Preparation instructions
Following on from your earlier tutorials on population, and campus sustainability, we will think about and discuss the impact of population on sustainability by thinking about the maximum population that a country such as Singapore can sustainably support, reflecting on the resources that students think affect their proposed population limit. Following the completion of this topic, it is expected that students will have a deeper understanding of the complex policy, and ecological issues that are inherent to population policy.
There are two goals that need to be accomplished for this weeks collaboration:
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Share your views on what population you think Singapore can sustainably support with students from the ANU and why. Listen to students views on what they think Australia can sustainably support and why. Discuss your reasons for why you came up with your figure.
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To create your final collaboration entry in your learning portfolio on campus sustainability, which addresses the following questions:
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What are the global implications of population that make it a significant issues in terms of sustainability?
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What is the best path to a sustainable population future?
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Provide a conclusion in your learning portfolio which sums up your collaboration experience, and what you have learn over the past 3 tutorial topics which have been shared with students from the ANU.
Your responses to these questions will form the basis for our tutorial discussions:
- Your estimate of what population you think Singapore can sustainably support.
- ANU students will think about a sustainable population target for Singapore.
- Briefly substantiate your figure by listing (in order of importance) the most significant resources that limit the population Australia and Sinagpore can sustainably support
- What are some of the similarities and differences between the resources that limit Australia's population to that of Singapore?
- Come prepared to discuss and defend your sustainable population target for Singapore. The ideas presented in lectures, readings and collaboration discussions with ANU may be helpful in supporting your views.
And to all my Singapore project mates... We have another assignment to do, due 2 weeks from now.. Maybe we can brainstorm the ideas that we have on this space as well... Here it is..
Task Description
Choose ONE of the following four topics:
1. 1. Critically evaluate the usefulness of international collaboration in appreciating the significance of cultural perspectives on environmental issues.
2. What can NUS learn from international initiatives to promote campus sustainability?
3. How would you design a research investigation to determine the performance of campus sustainability initiatives?
4. We are halfway through the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Critically evaluate how universities have responded to the challenges and what more might be done.
Notes. In all questions it is possible to draw upon your collaboration with ANU students, but please note that this is not a course requirement at the ANU end of the partnership. You are encouraged to bring in examples from the collaboration to illustrate points, but the “success” or otherwise of your collaboration should not impact on assessment.
In question 1 you are free to range across different issues or to concentrate on one particular aspect of the collaborative exercises. Similarly, discussions with ANU students should give perspectives on the other questions. In Question 3 you might consider conducting a short data collection (e.g. measuring temperatures across campus to test the 25 degrees campaign, finding out about university energy use, etc). Please consult us if you need equipment to make measurements. The NUS Office of Environmental Sustainability may be able to provide some data but please liaise with course leaders first. In Question 4 you may also consider the curriculum issues. If this university will produce future leaders how do those leaders obtain environmental literacy?
