School of Geography - Theses
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ItemEnvironmental policy and orthodox economics: a case study of Victorian solid waste( 2007)In this thesis I use the idea of 'rational ideologies' to investigate the value and role of orthodox economics in solid waste policy in Victoria, and its relationship with a dominant set of policy ideas that I call industrial ecology. I show that many orthodox economists criticise industrial ecology and prescribe alternative policies based principally on market-based instruments (MBIs) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) with environmental valuation. They largely ignore the economic underpinnings of industrial ecology. I report on four empirical research projects. Firstly, I investigate the influence of unit-based pricing of domestic garbage in Melbourne on garbage quantities. I find its effects trivial except where rates were set at levels higher than orthodox economic theory would suggest is appropriate. Home owners have reduced garbage for non-economic reasons. Secondly, I compare 37 cost-benefit studies of recycling, revealing enormously varied approaches and results that are often apparently infused by analyst ideology or sponsor interests. Rather than the hard rationality it seems to promise, CBA with environmental externality valuation diverts debate into complexities that are the preserve of experts. The ideological foundations of some orthodox economic interpretations of environmental issues are shown to be weakly supported by theory or logic. Thirdly, I review the history of Victorian solid waste policy since 1970. As an early pollution crisis was overcome, the agenda shifted to waste minimisation. Regulation, corporatist agreements, targets and strategies have helped to level off the quantity of waste to landfill and grow post-consumption recycling into a major industrial operation. Costs have risen substantially but public support remains strong. Industry, local government and environment groups have competed for influence in the policy arena. While waste management has been transformed into a competitive market structure, orthodox economics has played only a small role in the policy history. Where CBAs have not be desultory they have failed to resolve policy disputes. Use of MBIs has been beset by administrative and sunk-cost concerns. Finally, I report on a survey of 46 members of the solid waste policy community on the economics of solid waste. There is a surprisingly high degree of in-principle acceptance of orthodox economics conceptions of the environment, such as CBA, environmental valuation and MBIs. There is more disagreement over resource efficiency,, recycling targets and interpretation of the value of economic tools in practice. Variation in views is linked with professional grouping more than economics education. There is strong support for the economic underpinnings of industrial ecology. I suggest that environmentalists' simultaneous acceptance of orthodox economists' intellectual framework yet rejection of their prescriptions demonstrates the practical weakness of that framework but also represents a latent danger to environmentalism. In concluding, I interpret orthodox economics as a rational ideology that is blind to its ideological content. I argue that this blindness has led to overconfidence, inflexibility and overambition, and that these characteristics have marginalised orthodox economics in Victorian solid waste policy. I argue for analytical plurality and the supremacy of political judgement.
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ItemA population model for the spot-tailed quoll( 2007)This project describes the construction of a population model for the spot-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus). The modelling uses the stochastic population modelling software ESSE1VTL4L (Endangered Species Survival and Extinction Analysis) (Todd et al., 2001). The model takes an age classified approach (Caswell, 2001), modelling yearly age classes, and is based on available data on survival, fecundity, and dispersal, and incorporating the effect of density dependence. The model is based on all available demographic data for this species. Much of the data is specific to the Badja and Tallaganda State Forest regions of southern NSW (eg. Belcher, 2003), and the model is designed to apply specifically to quoll populations located in this area. Some of the most detailed data available concerns the Northern Spot-tailed quoll D. m. gracilis (Burnett, 2000), which is closely related to D. m. maculatus and exhibits similar ecological traits to the southern quolls, but is significantly smaller and has a shorter life span.
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ItemThe concept of nature in Horkheimer and Adorno's Dialectic of Enlightenment and Horkheimer's Eclipse of Reason( 2007)This thesis aims to interpret and evaluate the concept of nature in Frankfurt School philosophers Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno's Dialectic of Enlightenment and Horkheimer's Eclipse of Reason. I situate my reading in debates about the role of the Enlightenment in contributing to contemporary environmental problems, and aim to illustrate that the ideas of the Enlightenment must be crucial contributors to environmental philosophies. I preface my analysis of nature with a discussion about the dialectical reasoning that is the basis of Horkheimer and Adorno's critique of society, illustrating their debt to Enlightenment thinkers and the ability of dialectics to navigate philosophical dualisms like reason/nature with subtlety. My analysis divides the concept of nature in Horkheimer and Adorno's work into four different aspects, which I consider separately: nature as myth, nature mathematised (instrumental reason), nature as suffering, and the revolt of nature. Through this discussion I demonstrate that the concept of nature for Horkheimer and Adorno is resolutely ambivalent: it is both the force of domination and that which suffers under domination. It follows that nature is not something that alone can be a critical principle. I show that for Horkheimer and Adorno its critical aspect can only be realised when it is mediated through reason or memory. Following my analysis I begin to investigate what sort of environmentalism Horkheimer and Adorno's critical theory might generate. I discuss two pertinent themes, the implications of their negative idea of nature and of their belief that scarcity is contingent, which I follow with a brief acknowledgement of the problem of praxis in their work. This discussion does not aim to be conclusive. I conclude by affirming the goals of enlightenment (in general) and environmentalism, and maintain that, in spite of their antagonisms, they are essentially complimentary.
