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Cgeo 702 Outline - Spring 2014 - Updated
Cgeo 702 Outline - Spring 2014 - Updated
CGEO 702
Technology and Contemporary Environments
Spring 2014
Every effort will be made to manage the course as stated. However, adjustments may be necessary at
the discretion of the instructor. If so, students will be advised and alterations discussed in the class prior
to implementation.
It is the responsibility of instructors and students to ensure that they understand the University’s policies
and procedures, in particular those relating to course management and academic integrity. A list of
relevant policies is included at the end of this outline.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Public concern for the environment continues to exert a major influence on how society functions. More than
ever, individuals, technologies and corporations are asserting their "Greenness". At the same time human activities
are increasingly being recognized as having far-reaching consequences, affecting politics, economics, and society
as well as individuals, for generations to come. That these consequences are now recognized to extend to a global
scale emphasizes that there is a significant geographic dimension to the issues we face. This geographic
perspective on the environment, which also encompasses consideration of the many interactions between
humanity and nature, is the focus of this course. Both recurring and new issues are examined in terms of
implications for North American Society.
REQUIRED TEXT:
1
Withgott, J., Brennan S., Murck B. 2009 or 2013. Environment: the science behind the stories (Canadian
edition). Toronto: Pearson Canada. ISBN-978-0-321-31533-5. Specific Required Readings from the
text will be assigned in lectures.
2
It is the student’s responsibility to contact The Chang School office to arrange to write a makeup
final exam.
COURSE REPEAT
Senate GPA policy prevents students from taking a course more than three times. For complete GPA
policy see Policy No. 46 at http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol46.pdf
You must inform your instructor of any situation which arises during the semester which has an adverse effect on
your academic performance and you must request any necessary considerations or accommodations.
A doctor’s certificate is required to substantiate illness. See
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the required Ryerson medical form.
Religious Observance requests are to be made formally within the first two weeks of class. See to
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf
If you miss a term test you must do the following:
Inform your instructor by e-mail prior to the test.
Present the completed official Ryerson medical certificate to your instructor within three working
days or no later than the next scheduled class.
3
Course Management:
Every effort will be made to manage the course as stated. However, adjustments may be necessary during the term
at the discretion of the instructor. If so, students will be advised and alterations will be discussed prior to
implementation. Students will be informed of any alterations by email and/or announcements on blackboard.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
1. Students are required to adhere to all relevant University policies, such as the Student Code of Academic
Conduct. University regulations concerning unacceptable academic conduct (cheating, plagiarism,
impersonation, etc.) will be followed. See the Ryerson University calendar or online versions at
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf and http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol61.pdf and
http://www.ryerson.ca/studentguide/Introduction9.html for more explanation.
2. Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and penalties range from zero in an assignment all the way to
expulsion from the university. In any academic exercise, plagiarism occurs when one offers as one’s own
work the words, data, ideas, arguments, calculations, designs or productions of another without appropriate
attribution or when one allows one’s work to be copied. (See the Ryerson Library for APA style guide
references: http://www.ryerson.ca/library/subjects/style/index.html).
3. It is assumed that all examinations and work submitted for evaluation and course credit will be the product of
individual effort, except in the case of team projects arranged for and approved by the course instructor.
Submitting the same work to more than one course, without instructors’ approval, is also considered
plagiarism.
4. Students who have committed academic misconduct for the first time will, at a minimum receive a “0” on the
work, and an instructor may assign an “F” in the course. The Academic Integrity Seminar will also be
assigned and students will have the notation Disciplinary Notice (DN) placed on their academic record and
official transcript. The notation shall remain until the students graduate, or for eight (8) years, whichever
comes first.
5. Students who commit academic misconduct a second time shall be placed on Disciplinary Suspension (DS)
for up to two years, at which time they may apply for reinstatement to a program. The designation DS shall
be placed on their permanent academic record and official transcript. The notation shall remain until students
graduate, or for eight (8) years, whichever comes first.
6. Disciplinary Withdrawn standing (DW) shall be permanently noted on students’ academic records and
official transcripts.
7. Expulsions shall be permanently noted on students’ academic records and official transcripts.
8. NOTE: Students may not drop a course when they have been notified of the suspicion of academic
misconduct. If a student attempts to drop the course, the Registrar’s office will re-register the student in that
course until a decision is reached.
9. When an instructor has reason to suspect that an individual piece of work has been plagiarized, the instructor
shall be permitted to submit that work to any plagiarism detection service.\]
4
Students must file the necessary forms for accommodation of religious observance at the beginning of the term, or
for final exams, as soon as the exam schedule is posted (see policy on Accommodation of Student Religious
Observance Obligations and related form). Please refer to
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf.
5
WEEKLY LECTURE SCHEDULES & TEXTBOOK READINGS
WEEKS TOPICS READINGS & RESOURCES
Week 1 May 6 Introduction: Technology Lecture notes
Morning Concepts: conflicts and 1st ed pages 8-9;
uncertainties, the tragedy of the 2nd ed, pages 4-26
commons and property regimes Video: “How the Earth changed history”
Our Common Future, Video:
Afternoon Sustainable development Video: ”Economic development: a
global challenge”
1st ed pages 20-27, 669-683;
2nd ed pages 19-28
Week 2 May 13 Agriculture and rural resources 1st ed pages 188-246;
Morning 2nd ed pages 211-244
Video: “Food Inc”
TERM TEST 1
Afternoon 1st ed pages 624-651;
Cities and urban environments 2nd ed pages 628- 652
Week 3 May 20 Environmental impact assessment 1st ed pages 690-717;
& agencies of change 2nd ed, pages 654-720
Morning “When is enough, enough?”
Fossil Fuels: energy & impacts, 1st ed pages 405-439; 461-494;
Afternoon atmosphere & global warming 2nd ed, pages 316-333; 486-518
6
Afternoon Forestry 1st ed pages 287-310;
2nd ed, pages 286-314
A+ 4.33 90-100
A- 3.67 80-84
B+ 3.33 77-79
B- 2.67 70-72
C+ 2.33 67-69
C- 1.67 60-62
D+ 1.33 57-59
D- 0.67 50-52