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Course Syllabus School of Public Policy University of Maryland

PUAF 741 Global Environmental Problems

Prof. Nathan E. Hultman Fall 2011

Course meetings Tue 4:15 – 6:45 pm lecture Van Munching Hall 1203 Course description About a generation ago, many environmental problems came to be seen not only as issues for a local region or even a country, but rather as pervasive problems affecting the entire planet. Per-sistent pollutants, air and water pollution, habitat loss, and species extinction were in the van-guard of this evolution in perspective, followed by truly global scope problems such as ozone depletion and climate change. Undergirding the increasing focus on global problems were per-sistent questions about resource scarcity, population, and what came to be known as sustain-able development. This course investigates our understanding of such Global Environmental Problems, first by examining and assessing the science behind several such issues, and then by situating each in its historical and policy context. In doing so, we hope to establish both a fa-cility with the basic elements of each issue as well as a critical perspective on how that issue overlaps with questions about development, security, equity, and environmental protection. Contact Information Professor Nathan Hultman

Office: Van Munching Hall 3137 Email: hultman@umd.edu Tel: 301.405.3429 Office hours: Wed 1:30-3:00 or appt

TA: Mariel John Borowitz

Email: marielborowitz@gmail.com Office Hours Tues 1:30-4 pm in VMH 4113

Syllabus Version: 3

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Readings

1. Required Books

Regina S. Axelrod, Stacy D. VanDeveer, David Leonard Downie. The Global Environment: Institutions, Law, and Policy, 3rd Edition. CQ Press, 378 pp.

Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne, 2011. Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment, 2nd Ed., MIT Press, 336 pp.

Pielke, R.A., Jr., 2007. The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 198 pp.

2. Recommended Book Pamela Chasek, David Downie, and Janet Welsh Brown (2010). Global Environmental Poli-

tics (Dilemmas in World Politics). Westview Press, 504 pp.

3. Other readings. Other required readings will be available online via direct links in the syl-labus, or on electronic course reserves.

Assignments and Exams • Eight 1-page reading critiques • Three problem sets • An op-ed to be submitted to a media outlet • A final exam Nine Reading Critiques are assigned but you need only do eight. If you do ten, we will drop your lowest grade. You may turn in assignments after their due date, but you must pay a penalty. If the paper is late by a day or less, you can get up to half credit. Between 1 and 3 days late, you can get up to 25%. After three days late, you don’t get any credit, but consider doing it anyway for the practice. I make almost no exceptions to this rule, so plan ahead. Up to 1 day late: Half credit maximum

1 to 3 days late: 1/4 credit maximum After 3 days late: No credit

Your participation grade includes attendance and discussion in class.

Op-Ed 10% Problem sets 05%

Final Exam 25% Reading critiques 50% Participation 10%

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Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Note: Readings are to be completed before the lecture on the day that they are listed

Sep 06 Week 1. Introduction

In class: • Introductions • Course overview

Clapp and Dauvergne (C&D) Ch 1, “Peril or Prosperity? Mapping worldviews of global envi-

ronmental change” Axelrod, Vandeveer, and Downie (AVD) Ch 1 “Introduction: Governing the global environ-

ment”

I. The Genesis of “Global Environmental Problems”

September 13 Week 2. Why should we care about global environmental problems?

In class: • Finish motivations lecture • Tools of the trade

C&D Ch 2, “The ecological consequences of globalization” Ch. 2, “Global-scale environmental changes” In: Speth, James G. and Peter Haas, 2006.