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ItemInteractions between seed bank size, fuel accumulation rates and fire interval on contrasting substrate types in shublands of the mid-west region of Western Australia( 2007)There is remarkable variation in species presence and dominance observed in the kwongan vegetation, of the central west of Western Australia, at all scales (i.e. point, beta and gamma diversity) and it is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. Among adaptations observed in this flora is canopy seed storage (serotiny), which is very commonly exhibited in these shrublands (kwongan) over a range of soil types typified by low resource availability for growth and reproduction. This study comprises the life history patterns of serotinous species on two different geology types; 1. Non-calcareous sandplains, and 2. Coastal limestones. Serotinous species have been chosen as a representative of all woody perennial shrubs within the region. They were chosen because they display their entire reproductive history within the plant canopy, making population dynamics easier and more accurate to quantify. The study found that vegetative growth, measured as plant volume, did not greatly differ between the two soil substrates. Although, overall community biomass was observed to be significantly higher for sites of coastal limestone regions, presumably resulting in higher fire frequency. Seed accumulation was found to occur at a significantly higher rate for sites on the coastal limestone. This trait is thought have evolved due to higher fire frequency in these regions. The observed mechanism of faster seed production is the result of a feedback loop between resource availability, increased biomass production and higher fire frequency.
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ItemRisk perception and the capacity of farming systems to adapt to climate change: a case study in Jerilderie, NSW( 2007)This thesis assesses perceptions of the risks associated with climate change among a group of Australian farmers. A qualitative analysis of the social construction of risk is used to examine subjective perceptions of climate change risks and the factors that influence these perceptions. Perceptions of climate change are then related to reactive and planned adaptive techniques being implemented by these farmers. This thesis identifies individual perception of risk as a potential limiting factor in the capacity of farming communities to adapt to climate change. Perceptions of climate change and associated risks among participants in this study differed from scientific projections of climate change in the area of study. Risk perception among participants was influenced by the context within which the risk was experienced, the level of trust and understanding of scientific information regarding climate change and the relative level of dependence on scientific information and personal experience as evidence for climate change. Key factors that differentiated experiential understandings of climate change from scientific analyses of climate change were the dependence on personal experience as evidence, the use of inconsistent and subjective narratives for communication, the reliance on agrarian traditions and local knowledge in the construction of opinions and perceptions of risk, and the personalisation of risk - the emphasis on the individual, family or community as opposed to the decontextualised nature of scientific research. The farming systems managed by participants in this study displayed high levels of successful adaptation to variable climatic conditions. Local knowledge and experience of drought allowed for the effective implementation of adaptive techniques to cope with the current drought conditions. Those farmers who recognised the risks associated with climate change had a significant capacity and willingness to plan for projected changes. This adaptation was active with long term planning horizons. Farmers who did not recognise climate change as a risk had a relatively limited capacity for long term adaptation to a changing climate; adaptation among these participants was reactive and planned on a season-to-season basis.
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ItemField test of a model of bed incision in a bedrock river( 2007)River incision into bedrock is an important part of fluvial geomorphology because it controls landscape evolution. Sklar and Dietrich (1998; 2004; 2006) developed a theoretical model of incision into bedrock by saltating bedload. The model predicts that incision occurs when there is a balance between sediment supply and sediment transport. The saltation-abrasion model also explains profile concavity by relationships between sediment supply and transport that vary along a river. The model was field tested on Kororoit Creek. Incision rate was measured by comparing the valley depth with the radiometric age of the basalt. Measures of sediment size and sediment depth were collected at different points along the creek and compared against the incision rate. No relationship was found between the incision rate and sediment size, sediment depth, channel slope and drainage area. Variation in geology and climate may have a greater effect on the long term incision rate of Kororoit Creek than the variables in the model. The incision rate of Kororoit Creek could not be explained using the saltationabrasion model because of geological complexities. It's important to note that, the geology of Kororoit Creek is relatively simple. Therefore, it is unlikely that the saltation-abrasion model will be able to predict incision rates in other more geologically complex rivers.
