Course Descriptions

ENVR_POL 390: Special Topics in Environmental Policy and Culture

ENVR_POL 390 International Environmental Politics Fall 2012 Wolinsky

International environmental policy-making has become increasingly important as critical environmental problems cannot be resolved unilaterally. This course explores different approaches to the resolution of international environmental problems. We will address the special nature of environmental conflicts and will study the role of new and old players in advancing politically feasible solutions to regional, international and global environmental problems. We will focus on issues including climate change, water, and sustainable development and will also discuss recent grassroots environmental activism. The class sessions will include lectures and a few guest speakers. This course counts toward the Weinberg College social and behavioral sciences distribution requirement, Area III.

ENVR_POL 390 U.S. Environmental Law and Policy Fall 2012 Harley

This course provides an introduction to central aspects of U.S. environmental law and policy. It covers a wide range of environmental topics including water, air pollution, and bio-diversity. We will focus on national environmental policy as implemented through major federal environmental statutes. In order to cover a variety of topics, the course will include lectures, skill sharing sessions, discussions and case studies. The course is designed for students with a personal or professional interest in the environment, policy development, law, business, science and/or engineering. This course counts toward the Weinberg College social and behavioral sciences distribution requirement, Area III.

ENVR_POL 390 Politics and Nature in a Comp Perspective Fall 2011 Friesema

The class will consider the impact of political processes and structures upon natural systems. It will examine the extent people can fashion political instruments (laws, policies, programs) to protect biodiversity, and arrest and reverse the degradation of the environment. While we will consider the politics of nature in the United States, the primary focus of the course is global. We will consider the ethical underpinnings of environmental concerns, with a particular emphasis on Aldo Leopold's 'land ethic'(Sand County Almanac), in hopes students can refine their own land ethic. We will also explore some complicated concepts occurring in both the natural science and political debates about managing nature. Some of these will be 'the tragedy of the commons', concerning the management of common properties, 'wilderness',, and concepts of 'sustainable development', something of an oxymoron. We will consider 'ecology' itself, both as a discipline and a symbol. A particular focus of the course will be the examination of the impacts of urbanization and globalization on the prospects for maintaining viable natural systems. Within the framework of urbanization/globalization, we will consider the possibilities for transnational regimes to deal with fundamental global environmental issues-the ocean fisheries, global climate change, the loss of rainforests. We will evaluate the possibilities of an effective global environmental movement.

ENVR_POL 390 Conservation in Changing World: Humans and Animal Behavior Winter 2012 Lonsdorf and Magle

The goal of this course is to introduce students to research on how humans and animals interact, in order to understand conservation and policy. Accomplishing scientifically sound, yet socially and economically acceptable conservation of biodiversity will be a key challenge over the next 50 years. People and animals interact in a wide variety of settings, ranging from rural areas in developing countries to urban environments. In this class, we will consider what types of interactions occur, the impact those interactions have on behavior (of animals and people), and how to ensure human and animal welfare in each of these environments. The course will culminate with group research, presentations, and structured discussions on how interactions with humans have influenced a species in recent history, and student recommendations for conservation policies going forward. Major topics covered are: Principles of Animal Behavior, Role of animal behavior in conservation, wildlife in developing countries, urban wildlife. Note: Dr. Lonsdorf and Dr. Magle are conservation researchers at Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo.

ENVR_POL 390 U.S. Environmental Politics Fall 2011 Friesema

The purpose of this course is to develop substantial knowledge about environmental and natural resource policy making, and some theoretical orientation which will order thinking about environmental issues. The primary theoretical orientation or framework which will be introduced and developed will be "interest group theory," a loose and somewhat inconsistent set of concepts and ideas, rather than a coherent package. 
But "interest group theory," with its many limitations, may be a most useful framework for understanding the reality of American policy concerning natural resources and the human environment. This course focuses upon the environmental policy issues and conflicts in the United States but this will be juxtaposed with ecological issues of the globe. 
The readings, as well as class sessions, should allow us to reflect this larger context for American policy. The primary focus of attention will be upon natural resources and environmental policy as made and implemented by administrative agencies, rather than by legislative bodies.

