GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

ENVIRST/GEOG 139

Explores the global and local nature of environmental problems, including issues of climate change, food, energy, globalization, deforestation, biodiversity loss, resource access, environmental justice, and population. Considers how we should analyze and act on environmental problems as we confront the apparently daunting scale of such issues. What appear to be single global environmental issues are actually composed of many smaller, context-specific, and place-dependent problems or conflicts. Through an interdisciplinary and geographic perspective, these issues can be understood and addressed at the scale of our lived lives.

LAW 921

Discussion of the root causes of global environmental problems, the international legal framework and principles, and the role of sustainable development in addressing these environmental issues. Discussion of specific international environmental legal regimes such as biodiversity, movement of hazardous waste, climate change and international trade as well as governance mechanisms, the role of non-state actors and dispute resolution.

ENVIRST/GEOG 534

Covers real-world questions of how the environment is managed and governed through state policy, economics, and social institutions. Includes strategies within and outside of the formal institutions of government, and extends the discussion to the commodification of nature and the use of science to understand and govern the environment. Also includes case studies of environmental governance in water, carbon, species, and urban sustainability.

ENVIRST 349

Climate change is being felt, and addressed, at every level of society, from the individual to the global scale. Examine efforts to mitigate climate change. Learn about initiatives that are being implemented through international treaties; national, state, and municipal government policies; corporate programs; and individual behavior. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, their successes, and the obstacles they have faced. Evaluate various forms of climate activism as a means of pushing for meaningful action on climate change.

PUBAFFR 850

Examines influences arising from international environment on policy makers and those seeking to influence policymaking. Considers role of global economic forces, international and regional organizations, international civil society reflected in non-governmental organizations, and flow of policies across borders.