GraSPP
Climate Change Politics and Policy
Faculty
VALENTINE, Scott
Credit / Semester / Schedule / Language
2 Credits / Winter / Monday Period: 3 / English
Objectives/Overview
This course guides students through the world of climate change politics and policy. It begins by examining the science behind global warming, examining both natural and anthropogenic causes. It then moves on to an examination of global warming trends and provides participants with an overview of potential consequences and the contentious debate surrounding these projections.
In terms of international climate change politics, the course examines the circumstances leading to the development of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the ensuing creation of the Kyoto Protocol and the efficacy of these agreements to facilitate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.
Before moving on the micro-aspects of the course that deal with national policy options, participants will examine policies in Japan, the US and China in regard to climate change mitigation. This will equip participants with an understanding of the multi-facetted hurdles that national governments face as they wrestle with the challenges of reducing national greenhouse gas emissions. This foundation will then naturally segue into an examination of i) emission reduction options, ii) emerging technologies for confronting the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and iii) an assessment of the efficacy of different policy tools for catalyzing change.
Keywords
climate change, environmental politics, environmental policy, 地球温暖化
Schedule
To be distributed during the first class
Teaching Methods
Students will be asked to undertake preparatory reading and research in order to prepare for each class because much of the class time will be taken up by group discussion which requires a basic understanding of the relevant issues. In class 1, students will be put into groups and assigned a country to research. Each week starting in week 6, one group will present a national climate change policy overview to the class on their respective nations.
Grading
Course grades will be based on: group presentation on national climate change policy for a given country (20%), a mid-term exam (30%), a final group paper (30%) and class participation (20%).
Required Text
To be announced.