Location: ES 313. Time: 11:00-11:50, MTWF

Instructor: Gene Myers, Ph.D.

Office, etc: AH 224; x4775; ms 9085; mailbox in AH 217; gmyers@cc.wwu.edu

Office Hours: Mon. 1-2; Tues. 10-11. Sign up on office door preferred. Or arrange.

How did we get to where we are now, in our relations to the environment? What guiding ideas are needed for a sustainable society? Both questions get at the philosophical and historical roots of environmental studies. This course is an adventure in environmental thought. Here are some of the questions we will explore:

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~gmyers/ehe.html

On this page you will find this syllabus and links to pages giving the schedule of readings, information on the "Web-Board" discussion software, discussion ideas, pages describing the term paper and technicalities, and a resource page with both internet and print resources for environmental history and ethics. Overheads and other notes will be added during the term.

1. Major paper

This will be a research paper of about 10 pages. You will be asked to identify an important issue in environmental history and/or ethics and research and discuss it. There are 3 basic options for your topic:

Details on topics, format, research process, citations and evaluation are available on the web pages, including criteria for evaluation. Due on March 6, in class.

2. Exams

You will receive take-home Midterm (3 pg) and Final (6 pg) exams covering lectures and readings to date. Questions will be distributed about 1 week ahead. The second will be due on the normal final date, but will not be conducted in class. Midterm due in class on Feb. 4. Final due in AH 217 or 224 on March 14, by 5pm.

3. Reading commentary

Engaging with the readings - with the ideas of other environmental thinkers both historical and contemporary - is essential to this course. Thus regular response to the readings is both mandatory, and to compensate for this workload, it counts significantly in your grade. Each week you will be asked to turn in three commentaries on readings assigned for that week. Each commentary should be about one page in length, and should deal with one reading (or more if you want). It should make a comment or raise a question about the content of the reading, or in other ways discuss the ideas in them. Use your careful reading, critical analysis, and comparison skills to their fullest.

The course reading list on the web shows the readings and the number of commentaries required each week. Turn in commentaries on the readings assigned during the week that includes the due date.

Please put your name, the authors and titles of the readings, and the date they were turned in at the top of each commentary. These should be typed. They will be evaluated in terms of engagement with the issues, and clarity of thought and writing. Grades will be: 0 for unsatisfactory, .5 for satisfactory, or 1 for very good to excellent. Due in class every Friday.

4. Discussion & discussion leadership

The class will be divided into discussion groups, and there will be 8 Tuesday discussion sessions. Each person will be responsible for leading one of these discussions. The leader is responsible for planning the discussion to cover recent readings and lectures, and for taking attendance. The web pages contain starting questions for many of the readings - everyone is encouraged to read and reflect on these ahead of time. Leaders should read the additional web-page on leading discussions; participants should read the one on participating. Each group will do a peer evaluation of each discussion leader, using questions to be provided. Locations will be announced in class. Additional discussion may be done via the software called the "Web Board," accessible from a link on the course homepage.

6. Attendance

Attendance will be taken sporadically and without warning throughout the quarter, and at discussion sections. For each absence recorded, the grade will drop by two points.

TEXTS:

The following are assigned and will be available at the bookstore.

AGENDA OF MAJOR TOPICS: (A detailed readings list is available via this link.)