Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - REM 356W D100

Environmental Policy (3)

Class Number: 4291

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    One of REM 100, GEOG 100, GEOG 111, or EVSC 100; and 45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Provides an overview of policy and governance approaches used to manage the natural environment at the international, national, provincial, regional, and local levels. Presents a basic set of evaluative questions that can be used to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of different approaches to regulate and manage the environment. Students with credit for REM 356 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

How is environmental policy shaped and implemented, and by whom? This course provides an overview of policy frameworks related to the environment, including key legislation, agencies, and actual policies that aim to manage and protect the natural environment at international, national, regional, and local levels. Students will be challenged and enabled to dissect how environmental policy is currently designed and understand what types of goals and implementation strategies might be most useful. We will draw from real-world examples addressing climate, oceans, forests, urban spaces, as well as the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

The REM 356W course includes a weekly two-hour lecture and one-hour tutorial. A portion of the lectures will provide space for feedback and questions on prior lectures and assignments. Assignments will mainly consist of group and individual writing on course themes, with specific topics chosen by students, with a longer group writing assignment at the end of the course. Students will be expected to read or watch materials prior to most lectures, and all materials will be made available on Canvas.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Students who have completed this course should be able to:

  • Identify, synthesize, and apply key theories and practices that inform environmental policy.
  • Define policy goals and policy instruments and analyze policy making processes related to the environment.
  • Identify different types, definitions, and theories of governance used to manage the environment.
  • Understand and critique specific policies, systems, and processes used to manage and protect the environment.

Grading

  • Quizzes 15%
  • Written Assignments 65%
  • Other Assignments 20%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All course material (readings, lectures, assignments, etc.) are available on the course Canvas page. Some examples of the required readings or videos are included below:

REQUIRED READING:

Hopwood, B., Mellor, M., O’Brien, G. 2005. Sustainable Development: Mapping Different Approaches. Sustainable Development 13: 38-52.

Acaroglu, L. 2013. Why We Need to Think Differently About Sustainability. TEDx. https://youtu.be/5lOSIHWOp2I

Singh, G.G., Harden-Davies, H., Allison, E.H., Cisneros-Montemayor, A.M., Swartz, W., Crosman, K.M., Ota, Y. 2021. Will understanding the ocean lead to “the ocean we want”? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118 (5): e2100205118 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100205118

Rockström J., et al. 2009. Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Ecology and Society 14(2): 32 www.jstor.org/stable/26268316.

CBC News. 1995. The war over logging in the Clayoquot woods is over. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1809313245

Coffey, B. 2016. Unpacking the politics of natural capital and economic metaphors in environmental policy. Environmental Politics, 25(2), 203-222. 

Doyon, A., Moore, T., Moloney, S. & Hurley, J. 2020. Evaluating evolving experiments: the case of local government action. Journal of Planning and Environmental Management, 63(11): 2042-1063.

Thompson-Fawcett, M., Ruru, J., Tipa, G. 2017. Indigenous Resource Management Plans: Transporting Non-Indigenous People into the Indigenous World. Planning Practice & Research 32(2): 259-273.

Williams, S., Doyon, A. 2020. The Energy Futures Lab: A case study of justice in energy transitions. Environmental Innovations and Societal Transitions. 37, 290-301.

Von der Porten, S., Ota, Y., Cisneros-Montemayor, A.M., Pictou S. 2019. The role of Indigenous resurgence in marine conservation. Coastal Management 47(6): 527-547 doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2019.1669099

Franklin, A. 2017. The more-than-human city. The Sociological Review 65(2): 202-217

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html