Political Ecology: Origins, Diffusion, Relocation and Renaming Environmental Leadership

Description

Humans have occupied and transformed Earth for millions of years. Human choices and decision-making in all areas of the human experience have contributed to environmental changes and consequences. This class will investigate the philosophical and pragmatic ways in which differing cultural groups have made decisions about significant historical environments. The class will then turn to the contemporary social processes for making environmental choices. Finally, the current political processes in Washington and the Pacific Northwest will be examines. Students will observe first hand the political process by observing decision-making in the Washington Legislature. Two papers are assigned, one on a philosophical or theoretical analysis of an environmental decision and one on a specific environmental decision and its outcomes. Seminar and class discussion will be the primary mode of investigation.