Prepare a slide deck with notes for a presentation that you could use to deliver to a group of your peers describing the impacts of climate change on an aspect of biodiversity. You need to provide a brief overview of the important role of biodiversity in ecosystem services and of the general impacts of climate change.  For the bulk of your presentation, you need to look at some specific impacts of climate change on biodiversity such as impacts of change in rainfall or temperature regimes on a particular vegetation community or ecosystem type (e.g. mangrove communities in the Kimberley) or on a particular group of organisms within a specified area (e.g. Queensland tropical reef fish). 

Your slide deck should consist of a PowerPoint presentation of 15 slides (maximum), including the title slide and a slide of references. Add the extra information you would use during the presentation in the notes section below the slides. You should not have more than about seven dot points or 30 words per slide, and the notes section should be in dot point format and be between about 1000 and 1500 words in total for the entire presentation. For this assessment, you are NOT required to actually give the presentation to an audience!

Pitch your material at an informed lay audience, by using clear concise English and avoiding the use of jargon.

Always check the Moodle site for further information!

• Clarity of presentation and logical presentation of the issues
• Application of science and sustainability principles
• Comprehensive coverage of relevant issues
• Use of valid information sources and accuracy of reference details
• Appropriateness of language and presentation for audience
  

Prepare the arguments, both FOR and AGAINST, for a debate on the following statement:

It would be better for the environment and action on climate change if livestock production and meat consumption is phased out in Australia 

You need to investigate current practices and environmental implications of animal production and debate whether there is a sustainable way forward for livestock production and meat consumption in Australia. You can use specific examples from your area for more detailed arguments. Be sure to evaluate the alternative food production implications, too. Present the arguments for and against the statement, backing them up with references from scientific journals, government and NGO reports and other credible sources. 

Focus on the likely outcomes in environmental sustainability of the relevant agricultural practices but include some of the social and economic issues as well.  You need an overall understanding of the land management and agricultural production practices, but you don't need a detailed understanding of all the intricacies involved in the livestock business or in food industries.  You are required to argue both sides. Note that you do NOT have to argue the 'status quo' of meat industries, but can make suggestions for improvements.

Your arguments should be based on detailed scientific information, and while some of your arguments will be based on general principles, you should ensure you have researched the specific issue in depth. 

Provide a brief introduction to the topic, then a series of arguments for each side of the debate in a TABLE with two columns headed: FOR and AGAINST. Complete your assignment with a brief concluding paragraph, setting out which side has the strongest arguments. Your assignment should not exceed 2000 words.  Aim to have roughly equal numbers of words for each case. Make sure you apply the principles of Systems Thinking, use only credible information sources, and cite references where applicable.

Assignment will be assessed on:

• Comprehensive coverage of arguments both for and against
• Logical presentation of arguments
• Relevance of issues raised
• Clarity of expression
• Evidence of research and critical thinking
• Selection of credible sources and correct referencing

Humanity has used bioenergy since the first humans mastered the controlled use of fire, but more recently various modern forms of bioenergy, such as liquid biofuels or high-tech use of biomass to generate electricity have gained momentum. However, despite its apparent potential in mitigating climate change, several forms of bioenergy, especially those that involve the farming of specific bioenergy crops remain controversial, requiring high inputs of water and fertiliser and competing with food crops for arable land. Write a report on biomass and bioenergy use in your region (or Australia more broadly), describe the sources and technologies involved, and estimate (approximate) quantities used. Analyse the environmental sustainability of these solutions and make suggestions which ones (if any) can contribute to a sustainable future. 

Format your assignment as a report with headings and an executive summary. Maximum word limit: 3000 words. The word count will include words in tables and the executive summary but not words in figures, or reference citations and list.

• Logical and comprehensive presentation of information
• Evidence of critical thinking and problem solving
• Validity of conclusions from evidence presented
• Clarity of expression, evidence of research and accurate referencing
• Overall presentation, including format of diagrams and tables, correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
  

You are required to post relevant comments to each of the four forums in Moodle to obtain the maximum marks. Each forum will be open for approximately three weeks. Forum posts must be 200 words or less and be presented as dot points.

Your posts will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the question
• Evidence of critical thinking
• Clarity of arguments
• Conciseness of posts