INR4350/08B1Professor M. Leann Brown

Spring 2017OH: MWF10:30-11:30, 333 AND

MWF 9:35-10:

AND 134352.273.2398

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS: ACTORS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ISSUES

Environmental concerns increasingly demand the attention of national policymakers, diplomats, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, corporations, 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 requiresglobal cooperation. This course considers the special problems posed by environmental collective action; 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 environmental science.

REQUIRED READING

Axelrod,Regina S. and Stacy D. VanDeveer, eds. 2015 (4th ed). THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. Sage/CQPress.

Oreskes, Naomi and Erik M. Conway. 2010. MERCHANTS OF DOUBT. Bloomsbury Press.

Select academic journal and current event articles.

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. 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:

30% - Mid-term exam (Wednesday, 2/22)

30% - Short research paper (dueFriday, 3/31 in class, in hardcopy)

30% - Final exam (Monday, 4/24, 7:30-9:30 am in our regular classroom)

10% - Attendance and participation

Exams must be taken as scheduled unless documentation is provided of exceptional circumstances. UF policy regarding excused absences reads in part:

“In general, acceptable reasons for absence from or failure to participate in class include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays and participation in official university activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused.” See < for a more complete discussion.

If you require special in-class or testing accommodations, please consult with the Disability Resource Center for information concerning your rights and responsibilities, and submit the relevant paperwork to me as soon as possible (352.392.8565,

Your research question and tentative thesis are due on Friday, January 27(5% of paper credit); and on Friday, March 3, a 10-item working bibliography (5% of the paper credit) is due. The complete research paper is due on Friday, March 31. To avoid computer difficulties, these assignments must be submittedin hardcopy in class on the designated date. (Late papers will be penalized 10 points per week in 7 day increments.) Scholarly (peer-reviewed) journalsmust 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

DATESDISCUSSION TOPICSAXELROD + VANDEVEERORESKES + CONWAY

1/4 Introduction

1/6-13Theoretical Approaches to Intro - Ch 1

Global Environmental Politics

1/16NO CLASS – MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OBSERVANCE IN THE UNITED STATES

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1/18-27International Law and Regime BuildingChs3, 6

1/27RESEARCH PAPER QUESTION AND TENTATIVE THESIS DUE IN CLASS IN HARDCOPY

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ACTORS

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1/30-2/3Environmental NGOs Chs 2, 13

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2/6-10Less Developed CountriesChs 8-9

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2/13-20Transnational CorporationsCh 14-15

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2/22MIDTERM EXAM

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2/24NO CLASS – PROFESSOR PRESENTING RESEARCH AT CONFERENCE

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ORGANIZATIONS

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2/27-3/3The United NationsCh 11Ch 1

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

3/6-10SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

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3/13-17The World BankCh 2

3/20-24The European UnionCh7Ch 3

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ISSUES

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3/27-31Ozone DepletionChs4-5Chs4-5

3/31RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN CLASS IN HARDCOPY

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4/3-7Climate ChangeChs 10, 12Chs6-7

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4/10-19Discussion of Oreskes and Conway,Conclusion, Epilogue

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FINAL EXAMINATION---MONDAY, 4/24, 7:30-9:30 am, in our regular classroom

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The following information is recommended by UF’s Syllabi Policy:

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing online evaluations at 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:

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 ( 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: phone 392-1575.

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