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GENE7801 ENERGY and MINERAL RESOURCES, Use or Abuse? OverviewAustralia’s history has been closely interwoven with mining. Gold brought many new immigrants to this country seeking their fortune in gold. Many of these people stayed to settle remote areas of Australia. Coal from the earliest times provided energy to heat homes and then to provide electricity for home and industry. Many outback areas of Australia have been opened up due to the existence of mineral deposits including gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and more recently diamonds. The oceans off Australia provide access to vast oil and natural gas deposits. Mining provides employment for many thousands of Australians both directly and indirectly. It provides our major export earnings and provides the raw materials for much of our local industry. However, mining cannot generally take place without some disturbance to the natural environment and in some cases to the indigenous people who inhabit the land. As we become more conscious of the interaction between our environment and the quality of life we experience, there are concerns about the end use of a number of mineral and energy resources and the waste products they generate. This course aims to provide students with topics that address the issues of mining in Australia and its impact on the environment both physically and socially. The course covers issues relating to the actual extraction of mineral and energy resources from the earth through to the impact that the end use of these resources have on our society. The viability of alternative energy sources is also an important aspect of this course. Throughout this course facts and opinions will be presented from a wide range of sources. It is for you to critically analyse the material provided, to research additional material and to undertake assessments which reflect your depth of understanding of the issues and your ability to present logical arguments to support your view. No one particular point of view is more acceptable than another! However what is important is for you to clearly distinguish between fact and opinion relating to most of the topics discussed. Course Structure The course consists of 10 modules, some of which are more detailed than others but you should be able to answer the quiz questions without the need to spend too much time on each module. This course is only offered in distance mode via WebCT/Vista. Many of the topics we discuss are also extensively discussed in the media. It is reasonably important that you keep up with what is happening today by say keeping newspaper articles etc and refer to them in your appropriate assessment tasks. Where possible I continually update an online "virtual library" within the course. The modules for 2007 are anticipated to be:
Class Schedule for 2007 (Please note: enrolments in all classes may be limited) (In all cases classes are via WebCT- VISTA.)
Planned Assessment Structure for 2007 I have attempted to make the assessment as varied as possible. You can complete the assessment tasks that you want to do. You can do sufficient to pass or more if you want the possibility of a higher mark. The choice is yours. The only limitation that I really have to insist on will be fairly strict deadlines for the submission of assessments. There is no requirement or assessment benefit for you to attend classes on campus - although I will probably offer a few. I am assuming you are all familiar with WebCT - You will not find Vista too challenging. As a start you may wish to see the Course Outline. I will will notify you by the student email when the course is about to open to you. I would expect this to be a few days before the course start date.
The "Preview" Assignment is due before the course commences.
For further information please contact Chris Daly at: C.Daly@.unsw.edu.au or via phone on 9385 4514
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