Global Environmental Governance: Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Stud-ies. Washington DC: Island Press, 1st Edition, pp 12-51. (e-reserve)

Barnett, Matthew, O’Brien, “Global environmental change and human security: An introduc-tion.” In: Matthew, Richard A., Jon Barnett, Bryan McDonald, Karen L. O'Brien (Eds.), 2009. Global Environmental Change and Human Security. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, pp. 2-32. You only need to read to p. 21. (e-reserve)

September 20 Week 3. The spur to “limits”: Regional to global pollutants

In class: • Discussion of human security • Toxins • Air pollution: Acid rain, Smog, Indoor air pollution • Human health impacts • Video: American Experience, “Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring” • Discussion of Silent Spring • Due: Reading Critique 1. C&D Ch 1 Carson, Rachel (1962), Silent Spring. Chs. 1-3 (e-reserve) You may want to get a start on next week’s readings.

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Optional: Michael Smith (2001). “Silence Miss Carson!” Feminist Studies (27), Fall. (e-r) September 27

Week 4. The articulation of “limits”: Population, demographics, and resource scarcity In class: • Population debates • Demographic projections • The IPAT discussion • Resource scarcity and Limits to growth • Due: Reading Critique 2. Hartmann

Malthus, T. R. (1803). An Essay on the Principle of Population. Introduction (e-reserve). Ehrlich, P. (1968). The Population Bomb. New York: Ballantine Books. Ch. 1. (e-reserve) Hartmann, “Rethinking the role of population in human security”. In: Matthew, Richard A.,

Jon Barnett, Bryan McDonald, Karen L. O'Brien (Eds.), 2009. Global Environmental Change and Human Security. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, pp.193-214. (e-reserve)

Alex de Sherbinin, Alex, David Carr, Susan Cassels, and Leiwen Jiang (2007) “Population and Environment”Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Vol. 32: 345-373. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.energy.32.041306.100243

Meadows, D.H. et al. (1972). The Limits to Growth: A report for the Club of Rome’s project on the predicament of mankind. New York: Universe Books. Exec Summary: http://www.clubofrome.org/docs/limits.rtf

Hardin (1968), “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Science 168:1243–1248. (e-reserve) C&D Ch 4, “Economic growth in a world of wealth and poverty” Optional: Sen, A. (1994). “Population: Delusion and Reality.” New York Review of Books,

Sept 22, pp. 3–15. http://www.marathon.uwc.edu/geography/malthus/sen_NYR.htm

October 04 Week 5. Contested Expertise: Nuclear radiation, waste, and storage

In class: • Radiation units, doses, and risk • Nuclear power fuel cycle • Nuclear waste / Spent fuel storage • Risk and values in public discourse • Hand out PS1 • Nuclear expansion after Fukushima • Due: Reading Critique 3. Pielke Chs 1-2

Pielke. pp. 1-38. Intro + Ch 1-3. “Four idealized roles of science in policy and politics”, “The

big picture, science, and democracy”, “Science and decision-making” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Deutsch, Ernest J. Moniz, Stephen Ansolabe-

here, Michael Driscoll, Paul E. Gray, John P. Holdren, Paul L. Joskow, Richard K. Lester, and Neil E. Todreas. 2003. Read Exec Sum/Ch 1; skim rest. "The Future of Nu-clear Power." Cambridge, Mass.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower

Optional Hultman, N.E. (2010). “The Political Economy of Nuclear Energy.” Wiley Interdisciplinary

Reviews: Climate Change 2(3) 397-411. DOI 10.1002/wcc.113

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AVD Ch 14, Axelrod, “Democracy and nuclear power: The Czech case and the global nu-clear renaissance”

October 11

Week 6. Science as Driver: International Action on the Ozone Layer In class: • Ozone chemistry and recent developments • Evolution of international ozone politics • Effect of Montreal on climate change debate • Due: PS1 Benedick, R. E., (1998). Ozone diplomacy: New directions in safeguarding the planet, 2nd

ed. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp. 1-30. (e-reserve) Pielke Jr., R.A., and M.M. Betsill. 1997. Policy for science for policy: Ozone depletion and

acid rain revisited. Research Policy 26: 157–168. (e-reserve) BBC, Deal on Ozone and Climate Relief 24 Sep 2007.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7010280.stm BBC, Arctic Ozone Loss at Record Level 02 October 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15105747 BBC, Arctic Ozone Levels in Never-before-seen plunge 05 April 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12969167

