This course will cover four topics. The first is an introduction to environmental issues as political and public policy issues. The concern is on how to analyze and understand environmental issues. It takes neither an alarmist nor a complacent point of view. Rather it looks coolly and dispassionately at environmental issues and suggests how one may analyze them from a political perspective and how certain political systems may be expected to attempt to resolve them, and why. This part of the course will provide the basis for analyzing and understanding the politics of environmental protection in three different settings.

The second topic will deal with the environmental issue of clear air in the United States and will examine in some detail the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 - the major piece of environmental legislation passed in the United States over the past 15 years. You will learn something specifically about how American government and politics work in regard to environmental matters and something more generally about how presidential systems with non-disciplined parties are likely to deal with environmental issues.

The controversial issue of economic growth and environmental protection in developing countries will be the third topic discussed. Are economic growth and environmental protection compatible? If so, what kind of political-economic system is most likely to achieve this joint objective?

Some environmental issues are truly international issues and must be approached at an international level. The depletion of the ozone layer and possible global climate changes are examples. The final section of the course will deal with the Montreal Protocols which have restricted ozone depleting chemicals and will also consider the complex issue of global climate change.

For undergraduates there will be two mid-quarters and a final examination. A paper of ten to fifteen pages on a topic of your choosing (which must be approved by the instructor) is due on 29 September. The final examination and the paper will each make up one-third of your grade. Each mid-quarter will contribute one- sixth.

Graduate students will have a longer paper plus a final examination. Some additional reading assignments will be made, and some special discussion session may be held.

Richard Cohen, Washington at Work, Macmillan, New York 1992.

Bruce Yandle, The Political Limits of Environmental Regulation, Quorum Books, 1989.

David W.Pearce and Jeremy J Warford, World without End, Oxford University Press, 1993.

World Bank, World Development Report 1992: Development and the Environment, Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 9.

The Economist, The Once and Future Weather," 7 April 1990, pp. 95-100.

"Count Before You Leap", 7 July 1990 pp 21- 24. (by William Nordhaus)

"Energy: Power to the People" 18 June 1994

"Reading the Patterns", 1 April, 1995

Global Climate Change: Papers from Issues in Science and Technology, National Academy of Science.

E. S. Rubin, L. B. Lave, M. G. Morgan, "Keeping Climate Research Relevant", Winter 1991-92, pp. 47-55.

D. A. Bromley, "The Making of a Greenhouse Policy", Fall. 1990, pp. 55-61.

R. E. Benedick, "Ozone Diplomacy", Fall 1989.

D. D. Doniger, "Politics of the Ozone Layer", Spring 1988.

J. T. Mathews, "Global Climate Change", Spring 1987, pp.57-68.

W. Harrington, M. A. Walls, V. D. McConnell, "Using Economic Incentive to Reduce Auto Pollution," Winter, 1994-95.

William D. Nordhaus, "Expert Opinion on Climatic Change," American Scientist vol 82, Jan.-Feb. 1994 pp. 45-51

Richard A.Kerr, "Greenhouse Forcasting Still Cloudy" and John W.Zillman, Atmospheric Science and Public Policy,"

Science, vol. 276. 16 May 1997, pp.1039-1042; 1084-1086.

National Academy of Public Administration, The Environment Goes to Market, pp. 5-20.

Wallace S. Broecker, "Chaotic Climate," Scientific American, November 1995, pp.62-68.

Science, "Greenhouse Report Foresees Growing Global Stress," Vol. 270, 3 November 1995, p. 731.

The following four articles were all published in Science

R. Wilson and E.A.C. Crouch, Risk Assessment and Comparisons, vol. 236, 17 April 1987, pp.267-270.

L. B. Lave, Health and Safety Risk Analyses, vol. 2 36, 17 April 1987, pp.291-295.

M. Russell and M. Gruber, Risk Assessment in Environmental Policy-Making, vol. 236, 17 April 1987, pp. 286-290.

P. Slovic, Perception of Risk, vol. 236, 17 April 1987, pp. 280-284.

Peter C. List, Radical Environmentalism, pp. 1-38; 47-55; 70-80.

The following three articles were published in The Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 8. no. 4 (Fall 1994) pp. 3- 63

Paul. R. Portney, "The Contingent Valuation Debate," pp. 3- 18. W. Michael Hanemann, "Valuing the Environment through Contingent Valuation," pp. 19-44. Peter A. Diamond and Jerry A. Hausman, "Contingent Valuation: Is Some Number Better than No Number?"

Jonathan H. Adler, " Clean Fuels, Dirty Air", in Michael S. Greve and Fred L. Smith, Jr., Environmental Politics, pp. 19-46.

