Undergraduate Course: Environmental Problems and Issues (ENVI10002)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (various IPPC reports) are the most influential documents that sets the agenda in Environmental Science. The current EG degree is well placed to educate student with the science and issues underpinning these global agenda setting reports. The course is intended to engage students in learning about a range of topical environmental issues covering multiple SDGs in order to develop independent literature research and presentation skills. The course is delivered through a series of case study investigations. The lectures and pre-readings are focused around case studies from 5 topical environmental problems or issues delivered by World-leading experts. Each topic is introduced over 2 weeks (2x 2-3 hour lectures) followed by a seminar 2 weeks later in which 3-6 students deliver 15-20 minute presentations and associated annotated bibliographies on selected sub-topics followed by a discussion session. Students are expected to deliver 1 seminar presentation on a selected sub-topic during the semester and engage in all other seminars via recommended readings and discussions. The exam takes place in December diet. |
| Course description |
Topics provided below are exemplars and will evolve and change from year to year.
1: Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Behaviour and impact of emerging contaminants such as microplastics, PFOS, and pharmaceuticals in terrestrial environments
2: Climate forcing through short-lived gases on the Earth system: Climate change is being driven by changes in a range of forcing agents beyond carbon dioxide, including methane, ozone and aerosols. The processes that control these short-lived climate forcers, and how they can be compared with CO2, in terms of their past and future impacts on climate, are explored.
3: Changing Coasts: Changing physical and biogeochemical processes occurring in estuaries and other coastal settings, and how these interact to control the cycling and fate of natural and contaminant materials.
4: Deep-Sea Mining: Pressure for exploitation of deep-Sea manganese nodules for critical elements such as Ni, Cu, Mn and Co is increasing due to demand for these elements enabled by improved deep-sea mining technology making exploitation commercially viable. The course will cover how manganese nodules and ferromanganese crusts are formed and evaluate the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining and associated policy issues.
5: Nuclear Waste management: Chemical, geological and socio-economic issues associated with managing the Earth's low-, intermediate- and high-level nuclear waste.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | It is recommended that VS should have completed Environmental subjects at there home institution. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
136 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 60%, Course Work: 40 %.«br /»
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Coursework 40% based on 1 assessment: Students will deliver a 15-20 minute seminar presentation and associated annotated bibliography exploring a sub-topic of their choosing. Seminar marks are based on style and content of both presentation (55%) and annotated bibliography (30%) as well as attendance and participation during discussion (15%). «br /»
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Exam - 60%, the 120-minutes December exam is based on answers to 3 out of 5 essay-style questions. Questions will be based on materials covered both in lecture and case studies explored in seminar sessions. Students must attain an overall mark of 50% (or above) to pass this course. |
| Feedback |
Detailed feedback on seminars (style and content) will be provided to students. Staff also provide guidance and feedback during discussion sessions following seminars. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically discuss a range of environmental issues in the context of real-life case studies.
- Identify environmental processes relevant to specific problems and analyse their role in real-life case studies.
- Apply independent literature research skills to develop and evaluate hypotheses regarding environmental problems and issues.
- Combine information from a range of literature sources to draw conclusions and communicate findings to a technical audience.
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Reading List
| Reading lists are dependent upon topics and are subject to yearly changes. Reading materials will be provided at the start of the semester on the course learn page. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will equip students with the following attributes and skills:
1. Understanding of the ways in which the natural and anthropogenic processes interact within different environments 2. Ability to predict the consequences and the fate of contaminants and man-made materials within different environments
3. Capability to integrate data from a wide range of sources such as field and numerical investigations to develop a holistic understanding of hydrogeological systems
4. Independent research skills required in the design and execution of scientific projects.
5. Ability to practice as Environmental professional within the broader context of environmental science, policy and regulation
6. Organised with good project management skills and a flexible approach to work.
7. Technical writing and oral communication skills. |
| Keywords | waste disposal,air quality,water pollution,contaminant transport |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ian Molnar
Tel:
Email: Ian.Molnar@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Johan De Klerk
Tel: (0131 6)50 7010
Email: johan.deklerk@ed.ac.uk |
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