If you followed the international negotiations at the COP26 climate change summit, and the analysis since, you might be feeling frustrated at the slow pace of change, or powerless to take action that will have “enough” impact on this global issue.
But making a difference is within the reach of all of us.
Here are 5 courses you could consider studying at UNE to make your own impact on climate change. Applications and enrolment for 2022 are open now, and there is a range of scholarships available to help.
Photo: Thaliesen, Pixabay
Bachelor of Sustainability
UNE was the first Australian university to offer the Bachelor of Sustainability, and multi-award-winning Bachelor of Sustainability alumnus David Mailler says a student entering this degree “is starting to recognise there are some issues with the economic sustainability model, and asking questions as to why”.
“David Attenborough summed it up best: ‘We have a finite environment: the planet. Anyone who thinks that you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman or an economist.’”
Mr Mailler says the degree offers several pathways to understand the complex interrelationship between ecological, social, and economic drivers.
“A graduate can have influence in several ways, such as personal decisions to reduce their carbon footprint - being an example of what is possible; industry work in the renewables sector, environmental rehabilitation, and policy development; and leadership involvement, including political, not-for-profit or voluntary,” he says.
His units each “offered its unique piece to what is a complex puzzle to understand and engage with”, but his favourite was GEPL341 (Environmental Biogeography) “because it developed in me a true sense of interconnectedness and that a small link can have a profound effect on ecosystems”.
“It also outlined how robust - and also fragile - ecosystems are, and how difficult it is to recognise the keystones of our ecosystem services. Importantly, it focused on how, as an individual, your contribution is important.”
What’s something about this course that might surprise people?
“Positivity. That sustainability is possible and that there are people like me who are concerned and working towards solutions at micro and macro levels.
What drew me to the Bachelor of Sustainability was recognising that what was obvious to me - that the path humanity was on was not sustainable - was not obvious to others.
“What drew me to the Bachelor of Sustainability was recognising that what was obvious to me - that the path humanity was on was not sustainable - was not obvious to others.
“The thing that keeps me engaged in sustainability is the ongoing learnings, conversations and continual progress towards positive change.”
Photo: Rodnae Productions, Pexels
Bachelor of Environmental Science
Our world is rapidly changing, and we need to future-fit ourselves and our environment. Our local, regional and global communities need skilled scientists and innovators to devise solutions to environmental issues.
Adrienne Burns, course co-ordinator, says graduates of UNE’s Bachelor of Environmental Science can contribute to the sphere of climate change by conducting research on landscape and global changes.
Most environmental scientists usually work within a specialty such as biodiversity conservation, water quality, resource management, changes in climate, or pollution.
“Most environmental scientists usually work within a specialty such as biodiversity conservation, water quality, resource management, changes in climate, or pollution,” she says.
“All these areas have an impact on, or are impacted by changes in climate.
“The knowledge and skills developed during the course will help graduates work with other professionals in the environmental field, such as engineers and government agencies, all having an impact on climate change policy and sustainable solutions for a carbon-neutral future.”
Dr Burns says it’s hard to choose a favourite unit, but her “personal favourite subjects have always been those in water”.
“Working in aquatic systems provides many scales of knowledge from local interactions in wetlands and rivers, to whole catchment processes that influence land and water systems and communities downstream. It provides knowledge of a diverse range of plant and animals, and chemical and physical aspects of wetlands and rivers and how they interact with natural and manmade landscapes.”
What’s something about this course that might surprise people?
“The refurbished course for 2022 has four relevant majors, which have been designed in collaboration with environmental industries and government sectors to provide job-ready graduates,” Dr Burns says.
“All the majors culminate in a capstone experience to provide students independence to study a research project or a work placement with direct employment experience.
“We are also excited to introduce a core unit of Indigenous sustainability knowledge systems, taught by Indigenous researchers and collaborators to support the strengthening of Indigenous knowledge to provide sustainable solutions for the future.”
Photo: Jack Gard, Unsplash
Bachelor of Rural Science (minor in Climate Resilience)
UNE has been at the forefront of balancing the needs of agriculture and environment for more than 60 years.
“The visionary, pioneering work carried out by Professor Bill McClymont at UNE laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of agricultural systems, and is the basis of the Bachelor of Rural Science,” says course co-ordinator Richard Flavel.
