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| Semester | fall semester 2021 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Miriam Simone Andres (miriamsimone.andres@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | From sand to solar, from molybdenum to mobile phones, from cobalt to computers: mineral resources form the basis of practically every aspect of our modern society. Never before in the history of our global community have we extracted, produced and consumed more of these valuable resources. This course aims to: - identify key mineral and fossil resources; - understand their distribution, extraction and transport pathways; - highlight environmental risks, legal frameworks and societal impacts; - discuss alternative concepts, learn about the circular economy and the 3R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). With a mixture of lectures, case studies, exercises and excursions, you will learn about the complexity of extracting rare earth minerals, which are critical for our electronic and digital economy. Because Switzerland has no oil and gas resources, but plenty of salt, sand and silt, these valuable resources will be emphasized in a local context. Furthermore, we will investigate the history of how the extraction of mineral resources has evolved over the last hundred years. We will explore the question of ‘Who owns the mineral resources under your house? And the mineral resources on the seabed.’ We will also track the carbon footprint of the cement industry and how to eliminate the CO2 by-product of the production process. Switzerland is a champion in the waste management department and is also advanced in the recycling of mineral resources and urban mining. A firsthand view of such a recycling plant will be integrated into the course as a scheduled excursion. |
| Learning objectives | - Knowledge of key mineral and fossil resources, their occurrence and distribution. - Understanding of extraction and transport pathways of key mineral and fossil resources. - Basis understanding of environmental risks, legal frameworks and societal impacts. - Basic understanding of CO2 in the production of i.e. cement and complexity of carbon capture and storage. - Knowledge of processes and challenges in waste management and urban mining. |
| Bibliography | Tba in class |
| Comments | Note: Special course inscription and entry requirements! Mandatory for students of the MSD who have chosen the focus area of natural sciences. No credit transfer possible to any different module than published. Students who have chosen the focus area of social sciences or economics transfer the credit points to the 'FASR' module (learning agreement). This lecture is offered by the MSD, the lecturer Dr. Miriam Andres holds a teaching assignment. |
| Admission requirements | Special course application required for ALL (for details see 'course application' or 'Anmeldung'). Limited number of participants (25). Students of the MSD (incl. preparation semester) have a first priority; those of the mentioned fields of study (see list of modules) have a second priority. If you study something different you must do at least a master's degree within the Departement of Enviromental Sciences (Faculty of Sciences) and may attend the course in case of vacancies (third priority). Students of the MSD who have chosen the focus area in social sciences or in economics must have completed the 'Complementary Knowledge in Natural Sciences' module (or at least earned 8 CP out of 12 CP). |
| Course application | Mandatory application for ALL! Link open from 19.08.21/noon-05.09.21/midnight: https://adam.unibas.ch/goto_adam_fold_744967.html Login and application possible from 19.08.21/noon on. Login button on top row right hand side of ADAM website. First emails with confirmation of participation will be sent out at the end of the first deadline. In case of vacancies the online application link remains open until 30.09.21/noon. Course enrollment on MOnA should be completed by the beginning of the teaching period (withdrawal possible until Monday of week five). |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 23.09.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 30.09.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 07.10.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 14.10.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 21.10.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 28.10.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 04.11.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 11.11.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 18.11.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 25.11.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 02.12.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 09.12.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 16.12.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 23.12.2021 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Thursday 20.01.2022 | 16.15-18.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Modules |
Module: Core Competences in Natural Sciences (Master's Studies: Sustainable Development) Module: Environmental Geosciences and Biogeochemistry (Master's Studies: Geosciences (Start of studies before 01.08.2021)) Module: Sustainable Resource and Soil Management (Master's Studies: Geosciences) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance mandatory, required readings, presentation, essay. Details according to information of M. Andres. Final written examination (details according to information of M. Andres): 16.12.21, during usual lecture time, in the usual lecture hall. Repeat examination (details according to information of M. Andres): 13.01.22: during ususal lecture time; room tba. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, best attempt counts |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | University of Basel |
| Offered by | Departement Umweltwissenschaften |