Posted: May 16th, 2015

Environment, Sustainability and Development

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ARTS2240 Environment, Sustainability and Development
Main Essay
The second essay task for ARTS2240 – due on 21st May 2015 (week 12) – is designed to examine your understanding of some of the key debates surrounding environment and development dilemmas. For your essay you need to select, and develop a response to, one the following questions:
1. Pattberg and Wilderberg (2015: 693) argue that “The structure, or architecture, of today’s global environmental governance is, in fact, unstructured.” Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer using a case study example.
2. Paul Elhrich (1968:xi) has argued that “We [affluent Western Societies] must use our political power to push other countries into programs with combine agricultural development and population control … population control is the only answer.” Do you agree with Elhrich? Justify your answer using a case study example. (week 4)
3. “Consumption as a social practice can have moral or ethical dimensions” (Popke 2006: 508). Explain what is meant by the above statement using a commodity case study example.
4. Roderick Neumann (1995:164) argues that “in agrarian societies, control over nature equates with control over people” what does he mean by this statement? Do you agree? Justify your answer using a case study example. 5. Anguelovski and Martínez Alier (2014:169) state that “in sum, capitalist policies and values permeate and at times control conservation practice. Lines have become blurry between conservation and eco-efficient capitalism.” What do they mean by this assertion? Do you agree? Justify your answer using a case study example.
To develop your response you will need to draw upon the course’s readings, as well as conducting independent research on your topic. Please note that each of the questions requires the use of a case study to help develop and justify its response. The essay should be structured coherently, including an introduction and conclusion. A marking rubric can be found online, which outlines clearly the criteria that this assessment will be marked against.
The word length for this piece is 3,000 words and this task will represent 45% of the final grade for the course. You need to submit this essay via turn-it-in on Moodle.
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Assignments must be submitted before 11:55pm on the 21 May 2015. Assignments received after this time will be marked as having been received late.
References:
Anguelovski, I., and J. Martínez Alier (2014) “The ‘Environmentalism of the Poor’ revisited: Territory and place in disconnected glocal struggles.” Ecological Economics 102: 167-176.
Ehrlich, P. R. (1968) The Population Bomb, Ballantine Books. Neumann, R. P. “Ways of seeing Africa: colonial recasting of African society and landscape in Serengeti National Park.” Cultural Geographies 2.2 (1995): 149-169. Pattberg P. and O. Widerberg (2015) “Theorising Global Environmental Governance: Key Findings and Future Questions.” Millennium – Journal of International Studies 43 684-705 Popke, J. (2006). “Geography and ethics: everyday mediations through care and consumption.” Progress in Human Geography, 30(4), 504-512.
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Late Submission of Assignments
Late assignments will attract a penalty. Of the total mark, 3% will be deducted each day for the first week, with Saturday and Sunday counting as two days, and 10% each week thereafter.
The penalty may not apply where students are able to provide documentary evidence of illness or serious misadventure. Time pressure resulting from undertaking assignments for other courses does not constitute an acceptable excuse for lateness.
Referencing
All Environmental Humanities courses based in the School of Humanities and Languages (including all core courses in the major/minor) require students to use the Harvard In-Text System for references in all assessment.
This is one of the simplest and most straightforward approaches to referencing, but you will need to familiarise yourself with the system. Full details are available on the University¹s website: https://student.unsw.edu.au/harvard-referencing
A useful way of handling referencing in all of your courses is the bibliographic software Endnote – which is available on the IT website.
Special Consideration
In cases where illness or other circumstances produce repeated or sustained absence, students should apply for Special Consideration as soon as possible.
The application must be made via Online Services in myUNSW. Log into myUNSW and go to My Student Profile tab > My Student Services channel > Online Services > Special Consideration.
Applications on the grounds of illness must be filled in by a medical practitioner. Further information is available at: https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/atoz/SpecialConsideration.html
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