Handbook

From bushfires to biodiversity loss, Australian society is facing a growing number of environmental challenges. The latest scientific evidence shows that many of these challenges are being accelerated by planetary warming, which places Australia 'on the frontline' of the unfolding climate emergency. Thanks to recent advances in biological, ecological, and meteorological science, we now have a much better understanding of the physical processes associated with Australia's environmental challenges. What is less well understood, however, are the social, cultural, and political dimensions of these challenges and the role these dimensions play in shaping discussions about how we, as a society, can respond. Understanding these human dimensions of environmental change and why they matter is what this course is all about.

Informed by key debates in human geography, this course will enable students to identify, analyse, and critically evaluate the human dimensions of environmental change across a variety of scales and registers, from social identities and cultural imaginaries to political ideologies and economic agendas. The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical appreciation of geography's uniquely holistic approach to environmental change and its significance in bringing together diverse forms of environmental knowledge. As part of this course, students will also have the opportunity to apply geographical concepts and frameworks to a wide range of Australian environmental challenges, including bushfires, invasive species, drought, extreme heat, the politics of water management, and the cultures of fossil fuel dependence.