I. The Rio Generation of Global Environmental Problems

October 18 Week 7. Rio 1992, Wilderness, and Biodiversity

In class:

• The genesis and legacy of Rio • Biodiversity, deforestation • REDD • Due: Reading Critique 4. Soroos

AVD Ch 2, Soroos, “Global institutions and the environment: an evolutionary perspective” Pielke, Ch. 4 “Values” David Tilman (2000) Causes, consequences and ethics of biodiversity. Nature Lisa Naughton-Treves et al, (2005). The Role of Protected areas in conserving biodiversity

and sustaining local livelihoods” Annual Reviews of Environment and Resources. 30:219–52

Skim: Brundtland Commission (1987). Our common future. Report of the World Commission on

Environment and Development. pp. 1–23. Available at: http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-ov.htm

Optional: C&D Ch 3, “The globalization of environmentalism”

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Price, J. (1999). “Passenger Pigeon” In: Flight Maps: Adventures with nature in modern America. New York: Basic Books. (e-reserves). I have made this optional but this is an enriching and, I think, moving piece for those interested in American environmental his-tory. I recommend reading it. There is also a DC connection which you can read about.

Rodolfo Dirzo and Peter H. Raven “Global state of biodiversity and loss” Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Vol. 28: 137-167. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.energy.28.050302.105532

Cronon, W. (1995). “The Trouble with Wilderness, or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature.” In: W. Cronon, ed., Uncommon Ground: Toward reinventing nature. New York: W.W. Nor-ton. (e-reserves). A classic provocative piece.

Agrawal, A., Nepstad, D.C, and Chhatre, A. (2011). Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-environ-042009-094508

Chapin et al (2000) Consequences of changing biodiversity. Nature. Purvis and Hector (2000). Getting the measure of biodiversity. Nature

October 25

Week 8. International environmental governance: Agents and Laws In class: • Role and functions of international law • States and nonstate actors • Catch up on other lecture material • Due: Reading Critique 5. Holt AVD Ch 3, Peel, “Environmental protection in the 21st Century: The role of international law” AVD Ch 4, Downie, “Global environmental policy: Governance through regimes” Holt, R. “Trying to get us to change course”, Science 317: 198-199.

Optional Brown, K., and Westaway, E. (2011). “Agency, Capacity, and Resilience to Environmental

Change: Lessons from Human Development, Well-Being, and Disasters. Annual Review of Environment and Resources.” DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ-052610-092905

AVD Ch 5, McCormick, “The role of environmental NGOs in international regimes”

Nov 01 Week 9. Science, Scientists, Risk and Precaution

In class: • Process of Science and scientists in public discourse • Uncertainty and values • Precautionary principle and applications • Due: Reading Critique 6. Renn

Pielke, Ch. 8 “When scientists politicize science” Pielke, Ch. 9 “Making sense of science in policy and politics.” Renn, O. “Precaution and the governance of risk” In: Adger, W. Neil and Andrew Jordan

(Eds.), 2009. Governing Sustainability. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 226-258. (e-reserve)

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November 08 Week 10. Hazardous chemicals and Human Health as global issues

In class: • Regulation of chemicals • Health and development

AVD Ch 7, Selin, “Global Politics and Policy of Hazardous Chemicals” Myers, S.S., and Patz, J.A. (2009). Emerging Threats to Human Health from Global Envi-

ronmental Change. Annual Review of Environment and Resources Vol. 34: 223-252. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.environ.033108.102650

Optional Pyšek, P. and Richardson, D.M. “Invasive Species, Environmental Change and Manage-

ment, and Health.” Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Vol. 35: 25-55. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ-033009-095548

November 15

Week 11. Oceans and Water In class: • Water as a global environmental issue • Ocean biodiversity • Wetland loss • Ocean acidification • Due: Op-Ed

