ENVS 479

Environmental Policy

Spring 2006

SYLLABUS

Course Objectives

This course serves as the "capstone" course for the environmental studies major and minor. The objective is to build upon other courses through a study of actual and potential responses to environmental problems.

Instructor

Peter Schulze, Moody Science 320, Ext. 2284, box 61588, pschulze@austincollege.edu

Office Hours: T 8:30-10:00, F 1:30-2:30 and by appointment.

NOTE: I do not check my e-mail every day. Please call my office phone if

you wish to reach me rapidly.

Schedule Class meetings: MWF 11:00-12:20, Moody Science room 318

Readings

1. Available at the bookstore

• Ponting, C. 1991. A Green History of the World.

• Quinn, D. 1992. Ishmael.

• Salzman & Thompson. 2003. Environmental Law and Policy.

• Smith, Z. A. 2000. The Environmental Policy Paradox, 4th Edition.

2. On reserve

• Packet of photocopied readings. (Two identical packets of readings have been placed on reserve so that two of you can check them out at the same time.)

• Beder, S. 1997. Global Spin. (out-of-print book). You may wish to purchase your own copy from abebooks.com or some other used book source. I purchased the reserve copies for very modest prices that way.

Assignments

2 exams The course will have a mid-term exam and a final exam.

Discussion Preparation and Participation

This course is based upon class discussions. Daily course preparation will take a substantial amount of work. The success of discussions depends upon consistent preparation and active engagement by all course participants. You are required to bring to class a typed summary of the day’s reading assignment (one for each assigned reading for the day if there is more than one). Your summary should include the following, summarized in a numbered list on no more than 1 single-spaced page (12 point Times New Roman or some other similarly-sized font). Some readings will not lend themselves to this particular summary format. In those cases, follow the spirit of this approach if not the letter of this approach.

1. The topic. If you perceive that the author addresses numerous topics, identify an

overarching theme.

2. The author’s main point or main points – in bullets. Again, if there seem to be

many main points, pool them into one or very few if possible. Identify the main

message, not just details.

3. The reasoning or key types of evidence the author cites. This entry is only necessary if the author’s arguments are potentially controversial. This entry is not necessary if the reading simply describes easily-confirmable, non-controversial information, such as how a bill becomes law.

4. The main implications of the author’s argument. Here again, you may need to find a

way to coherently summarize many related implications, or it may be necessary to list

some examples from a longer list of implications.

5. When relevant, any credible alternative interpretations of or explanations for the

evidence (this is not necessary when a reading is informative rather than potentially controversial).

6. When relevant, whether you are convinced of the author’s thesis, and if not, why not (this is not necessary when a reading is informative rather than potentially controversial). Do not blow off this step and simply state over and over, “I am convinced.” Make sure to think for yourself.

7. A substantive question regarding the reading (an important question of understanding, not a simple question about basic information).

I realize that it may sometimes be frustrating to be asked to put this much effort into each reading assignment, but experience has shown that this process results in virtually all members of the class being well prepared to engage in a fruitful discussion – rather than the boredom of the instructor simply reviewing the article as if no one had read it at all.

Your summaries and any notes that you add to them during class should serve as excellent review materials when preparing for exams. The more effort you put into these summaries, the better prepared you will be for exams.

Your summaries will be submitted at the end of each class session, along with any notes you have added to them during the discussion. These will be graded and returned promptly.

Since you are close to heading out into the “real world,” these summaries will be assessed on the basis of both content and writing.

Environmental Issues in the News

Approximately every other Friday we will discuss environmental issues that are in the news. Your assignment for these sessions is to study the articles that have been published since the previous such session in the New York Times (available in Abell Library or by subscription from the bookstore), choose one article, and come to class with a one-page handout that includes the items below, plus one copy of the article.

• a citation for the article [paper, date, page(s), author if given]

• a succinct description of the issue

• a succinct description of any policy aspects of the issue that are discussed in the article

• a succinct description of each alternative viewpoint that is described in the article

• a succinct analysis of any positions taken by the reporter or by any source that is cited in the article

• a succinct description of how the article illuminates or illustrates any aspect of environmental law or policy that we have discussed

• a succinct description of each important question that the article raises

You may choose articles on any environmental issue, but you must choose substantive articles, not brief, single-column reports. If the same issue is addressed in more than one article you are welcome to summarize and report upon the collection of articles but are not required to do so.

The reasons for specifying the New York Times are that its publishers has the resources to do in-depth reporting (at least compared to most other newspapers), it is available in the library and the bookstore, and it can be relied upon to regularly cover environmental issues.

Relevant articles may be published in the front section of the paper, in the business section, in the Tuesday section called Science Times, in the Sunday section called Week in Review, or in the New York Times Magazine (a Sunday insert).

While these may not seem like writing assignments, the writing itself, as well as the content, will be graded. Write precisely and carefully, and proofread well. These are important habits to develop before graduation.

