Please note the following College of Health and Human Services policies:

Transcription

1 ENVS/IR 331 GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL CRISIS Spring 2012 Instructor: Glenn Fieldman, Assistant Prof. ENVS Office HSS 330, Hours: MW 2:15-3:45; otherwise by appointment only SYLLABUS This course is about the political and economic forces and structures that shape our relations with the nonhuman world on which we depend. The recently released Millenium Ecosystem Assessment states unequivocally that the global ecosystem to which we belong is in deep trouble; our purposes this semester are to explore whether and how the global political/economic system in which we live is responsible, and to examine its potential for addressing the crisis. Since the dawn of the agricultural revolution between 5 and 10 thousand years ago, humans have affected nature profoundly and often adversely. Until recently, however, these impacts were primarily local and limited. Now, they are global; as more of the earth is exploited for human activity local impacts are universalized; nearly every part of the earth is affected. As the scale of human activity has increased, the chemistry of the whole atmosphere and the oceans has been changed. The human population has of course increased dramatically; there are now 7 billion of us. However, it s really the affluent minority of that 7 billion (a minority that includes most of the people in the US, the EU, Canada, Australia and Japan, as well as a few wealthy people in developing countries) that are responsible for most of the human impact on the environment. The majority of the world s population do not drive, fly away on vacation, or buy consumer electronics and other products. They don t eat much meat or buy many clothes. Many of them lack adequate food and shelter, and even clean water. They do aspire to a better life; and global justice demands that they have it. But their poverty right now means that their environmental impact is relatively small. I will spend the first three weeks or so outlining the dimensions of our intertwined environmental and social crisis. (This is not a science course, but some basic knowledge of environmental problems is necessary. IR students who lack background in this area (and ENVS students who would like a refresher) should supplement this classroom overview by reading the digest of the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment found here: Read at least the first-level set of questions and answers. For additional background on the state of the planet, the annual State of the World volumes, issued by Worldwatch, are useful. The SFSU library has them all; take a look at any/all of the annual editions from 2005 on). Or you can skim Clive Ponting s A Green History of the World. Beginning around the third week, we will begin to tackle the main subject matter of this course, which is the global political economy of the environment. Although we refer to the global political economy (GPE) in which nearly everyone participates as wage worker or owner, producer and consumer, speaking of what the global we should do about environmental problems is somewhat misleading, because we are not equally responsible for creating them. One of the primary characteristics of the present system is that is deeply and profoundly unequal, whether it is incomes, consumption levels, vulnerability to crisis, or power to influence decisions that is being measured. The environmental crisis will affect everyone sooner or later, but people s vulnerability to it is unequal, as is their responsibility for creating it. We will show how the GPE was shaped, first by colonialism, and more recently by First World developed nations, who have been the dominant players in shaping global rules and institutions (e.g., the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) in ways that keep most of the benefits of global economic growth flowing upward, which helps to explain the roots of environmental and social crisis. Whether the GPE in its present form can be made sustainable or not (and by the way, what does sustainability mean?) is contested. Some, identified as market liberals believe that it can, given enough time and the right technologies or that minor modifications can do the job. Institutionalists are somewhat more critical, arguing that the liberalized and globalized economy has unleashed forces that need to be brought under control, both by national governments, and by international cooperation and agreements to address problems like climate change. But progress toward a climate agreement has also

