International Politics and Climate Change

Readings

Required Texts

Luterbacher, Urs, and Detlef F. Sprinz, eds. International Relations and Global Climate Change. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496.

McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000. ISBN: 9780393049176.

Other References

A list of references can be found here. Note that some of the references appear below.

Readings by Session

SES #	TOPICS	READINGS
Part I. The context
1	Introduction: systems and complexities	Required Kates, Robert W. “Population, Technology, and the Human Environment: A Thread Through Time.” In Technological Trajectories and the Human Environment. Edited by Jesse H. Ausubel and H. Dale Langford. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997, pp. 33-55. ISBN: 9780309051330. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapters 1 and 2. ISBN: 9780393049176. Hardin, Garrett. “The Tragedy of the Commons.” In Economics of the Environment. 5th ed. Edited by Robert N. Stavins. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 9780393927016. Recommended Wernick, Iddo K., Robert Herman, Shekhar Govind, and Jesse H. Ausubel. “Materialization and Dematerialization: Measures and Trends.” In Technological Trajectories and the Human Environment. Edited by Jesse H. Ausubel and H. Dale Langford. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997, pp. 135-156. ISBN: 9780309051330.
2	The legacies of the 20th century	Required Vitousek, Peter M., Harold A. Mooney, Jane Lubchenco, and Jerry M. Melillo. “Human Domination of Earth’s Ecosystems.” Science New Series 277, no. 5325 (July 25, 1997): 494-499. Luterbacher, Urs, and Detlef F. Sprinz. “Problems of Global Environmental Cooperation.” Chapter 1 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapters 3 and 4. ISBN: 9780393049176. Recommended Skolnikoff, Eugene B. “Science and Technology: The Sources of Change.” Chapter 7 in Global Accord: Environmental Challenges and International Responses. Edited by Nazli Choucri. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780262032001.
3	International politics of climate change	Required Tester, Jefferson W., Elisabeth M. Drake, Michael J. Driscoll, Michael W. Golay, and William A. Peters, eds. Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005, chapters 1, 2, and 6. ISBN: 9780262201537. Bodansky, Daniel. “The History of the Global Climate Change Regime.” Chapter 2 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapter 11. ISBN: 9780393049176. Choucri, Nazli, ed. Global Accord: Environmental Challenges and International Response. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995, chapter 1. ISBN: 9780262531344. Recommended Holling, C. S. “Sustainability: The Cross-Scale Dimension.” In Defining and Measuring Sustainability: The Biogeophysical Foundations. Edited by Mohan Munasinghe and Walter Shearer. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1995, pp. 65-75. ISBN: 9780821331347.
4	International relations theory	Required Clark, Ian. Globalization and International Relations Theory. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1999, chapters 4, 5, and 6. ISBN: 9780198782100. Rowlands, Ian. “Classical Theories of International Relations.” Chapter 3 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Litfin, Karen T. “The Greening of Sovereignty: An Introduction.” In The Greening of Sovereignty in World Politics. Edited by Karen T. Litfin. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1998, chapter 1. ISBN: 9780262621236. Recommended Clark, William C., Ronald B. Mitchell, and David W. Cash. “Evaluating the Influence of Global Environmental Assessments.” Chapter 1 in Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Edited by Ronald B. Mitchell, William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780262633369.
Part II. The global system
5	The global system – whole and parts	Required Lofdahl, Corey L. Environmental Impacts of Globalization and Trade: A Systems Study. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002, chapters 1 and 2. ISBN: 9780262122450. Paterson, Matthew. “Principles of Justice in the Context of Global Climate Change.” Chapter 6 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapter 5. ISBN: 9780393049176. Recommended Gupta, Aarti. “Problem Framing in Assessment Processes: The Case of Biosafety.” Chapter 3 in Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Edited by Ronald B. Mitchell, William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780262633369.
6	Climate change science – core elements	Required Luterbacher, Urs. “Simulation Models, Global Environmental Change, and Policy.” Chapter 9 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Bodansky, Daniel. “International Law and the Design of a Climate Change Regime.” Chapter 10 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Intergovernmental Panel on Cimate Change (IPCC). IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Recommended Torrance, Wendy E. F. “Science or Salience: Building an Agenda for Climate Change.” Chapter 2 in Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Edited by Ronald B. Mitchell, William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780262633369.
7	Climate – political connections I – illustrative systems	Required McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapters 6 and 7. ISBN: 9780393049176. Biermann, Frank. “Whose Experts? The Role of Geographic Representation in Global Environmental Assessments.” Chapter 4 in Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Edited by Ronald B. Mitchell, William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780262633369. Wiegandt, Ellen. “Climate Change, Equity, and International Negotiations.” Chapter 7 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Recommended Clark, William C., Ronald B. Mitchell, and David W. Cash. “Evaluating the Influence of Global Environmental Assessments.” Chapter 1 in Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Edited by Ronald B. Mitchell, William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780262633369.
8	Climate – political connections II – theoretical perspectives	Required Haas, Peter M., with Jan Sundgren. “Evolving International Environmental Law: Changing Practices of National Sovereignty.” In Global Accord: Environmental Challenges and International Responses. Edited by Nazli Choucri. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1993, pp. 401-429. ISBN: 9780262032001. Ostrom, Elinor. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1990, chapter 6. ISBN: 9780521405997. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapters 8, 9, and 10. ISBN: 9780393049176. Recommended Barzel, Yoram. Economic Analysis of Property Rights. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997, chapters 1 and 5. ISBN: 9780521597135.
9	International law and environmental regimes	Required Ostrom, Elinor. “New Horizons in Institutional Analysis.” American Political Science Review 89, no. 1 (1995): 174-178. Sprinz, Detlef F., and Martin Weib. “Domestic Politics and Global Climate Policy.” Chapter 4 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Metrick, Andrew, and Martin L. Weitzman. “Conflicts and Choices in Biodiversity Preservation.” Chapter 28 in Economics of the Environment. 5th ed. Edited by Robert N. Stavins. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 9780393927016. Recommended Sands, Philippe. “International Law in the Field of Sustainable Development: Emerging Legal Principles.” In Sustainable Development and International Law. Edited by Winfried Lang. Boston, MA: Graham & Trotman/Martinus Nijhoff, 1995, pp. 53-66. ISBN: 9781859661796.
Part III. International politics of response
10	Global accord – comparative cases I and II	Required Mitchell, Ronald B. “Institutional Aspects of Implementation, Compliance, and Effectiveness.” Chapter 11 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Sprinz, Detlef F. “Comparing the Global Climate Regime with Other Global Environmental Accords.” Chapter 12 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496. Convention on Biological Diversity. (Locate text on its Web site). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Locate text on its Web site). Kyoto Protocol. (Locate text on its Web site). Recommended Luterbacher, Urs, and Carla Norrlof. “The Organization of World Trade and the Climate Regime.” Chapter 13 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496.
11	What next: highlights and conclusion	Required Jacoby, Henry D., et al. “Kyoto’s Unfinished Business.” In Economics of the Environment. 5th ed. Edited by Robert N. Stavins. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 9780393927016. McNeill, J. R. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-century World. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2000, chapter 12. ISBN: 9780393049176. Luterbacher, Urs, and Detlef F. Sprintz. “Conclusions.” Chapter 14 in International Relations and Global Climate Change. Edited by Urs Luterbacher and Detleft F. Spriz. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262621496.