Prepare a formal academic paper in essay format of 2500 words which addresses one of the ten (10) research topics provided:
1. Select an existing ‘fracking’ operation anywhere in the world and discuss it in terms of approaches to sustainability.
2. What are the obstacles standing in the way of developing effective policies to address global warming in democratic political systems of government? How could they be overcome? (Discuss these issues in the context of the module on the role of government in environmental policy making).
3. The Australian federal government has recently approved dumping 3 million cubic meters of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Park. The dredged material has been created by the planned expansion of a coal port on the Queensland coast. The Great Barrier Reef Park is a richly diverse ecosystem, providing a sanctuary to thousands of species of coral, fish, molluscs, jellyfish, sharks and whales. In 1981, UNESCO designated the area a World Heritage area but the dumping of the dredged material may lead to the status of the Reef being considered ‘in danger” in spite of environmental safeguards the the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority imposed on the dumping operation. Examine and critique the proposal to dump the dredged material in the Great Barrier Reef Park within the framework of Natural Capitalism or the Natural Step approach.
4. Illustrate the benefits and the shortcomings of Environmental Management Systems in relation to an enterprise of your choice.
5. Using two real-life examples, compare and contrast consuming more sustainably with consuming differently.
6. Using real-life examples of existing eco-labels, examine and critique the contribution such labels make to sustainability.
7. Examine recent sustainability reports of two companies and discuss how useful non-financial reports are in providing a meaningful and accurate insights into corporate conduct.
8. Examine an existing Socially Responsible Investment Fund and propose measures that could make that fund a more powerful driver of corporate behaviour.
9. Examine and critique the business case for Corporate Social Responsibility as a driver of the sustainability agenda.
10. A topic of your choice provided it is approved by your Lecturer at least 3 weeks in advance. (NOT APPLICABLE)
The Major assignment has to include both a descriptive and an analytical component. In other words, you need to be able to present in an organized and structured way credible information on the topic you select as well as provide a critical analysis (not just a summary of the relevant literature). ‘Credible information’ means that your information derives from scholarly, i.e., peer reviewed, references. ‘Critical analysis’ in this instance means identifying, defining and discussing discipline concepts and problems raised in your lectures and readings and applying them critically to the credible information you have collected. Your major assignment needs to be fully referenced and written to academic standards. A special requirement of this unit is that when paraphrasing from any source, you will also be required to provide the page number/s on which you have drawn for the paraphrasing.
Your essay needs to demonstrate evidence of having read and absorbed AT LEAST eight (8) scholarly academic journal articles — 25 references is required— (you can include other authenticated reference sources e.g., Australian Bureau of Statistics, as needed, but these do not count towards the minimum required number of scholarly articles). Nor will online reports by academics (Working papers, Discussion papers, commissioned reports of all kinds) or by organisations or institutions, including NGOs and Government departments, be counted as scholarly. These are known as ‘grey literature’ and although they may look impressive and be authoritative, they are not generally peer reviewed or refereed, and therefore do not match in credibility the research articles published in peer reviewed journals. You must also not rely on web-based material taken from sites such as Wikipedia, Tutor.net, etc