Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics?
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
Re: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics?
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 pache...@interchange.ubc.ca Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 5:19 pm Subject: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics? To: gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu 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: lorraine.elli...@anu.edu.au t: +61 2 61250589 f: +61 2 61258010
RE: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics?
I can tell you a few of the topics that my students really get into in my class: Diamonds - this is huge and every year I have students in my class just because they've heard other students talk about this issue Whaling - students love the 'vote buying' controversies and there are some great youtube videos on the topic Population policies - in particular I have students think about why people have children, what is the role of government, NGOs, IGOs etc... Food security - compare to obesity epidemic in the United States E-waste - again there are some great youtube videos on this Biodiversity - I talk a lot about food here -- how global food trends affect biodiversity, cultural food differences (e.g. shark fin soup) Hope this helps! Shannon Shannon K. Orr, Ph.D. Scholar in Residence - BGSU Institute for Cultural Studies Assistant Professor/Graduate Coordinator Political Science Department Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43402 (419) 372-7593 -Original Message- From: owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu [mailto:owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu] On Behalf Of Raul Pacheco-Vega Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:19 AM To: gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics? 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.113/2399 - Release Date: 09/29/09 05:54:00
RE: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics?
My suggestion for a key topic would be that, early on in the course, you focus on the widespread assumption that global environmental politics is mostly about the problems of cooperating on commons (or common property) issues, such as ozone depletion and climate change. There are actually very few true global commons. The upper atmosphere is one of them, along with the high seas. Many of the other issues we talk about in these courses, however, are not really commons problems. Rather, they are problems that significantly or mostly fall within national jurisdiction, for which there may or may not be relevant international environmental regimes (eg, MARPOL, transport of hazardous wastes, including e-wastes, etc), regimes which may or may not be effective. The common idea that commons problems are the most difficult ones to tackle is, I would argue, not necessarily the case - witness ozone depletion versus (lack of) cooperation on forests (for many states, a quintessentially national jurisdiction issue). I think the commons topic is key in the sense it both introduces a basic concept/question/debate and in the sense that you can keep coming back to it as you deal with specific issues/cases. Don Munton UNBC -Original Message- From: owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu [mailto:owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu] On Behalf Of Raul Pacheco-Vega Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 12:19 AM To: gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics? 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
Re: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics?
I would add the environmental security perspective: that some environmental problems have gotten to the point where they can threaten the security of a nation, a region, or the entire international system. Climate change is an excellent case in point, from the melting Arctic to changed disease vector ecology to the possibility of increased nuclear proliferation. In each instance, whether or not the nation has redefined security to include non-military threats, climate change will affect national security in ways that national military forces will have to address. It won't necessarily require a separate module of your course, but you can point out the security ramifications of some of the larger issues (water, food, energy, climate) as you go along. -Beth __ Elizabeth L. Chalecki, PhD Visiting Asst Professor, International Studies Program Boston College 213 Carney Hall 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 chalecki [at] bc.edu elizabeth.chalecki [at] gmail.com On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM, Don Munton mun...@unbc.ca wrote: My suggestion for a key topic would be that, early on in the course, you focus on the widespread assumption that global environmental politics is mostly about the problems of cooperating on commons (or common property) issues, such as ozone depletion and climate change. There are actually very few true global commons. The upper atmosphere is one of them, along with the high seas. Many of the other issues we talk about in these courses, however, are not really commons problems. Rather, they are problems that significantly or mostly fall within national jurisdiction, for which there may or may not be relevant international environmental regimes (eg, MARPOL, transport of hazardous wastes, including e-wastes, etc), regimes which may or may not be effective. The common idea that commons problems are the most difficult ones to tackle is, I would argue, not necessarily the case - witness ozone depletion versus (lack of) cooperation on forests (for many states, a quintessentially national jurisdiction issue). I think the commons topic is key in the sense it both introduces a basic concept/question/debate and in the sense that you can keep coming back to it as you deal with specific issues/cases. Don Munton UNBC -Original Message- From: owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu [mailto: owner-gep...@listserve1.allegheny.edu] On Behalf Of Raul Pacheco-Vega Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 12:19 AM To: gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Highly relevant (not-to-be-missed) topics on Global Environmental Politics? 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 --
