Undergraduate - UnitMON1001 - Climate change: An interdisciplinary challenge

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Organisational Unit	School of Mathematical Sciences
Monash Passport category	Depth (Enhance Program)
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Professor Christian Jakob

Synopsis

Climate change is becoming an ever greater challenge to the sustainability of modern society. This unit explores the basic principles and physical processes that define and govern the Earth's climate. The response of the atmosphere and ocean to these forces are explored, as well as their role in establishing the variability of climate. Major human decisions that affect climate are then considered followed by an exploration of the global governance of the climate change regime in the context of the broader consequences of climate change to our society. Mitigation and adaptation scenarios are explored, and the design and costs of the climate change policies necessary to implement these various strategies.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

Understand the basic scientific concepts underpinning climate change, climate change impacts and responses;

Critically evaluate information on climate change, climate change impacts and responses from a variety of sources including scientific reports, blogs and the media;

Develop, apply, integrate and generate knowledge to analyse and solve problems in climate change, its impacts and the options for possible societal responses;

Demonstrate competence in information technology, data handling, problem solving, communication skills and team work;

Convey the basic concepts of climate change, its impacts and possible responses to diverse audiences.

Assessment

Project 1: 20%
Essay: 20%
Project 2: 30%
Final Examination (3 hours): 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Christian Jakob

Workload requirements

Three 1-hour lectures per week, one 2-hour laboratory/support class per week, plus private study/research time

Prohibitions

ATM1020