Gleick, P.H. (2003). “Water Use” Annual Review of Environment and Resources Vol. 28:

275-314 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.energy.28.040202.122849 Miles, E.L. “On the Increasing Vulnerability of the World Ocean to Multiple Stresses.” Annual

Review of Environment and Resources. Vol. 34: 17-41. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.environ.33.041707.11011

Refining “Sustainable Development”: Policies and Institutional Approaches

November 22

Week 12. Domestic and Multilateral Institutions for Environmental Protection In class: • Cases of the US, EU, and China • Multilateral lenders AVD Ch 11, Axelrod, Shreurs, & Vig, “Environmental policy making in the EU” AVD Ch 13, Lewis and Sims Gallagher, “Energy and Environment in China” C&D Ch 7, “Global financing and the environment”

Optional AVD Ch 10, DeSombre, “The US and global environmental politics: Domestic sources of US

unilateralism”

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November 29

Week 13. Private Investment: The role of Trade and Consumption

In class: • Trade and environment • Possible policy approaches: Standards and Voluntary approaches • Due: Reading Critique 7. Vandeveer

C&D Ch 5, “Global trade and the environment” C&D Ch 6, “Global investment and the environment” AVD Ch 15, Vandeveer, “Consumption, commodity chains, and the global environment” Optional Angel, D.P., T. Hamilton, M.T. Huber, “Global Environmental Standards for Industry” Annual

Review of Environment and Resource Vol. 32: 295-316 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.energy.32.031306.102415

AVD Ch 8, Esty, “Economic integration and environmental protection”

Dec 06 Week 14. Climate Change

In class: • Basic climate change science • Impacts & Adaptation • Models, policy, and scientific judgment • Update from Durban Climate Conference • Due: Reading Critique 8. Hartwell paper Mastrandrea & Schneider “Climate change science overview” in: Schneider, Rosencrantz,

Mastrandrea, Kuntz-Duriseti, eds., Climate Change Science and Policy. 608 pp, Island Press, 2009. (e-reserve)

Pielke, Ch. 6 “How science policy shapes science in policy and politics” AVD Ch 6, Betsill, “International climate change policy: Toward the multilevel governance of

global warming” Hartwell Paper http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/mackinderProgramme/theHartwellPaper/ Optional: IPCC AR4 WG1 “The Physical Science Basis” Summary for Policy Makers

http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/spm22-01.pdf Hultman, N.E., Hassenzahl, D.M., and Rayner, S. “Climate Risk” (2010). Annual Reviews of

Environment and Resources, 35: 283-303. (e-reserve)

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Dec 13 Week 15. Recasting “sustainable development” for the next generation of GEPs

In class: • Last day of class • Elements of sustainability, development, innovation, entrepreneurship • Class exercise: Informing the Rio + 20 conference • Due: Reading Critique 9. C&D Chapter 8

AVD Ch 12, Najam, “The view from the South: Developing countries in global environmental

politics” C&D Ch 8, “Paths to a green world? Four paths to a healthy environment”

Optional Khagram, S. and S. Ali. (2006). “Environment and Security” Annual Review of Environment

and Resources. Vol. 31: 395-411. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.energy.31.042605.134901

December 15 Week 16. Final Exam

9:00 – 12:00 Room 1203 Details on the final exam: • Coverage will be comprehensive -- all material/topics in the course are fair game. • I am looking to see what you know, not trying to trip you up on what you don’t • I am looking to see that you understand

o the major scientific drivers of global environmental problems o the ways that environmental science and scientists interact with the policymaking

process o diverse perspectives on the drivers of environmental change and human security o The historical changes in approaches to governing environmental problems

• Format will be short answer (paragraph) and longer (1-2 page) essays • Closed book – though you can bring in one standard sized (8.5 x 11) “crib sheet” of pa-

per with notes that you will then hand in • The test will be designed to be completed in 3 hours or less. • No laptops or internet use. • We provide bluebooks