Global Environmental Politics: Actors, Organizations, and Issues

INR4350/1342 Professor M. Leann Brown Spring 2015 OH: MWF 10:30-11:30, 333 AND MWF 11:45-12:35 [email protected] AND 101 352.273.2398

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS: ACTORS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ISSUES

Environmental concerns increasingly demand the attention of national policymakers, diplomats, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and citizens around the world. While most political action to deal with environmental problems remains local and national, some environmental concerns are transnational and/or global in scope and their amelioration requires international cooperation. This course considers the special problems posed by environmental collective action for international policymakers; some of the primary actors and organizations involved in addressing environmental problems; and, for purposes of analysis and illustration, global politics and regime building associated with ozone depletion and climate change. In the final unit, we also consider a controversial and troubling trend---the politicization and economic cooptation of science.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

Axelrod, Regina S. and Stacy D. VanDeveer, eds. 2015 (4th ed). THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. Sage/CQ Press. Oreskes, Naomi and Erik M. Conway. 2010. MERCHANTS OF DOUBT. Bloomsbury Press.

GRADING PROCEDURES

Your grade in INR4350 will derive from your performance on a mid-term and final exams, and a short (10 typewritten, double-spaced pages) research paper. Both exams will potentially include material from the lectures, readings, discussion, current events, and map- related questions. Your final grade will be based on the following credit distribution:

33.3% - Mid-term exam (February 27) 33.3% - Short research paper (due April 3 in class, in hardcopy) 33.3% - Final exam (Thursday, 4/30, 12:30-2:30 pm in our regular classroom)

Your research question and tentative thesis are due on Friday, January 30 (5% of paper credit); and on Friday, March 20, a 10-item working bibliography (5% of the paper credit) is due. The complete research paper is due on Friday, April 3. To avoid computer difficulties, these assignments must be submitted in hardcopy in class on the designated date. (Late papers will be penalized 10 points per week in 7 day increments.) Scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals should constitute at least half of the bibliography. Begin your search for these scholarly works with the political, economic, and social science databases available on the UF library website such as the Ebsco, JStor, and Wilson Omnifile.

Grades are assigned in 10 points increments of 100. For example, 80-82 = B-, 83-86 = B, 87-89 = B+.

SCHEDULE, COURSE OUTLINE, AND ASSIGNED READINGS

DATES DISCUSSION TOPICS AXELROD + VANDEVEER ORESKES + CONWAY

1/5 Introduction

1/9-16 Theoretical Approaches to Intro - Ch 1 Global Environmental Politics

1/19 NO CLASS – MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OBSERVANCE IN THE UNITED STATES

1/21-30 International Law and Regime Building Chs 3, 6 1/30 RESEARCH PAPER QUESTION AND TENTATIVE THESIS DUE IN CLASS IN HARDCOPY

ACTORS ______

2/2-6 Transnational Corporations Ch 14 ______

2/9-18 Environmental NGOs Chs 2, 13, 15 ______

2/20 NO CLASS – PROFESSOR PRESENTING RESEARCH AT CONFERENCE

2/27 MIDTERM EXAM ______

2/23-3/13 Less Developed Countries Chs 8-9 ______

3/2-6 SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

ORGANIZATIONS ______

3/16-20 The United Nations Ch 11 Ch 1 ______

3/20 RESEARCH PAPER WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE IN CLASS IN HARDCOPY

3/23-27 The World Bank Ch 2

3/30-4/3 The European Union Ch7 Ch 3 ______

4/3 RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE IN CLASS IN HARDCOPY

ISSUES ______

4/6-10 Ozone Depletion Chs 4-5 Chs 4-5 ______

4/13-22 Climate Change Chs 10, 12 Chs 6-7, Conclusion, Epilogue

FINAL EXAMINATION---THURSDAY, 4/30, 12:30-2:30 pm, in our regular classroom ______

. The following information is recommended by UF’s Syllabi Policy: http://www.aa.ufl.edu/Data/Sites/18/media/policies/syllabi_policy.pdf

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at: https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results/.

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor- code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the course instructor.

The Counseling and Wellness Center is available at: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx, phone 392-1575.

For emergencies, the University Police Department may be contacted by phone at: 392-1111 or 9-1-1.