Policy analysis

Each student will analyze and present a case study on a local, national, or international environmental issue that is a current focus of environmental policy officials, environmental scientists, or environmental activists. You may choose a topic that explicitly focuses on environmental policy, or a topic that might not immediately seem environmental, but that has major environmental ramifications. Some possible topics include:

Local

• Sherman foundry (potential new Superfund site)

• Sherman stormwater pollution policy

• local development efforts (e.g. efforts to expand activity at Grayson

County airport and extend highway 289 to Lake Texoma)

• creosote in Denison

• local Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data

National

• forest harvesting/fire policy

• climate change policy (or lack thereof)

• energy policy

• pesticide policy (e.g. Atrazine)

• air pollution policy (e.g. Clear Air Act interpretation)

• World Trade Organization policy (international, but heavy U.S. influence)

Your report should articulate in detail:

• the scientific, technical, political, and ethical complexities of the issue,

• the issue’s environmental and social consequences or implications,

• any relevant existing law or policy and how it pertains to your issue,

• proposed changes to law, policy, regulations, or interpretations of same,

• the positions and motivations of the various interested parties, and

• your policy recommendations.

This is a complicated assignment that is much more involved than just summarizing a body of information on a well-studied topic. The syllabus includes deadlines for choosing a topic, submitting a detailed outline of your report, submitting a complete written report, presenting your analysis to the class, and submitting a revised written report.

The written version should be 10 to 12 pages (not counting references, tables, or figures) in 12 point font, double-spaced with conventional margins.

Tuesday lunches

As you are aware, the Environmental Studies program hosts a series of Tuesday lunch presentations several times each semester. These sessions go from 12 to 1 in one of the seminar rooms of the Wright Campus Center. We expect you to attend these sessions unless you cannot do so. I will add 0.5% points to your semester average for each session you attend. If you have a conflict and cannot attend, but would like the opportunity to earn this extra credit, then you may submit a three-page paper on the speaker’s topic or on New York Times article that meets the above qualifications but that you have not otherwise studied for this course. Papers worthy of a B+ or higher will qualify for the same extra credit as attending a talk.

Grades

2 exams (35% of course grade) Exams will cover material from discussions, readings, and guest presentations. The mid-term exam will be worth 15% of the course grade. The final will be worth 20% of the course grade. Exams will emphasize material since the previous exam, but may reference earlier material as well. The final will be intentionally comprehensive.

Discussion preparation and participation (40% of course grade) This component of your grade will be based upon: (a) 25% of grade - the notes you bring to class regarding the readings and New York Times articles; and (b) 15% - attendance and your contribution to class discussions, including questions of guest speakers and classmates.

Policy analysis (25% of grade: 4% outline, 8% written report, 7% presentation to class, 6% revised written report)

Letter grades will be assigned on the basis of numerical grades. Letter grades are defined in the Austin College Bulletin as:

A Unusual and superior achievement

B Intelligent, articulate achievement, above-average in fulfilling course requirements

C Passing work, representing graduation average

S Satisfactory achievement (work must be above C- level)

D Passing work below the standard required for graduation

F Failure without privilege of re-examination

U Unsatisfactory work

Late Policy Work submitted late will be reduced 1/3 of a letter grade for each day. In other words, an assignment submitted one day late that would have received an A will receive a A-. An assignment submitted 3 days late that would have received an A will receive a B. Unless specified otherwise, as long as a paper is under my office door when I arrive at work it is considered to have been submitted the previous day.

Academic Integrity Policy

No student may unfairly advance his or her academic performance or impede the performance of other students. Any activity that unfairly gives an advantage to a student or group of students is a violation of academic ethics and will be punished to the fullest extent of College policy.

Examples of violations include: using unauthorized notes on an exam; failure to give credit to someone who assisted with a project; failure to give credit to an author whose work is cited; fabrication of data; and removing items from the library in violation of library. This list is not exhaustive.

Each item that you submit for a grade in this course must include the following statement along with your signature.

This work was prepared in accordance with the Austin College academic integrity policy. ____Signature______

Attendance If you need to miss an exam obtain my approval beforehand. I reserve the option to drop you from the course if you miss class more than very very occasionally.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Date	Topic	Assignment
Introduction
Mon 30 Jan	What have you learned so far? What do you know about environmental policy?
Lessons of History: How We Got to this Point
Wed 1 Feb	Human–environment interactions: From the Pleistocene to agriculture	Ponting chapters 1-4
Fri 3 Feb	Human–environment interactions: Agricultural revolution & European colonization	Ponting chapters 5-7
Mon 6 Feb	Human-environment interactions: European worldview and loss of biological diversity	Ponting chapters 8-10
Wed 8 Feb	Human-environment interactions: Human population growth, switch to fossil fuels	Ponting chapters 11-13
Fri 10 Feb	Issues in the news	New York Times articles
Mon 13 Feb	Human-environment interactions: Cities, pollution, and lessons of the past	Ponting chapters 14-17
Wed 15 Feb	History of U.S. environmental movement & Smith’s dominant social paradigm	Salzman & Thompson ch. 1 Smith chapter 2 (Smith’s chapter 1 is optional)

