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S O C I O P O L I T I C A L   E C O L O G Y   ( G L O B A L   S C E N A R I O S )

D r.  C a r l o   P e l a n d a 

 

www.carlopelanda.com                                 eco@carlopelanda.com

 

Office: 113 Franklin House (Corner of E. Broad St. and So. Thomas St)  

Phone: 542-6633

Office Hours: 1:30-3:00, Tuesday and Thursdays

Class Meetings: Baldwin 305, 3:30-6:15 (Short Session, August 17 – October 10)

Required Readings: Reading Packet (available at the beginning of the course)

Course Requirements: Students will be required to attend class regularly and participate actively in discussions and to keep up with reading assignements

Grading: 50% research paper & 50% final exam

 

 

C O U R S E   D E S C R I P T I O N

This course will examine the policy problems and issues faced at the national and international level concerned with the protection of the environment and with the development of the biotechnonological revolution. The course will be divided into three segments:

  1. The economic, political and cultural context of environmental problems: A general overview
    1. Review of the current ecotheories
    2. The "Sustainability principle": Review and critique
    3. The international debate on the development of global ecostandards

  2. Assessing the possible changes induced by the biotechnological revolution
    1. Pessimistic scenarios
    2. Optimistic scenarios
    3. The real problems that economists, social scientists and policy makers will have to cope with

  3. Designing the new global eco-institutions
    1. The institutions for an integrated management of the ecosphere
    2. The "biocybernation institutions" for channelling the biotech revolution