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ItemMaintaining autonomy: strategic forest management in a Karen community, northern Thailand( 2007)The alarming rate of deforestation in northern Thailand since the 1960s has captured the attention of the international community in light of broader worldwide efforts to reduce environmental degradation. In response the Thai government has adopted a number of contested approaches to forest management. In particular the role of community-based forest management and the capacity of local peoples to conserve forests are highly controversial issues. This study explores the capacity of a Karen community in Chiang Mai district to conserve their local forests and maintain the autonomy needed to do so. Specifically, the impact of state and capital pressures on local forest management strategies and methods of maintaining autonomy is investigated. The potential implications of this case for other communities facing similar dilemmas are also examined. The study reveals that organized protest and adhering to conservation values and practices are powerful means of maintaining autonomy and preserving traditional livelihoods. Primarily these developments were facilitated by local culture, skillful leadership and local information networks. Secondarily villagers' access to and integration into the broader economy of northern Thailand has been crucial for successfully maintaining stands of forest around the village. These findings suggest that in the interim before the Thai government enacts further forestry policy, greater attention must be given by concerned parties to enhancing the existing informal processes where they guide forest management successfully in local communities.
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ItemThe dominant mechanism for morphodynamic modelling of the surf zone( 2007)Measurements of rip current trajectories at Woolamai Beach, Phillip Island, were used to determine the dominant mechanism for the formation and evolution of rhythmic morphology in surf zones. A total of eleven rip trajectories were mapped from two adjacent rip channels in what was the most extensive data of its type recorded from a high energy surf zone. Woolamai was found to give a good representation of hydrodynamics and morphodynamics for other beaches around the world. The results were analysed using a novel method, which found that feedback is the dominant mechanism and that free (or instability) models best describe morphodynamics in the surf zone. It is hypothesised that scales of morphodynamic instability and hydrodynamic instability are operating separately throughout the tide cycle and that the two types of instability are linked to separate mechanisms.
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ItemWave processes in shore platform development: interactions between waves and morphology( 2007)The interactions between waves and morphology on shore platforms were investigated at four platforms located at Kaikoura Peninsula, New Zealand and the Otway coast, Victoria, Australia to determine the role of waves in shore platform development. Waves were measured over six tidal peaks of a spring tidal sequence at each site during a six month period (February 2007 - July 2007). Investigation of the offshore wave climate showed that over 90% of offshore wave energy was attenuated before reaching the platform. Direct measurement of waves on the platform found that wave attenuation was not dependent on platform width. An important fording of this study is that the depth of water on the platform exerts a primary control on wave heights on the platform during energetic conditions. Spectral analysis was used to assess how wave energy was transformed across the platforms. Although widely used on coastal landforms including beaches and reefs, the use of spectral analysis on shore platforms has been limited. This thesis reports the results of an investigation into how wave energy is transformed on shore platforms and the impact of platform morphology on the type of wave measured. Analysis of the capacity of breaking waves to cause erosion indicated that during the study period these were ineffective agents of erosion as waves broke before reaching the platform. The role of broken waves in shore platform development was assessed through comparing compressive strength of the lithology to shear stress, hydrostatic pressure and dynamic force exerted by waves directly measured on the platform. This showed that these forces were not mechanisms of erosion on the shore platforms investigated in this study. Through the investigation of wave interactions on shore platforms it is shown that complex hydrodynamic patterns form on shore platforms. The interactions between waves and morphology could not be explained using existing models of platform development and therefore a broader morphodynamics approach was discussed. A conceptual model of wave and morphology interactions on shore platforms is also presented.
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ItemAttitudes and wind farms: a study of attitudes & attitudinal change in response to the Challicum Hills and Macarthur wind farms, Victoria( 2007)This thesis examines public attitudes to two wind farms in south-west Victoria; the Challicum Hills wind farm, near Ararat, which has been operating since 2003, and the Macarthur wind farm, near Hamilton, which was approved in October 2006. It identifies factors that shape public perceptions and acceptance of wind farms in relation to these projects, and determines what influences attitudinal change with reference to the Challicum Hills wind farm. The study investigates local communities' attitudes and opinions during the proposal stage of the Challicum Hills wind farm project and draws a comparison between these opinions and those of people currently affected by the approval of the Macarthur wind farm. It assesses why these views may have been similar or dissimilar. In relation to the Challicum Hills wind farm, the study seeks to ascertain the factors behind a change in people's attitudes three years after its construction. The study finds that several interacting factors can influence people's opinions of wind farms, including: experience, knowledge, the size and location of wind farms, visual impacts, economic benefits, the social cohesion in communities, and the actions of wind farm companies. The thesis concludes with some suggested strategies to facilitate the development of wind farm projects and opportunities for further research.