Background and Perspectives on Environmental Law and Policy
Fri 17 Feb	Taking stock of our understanding and perceptions: What are the problems today and why do they persist? How do you perceive the political process? (Today’s readings provide a glimpse into another topic - what happens when there is no effective environmental policy.)	1. Feshbach & Friendly, p. 91-110 2. Hertsgaard, p. 1-5 & 156-175 3. Come to class with a list of the three environmental problems (or categories of problems) that you consider most pressing and a summary of your thoughts about why problems persist. Be prepared to defend your choices in competition with other people’s choices.
Mon 20 Feb	Fundamental issues & ethical perspectives Due: Policy analysis topic selection	Salzman & Thompson chapter 2
Wed 22 Feb	Legal basis for U.S. environmental policy, common technical issues, and regulatory approaches	Smith chapter 3
Fri 24 Feb	Issues in the news	New York Times articles
Mon 27 Feb	Legal basis for U.S. environmental policy, common technical issues, and regulatory approaches (continued)	Salzman & Thompson chapter 3 (There is a lot here. Plan to give this reading ample time and summarize it carefully.)

Particular U.S. Environmental Laws and Policies
Wed 1 Mar	The Clean Air Act	Salzman & Thompson pp. 77-102 Handout: summary of U.S. environmental laws
Fri 3 Mar	Greenhouse gases and stratospheric ozone	Salzman & Thompson pp. 102-122
Mon 6 Mar	Water pollution	Salzman & Thompson chapter 5
Wed 8 Mar	Toxic substances	Salzman & Thompson chapter 6
Fri 10 Mar	Wastes Due: Detailed policy analysis outline	Salzman & Thompson chapter 7
Mon 13 Mar	Protecting natural resources & endangered species	Salzman & Thompson chapter 9
Wed 15 Mar	Exam
Fri 17 Mar	Issues in the news	New York Times articles
20-24 Mar	Spring break
Barriers to Effective Policies
Mon 27 Mar	Vested economic interests: the uneven playing field	Smith chapter 4
Wed 29 Mar	Opposition: Corporate activism, wise use, and SLAPPS	Beder, Chapters 1 - 4
Fri 31 Mar	Issues in the news	New York Times articles
Mon 3 Apr	Opposition: Anti-environmental think tanks & public relations Due: Written policy analysis report	Beder, Chapters 5 - 8
Wed 5 Apr	Trade & the environment	Salzman & Thompson chapter 8
Visions of Sustainability
Fri 7 Apr	Visions of a more sustainable path I. Growth versus development	1. Hawken, P., Natural Capitalism. 2. McDonough, W. & M. Braungart., The NEXT Industrial Revolution.
Mon 10 Apr	Visions of a more sustainable path II. Short vs. long-term & humans as part of a community	1. Costanza, R., Social traps and environmental policy. 2. Leopold, A., The Land Ethic (in Sand County Almanac) (Yes, we know you’ve read this before).

Case Studies in Environmental Policy
Wed 12 Apr	Student presentation	(If you are not scheduled to speak, read Ishmael)
Fri 14 Apr	Issues in the news	New York Times articles
Mon 17 Apr	Student presentation	(If you are not scheduled to speak, read Ishmael)
Wed 19 Apr	Student presentation	(If you are not scheduled to speak, read Ishmael)
Fri 21 Apr	Student presentation	(If you are not scheduled to speak, read Ishmael)
Mon 24 Apr	Guest speaker	TBA (Read Ishmael)
Wed 26 Apr	Guest speaker Due: Revised written policy analysis	Tim Clark, ACI Consulting – NEPA, ESA (Read Ishmael)

Wrap up and evaluation
Fri 28 Apr	Visions of a more sustainable path Ishmael’s wisdom	Quinn chapters 1 - 7
Mon 1 May	Ishmael continued	Quinn chapters 8 - 13
Wed 3 May	Review discussion: developing and articulating individual perspectives on environmental policy	Bring to class two copies of a list of the three insights you consider most important regarding environmental policy.
Fri 5 May	Class and ES program evaluation
Mon 8 May	Review day
Tue 9 May	Final exam 9:00-11:00

Tuesday lunches scheduled as of 24 Jan 2006

Feb. 7 Study Abroad programs offered by The School for Field Studies

Feb. 14 Land Use & Environmental Issues in Grayson County

- Grayson County Judge (and candidate) Tim McGraw

Feb. 21 The EPA National Wastewater Pretreatment Program: 30 Years of Protecting the Environment

- Jacob Lowe, Austin College alumnus

Feb. 28 Land Use & Environmental Issues in Grayson County

- Drue Bynum, Candidate for Grayson County judge

March 7 Opportunities in Environmental Studies

- Dr. Peter Schulze

Mar. 14 Plags, Koas & Akis: My Research in Hawaii

- Dr. Steve Goldsmith

April 4 The Austin College Recycling Program

- Cresanda Allen, Env. Studies Major

April 18 My Semester in Kenya with the School for Field Studies

- Lauren Ice, Austin College alumna

April 25 Eco-Logical Restoration: My Experiences with Native American Seed Co. and Belden St. Montessori

- George Cates, Env. Studies Major