12.103 | Fall 2005 | Undergraduate

Strange Bedfellows: Science and Environmental Policy

Course Description

12.103 explores the role of scientific knowledge, discovery, method, and argument in environmental policymaking from both idealistic and realistic perspectives. The course will use case studies of science-intensive environmental controversies to study how science was used and abused in the policymaking process. Case …
12.103 explores the role of scientific knowledge, discovery, method, and argument in environmental policymaking from both idealistic and realistic perspectives. The course will use case studies of science-intensive environmental controversies to study how science was used and abused in the policymaking process. Case studies include: global warming, biodiversity loss, and nuclear waste disposal siting. Subject includes intensive practice in the writing and presentation of “position statements” on environmental science issues.
Learning Resource Types
Written Assignments with Examples
Presentation Assignments with Examples
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal facility.
A diagram outlining the proposal for storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.)