss and negotiate issues and approaches in environmental management, and during the course of the semester it will also require you to make an oral presentation to your class. The first tutorial (week 2) is aimed at developing research writing and communication literacy skills that are essential in environmental management. In week 3, we will provide you with the opportunity to interact as a group while exploring some of the issues related to water sustainability and landscape management at Macquarie University.  Please note that all tutorial classes in week 3 will be combined into one session on Friday 22^nd August from 10am-11am.  All students (internal and external) are welcome to attend this on-campus excursion (see details below).

To correspond with the two main modules of the unit (Environmental Management Issues and Environmental Management Tools), the rest of the tutorial series has two stages: (i) Learning through analysis, debate and discussion (weeks 4 to 8); and (ii) Learning through research and communication (student oral presentations in weeks 10 to 12).  The themes in these weekly sessions are tied to material presented in lectures and they also support assessment tasks 1 and 2.  Please note that there are no tutorials in week 1 or week 13. Students are expected to read assigned tutorial literature (see below) which will be made available on the iLearn webpage.  The issues addressed in the readings will be discussed and debated in the tutorial sessions and student participation is essential.

Tutorial 1 (week 2):  Research, writing and communication skills

Communicating with key stakeholders in environmental management, ranging from government bodies to community groups will often require oral presentations in addition to written reports.  Being able to clearly and succinctly explain the relevant issues and challenges of the given environmental project to a range of audiences is a skill developed through planning and practice.  This tutorial on written and oral presentation skills builds on your previous learning.  It is designed to assist you prepare for the first assignment (the Environmental Report) and the individual presentations in your tutorials during weeks 10-12.  The discussion will cover the following topics: Developing a presentation strategy; Knowing your audience; Preparing your content: KISS (Keep it Simple and Short); and Public speaking skills.

Required reading:

Hay, I. 2006 Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. (Chapter 8 – Preparing and delivering a talk).

On-campus excursion (week 3):  Sustainable water and land management at Macquarie University 

This week all students are encouraged to participate in a single session (10am-11am Friday) where you have the opportunity to interact as a group while exploring some of the issues related to water sustainability and landscape management at Macquarie University.  Guided by John Macris (Biodiversity Planner at Macquarie University), we will undertake a number of site inspections on campus that highlight issues and solutions in environmental management. The first stop will be the proposed wetland on the western side of campus where a constructed wetland is being built to address an increased flux of nutrients that are entering campus via Mars Creek.  We will look at the available data and proposed designs and discuss issues of on-site stormwater management.  Stop 2 will be the highly over-engineered lower Mars Creek where we will discuss issues of urban river restoration.  The final stop will be the sports fields where we will look at a new and progressive initiative on campus for water re-use.  Sewer mining has recently been implemented at this location and is expected to save 21 million litres per year. Required reading: For this field trip you need to review Macquarie University’s website on sustainability with a focus on water and waste: see http://www.mq.edu.au/sustainability/index.html

Tutorial 2 (week 4):  The dynamics of decision-making

This tutorial introduces you to the concepts of multi-stakeholder decision-making and explores some of the challenges involved with its implementation. You will examine examples of stakeholder engagement from the literature and consider the decision-making processes identified in the different case studies. Discussions of the case studies will focus on the following questions and issues:

•    Who are the different stakeholder groups in the case study and what is the nature of their ‘stake’ in the environmental management issue?

•    What types of consultation and decision-making processes are used in the case study?

•    What were the benefits and/ or problems of these processes in facilitating diverse stakeholder participation?

Required reading:

Halpin, D. 2004 Involving diverse interests: theoretical and practical insights from native vegetation in New South Wales, Australia. EcoHealth, 1: 196-204.

Measham, T. G., Richards, C., Robinson, C. J., Larson, S. and Brake, L. (2011). Genuine community engagement in remote dryland regions: Natural Resource Management in Lake Eyre Basin. Geographical Research, 49: 171-182.

Further reading: Rockloff, S. F. and S. Lockie (2006). Democratization of coastal zone decision making for Indigenous Australians: insights from stakeholder analysis. Coastal Management, 34(3): 251-266.

