Environmental Challenges: Conventional and Nuclear Waste Disposal

EART33102 Environmental Challenges: Conventional and Nuclear Waste Disposal 10 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 6 Samuel Shaw Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 <div> The focus of a set of third year modules will be on large scale, complex, cross disciplinary, environmental challenges by applying the key concepts/skills/techniques learned in previous years using a series of specific case studies, in this case related to waste disposal. After this module the students should be able to 1) synthesise and evaluate environmental data; 2) evaluate the impact on society and ultimately 3) create new and innovative solutions/hypothesis related to this specific challenge.</div>  <div> The focus of a set of third year modules will be on large scale, complex, cross disciplinary, environmental challenges by applying the key concepts/skills/techniques learned in previous years using a series of specific case studies, in this case related to waste disposal. After this module the students should be able to 1) synthesise and evaluate environmental data; 2) evaluate the impact on society and ultimately 3) create new and innovative solutions/hypothesis related to this specific challenge.</div>  <div> The aim of this course is to synthesise and evaluate environmental data in relation to government policies and guidelines related to waste disposal. The final goal to able to evaluate and/or create new and innovative solutions/hypothesis related to waste disposal.</div>  <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="width:496px;"> On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: </td> <td style="width:72px;"> Developed</td> <td style="width:66px;"> Assessed</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:64px;height:59px;"> ILO 1</td> <td style="width:432px;height:59px;"> Evaluate strategies for different type of waste disposal, and their impact on the environment</td> <td style="width:72px;height:59px;"> X</td> <td style="width:66px;height:59px;"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:64px;height:67px;"> ILO 2</td> <td style="width:432px;height:67px;"> Synthesise and evaluate environmental data related to waste disposal</td> <td style="width:72px;height:67px;"> X</td> <td style="width:66px;height:67px;"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:64px;height:76px;"> ILO 3</td> <td style="width:432px;height:76px;"> Assess impact on society caused by waste disposal</td> <td style="width:72px;height:76px;"> X</td> <td style="width:66px;height:76px;"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:64px;height:66px;"> ILO 4</td> <td style="width:432px;height:66px;"> Create new and innovative solutions/hypothesis related to the impact and implementation of waste disposal</td> <td style="width:72px;height:66px;"> X</td> <td style="width:66px;height:66px;"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:64px;height:66px;"> ILO 5</td> <td style="width:432px;height:66px;"> Communicate and defend their ideas and findings clearly and concisely to a scientific audience related to waste disposal strategies</td> <td style="width:72px;height:66px;"> X</td> <td style="width:66px;height:66px;"> X</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  Still to be completed but will follow the following structure: W1: Lecture 1: Introduction to waste disposal: Landfill Design and Operation Group work session 1: introduction and dividing the groups. W2: Literature Discussion 1: Waste management strategies: Design, construction and management of landfill sitesGroup work session 2: Aims and directions of group work for case study W3: Lecture 2: Mine waste management and acid mine drainage (AMD)Group work session 3: Developing of group work; identifying resources needed for case study W4: Literature discussion 2: Impact and management strategies for AMDGroup work session 4: Designing individual projects; alignment to overall aims/objectives. W5: Lecture 3: Radioactive waste management: Nuclear decommissioning and radioactive contaminated land.Group work session 5: Developing of group work W6: Seminar 1: Case study of Sellafield site: Guest speaker from Sellafield LtdGroup work session 6: Poster presentation of case studies W7: Lecture 4: Radioactive waste management: Geological Disposal of Radioactive wasteLiterature discussion 4 (in class/online): Case studies of Radioactive waste management: Low level waste and contaminated land W8: Seminar 2: Geological disposal of radioactive waste in the UK: Guest Speaker from Radioactive Waste ManagementLiterature discussion 5 (in class/online): Case studies of Radioactive waste management: Geological disposal of radioactive waste around the world W9: Lecture 5: Public engagement, government policy and radioactive waste disposal: Guest SpeakerLiterature discussion 6 (in class/online): Case studies of Radioactive waste management: Public engagement strategies around the world. W10: Seminar 3:  Radioactive waste debate with scientific expert and social science moderators    <div>The course will be delivered using a variety of methods. There will be 5 lectures related to specific fundamentals of the case study, with podcasts enabled and notes posted online. This will be supported by a series of themed discussion sessions during which the most recent literature and government policies/guidelines regarding specific aspects of the environmental challenge will be discussed. Seminars (some via video conferencing) will be used to communicate/discuss specific aspects of the environmental challenge with specialists in the field. Thus, to be successful, it is essential that students attend every lecture and themed discussion sessions, and revise the previous week's materials between classes. In addition, students, working in groups, will be given a specific aspect of the environmental challenge and with the aid of a facilitator identify issues and questions in a set of weekly group sessions (2 hours each) in the first half of the course. Students will be expected to work collaboratively outside of class time to find, evaluate, manage and curate information and develop a capacity to work effectively as a team. To promote leadership skills the ‘manager’ will rotate weekly through the group. There are no exams. The outcomes of the group assessments will be assessed using an individual ePoster presentation (50%of the mark) focused on the development of a waste disposal/remediation strategy from a case study provided. This will be done in a conference style poster session where each student will be questioned on their finding. Finally, the students will write an individual report (50% of mark) in which they summarize a specific environmental challenge associated with waste disposal, evaluate the environmental data available, assess the impact on society and propose new and innovative solutions.