2 been excruciatingly slow, as Elliott points out in Global Environmental Politics, despite the enormous effort invested by advocates of such an agreement. Scientists reporting their findings on the unfolding environmental crisis argue, however, that what we don t have is time. Arguably, the increasing numbers of people on our planet who lack adequate calories are probably not willing to wait either. Moreover, social green critics point out that although the world is much richer now than it was decades ago, the number of desperately poor people has not gone down very much if at all, and the deterioration of crucial ecosystems is progressing at an increasing rate. Parenti s book Tropic of Chaos shows how the legacies of colonialism and the cold war, along with the rules and institutions of neoliberal capitalism, are exacerbating the impacts of climate change on the poor in several developing countries. Accordingly, we will spend considerable time in this class on the so-called social green or critical viewpoint, which is that what we need is not just environmental agreements between states, but reforms to the political economy itself-- substantial ones. Arguably corporations are the most influential actors in the global political economy; their interests in profit-making influence both states and international institutions. Critical social green thinkers argue that a political economy designed primarily around corporate interests in free access to global resources, deregulation, and consumerism cannot be sustainable. Because institutions like the World Bank and World Trade Organization (WTO) reflect such interests, they are part of the problem, not as liberals believe part of the solution. Social greens want a global political-economic system based on the recognition of environmental limits and organized to satisfy everybody s needs rather than the wants of those who have money to spend. Sachs shows what such a set of changes might mean for people living in rich countries; his book was written for a German audience but has much to say that is relevant for Americans. Please note the following College of Health and Human Services policies: Final Exam: According to Academic Senate policy F76-12 a time period is set aside at the end of each semester for a formal examination period. All classes are expected to meet during the final examination period whether an examination is given or not. The final examination schedule is published each semester in the Class Schedule; the assigned exam period for this class is shown in the calendar portion of this syllabus. CHHS Withdrawal Policy: The last day to drop a class is February 3 rd, 2012 at midnight. From February 4 th -April 20 th 2012 you must submit a withdrawal petition. Withdrawal from a class after February 3 rd, 2012 will be considered for serious and compelling reasons only and must have accompanying documentation. The following reasons are not considered serious and compelling: Changing your major, poor performance, class not required for graduation/major, or more time needed for other classes. If you wish to withdraw from class due to unexpected changes in your work schedule, illness or family emergencies, documentation will be required, along with a copy of unofficial transcripts. If you are requesting a withdrawal, bring your petition and appropriate documentation to the instructor. From April 21 st May 11 th, 2012you may not withdraw from a class or the University, except in the case of a serious documented illness or verified accident. CR/NC Option: March 16 th, 2012 (by midnight) is the last day to request the CR/NC option. The Associate Dean will not approve requests for changes if you miss this deadline. Late Add Policy: The period to add classes via permit numbers is January 23 rd - February 3 rd (midnight), The period to add classes by Exception (2 nd set of permit numbers) is February 4 th -17 th, It is your responsibility to procure a late permit number from your instructor and add the class. Faculty cannot add you into a class. After February 17 th, 2012 a CHHS Late Add Justification Form and an Add Form must be signed by your instructor, Chair and CHHS Associate Dean to add. This will be approved only if there was an administrative error.

3 Check your registration through MySFSU: Sign up for CR/NC, drop and add classes by the appropriate deadline online through MySFSU. ALWAYS check your registration after making any changes and BEFORE deadlines to be sure you are registered properly for your classes. This is a student responsibility. Deadlines for all registration procedures, including withdrawals and requests for credit/no credit, are listed in the class schedule and will be strictly adhered to by the instructor, the Department Chair and the Associate Dean of College of Health & Human Services. The Registration Calendar can be viewed here: Disability Programs and Resource Center: If you have a disability and need accommodation, please contact me; we will work with the Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to facilitate reasonable accommodations. The DPRC, located in SSB 110, can be reached by telephone at (voice/tty) or by at dprc@sfsu.edu. What is expected from ENVS/IR 331 students: 1) Attend class regularly and do the assigned reading. This is interesting but complex material; you will not do well in the class if you do not attend, participate, and read what is assigned. 2) Midterm and final essay examinations (60% of grade) Note: You will not be allowed to make up missed exams unless you can document a dire emergency, e.g., a death in your immediate family or a serious medical problem. 3) A 6-page (minimum; not more than 8 pages) single-spaced research paper in 12-point font. Your paper should use no less than 3 external sources that is, in addition to class texts. At least one external source must be an academic source that you locate using the library databases (use your SFSU ID and pin to go through the library portal on the SFSU website; choose articles and databases. Google scholar is a pretty good search tool, although I encourage you to explore the library s other databases and search tools. Your paper project will generate two separate grades. The first part (5 percent) is your paper proposal, due to me by (glenn@sfsu.edu) no later than Friday March 9, midnight. (The final product is worth 35%; it s due on Wednesday, May 9 the last day of class.) Your proposal should explain what you are going to write about, and how that is, what types of evidence you will use to support your analysis, claim, or argument. For example, I have found several sources that discuss World Bank infrastructure lending in sub-saharan African countries. My preliminary research indicates that the WB still favors fossil-fuel projects.. Your proposal should also list 3 of the sources that you plan to use, one of which should be an academic source. Provide author/title/publication title/date. IF YOU RE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING SOURCES, PLEASE ASK. Your grade will not depend on which conclusions you come to (as I have indicated, arguments and conflicting claims are abundant) but on the quality of your research, how well you support your conclusions, and the quality of your writing. Because this class concerns global political economy and international relations, your paper should be internationally focused, and should evaluate and analyze, NOT just describe. Think about questions that will be answered by your paper, and what evidence you will need to answer your questions. Since, as indicated above, arguments about the causes of problems and their solutions are common, you might consider examining an argument or claim and reaching a conclusion about which side seems most valid.