 

ENVR POL 394 Professional Linkage Seminars

ENVR POL 394 China's Environment, Development and Culture  Fall 2012 Davis

Since China initiated its 1978 market reforms the country has become a manufacturing powerhouse, its agriculture has been modernized, and millions have migrated from the countryside to the cities where construction on a scale never matched in any other country is underway.  China's per capita GDP has increased by an order of magnitude, raising hundreds of millions of its 1.3 billion people out of poverty. This miracle of economic growth and development, however, has come at significant cost to the natural environment including unprecedented air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, desertification, toxic waste contamination, and loss of arable land. The course will explore China's unique characteristics that have rendered its struggle to achieve sustainable development so different from that of the Western democracies. What has been the impact of the country's geography, natural environment, history, culture and politics on its rapid economic development and the dependent issues of climate change, clean water and overall sustainability?   How are these issues addressed by China’s central, provincial and municipal governments?  What are the prospects for more sustainable economic growth policies in China?  

Instruction will be based on lectures and discussion, with emphasis on class participation.

ENVR POL 394 International Environmental Organizations: Agents of Change  Winter 2012 Davis

This seminar will explore the provenance, legitimacy, and influence of environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) that have emerged as important international players over the last half century.  ENGOs educate the public, pioneer innovative solutions to environmental problems, participate in public dialogues, and advocate environmentally sound decisions in courts, governmental policy forums and legislatures.  How do they influence international and domestic environmental policy, undertake important conservation efforts, and promote responsible behavior by governments, multilateral entities, corporations and populations?  What are their specific activities, missions, funding sources and governance?    How do governments oversee and regulate their activities?   Through iterative dialogue, student research and presentations, we will evaluate the effectiveness of these important players as measured by their own goals, and compared to the other major players --- sovereign states, multilateral organizations, and transnational corporations.

ENVR POL 394 Climate Change: An Emerging Public Health Challenge   Fall 2011 Lovinger

Greenhouse gas emissions are changing the earth's climate, leading to warmer days, rising seas, and melting glaciers. As global warming ensues, not only are polar bears at risk of losing their habitat, but humans across the globe face the grave threats of floods, drought and increased infectious disease exposure.

This course begins with an overview of the ways in which climate change has already increased public health risks. The course then explores research that provides critical links between public health and human disease and death. We will also discuss how US farming and food consumption are outsize contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, and explore solutions that lower our carbon footprint while promoting healthier habits. Finally, we will evaluate how public health systems in the US and abroad are responding to the challenges of climate change.

ENVR POL 394 Environmental Policy and Law at the Great Lakes Spring 2012 Cmar

The Great Lakes are a vast and unique freshwater ecosystem¿ representing 95 percent of the standing freshwater in the Unites States spanning two countries, eight states, and two Canadian provinces. The Great Lakes Basin is home to a diverse community of native plant and animal species, and a vital human community that relies on the Great Lakes ecosystem for drinking water, food, recreation, commerce, and economic development. Scientists and policymakers have long argued that the key to effective governance of the Great Lakes is to approach the Basin as a single, unified ecosystem. Yet the institutional structure of the Great Lakes divides the Basin into discrete jurisdictions, issues and programs. This seminar will examine whether and how the Great Lakes community can provide a framework for new approaches and policies to better manage the Lakes. We will explore the Great Lakes governance and a number of serious environmental problems including the introduction and spread of invasive species, a legacy of toxic industrial pollution, and disputes over access to and stewardship of Great Lakes water.

ENVR POL 394 Government, Business and the Environment Spring 2012 Nadler

This course will examine the interaction between public environmental policy and corporate environmental performance. Using real-world case studies, the course will explore how government policy affects corporate environmental strategies - and vice-versa. How do corporations shape environmental strategy, and what role does public policy play in that process? To what extent do corporations improve environmental performance because of - or despite - public policy? To better understand the interaction of public policy and private strategy, the seminar will consider cross-cutting issues such as how companies view environmental compliance, as well as more specific policy issues such as climate change, contaminated site reuse (brownfields), corporate reporting/transparency and product environmental impacts. The class sessions will include lectures, discussions of assigned topics and readings, student presentations, and guest speakers.

