POL 376T International Environmental Politics
It has become increasingly apparent in recent years that environmental problems have been proliferating and nation-states are not able to cope with them individually. International cooperation is essential to finding and applying solutions. This course will first examine the origins of the main environmental problems affecting nations, such as climate change, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, desertification, pollution, disposal of radioactive and chemical waste material, trade in endangered species, etc. Students will investigate the environmental problems connected to trade globalization and the question of sustainable development, and will study how states have tried to deal with these problems through the role of international organizations such as the UN and the EU and non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace, WWF, etc. The effectiveness of international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and CITES, and the problems in their application, will also be examined. For the travel component of the course, on-site investigations will occur in Botswana, to include policies of natural resource conservation, sustainability, and ecotourism. (This Academic Travel may carry a supplemental fee, depending on the destination.)