ENGR6001 (v.1) Industrial Ecology

Area:	Sustainable Engineering Group
Credits:	25.0
Contact Hours:	3.0
TUITION PATTERNS:	The tuition pattern provides details of the types of classes and their duration. This is to be used as a guide only. Precise information is included in the unit outline.
Lecture:	2 x 3 Hours Quarterly
Equivalent(s):	312220 (v.2) Industrial Ecology 601 or any previous version
UNIT REFERENCES, TEXTS, OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT DETAILS:	The most up-to-date information about unit references, texts and outcomes, will be provided in the unit outline.
Syllabus:	The course is broadly organised in four learning units, with some unavoidable overlap between them (see also annex I) 1. Industrial Ecology: a discipline based on parallels: the roots of the recent steep rise in interest for Industrial Ecology are investigated, and the scope of Industrial Ecology is explored by looking at specific features in which it augments the mainstream interpretation of Cleaner Production and Eco-Efficiency. Furthermore, this learning unit focuses on the parallel between natural and industrial ecology, i.e. co-location of (processing) industries to achieve regional resource efficiency synergies in Eco Industrial Parks in which the waste of one facility becomes input to another facility (this is also known as Industrial Symbiosis). 2. Indicators, Conditions and Objectives: carrying capacity is another fundamental concept in natural ecology. It is also used in Industrial Ecology to set the direction for sustainable production and consumption. This learning unit starts with a discussion of indicators for carrying capacity, based on the material and energy flows in a society. The pros and cons of quantification of carrying capacity in terms of “Ecological Footprints” are investigated. At the conceptual level it is also possible to define system conditions for environmental sustainability (i.e. for the continued supply of natural resources and services). 3. Sustainable Use of Materials and Technology: material flows (and the embodied energy contained therein) drive the industrial ecosystem and technology is being employed to alter and transform material flows for the benefit of society. The study of material flows, or industrial metabolism, is therefore a well-established domain in Industrial Ecology. While technology was initially regarded as a root cause of environmental and sustainability problems, it is now increasingly recognised that technology, if properly developed and employed, can also deliver the environmental innovations required to resolve those problems. 4. Sustainable Societies and Communities: this learning unit covers blueprints for equitable management of material and energy resources and flows by societies and communities. It is a comparatively new area, and to a large degree still driven by manifests and principles, rather than practical achievements. The learning unit covers the Factor 10 Manifesto, Natural Capitalism and its regional implementation for ecological renewal, and national and regional sustainability strategies and scenarios. It also covers the results of recent global sustainability assessments of selected industry sectors, to investigate how sectors like mining, minerals and transport can best contribute to achieving the sustainable development of the communities they operate in.
Field of Education:	039900 Other Engineering and Related Technologies (Narrow Grouping)
Result Type:	Grade/Mark

Availability

Year	Location	Period	Internal	Partially Online Internal	Area External	Central External	Fully Online
2015	Bentley Campus	Semester 2	Y

Area External refers to external course/units run by the School or Department or offered by research.

Central External refers to external and online course/units run through the Curtin Bentley-based Distance Education Area

Partially Online Internal refers to some (a portion of) learning provided by interacting with or downloading pre-packaged material from the Internet but with regular and ongoing participation with a face-to-face component retained. Excludes partially online internal course/units run through the Curtin Bentley-based Distance Education Area which remain Central External

Fully Online refers to the main (larger portion of) mode of learning provided via Internet interaction (including the downloading of pre-packaged material on the Internet). Excludes online course/units run through the Curtin Bentley-based Distance Education Area which remain Central External

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