ENVR POL 394 The Policy & Science of Environmental Restoration Winter 2012 Packard

Science and Policy of Ecosystem Conservation. This seminar will begin with a review of the biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics of the prairies, savannas, woodlands and wetlands of the central North American "tallgrass region." We'll then focus on the local ecological conservation strategies and efforts in "Chicago Wilderness" - including the major ecosystem restoration and management challenges. As soon as the group has generally mastered this background, we will explore opportunities to work collaboratively with ongoing projects. We will choose one or a few sites, regions and problems where our joint skills can make a substantial difference. These real world opportunities will likely include components of biology, community relations, communications, etc. Students will form one or more project teams and develop materials (written, graphic, printed, spoken, website and or video) and then test these in the real world of local conservation. NOTE: Stephen Packard is the Director of the Chicago Chapter of the Audubon Society and co-editor (with Cornelia F. Mutel) of The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook for Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands.

ENVR POL 394 Exporting Environmental Policy Winter 2010 Davis

Various players --- including the US, other countries, the World Bank, international environmental organizations, private foundations, and even transnational corporations --- currently conduct programs that promote sound environmental policies in developing countries. Such activities include strategic planning assistance, consultations on environmental laws and government structures, civil society capacity building initiatives, and training for civil servants, environmental lawyers, industrialists, NGO officials, etc. The seminar will examine five such programs in which the instructor has participated to illustrate the diversity, scope and techniques of such activities followed by a simulated program of assistance to a developing country for the purpose of reforming that country's environmental policies and promoting its sustainable development. The seminar will give insights into how competing policy objectives can be accommodated to achieve effective environmental policies, and into the overall effectiveness of environmental policy assistance programs in developing countries. NOTE: G. Gordon Davis, a graduate of Yale (BE) and of the University of Virginia (JD) is an environmental attorney who has worked in international development assistance in Russia , Mongolia , China , Vietnam , India , Cambodia , the Philippines and other Asian countries. Davis has taught courses at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh . He has published and lectured in Asia, Europe and the United States on environmental law and policy, land use regulation, international development assistance, democracy building, and other topics.

ENVR_POL 395-0-20: Special Topics Seminars

ENVR_POL 395 Global Climate Change: Policy & Society Spring 2012 Wolinsky

The goal of this course is to examine global climate change both as a policy issue and as a phenomenon that has affected society and culture. We will compare climate change policy-making at the international, national, state, and local levels. We will examine several dimensions of climate change policies including reaction to scientific information, evaluation of costs versus benefits under uncertainty, leadership, and openness to adaptation. We will then look at how society has reacted to policy-making on climate change. We will compare trends in public attitudes on climate change and examine the relationship between public policy and civic action. We will finally look at how the issue of climate change has spread beyond politics and is finding new expressions in the arts, architecture, and other realms of culture.

ENVR_POL 395 Civic Participation & the Environment Spring 2011 Wolinsky

This seminar examines civic participation in international, national, and local environmental governance. We will examine theories pertaining to public participation and civil society development. We will then study the role that environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) play in setting the public agenda and in environmental policy-making. We will examine case studies of ENGOs and consider their legitimacy and accountability. We will also examine the roles of the media and public opinion and look at community responses to specific environmental issues.

ENVR_POL 398 Environmental Research Seminar

ENVR_POL 398 Environmental Research Seminar Spring 2011 Wolinsky

The seminar provides an opportunity for students to conduct research in the area of environmental policy and culture. Students will choose the topic of their research. The seminar will first discuss research methods and research design. Students will present their research and will participate in critical evaluation of other students' research. We will discuss common issues students face in conducting original research and in writing a research paper. Intellectual exchange and constructive criticism are an important part of the seminar.

