ENVS 3400 - Environmental Policy

This course explores why environmental policy is necessary and how environmental policy has been made, is being made, and might in the future be made in the United States. The emphasis is on environmental policy and regulation at the national level, but regional, state, and local approaches/initiatives will also be considered. In addition to considering the policy process (the how), we will also review the state of environmental policy (legislation and effectiveness) and explore the policy evaluation process (the tools and techniques policy makers use to make better decisions - cost-benefit analysis, risk analysis, and environmental impact assessment). A substantial part of the course will also be devoted to considering emerging alternatives that are based on the principles of sustainability and the challenges involved in institutionalizing them.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: Prerequisites: ENVS 2050 and (ENVS 2150 or GEOS 2320 or ENVS 2250 or BIOS 3010).

Credits: 4 hours

Cross-Listed: Cross-listed with PSCI 3060. A student may not receive credit for both ENVS 3400 and PSCI 3060.