Hi Raul I teach my MA-level Global Environmental Politics course (in an International Relations Dept) around themes into which I weave case studies; each 'topic' has two weeks devoted to it, one that introduces the literature, key concepts and political issues and the second week that looks at a particular case study of that 'theme'. I start with a history/timeline (how did we get to where we are; what were the key moments), then do institutions (governance/institutional capacity etc) with a specific case study on the debates about a World Environment Organisation, IPE of the environment (this year the case study was climate/trade and border tax adjustment), agency beyond the state (NGOs, civil society, private governance arrangements, case study this year on the Forest Stewardship Council), allocation/ethics (case study on CBDR principle) and environment and security. We're almost at the end of the academic year in this part of the world - this week and next week's topics are on the allocation/ethics/justice of global environmental change/governance and as all of my students are international students and as all but one come from either developing countries or economies in transition, this is an issue that particularly grabs them.
I try to include examples from environmental challenges other than climate change, in an effort to get across the message that CC isn't the only environmental game in town, even if it is an important one. I also find that students generally like it when I talk about the issues that I'm working on, the research/fieldwork that I'm doing, related workshops etc - it reinforces the idea of research-led teaching, so I am sure your students will respond well if you introduce your own research interests. Good luck with the course. Lorraine ----- Original Message ----- From: Raul Pacheco-Vega <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 5:19 pm Subject: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics? To: [email protected] > Dear all, > > It's been a while since I have participated in the GEP-ED > discussions. Hoping the new semester is treating you well. > > I am hoping to teach for the very first time (fingers crossed) a > Special Topics in International Relations with a focus on > Global/International Environmental Politics this January > (undergraduate level). I'm trying to design the syllabus in a > way that I cover *most* of the highly relevant topics in > GEP/IEP. I am hoping to do a cursory review of several > international environmental treaties (Rotterdam, Stockholm, > Kyoto and the Copenhagen COP 15 rounds). > > The question that has had me pondering for the past few weeks > has been whether there are any *key* topics that I should not > miss in a course like this. Climate change seems to have become > a predominant topics in the GEP literature, yet my own research > interests (hazardous waste, toxics, pollutant release > inventories, wastewater) drive me to not want to focus solely on > climate change. > > If you teach a GEP/IEP course, which subject topic would you say > is "a must"? > > Thanks! > Raul Dr Lorraine Elliott Senior Fellow in International Relations Department of International Relations Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies College of Asia and the Pacific The Australian National University Canberra, ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA e: [email protected] t: +61 2 61250589 f: +61 2 61258010
