Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Bruce Schaefer
Contact via bruce.schaefer@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This is a general education unit that introduces students to the technical, social, economic and environmental aspects that lie behind the production and use of mineral and energy resources in Australia and the rest of the world. The end products of these resources are familiar to us as steel for cars, aluminium for pots and pans, crude oil for petrol and coal for electricity. Nowadays, we have to consider acid rain, the greenhouse effect, heavy metal pollution, radiation, land degradation and land rights. Scarcity and resource exhaustion are also concerns. We demand and accept the goods and services provided by the minerals industries, including the increased wealth resulting from mineral exports, yet increasingly oppose the development of the resources that produce these goods. This does not mean that opposition to development is necessarily bad, or that development is necessarily good. What it does mean is that it is important to look at the broad picture rather than emotions. Learn about questions like: What is the economic importance of Australian mining? What are the environmental problems associated with this mining? Where are Australia's fossil fuels? How long will they last? Debate topics like: Should Australia adopt nuclear power as a 'clean' energy source? Should Australia, like Norway, insist on mining companies contributing to long term community wealth?
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Assignment 1 | 5% | 21/03/2014 |
Assignment 2 | 15% | 12/4/2014 |
Assignment 3 | 20% | 16/5/2014 |
Online Quizzes | 10% | Periodically |
Final Examination | 40% | TBA |
The ReadinGAME | 10% | Ongoing |
Due: 21/03/2014
Weighting: 5%
Assignment 1: (worth 5% of total mark)
This will be smaller than the other assignments. You will be assigned an everyday object and asked to research the originof two resources used in its manufacture. Its aim is to get you to a) use the internet in a sensible manner to acquire knowledge and insight. b) summarise this comprehensively and c) present the information in a short, 3 min presentation and summary sheet of A4.
Due: 12/4/2014
Weighting: 15%
Assignment 2:
These are longer format written assignments which will require, research and referencing to discuss Uranium mining and nuclear waste disposal
Research Component (65%)
In no more than 1 page per part, you are asked to:
a. Describe and briefly evaluate the benefits and costs to Australia of uranium mining.
b. Explain why Western Australia is considered a prime location for establishing a high-level nuclear
waste repository.
c. Outline the potential benefits of building such a repository.
d. Outline the potential problems of building such a repository.
Individual Component (35%)
As an individual, you are asked to respond to the following (max 1 page per part):
a. In your opinion, should Australia allow mining of its uranium deposits? If so, under what conditions?
Justify your answer.
b. Discuss whether you would support building of a high-level waste repository facility in Australia,
giving reasons for, and reservations in, your answer.
c. If you are in favour of building such a repository, explain how you would go about selling the idea to
the Australian public and government; if not, offer your preferred solution to the issue of global nuclear
waste
A brief introduction to the assignment and summary are also expected. Accurate referencing of all
sources of information is essential.
Due: 16/5/2014
Weighting: 20%
Assignment 3:
These are longer format written assignments which will require research and referenceing to discuss Carbon Capture and Storage.
Research Component (65%)
In no more than 1 page per part, you are asked to:
1. Describe what the reasons could be for Australia wanting to contribute to the development of
CCS while developing countries such as India and China continue to build power stations but
are not at the forefront of CCS.
2. Describe and evaluate what the main concerns are of Carbon Capture and Storage.
3. Describe how CCS will affect the cost of electricity for an average Australian house hold and
what the main contributions to this change in cost are.
4. Tabulate the current contribution of each of the main renewable energy sources (e.g., wind,
solar) to Australia's electricity supply. Briefly evaluate the importance of each energy source to
Australia's overall electricity supply.
Individual Component (35%)
As an individual, you are asked to respond to the following (max 1 page per part):
1. Explain if you think CCS is a feasible option for Australia in reducing its carbon emissions and
also explain why.
2. Compare the time that is needed for CCS to become large scale to
- firstly, the timing of the global CO2 reduction targets which the G8 has set themselves
- and secondly, the time it takes to plan and build a new power station
Give your view on how this could affect the development of CCS
3. What alternatives would you present if CCS would turn out not to be viable? Name at least
three and explain why you think these options are most likely to tackle the problem of reducing
CO2 emissions.
Due: Periodically
Weighting: 10%
4 online quizzes will conducted during the course of the semester at intervals corresponding to approximately every three weeks.
Due: TBA
Weighting: 40%
A written 2 hour exam covering ALL aspects of the unit, including practical and assignment tasks.
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%
An online interactive quiz based ganme designed to enhance your learning of key concepts and drive deeper insights inot the material. Since the topics we will be investigating are relevant to everyday issues, and commonly appear in the news as well as scientific studies, this is an opportunity to access the wealth of material in the public domain.
A 10% Quiz at the end of semester will be sourced from questions entered by students participating in the ReadinGAME
Two one hour lectures per week, and tutorial/practical sessions roughly every fortnight. Check the most recent timetable on iLearn and announcements in lectures for variations. Please stay in your allocated tutorial times as we have small rooms allocated to us!
Resources (both electronic and references in the library) for assignments and starting resources for the ReadinGAME can be found on iLearn.
Note that this is a Preliminary Outline only. A more complete outline will be in iLearn at the start of week 1
Week | Lecture A | Lecture B | Tutorial session |
Week 1 3/3 | Lect 1: Introduction BFS |
Lect 2: Global Mining Industry I TR |
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Week 2 10/3 | Lect 3: Global Mining Industry II TR | Lect 4: Supply and Demand of Mineral Resources TR | |
Week 3 17/3 | Lect 5: Mining and Process technology TR | Lect 6: Financing the Minerals Industry TR | |
Assignment 1 Due 5pm Fri 21/3 | |||
Week 4 24/3 | Lect 7: Mining and process technology BFS | Lect 8: Metals and industrial minerals BFS | Watch Presentations (Assignment 1) of Fellow Students (will be available on iLearn) |
Week 5 31/3 | Lect 9: Mining and Environment BFS | Lect 10: Land Use, Native Title BFS | Watch Presentations (cont) |
Week 6 7/4 | Lect: 11: Strategic commodities: REE BFS | Lect 12: Mining and Society BFS | Strategic Commodities: REE |
Assignment 2 Due 5pm Fri 12/4 | |||
Week 7 28/4 | No Lectures- Allocated time for assignment 3 | ||
Week 8 5/5 | Lect 13: Supply, Demand, Energy BFS | Lect 14: Uranium BFS | |
Week 9 12/5 | Lect 15: Oil and Gas SG | Lect 16: Coal SG | Tutes |
Assignment 3 Due 5pm Fri 16/5 | |||
Week 10 19/5 | Lect 17: Diamonds ER | Lect 18: Climate BFS | |
Week 11 26/5 | Lect 19: Alternative Energy I BFS | Lect 20: Alternative Energy II BFS | Human Induced Climate Change and mass extinctions: fact or fiction? |
Week 12 2/6 | Lect 21: Sustainable Development I BFS |
Lect 22: Sustainable Development II BFS |
Revision Q&A |
Week 13 9/6 | Review Lecture, Results of polling! |
BFS = Dr Bruce Schaefer; TR = A/Prof Tracy Rushmer; SG = Prof Simon George
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