Environmental Crises and International Politics - Einzelansicht

The unprecedented destruction of the Amazon rainforest, the massive fires in Australia or the flood of the river Ahr, environmental crises become more frequent and severe over the past years. Understanding their causes and consequences can help you make informed decisions on how to help address these problems, whether that means supporting organizations working to protect the environment, advocating for policy changes, or making changes in your own life.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of various environmental crises and respective inter- and transnational political response strategies. We will cover a range of environmental crises, including crises related to agriculture, forests, energy, and waste. We will then explore inter- and transnational response strategies targeting individual action, community-level initiatives, private governance as well as global agreements. Finally, the course covers ethical considerations in addressing environmental crisis and concludes with reflections on potential future response strategies yet to be explored.

By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge and skills to critically analyze environmental crises and global sustainability issues and engage with these issues in their professional and personal lives.

Throughout the course, students would be expected to engage in discussions, research, and critical thinking to deepen their understanding of the topic and develop their own perspectives on how to address environmental crises.

Van der Ven, H., & Sun, Y. (2021). Varieties of crises: comparing the politics of COVID-19 and climate change. Global Environmental Politics, 21(1), 13-22.

McHugh, L. H., Lemos, M. C., & Morrison, T. H. (2021). Risk? Crisis? Emergency? Implications of the new climate emergency framing for governance and policy. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 12(6), e736.

Course requirements:

- Attendance and participation in class discussions and activities

- Participation in a group project

- Presentation of own reflections in class

Grading:

• Attendance and participation: 20%
• Assigned readings and projects: 30%
• Individual final project: 50%

Learning goals

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of various environmental crises, their causes and consequences, and inter- and transnational political response strategies.
• Explore ethical considerations in addressing environmental crises and reflect on potential future response strategies.
• Enhance research skills and ability to gather data, become capable to engage in informed debates, develop team collaboration skills and a personal perspective on how to address environmental crises and global sustainability issues.

Political science and international relations majors who are interested in studying the intersection of politics, international relations, and environmental issues.

Environmental science and sustainability majors who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the political and policy aspects of environmental crises and sustainability issues.

Students from other disciplines who have an interest in environmental issues and want to develop a well-rounded understanding of the complex social, economic, and political factors that contribute to environmental crises and sustainability issues.