EST 626: Concepts and Principles of Sustainable Development

Spring 2012     Tues & Thurs 11:00 – 12:20

Instructor: Jack Manno, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies

211A Marshall, 470-6816, jpmanno@mailbox.syr.edu

Weekly Office hours

Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00, Thursdays 1:00 – 3:00 and by appointment

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this class the student will be able to:

• Define, explain and give examples of concepts and principles of sustainable development, including fundamental ideas of ecological economics.
• Evaluate public policy approaches with regard to sustainable development principles.
• Discuss the history of international development with specific attention to the relationship between environment and development.
• Describe and defend sustainable development indicators based on measures of human wellbeing and environmental impact.
• Provide examples of policy initiatives and projects to achieve high levels of human wellbeing with high levels of environmental quality.
• Provide and explain examples of how individuals apply concepts and principles of sustainable development in their work and personal lives.

Course Requirements

This is a very participatory course. It is designed to engage you personally. My belief as an instructor is that learning happens best when it is directly related to your goals and interests. The purpose of this course is to sharpen our thinking in relation to the concepts and principles of sustainable development. Students will be asked to do personal exploration into their role as professionals, scholars, producers and consumers.

You will often receive questions to guide your reading and for discussion in class. Students will be asked at random for their input. Poor preparation will be noted and will affect participation grade.

Each student will select an area of concentration (AoC), such as a sector (educational institutions, energy, tourism) or a field of practice (business management, international relations, law, Indigenous affairs) or a theoretical perspective (ecological modernization, historical materialism, liberalism, conservatism) to which you will apply the concepts and principles of sustainable development. Throughout the semester in homework assignments you will apply the ideas we read and discuss to this chosen context.

All students are required to write a profile of an individual who is contributing to solving the problem of sustainable development. Students must submit a profile proposal by the end of September. You must receive my approval for your topic or the final paper will not be accepted. Guidelines will be handed out in class.

Students will also prepare a draft submission to an academic journal of your choosing or to Solutions. It can be a theoretical, research or policy advocacy paper.

By the end of September students must have proposed a context in which you are learning to apply the concepts and principles of sustainable development, a person you are profiling and the type of final paper you will be preparing. These must me approved by Professor Manno before you proceed with this independent work.

There will also be a take home mid-term and final exam.

Expectations

I expect that you will:

• be at every class session (unless excused in advance) on time,
• be active listeners to whoever is speaking,
• complete reading assignments prior to class,
• complete and turn in writing assignments on time,
• be active learners and teachers as exhibited through thoughtful participation by asking questions and contributing thoughtfully to classroom discussion,
• treat each other and the instructor with courtesy and respect.

 You should expect me:

• to serve as a facilitator of learning for the students collectively and individually,
• to come to class prepared,
• to be accessible to students outside class time, and to serve as an effective consultant to the student in their learning,
• to assist students in finding additional resources when needed to reach the expected learning outcomes.

Textbook

The textbook will be available at Follett's Orange Bookstore in Marshall Square Mall and perhaps at the University Bookstore at the Schine Student Center

Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications, by Herman Daly and Joshua Farley, Island Press. Newest edition.

All additional readings will be made available electronically.

Grading

Final grades will be calculated as follows:

• Profile: 15%
• Profile presentation 5%
• Midterm exam: 25%
• Final exam: 25%
• Homework and Participation: 10%
• Final paper 20%

COURSE SCHEDULE