Posted: June 5th, 2015

Topic: Anthropogenic Climate Change

Final Essay: 7250ENV Environmental Systems and Climate Change
Format: Individual submission
Assessment Value: 35%
Due Date: 5pm Friday 12th June 2015
(By normal hardcopy submission using the assignment submission office or using the
remote submission printing link on Learning@GU)
Task:
Write a reflective essay which comments on the following statement about
anthropogenic climate change:
…de-carbonization of the economy and human life will only be achievable if current
consumption patterns, methods and lifestyles are also subject to profound change.
Consumption in general needs to become more de-materialized and de-carbonized, as
well as determined by appropriate and more conscious purchasing decisions.
According to a recent UNEP global survey on sustainable lifestyles, “creating
sustainable lifestyles means rethinking our ways of living, how we buy and what we
consume but, it is not only that. It also means rethinking how we organize our daily
life, altering the way we socialize, exchange, share, educate and build identities. It is
about transforming our societies towards more equity and living in balance with our
natural environment” (UNEP, 2011)
This paragraph encapsulates an underlying theme in the course: whether the present
generation will choose to limit their GHG emissions and will adjust their lifestyle
sufficiently so that future generations will be able to have a lifestyle at all.
This is a broad theme which can be discussed in multiple ways and from different
cultural perspectives; to get you thinking here are just a few of the points you may
wish to touch on (but there are many other approaches as well):
– What does the science say about future growth in emissions and mean
global temperature change or sea level rise?
– What are the likely CC-related ecosystem impacts and how are these
environmental costs currently factored into the CC debate?
– What are the obstacles to de-carbonizing the world economy?
– How are developed and developing economies (North-South) interconnected?
– Are technological fixes (geo-engineering, renewables, nuclear) a likely
solution?
– What determines societal consumption patterns and how are these
changing ?
– How does society currently perceive and measure ‘prosperity’ – by
economic measures, personal happiness or health of the biosphere?
– Given world population growth can each generation claim the right to inherit the same diversity in natural and cultural resources enjoyed by previous generations and to equitable access to the use and benefits of these resources?
– What role does social justice play in the CC debate, in a world where many millions already live in extreme poverty and without the basics?
– Do you feel the present generation can achieve an ‘acceptable level of GHG emissions’ or are we on a path that will inevitably have possibly dire repercussions for future generations?
– Do we really have a choice, or has the die already been cast by inertia in the climate system and socioeconomic inequity in the global economy?
– Are there signs of positive transformative change in the way humans interact with and adapt to a changing biosphere – is society taking the problem seriously – are we making plans to mitigate or adapt to CC?
Please read these notes on writing a Reflective Essay before starting on this assignment:
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Soren Kierkegaard, 19thC Danish philosopher.
Many of you may have never written a reflective essay and may feel intimidated by this task. You have experienced this course ‘forwards’, but to really understand it you must look backwards and reflect over what you have learnt – this can be challenging, but not too difficult if you have kept up with the readings throughout the semester.
A reflective essay is NOT another research essay, but rather should draw on the various themes (across the physical, biological and social sciences) covered in the course rather than exploring any one theme too deeply. The reflective essay works on a more “horizontal” axis, attempting to range quite broadly over the whole course content and, consequently, not trying to go into as much detail as you would for a research essay.
The reflective essay should attempt to synthesise the content covered in lectures, but may also be coloured by your life experience. You should also refer to knowledge gained from wider readings, such as those listed in the Announcements and Scientific Articles folder.
The essay theme is not prescriptive, and may lead you in many different directions. It is deliberately unfocussed so that you can use your own interpretation and disciplinary background to comment on those aspects of the climate change problem and possible solution, which you feel are most important. Although the essay should reflect your own interpretation, the ideas expressed should be supported by the content covered in this course.
A good guide (although in the field of social sciences) on how a reflective essay differs from a research report can be found at:
http://shaps.unimelb.edu.au/students/reflective-essay
There are also is a link to previous years’ essays written by students in this course.
The essay should have a short summary (100-150 words). The main body of the essay should be no more than 2000 words. A bibliography or bibliographic footnotes can be added, but it tends to be much shorter in a reflective essay compared with a research essay. Please be careful not to inadvertently plagiarise other sources – it is fine to quote others, just make sure to cite the source you are quoting. Plagiarising is deliberately attempting to pass off someone else’s work or ideas as your own.
If you feel your English writing skills are an issue, please contact GELI (Griffith English Language Institute) who may be able to arrange some help with editing. Be reassured, however, that the assessors will make allowances for this in the sole author essays – it is much better to write something in your own words than to plagiarise.
Marking Criteria /35:
– Summary (should be succinct but informative paragraph on what the essay is about and your main findings): 5 marks
– Essay Structure (Should have a clear structure, including an introduction section that sets the scene, a main section that showcases your knowledge, and a conclusion) 10 marks
– Content (should clearly demonstrate evidence of a broad understanding of the field of CC as covered by the content in this course, amplified by your wider readings – please note that you can certainly express opinions but they should be based on what you have learnt in this course) 20 marks