Contemporary Global Environmental Issues
GEOG1003 Contemporary Global Environmental Issues (6 credits)
Course Teacher: Dr M Hart
Office: Room 218, Hui Oi Chow Science Building Phone: 2241 5459 Email: mhart@hku.hk Objectives This course introduces a number of major global environmental issues and links them to contemporary socio-economic and political considerations while maintaining a geographical perspective. Course Synopsis Recent decades have been characterized by increasing awareness of environmental issues and the need to come to terms with them. This course will examine, in turn, many of the current major environmental issues related to the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the biosphere as well as looking at major threats posed by the environment itself in the form of natural hazards. In addition, the issue of the nuclear threat and the ever-increasing demand for energy are explored. Finally, the matter of sustained development and intelligent management of the planet for this and future generations is addressed. Lecture Topics • Climate change • Water resources and pollution • The human impact on the Earth’s surface and oceans • Natural hazards • Other contemporary global environmental issues Coursework Examines particular aspects of global atmospheric changes, the impacts on water resources, impacts on the Earth's surface, and hazards posed by the natural environment. Assessment Examination (two hours) 60%; coursework 40%. Learning Outcomes Knowledge: • An introduction to a number of important global environmental issues • An understanding of the linkages among them and to contemporary socio-economic and political considerations • A geographical perspective on these issues Skills: • Critical reading and writing skills • Development of data analysis/interpretation skills • Ability to think critically about global environmental issues and their context Recommended Reading List 1. Goudie, A. (2007) The Human Impact on the Natural Environment: Past, Present and Future, 6th edition. Oxford: Blackwell
Course Teacher: Dr M Hart
Office: Room 218, Hui Oi Chow Science Building Phone: 2241 5459 Email: mhart@hku.hk Objectives This course introduces a number of major global environmental issues and links them to contemporary socio-economic and political considerations while maintaining a geographical perspective. Course Synopsis Recent decades have been characterized by increasing awareness of environmental issues and the need to come to terms with them. This course will examine, in turn, many of the current major environmental issues related to the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the biosphere as well as looking at major threats posed by the environment itself in the form of natural hazards. In addition, the issue of the nuclear threat and the ever-increasing demand for energy are explored. Finally, the matter of sustained development and intelligent management of the planet for this and future generations is addressed. Lecture Topics • Climate change • Water resources and pollution • The human impact on the Earth’s surface and oceans • Natural hazards • Other contemporary global environmental issues Coursework Examines particular aspects of global atmospheric changes, the impacts on water resources, impacts on the Earth's surface, and hazards posed by the natural environment. Assessment Examination (two hours) 60%; coursework 40%. Learning Outcomes Knowledge: • An introduction to a number of important global environmental issues • An understanding of the linkages among them and to contemporary socio-economic and political considerations • A geographical perspective on these issues Skills: • Critical reading and writing skills • Development of data analysis/interpretation skills • Ability to think critically about global environmental issues and their context Recommended Reading List 1. Goudie, A. (2007) The Human Impact on the Natural Environment: Past, Present and Future, 6th edition. Oxford: Blackwell