Tutorial 3 (week 5):  Environmental impacts of flow diversions in the Snowy River 

The plan to corporatise the Snowy Mountains’ Hydro-Electric Authority provided the opportunity in 1998 for a significant inquiry into environmental issues associated with the operation of the Snowy Mountains’ Hydro-Electric Scheme, which has diverted water from the upper Snowy River to rivers flowing west from the Great Divide since 1967.  During this tutorial you will investigate the biophysical and social impacts of the Snowy Mountains’ Hydro-Electric Scheme, with emphasis on the Snowy River.  This will include analysis of river flows and river channel form as well as an introduction to the interpretation of aerial photographs.

Required reading:

Snowy Water Inquiry 1998. Snowy Water Inquiry Issues Paper. Jointly sponsored by the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria. Snowy Water Inquiry, Sydney.

Erskine, W.D., Terrazzolo, N. and Warner, R.F. 1999. River rehabilitation from the hydrogeomorphic impacts of a large hydro-electric power project: Snowy River, Australia. Regulated Rivers: Research and Management, 15: 3-24.

Erskine, W.D., Turner, L.M., Terrazzolo, N. and Warner, R.F. 1999. Recovery of the Snowy River: politics and rehabilitation. Australian Geographical Studies, 37(3): 330-36.

Tutorial 4 (week 6):  Analysis of channel change in the Snowy River 

During this tutorial you will build on your understanding of the biophysical and social impacts of the Snowy Mountains’ Hydro-Electric Scheme by analysing channel changes in the Snowy River over time

Required reading:

Gale, S.J. 1999 The Snowy Water Inquiry: food, power, politics and the environment. Australian Geographical Studies, 37 (3): 301-13.

Pigram, J.J. 2000 Options for rehabilitation of Australia's Snowy River: an economic perspective. Regulated Rivers: Research and Management, 16: 363-73.

Tutorial 5 (week 7):  Eco-Footprinting: One Planet 2030 

This Tutorial will be run by Sara Prebble and directly relate the Eco- Footprinting Lecture. This tutorial will involve a software demonstration of The Footprint Company™ campus calculator, for use in Assignment 2 (environmental report and presentation).  There will also be the chance to set up your Faculty data in the calculator for Assignment 2.

Required reading:

Li, G., Wang, Q., Gu, X., Liu, J., Ding, Y., & Liang, G. (2008). Application of the componential method for ecological footprint calculation of a Chinese university campus. Ecological Indicators, 8(1), 75-78.

McNichol, H., Davis, J. M., & O’Brien, K. R. (2011). An ecological footprint for an early learning centre: identifying opportunities for early childhood sustainability education through interdisciplinary research. Environmental Education Research, 17(5), 689-704.

Recommended Reading:

http://www.mq.edu.footprintcompany.com.au/SecuredForms/references.aspx?urlkey=info

See Campus User Guide  

Note that this will also be uploaded onto iLearn and is only available through the website once your user name and login has been emailed to you. You do not need to read this manual in entirety before the tutorial. In essence it is a summary of some of the key points that will be made in the tutorial, which will assist you in completing Assignment 2. However, it would be worthwhile having a skim through the manual, so you’re prepared for the demonstration.

Tutorial 6 (week 8): The population debate 

The question of population growth in Australia continues to be a central theme of debates in environmental management and planning.  It is an issue that encompasses economic, social and environmental concerns and has both national and international implications.  In this tutorial we will engage in a class debate on the question:  Is a “Big Australia’ sustainable?

Required reading:

Kirkland, J. 2011. The political ecology of soil and species conservation in a ‘Big Australia’. Geographical Research, 49 (early online).

Thom, B. and Mckenzie, F. 2011. The population policy debate from a Natural Resource perspective: Reflections from the Wentworth Group. Geographical Research, 49 (early online).

Tutorial 7 (week 9): Questions and group discussion regarding Assignment 2 

An excellent opportunity to polish your assignments and presentation plan.

Required reading:

There will be NO required reading this week, which will allow students to focus on completing their environmental report and fine tuning presentations.

Tutorials 8 to 10 (weeks 10 to 12):  Student presentations 

Students are required to deliver a 3-5 minute PowerPoint Presentation. This will occur in the regular tutorial classes for internal students and at the second on campus session for external students. The presentation must briefly discuss the sustainability initiative’s background (be brief here), identify key stakeholders and focus on the delivery of the  2030 ‘One Planet Strategy’. The presentation must be carried out as if the presenter is a environmental consultant, presenting to Macquarie University, their proposed strategy to achieve the 2030 One Planet goal.