</div>  3 Report 50% 7 Oral assessment/presentation 50% <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:68px;"> Assessment type</td> <td style="width:85px;height:68px;"> % Weighting within unit</td> <td style="width:76px;height:68px;"> Hand out and hand in dates</td> <td style="width:85px;height:68px;"> Length </td> <td style="width:170px;height:68px;"> How, when and what feedback is provided</td> <td style="width:123px;height:68px;"> ILO tested</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:101px;"> Report (individual)</td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> 50%</td> <td style="width:76px;height:101px;"> Mid May (week 12)</td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> Max 2500 words  </td> <td style="width:170px;height:101px;"> Written/oral feedback will be provided when marks released</td> <td style="width:123px;height:101px;"> 1, 2, 3. 4, 5</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:101px;"> Presentation (individual poster)</td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> 50%</td> <td style="width:76px;height:101px;"> Mid semester (week 6)</td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> A1 size poster  </td> <td style="width:170px;height:101px;"> Written/oral feedback will be provided when marks released</td> <td style="width:123px;height:101px;"> 2, 4, 5</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie BSc (Hons) Earth (Geology) Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie BSc (Hons) Earth (Planet Sci) Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie BSc (Hons) Earth (Geochemistr) Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie BSc (Hons) Eart and Plan (GPG) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci MEarthSci (Hons) Earth (Geolo) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci MEarthSci (Hons) Earth (Plane) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci MEarthSci (Hons) Earth (Geoch) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci MEarthSci(Hons)Ea&Pl Sci(G&PG) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Industr MEarthSci EPS w IE (GeoChem) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Industr MEarth Sci (Hons) EPS IE (GPG) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Abroad MEarthSci EPS Abroad (PS) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Abroad MEarthSci EPS w YA (Geochem) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Abroad MEaSci (Hons) EPSwYA (GPG) Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Environmental Sci BSc (Hons) Envir Science (PEP) Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Environmental Sci BSc (Hons) Env Science (EECB) Third Year Optional MEnvSci Environmental Science MEnvSci Environ Science (EECB) Third Year Optional MEnvSci Env Sci with Ind Exp MEnvSci Env Sci with IE (EECB) Third Year Optional MEnvSci Env Sci with Int Study MEnvSci Env Sci with IS (EECB) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) EPS with Res MEaSc (H) EPS w R (GeoChem) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) EPS with Res MEaSc (H) EPS w Res (GPG) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (Hons) EPS with Res MEaSc (H) EPS (Plan Sci) w Res Third Year Optional MEnvSci (Hons) Env Sci w Resea MEnSc (H) Env Sci (PEP) w Res Third Year Optional MEnvSci (Hons) Env Sci w Resea MEnSc (H) En Sc (EECB) with RP Third Year Optional Sustainable Practices for Landfill Design and Operation (2015) – Townsend et al. Radioactive Waste Engineering and Management (2015) – Nagasaki & Nakayama   0 0 100 <figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td style="height:68px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:68px;width:85px;">Type</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:169.5pt;" width="226">Example student activity</td><td style="height:68px;width:75px;">Total Hours</td><td style="height:68px;width:160px;">New material</td><td style="height:68px;width:104px;">Consolidation and Practice</td></tr><tr><td style="height:39px;width:139px;">Contact time (students are in front of staff)</td><td style="height:39px;width:85px;">Lecture (new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">Mostly listening & taking notes (mostly new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">5</td><td style="height:39px;width:160px;">5</td><td style="height:39px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Lecture (revision/examples)</td><td>Mostly listening & taking notes (no new material- revision of course)</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Practical (new material and practice. Typically 25-50% of practical time is spent on new material)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive individual or group work (problem solving, experiments, watching demonstrations, describing and interpreting samples, paper-based exercises, computer-based exercises)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Tutorial</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive small group work</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Seminar/examples class</td><td>Working on and discussing questions (here: field seminar)</td><td>25</td><td>5</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>Independent study time</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:131.5pt;" width="175">Pre/post lecture work</td><td>Reading own notes, re-solving examples, prep work, revisit podcast</td><td>5</td><td> </td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Pre/post practical work/write up</td><td>Complete practical work, prep work, reading feedback</td><td>5</td><td> </td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Studio/workshop time</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>