Course Topics
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| The course is organized in three interrelated sections. The first
section examines how differences in human values influence the way environmental problems
are defined and common value conflicts such as the common debate between those that favor
preservation versus those that advocate multiple uses. The second section of the
class examines the basic structure of the policy process surrounding efforts to develop,
implement, and evaluate public policy. We will also address important issues such as
the actors and institutions involved in the policy process, how we formulate policies, and
the role of science in the policy process. The final section applies the theories
and concepts discussed in the first to sections to the analysis of selected environmental
problems. This semester we will examine how land development activities impact water
quality, the recent controversies surrounding the formulation of a national energy policy,
global warming and the decision by the U.S.. not to sign the Kyoto Protocol, and the
ethical and policy dilemmas created by recent advances in biotechnology and mapping the
human genome. These issues were chosen given their prominence in the news and
because they help illustrate the value choices, tradeoffs among problems, the role of
science, and the politics surrounding many environmental issues. |
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| The following
links provide more detailed information about each topic including the required readings,
related assignments, useful web links, and lecture notes that include the material covered
during class lectures and discussions. See the course
schedule for the dates when readings, assignments, and course material will be
discussed |
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Section I: Value Conflicts and Their Influence on
Environmental Policy
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Section II: Formulating, Implementing, and Evaluating
Environmental Policy
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Section III: Selected Environmental Issues and Problems
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