2017-2018 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ES 1650 - International and Environmental Politics


The Earth is Warming! The Climate is changing! We have too much snow! We have too little sun!

If you live in the northern hemisphere, you’ve either heard all of these things, or said them yourself! Sometime during this last decade, while the world’s leaders were figuring out how to increase wealth and improve standards of living, the world itself has come upon an impending global environmental crisis. Suddenly, it would seem, the environment has become a momentous site of contention and conflict.  To understand this increasing occurrence of environmental conflicts in its local and global context, and further explore ways to manage and mitigate such conflicts, in this class, we will take a keen look at environmental politics. We start by asking, ‘what is the environment’ and ground ourselves theoretically by using the concept of ‘environmental justice’. We then explore various case studies from around the world, aiming to understand a) the socio-ecological origin of the conflict, b) the claims, grievances and demands of those engaged in conflict, and finally, c) the role of environmental governance in managing, mitigating and resolving such conflicts. The case studies will be drawn from different parts of the world, within four broad themes, representing different ways of understanding the environment.  

Anticipated Terms Offered: varies