William Baumol and Wallace Oates, The Theory of Environmental

Policy, pp. 16-35.

Elinor Ostrom, Governing the Commons, pp. 1-30.

Bruce Yandle, The Political Limits of Environmental Protection, p. 1-40; 151-165

David W. Pearce and Jeremy Warford, World Without End, pp. 173-214.

V. Kerry Smith, Estimating Economic Values for Nature, pp. xiii-41

1st Week

Part I BACKGROUND FOR ANALYSIS

22-24 September - Causes and consequences of air pollution (physical and biological sciences)

Readings: The Economist, "The Once and Future Weather", "Energy", and "Reading the Patterns"; Science, "Greenhouse Report Foresees Growing Global Stress"," Greenhouse Forecasting Still Cloudy"; Broecker, "Chaotic Climate";

1. Acid rain

2. Smog

3. Ozone layer depletion

4. Climate warming

5. Energy

2nd Week (PROPOSED TOPICS FOR PAPERS DUE!!!!!)

29 September - 1 October - Causes and consequences of pollution (social sciences)

Readings: William Baumol and Wallace Oates, The Theory of Environmental Policy, pp. 16-35. Bruce Yandle, The Political Limits of Environmental Protection, p. 1-40, Elinor Ostrom, Governing the Commons, pp. 1-28. David Pearce and Jeremy Warford, World without End, pp. 173-214. Harrington, et. al., "Using Economic Incentive to Reduce Auto Pollution"; Nordhaus, "Count Before You Leap"; Economist, "A Survey of Energy"

Graduate students: Pearce and Warford, pp. 149-280

1. Market failure

2. Policy failure

3. Institutional failure

6-8 October - Policy and Politics

Readings:

Paul R. Portney, "The Contingent Evaluation Debate" p. 3-18. W. Michael Hanemann, " Valuing the Environment through Contingent Valuation," pp. 19-43. Peter Diamond and Jerry A. Hausman, "Contingent Valuation: Is Some Number Better Than No Number? pp. 45-64. Smith, Estimating Economic Values for Nature, pp. xiii-41

Graduate Students: Pearce and Warford, pp. 3-148.

1. Evaluating the Environment

2. Types and choice of intervention instruments

3. Types of policies

13 October Policy and issues (Con't.)

Peter C. List, Radical Environmentalism, pp. 1-38; 47-55; 70-80.

The following 4 articles are from Science, vol.236, 17 April 1987: Wilson and E.A.C. Crouch, Risk Assessment and Comparisons, pp.267-270. L. B. Lave, Health and Safety Risk Analyses, pp.291-295. M. Russell and M. Gruber, Risk Assessment in Environmental Policy-Making, pp. 286-290. P. Slovic, Perception of Risk, pp. 280-284.

1. Public opinion and risk assessment

2. Environmental philosophy

15 October

Summary and review for mid-quarter examination

22 October

Readings: Richard Cohen, Washington at Work, and Adler, " Clean Fuels, Dirty Air".

Graduate Students: Yandle pp. 41-166.

1.Presidential politics and Presidential initiations

27-29 Ocotber

1.The Congress

2 Interest Groups

7th Week

3-5 November

1. The politics of acid rain

2. The politics of urban smog

3. Market failure and its statutory correction in the United States

12 November

Readings: World Bank, World Development Report 1992: Development and the Environment, Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 9.

1. Inward oriented policies

2. Outward oriented policies

3. Economic performance

4. Environmental record

17 November

1. The politics of growth

2. The politics of environmental protection

3. Can developing countries both develop economically and protect the environment?

19 November

Readings: (for weeks 9 and 10) E. S. Rubin, L. B. Lave, M. G. Morgan, "Keeping Climate Research Relevant"; D. A. Bromley, "The Making of a Greenhouse Policy"; R. E. Benedick, "Ozone Diplomacy"; D. D. Doniger, "Politics of the Ozone Layer"; J. T. Mathews, "Global Climate Change"; Nordhouse, "Expert Opinion on Climatic Change;" Hileman, "Greenhouse Gas Economics"; Science, 29 May 1998 "The Terrestrial Carbon Cycle".

(Re-read: Nordhaus, "Count Before You Leap", Science, "Greenhouse Report Foresees Growing Global Stress"," Greenhouse Forecasting Still Cloudy"; Broecker, "Chaotic Climate";

Graduate Students: Pearce and Warford, pp. 281-398

1. The Ozone Layer

2. Global Climat Warming

10th Week

24 November PAPERS DUE!!!

Ozone layer and global climate warming (con't)

1-3 December Summary and Review