Postgraduate Course: Environmental Law (BIME11015)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Biomedical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | An introduction to the law (international, European Union and national) related to the protection of the environment. Emphasis is placed not only on selected subject areas (e.g. nature conservation, integrated pollution control) but also on the study of different strategies of environmental protection and their enforcement. |
| Course description |
The course covers a vast subject briefly with an emphasis on the topics most relevant to the wider MSc programme. It aims to illustrate the sources of international environmental law and the differences in law as it applies to the international arena as opposed to the national context.
Weekly lectures will cover the following topics:
Lecture 1 An Introduction to International Environmental Law
Lectures 2 and 3 The Biodiversity Conventions
Lecture 4 Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change
Lecture 5 The Law of the Sea and the Protection of the Marine Environment.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
| Course Start Date |
30/10/2017 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Online Activities 25,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
53 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formal summative written assessment will constitute 60% of the student's grade. Online assessment will incorporate a variety of activities will constitute 40% of their overall course grade and is taken to represent a formative assessment of learning throughout the programme. |
| Feedback |
Summative assessment consists of a written element, worth 60% of the total mark, and an online element worth 40%. In both cases, comprehensive written feedback is provided individually with 15 working days of the assessment deadline. Students are expected to reflect on their feedback, to seek additional clarification if appropriate, and to use this to improve on future assignments of a similar nature.
Formative assessment consists of discussion around what is expected of each piece of assessed work for the course. This is conducted in an open discussion forum for all students to contribute to and provides an opportunity to clearly understand the key requirements for each assignment before submission. Any student can post questions about the assignment and a response will be posted on the discussion board by the course tutor within 3 working days.
|
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand what international environmental law encompasses and the differences between it and national law. You should also appreciate the sources of international environmental law, in particular treaty law and some of the main principles governing international environmental law.
- Explain the way in which international environmental law has evolved to deal with the challenges presented by decline in natural resources and in biodiversity, in particular identify the key provisions of the five main global conventions and understand their effectiveness in tackling the issues they address.
- Understand the various maritime zones outlined in UNCLOS III and the extent to which these serve the treaty's aims in protecting the marine environment and conserving its resources. You should have knowledge of the role of RFMOs and their effectiveness in addressing the sustainability of fisheries. You should also appreciate the control of marine pollution and the enforcement powers of various states, to this end.
- Explain the measures used to combat transboundary air pollution and in particular those which address the issue of ozone layer protection. You should appreciate the differing environments within which the ozone and the climate change regimes operate. You should also understand the evolution of the climate change regime and the adaptation which the international community requires to make in respect of the issue of climate change.
|
Reading List
| The majority of reading material will be derived from online journals with some reference to websites and e-books. |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
http://www.web.mvm.ed.ac.uk/ |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will involve the student developing an understanding of how international environmental law operates in practice, and the issues pertaining to its application and enforcement with a specific focus on biodiversity and climate change. It will enable them to assimilate other aspects of their learning from the other courses on the programme. Their ability to analyse the evolution of treaties to deal with changing international landscapes will be developed as with their skills in presenting clear and rational arguments, primarily through engagement with peers and tutors on the discussion boards. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sharron Ogle
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Lyndon Zahra
Tel: (0131) 651 5232
Email: |
|
|
University Homepage