Climate change is arguably the most challenging political issue of our time. Pollution from transportation, electricity, and economic production on one side of the globe  impact communities thousands of miles away – and continue to do so years afterward.  Our course analyzes the political context of this complicated landscape, highlighting the role of citizen and place in the globalized, interdependent world of today.

Our course goals this semester are:

1. Articulate the interconnecting relationships driving climate change
2. Critique existing political structures and their efforts to address climate change
3. Design creative solutions from the local to global level

Our studies will be divided into four main categories. In the first two weeks we look at the theoretical context in which this debate is set.  The next two weeks are spent looking at the specific actors involved in this debate, from states and international organizations to businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Here there is also an introduction to the various legal apparatus worldwide.  Having established these critical foundations, the fifth week of the course begins a detailed examination of climate change, highlighting a number of specific issues world leaders struggle with (or ignore) today.  From here we turn to an analysis of alternative energy options, including the role of nuclear energy as well as bio-fuel, solar, and wind power.  The course then concludes with a discussion of effectiveness of political measures to date, noting the role of civil society, institutions, and markets in both contributing problems and finding solutions.