4 Always keep in mind that you need to provide evidence to support claims that you make. Here are some paper ideas feel free to choose one of them, or use them as a guide to formulating your own topic and research questions. Paper ideas: a) The World Bank claims to have learned its lesson about ensuring that its development assistance leads to sustainability. Has it? How or how not? (For evidence, you could look specifically at things like what kind of infrastructure projects the Bank is funding; what kind of energy future are its loans promoting fossil fuels vs. energy efficiency and/or renewable energies, etc.) Social greens have been highly critical of the Bank, with some arguing for its elimination. Are they right? b) What are the environmental impacts of International Monetary Fund bail-out loans? A paper on this subject may need a more specific focus you could zero in on things like the need for borrowing countries to increase their exports. If their main exports are raw materials, what are the implications: might this require an accelerated rate of timber cutting, intensification of agriculture, more mining permits..? Or, since IMF loans require budget cuts, what does this mean for enforcement of environmental laws, ranging from hunting regulations to pollution regulations? Social greens (for example, Walden Bello) have been highly critical of the IMF, demanding either major reforms or elimination. Are they right? Why or why not? c) What do e-waste flows tell us about inequality in the world? How (part of the answer to this involves explaining why developing countries accept shipments of e-waste)? To what extent do existing international agreements (specifically the Basel agreement, discussed in Elliott pp ) promise to address the e-waste problem (how effective are they)? What are their strengths and weaknesses? d) A number of developing countries export mainly commodities ( raw materials such as cotton, coffee, jute, etc.). How does this export pattern affect the environment and people in the exporting country? (You could look at a particular country or a group of countries, such as coffee producers). Has trade liberalization (for example, the WTO agreement) helped or hurt them? How? e) Fair trade, in which consumers in wealthy countries voluntarily pay more for fair-trade certified products, is claimed to be a way by which the incomes of commodity producers in developing countries can be improved, in exchange for their agreement to improve the sustainability of their agricultural processes and refrain from exploitative labor practices. Assess fair trade: how effective is this type of certification program. Has it improved the situation of participating farmers? The environment? And how much of a contribution is it making to solving the overall problems of poverty and environmental destruction caused by commodity production? f) A number of environmental NGOs such as Rainforest Action Network engage in corporate campaigns to elicit voluntary agreements to improve corporations practices for example, an agreement not to use only environmentally certified forest products; an agreement not to lend money to build coal-fired power plants, etc. Look at such a campaign and try to assess its effectiveness. PLEASE NOTE: 2) PLAGIARISM ON ANY ASSIGNMENT MAY RESULT IN ZERO CREDIT FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH IS PLAGIARIZED. LATE PAPERS WILL LOSE ONE-HALF LETTER GRADE FOR EVERY TWO DAYS LATE. PAPERS ARE DUE TUESDAY DECEMBER 7. NO PAPER WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER DEC. 16, FINAL EXAM DAY EXCEPT IN CASES OF DEATH IN FAMILY OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY. I may suggest after seeing your proposal that you get writing help. If you need writing help: contact the Learning Assistance Center (drop in at HSS 348, call (415) , or lac@sfsu.edu.) Required Readings: All three required books are on sale at the university bookstore:

5 Lorraine Elliott, The Global Politics of the Environment Christian Parenti, Tropic of Chaos Wolfgang Sachs, Greening the North Films and articles from the Internet have been assigned below; it is possible that I will add one or two others during the semester. These films and readings are also required. APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE 1/23-2/13 Global environmental crisis. Exponentially growing economy and population vs. ecological limits. What the decline of global biodiversity tells us. Read: Sachs, Intro and Chs. 1-3; Parenti Intro and Chs. 1 and 2; as necessary review digest of Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (mentioned above). Also read Thomas Pogge on the Past, Present and Future of Global Poverty. (Locate by typing the exact title into the Google search bar.) 2/3 Last day to drop. 2/17 Late add deadline. 3/9 (Friday) Paper proposals due via to glenn@sfsu.edu by midnight. PLEASE ATTACH YOUR PROPOSAL AS A WORD DOCUMENT. 3/16 Deadline to request CR/NC grading option. 2/15-3/15 The rise of capitalism and the creation of the Third World. Watch India: the Struggle for Independence, segments 4-6, from Films on Demand, and read World Slavery and Caribbean Capitalism: The Cuban Sugar Industry, , by Dale Tomich. Available online; use Google Scholar or the library database. Read Sachs, ch. 4, and Parenti, Part II. Also read Unequal Protection: The Boston Tea Party Revealed, by Thom Hartmann, which explains the role of corporations in the imperial conquest of the world. (Locate by typing article title into the Google search bar.) 3/19-23 Spring break; no classes. Complete all assigned reading; midterm next week. 3/26 MIDTERM EXAM 3/28-4/2 After WWII: Cold War capitalism. Read Parenti, part III, and Elliott, Chs / Neoliberal capitalism and global institutions: IMF, WB, WTO. Read the IMF Skit Script from Duke University (do a Google search for IMF Skit Script). Also read Nafta is starving Mexico, by Laura Carlsen at Foreign Policy in Focus. Type article title into the Google search bar; the first hit is the site you want. Also read Elliott, 3-7. Finish Parenti. 5/9 FINAL PAPERS DUE. 4/23-5/9. Limits of environmental diplomacy; reforming neoliberalism? Finish Elliott and Sachs. 5/16 (Wed.) SCHEDULED FINAL EXAM FOR THIS CLASS: 10:45-1:15.

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