ENVS 122 / POLI 157: Environmental Politics and Policy

This course will provide an overview of the critical environmental issues and policies of the United States in the year 2023 and beyond.  We will explore public policy concepts and instruments, and examine in some detail their application to specific environmental issues. Assigned readings will provide the conceptual basis for discussion and research in the course as we focus on the "hands-on" aspects of program implementation. 

            An entire quarter could well be devoted to air quality, energy, or toxic waste, thus each topic is covered in an introductory fashion.  Rather than devote in-depth study to particular environmental problems, the primary objective of the course is to instill an understanding of the broad scope of environmental issues as fascinating, important and difficult public policy dilemmas, and to pull together both theory and practice.