Courses previously offered

ENVR_POL 390 Conservation Psychology Spring 2011, Merrick

This course explores the field of conservation psychology with an emphasis on the psychological characteristics of the relationship between humans and nature, such as environmental values, attitudes, and behavior. Human cognition regarding nature and human interaction with nature are investigated in the context of promoting environmental responsibility. We will study the following topics environmental attitudes, values, and perceptions; environmental identity; morals and the environment; holistic approaches and ecopsychology; domestic and managed nature; wilderness psychology; promoting sustainable behavior; community psychology; social influences for behavioral change; and environmental education. . After completing the course, student will be able to assess Conservation Psychology aspects of environmental dilemmas and apply course concepts to personal and observed decision-making practices. Note: Dr. Melinda Merrick is an adjunct lecturer in EPC. She received her PhD. from the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign. Her interests are in the areas of environmental psychology and more broadly human dimensions of environmental sciences.

ENVR_POL 390: Special Topics in Environmental Policy and Culture: Environment, Society & Science Summer 2010 Kim

From the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to efforts at reducing carbon footprint, environmental concerns have recently received unprecedented attention by the powerful and the ordinary. Still, while scientists and experts have long warned of environmental crises due to climate change, water shortages, and degradation of air quality, policy-making has lagged behind. This course examines the interaction between society and science in public discourse and policy-making, focusing on four major environmental issues - climate change, pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity. We will examine why scientific warnings of environmental dangers go unheeded until such dangers loom so large and why certain environmental issues see a greater gap between societal and scientific discussions. We will also explore whether and how culture, politics, the economy, and social norms influence scientific integrity in environmental research. The course will help students understand the critical role of the discourse between society and science for environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation. No Prerequisites. This course counts toward the Weinberg College social and behavioral sciences distribution requirement, Area III.

ENVR_POL 390: Special Topics in Environmental Policy and Culture: Humanitarian Responses to Disaster Spring 2010 Ruffer

Humanitarian responses to natural disaster have been in the news for the past couple of years (Hurricane Katrina, 2004 Tsunami) with the most recent being the earthquake in Haiti. This course introduces students to the theories, frameworks and strategies of humanitarian relief efforts. Students will gain an understanding of events such as earthquakes and Tsunamis and learn about major facilitators and barriers to effect responses including psychological, social and behavioral consequences of catastrophe, global health concerns, vulnerable populations, refugees and resettlement, humanitarian intervention, human rights and the role of the media. The course includes guest lectures from area experts and students working in teams to investigate specific disasters and responses.

ENVR_POL 394: Professional Linkage Seminar: Global Warming & Human Health Spring 2010 Lovinger

Greenhouse gas emissions are changing the earth's climate, leading to warmer days, rising seas, and melting glaciers. As global warming ensues, not only are polar bears at risk of losing their habitat, but humans across the globe face the grave threats of floods, drought and increased infectious disease exposure. Global warming is already imperiling the delicate balance between human health and the environment, causing at least 150,000 additional deaths annually world wide. A public health emergency, global warming will continue to alter how people all over the globe interact with their environment and are threatened by it. The global warming and health course will explore the scientific basis for the greenhouse gas theory of global warming, provide an overview of the ways in which global warming has already increased health risks, explore research that provides critical links between global warming and human disease and death, shed light on how US farming and food consumption are outsize contributors to global warming emissions, and finally suggest solutions that lower our carbon footprint while promoting healthier habits.

394-0-20: Professional Linkage Seminar: Climate Change & Local Action Fall 2009 Perkins

A number of American cities, including Chicago and Evanston, have embarked upon ambitious programs to meet the Kyoto Accord standards in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and what has come to be called their "carbon footprint." These efforts are extraordinary in light of the lack of a national government response to climate change. This linkage seminar will explore the issues and possibilities for implementing Climate Action Plans, primarily looking at Evanston and Northwestern University. Questions to be addressed will include how to move beyond lofty targets to engage citizens and major institutions in implementing changes from past behavior. Students will participate in small groups evaluating climate action possibilities at Northwestern University. The focus will be upon the institutional opportunities and barriers for an array of efforts from LEED certified green buildings to offshore wind energy systems.

May 3, 2012