CH280-15 Chemistry for Sustainability
Introductory description
This module will introduce students to the critically important role chemists are playing in humanity’s transition to a sustainable way of life and the primary motivations for this transition. The challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change, environmental pollution and the limited supply of natural resources critical to our current way of life will be considered. Sustainable solutions to these challenges for which chemistry is particularly relevant will be considered, including in the areas of sustainable agriculture, tackling water pollution (whilst also meeting growing demand for drinking water), affordable clean energy for all, tackling atmospheric pollution and sustainable chemical feedstocks for our material needs. The interconnectedness of these topics will also be considered.
Module aims
This module will enable the students to appreciate the relevance of, and apply, the chemical knowledge they have acquired in the first-year of their degree to understanding and addressing the major challenges of our time. The topics covered are aligned with the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, and so this module will serve to highlight the important role chemists are playing in enabling a sustainable future for all, opening their eyes to the broad range of opportunities their chemical education presents for them to contribute to these exciting topics at a critical early stage in their degree.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Topic 1: Energy (UN 7 – affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all)
Topic 2: Water (UN 6 – clean water and sanitation and UN 14 conserve and sustainably use the oceans)
Topic 3: Green Synthesis and Recycling (UN 12 – ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns)
Topic 4: Food production and air quality, sustaining human life (UN 2 – zero hunger, UN 11 sustainable cities and communities, UN 15 life on land)
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Be familiar with the 17 goals of the United Nations in sustainability
- Understand how chemistry can play a key role in meeting the sustainability challenges given the earth’s limited resources (climate change) and the challenges posed by climate change and pollution
- Show the role chemistry can play in (i) Promoting sustainable agriculture (green methods of fertiliser production) (ii) Providing clean water through pollutant removal and desalination (iii) Addressing the challenges of affordable and clean energy (iv) Tackling air pollution (v) Responsible consumption and production (green synthesis, biodegradability, recycling) (vi) Illustrating how chemical industries are meeting the sustainability challenges
Indicative reading list
European Chemical Society ‘The 90 Elements that make up everything’
Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, David JC MacKay (available online https://www.withouthotair.com/)
UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
Six Chemicals that Changed Agriculture, Robert L. Zimdahl, Academic Press 2015.
Air Pollution, Mark Z. Jacobson, Cambridge University Press 2002
Green Chemistry (https://0-doi-org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/10.1515/9783110751895)
Plastic Waste and Recycling (https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128178805/plastic-waste-and-recycling)
Subject specific skills
Problem solving: The students will learn to tackle a range of quantitative and chemical problems relating to a broad range of topics in the area of sustainability. They will be applying fundamental knowledge acquired during year 1 of the degree to solving real world problems, which will help to open their eyes to the broad range of opportunities for current and future employment in the sustainability space.
Critical thinking: The students will learn to think critically about a broad range of challenges and potential solutions relating to sustainability, including potential trade-offs and the interconnectedness and inherent complexity of many topics in sustainability.
Digital Literacy: The students will research a topic for the poster presentation and in doing so learn to judge the validity, merits and limitations of a broad range of digital sources of information on their assigned topic.
Transferable skills
Critical thinking: The students will learn to think critically about major complex applied problems of our time, that have broad relevance to current and future employment opportunities for chemists.
Problem solving: Student will learn how to solve quantitative and chemical problems.
Communication skills: Written, presentation and oral communication skills will be developed as part of the assessed work component.
Research Skills: Students will learn to assess the merits / limitations of sources of digital information when researching for the poster presentation.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 26 sessions of 1 hour (17%) |
| Practical classes | 4 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Private study | 90 hours (60%) |
| Assessment | 30 hours (20%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
N/A
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group D
| Weighting | Study time | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 minutes poster presentation on element sustainability | 20% | 30 hours |
|
A 2 minute poster presentation. Students are assigned one of the elements in the periodic table for which there is a supply threat and are asked to prepare a poster and give a 2 minute oral presentation of the poster explaining: (i) Why the element is important (i.e. what is it used for in the modern world); (ii) To what extent its supply is limited/under threat and why? ; (iii) Whether it is currently sustainably sourced, and if not how could it be or what are the potential sustainable alternatives? |
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| Examination | 80% | |
|
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Assessment group R
| Weighting | Study time | |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | |
|
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Feedback on assessment
Feedback on assessed work provided via Moodle. Cohort level examination feedback will be provided after the June examination period.
Courses
This module is Optional for:
-
UCHA-4 Undergraduate Chemistry (with Intercalated Year) Variants
- Year 2 of F101 Chemistry (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 2 of F122 Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (with Intercalated Year)
-
UCHA-3 Undergraduate Chemistry 3 Year Variants
- Year 2 of F100 Chemistry
- Year 2 of F100 Chemistry
- Year 2 of F121 Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
-
UCHA-F110 Undergraduate Master of Chemistry (with Industrial Placement)
- Year 2 of F100 Chemistry
- Year 2 of F110 MChem Chemistry (with Industrial Placement)
- Year 2 of F112 MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry with Industrial Placement
- Year 2 of UCHA-F107 Undergraduate Master of Chemistry (with Intercalated Year)
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UCHA-F109 Undergraduate Master of Chemistry (with International Placement)
- Year 2 of F109 MChem Chemistry (with International Placement)
- Year 2 of F111 MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (with International Placement)
-
UCHA-4M Undergraduate Master of Chemistry Variants
- Year 2 of F100 Chemistry
- Year 2 of F105 Chemistry
- Year 2 of F110 MChem Chemistry (with Industrial Placement)
- Year 2 of F109 MChem Chemistry (with International Placement)
- Year 2 of F125 MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
- Year 2 of UCHA-F127 Undergraduate Master of Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry(with Intercalated Year)