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XX30172: State of the planet

[Page last updated: 18 October 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Programmes in Natural Sciences
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CW 40%, OR 40%, OT 20%
Assessment Detail:
  • ORAL PRESENTATION (OR 40%)
  • 2 X SHORT REPORTS (CW 40%)
  • DISCUSSION CONTRIBUTION (OT 20%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: Before taking this module you are advised to take XX20239 or have taken A-level Chemistry or equivalent.
Aims: To provide an overview of human impact on the Earth system, especially on ecosystem services.
To develop a detailed understanding of the scientific background to the current climate crisis and its implications for the planet.
To illustrate theories of human population growth as well as natural feedbacks on population, including the global food system.
To emphasise the requirement for and the limitations of quantitative scientific monitoring of the environment
To develop familiarity with the roles and potential of publicly accessible databases in environmental research and policy.

Learning Outcomes: After taking this unit, students should be able to:
* Evaluate a range of environmental models and data, particularly in the context of the global environment and technological advance
* Examine a range of scientific and technical problems, and their evidential basis, linked to the current state of the global environment;
* Use public databases of global environmental information and explain the importance of environmental indices
* Assess the advantages and limits of monitoring techniques, including remote sensing;
* Critique the interaction between human demographics and impact on the environment and how this is likely to change in the future, and formulate environmental advice to policymakers.

Skills: Written communication (T/F/A), Oral presentation (T/F/A), Numeracy and computation (T/F/A), Data acquisition, handling and analysis (T/F/A), Information technology (T/F/A), Information handling and retrieval (T/F/A), Group working (T/F), Working independently (T/F).

Content: Drivers of environmental change, monitoring techniques and impacts on the planet of climate change and pollution.
Human population dynamics - demographic processes, population growth and drivers of change, mathematical models.
Biodiversity - impacts of population, climate change and pollution.
Monitoring techniques: remote sensing and field work. Addressing inaccuracies and incompleteness in the strands of information available.

Programme availability:

XX30172 is a Generally Available Unit which is available to all students of the University (subject to the usual constraints) to take either as a Director of Studies approved option within their programme of study or as an 'extra' unit which does not count towards a final award.

XX30172 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Chemistry Programmes in Natural Sciences
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biochemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biochemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biochemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biochemistry with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biochemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) (Year 3)
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.