“McClymont's holistic model is still used today to maximise production without losing focus on sustainable ecological, economic, social and environmental contexts.”
Dr Flavel says mitigating the effects of climate change “will require this whole-of-system approach, and graduates who can integrate information from a wide range of disciplines”.
“Our graduates are and will continue to be at the forefront of sustainable agriculture with careers as nutritionists, agronomists, geneticists, soil scientists, and farm managers, to name just a few,” he says.
Systems thinking is embedded throughout the degree.
“For example, in the first year in AGSY101/102 (Sustainable Agriculture Systems I/II), we set the scene of how to manage agriculture sustainably with a very strong focus on the environment; and in the final year students consolidate, integrate and apply their prior learning to solve complex farm-scale to global-scale problems in AGSY410 (Problem Solving in Farm Systems).”
An embedded Honours program allows further study or a career in cutting-edge research.
The next step could be a Masters, PhD, or specialising further in climate change mitigation with UNE’s Graduate Certificate in Agriculture (major in Sustainable Agriculture).
What’s something about this course that might surprise people?
“Employers value the systems thinking of our Rural Science graduates, and those wishing to be employed before graduation have that opportunity,” says Dr Flavel.
You will join a close-knit group of graduates saving the planet and feeding the world.
“You will join a close-knit group of graduates saving the planet and feeding the world.
“Students graduating from B. Rural Science with a Climate Resilience minor not only get the science and agriculture knowledge to impact on climate change, they also get an understanding of how to handle business risk associated with the effects of climate change on agriculture.”
Photo: Zhong Peng, Pixabay
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
Despite its quirky acronym, the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) has more than a blip of impact.
Course co-ordinator Stephen Wood says planning decisions “can positively affect climate change at all scales”.
“If your house is warm in winter and cool in summer (and you only need to use minimal energy for heating and cooling) that may well be a consequence of the way your land has been subdivided and the way your house has been sited and designed,” Dr Wood says.
“Planning decisions determine whether you can walk or cycle to the shops; they determine how easy it is for you to catch public transport to work.”
On the other hand, poor planning choices “will be involved in everything from the destruction of wildlife habitats to new coalmining approvals and the creation of housing estates where everyone has no choice but to drive everywhere they need to go.”
Dr Wood says his favourite unit (and he admits he might be biased) is Architecture and Urban Design.
“It illustrates how planning and design subtly shape and influence what we experience in most places, most of the time.
“If a certain place feels vital and lively, this 'buzz' will be underpinned by design factors; the same holds true if a place feels 'dead'.
“The effects of the built environment on our lives are all around us, all the time, so we don't tend to notice them.
“To trace these effects, it's sometimes necessary to proceed like a detective. Architecture and Urban Design is a little like a good mystery story!”
What’s something about this course that might surprise people?
There's no such thing as a 'typical' planner - a degree can take you in many different directions.
“There's no such thing as a 'typical' planner - a degree can take you in many different directions: environmental, community or transport planning; urban design; housing; heritage; demography - the possibilities are endless.
“It's an exciting field to be in. Most of our students already have jobs before they finish their degrees. Current demand for planners is very high.”
PhD Innovation
The Doctor of Philosophy Innovation (PhD.I) is unique to UNE; a project-based, higher research degree that runs across all of our schools and disciplines, linking professional and industry expertise with academic theory to create innovation.
Candidates conduct research in their field of expertise, on a project that identifies tangible or process-based innovations that can be implemented for real impact.
There are several scholarships available, including for four specific Tamworth-based projects. How are current PhD.I candidates employing their expertise and research, and to what ends?
You might like to read the story of David Hill, who is committed to helping Australian businesses become more sustainable. He's developing a Business Sustainability Hierarchy to step owners and managers through introducing and assessing their sustainability decisions, and it all starts with two questions: “Is there a better way?” and “Is one alternative better for the world than another?”
Or Paul “Chief Combobulator” Hawkins, who is putting his PhD.I to good use for "vigorous assessment and development” of his DisruptivebyDesign® system that’s bringing together cross-organisational, multi-disciplinary teams to tackle some of society’s most vexing problems.
Find out more about the Doctor of Philosophy Innovation (PhD.I), the entry requirements, how it differs from a traditional PhD, and more.
