Course Description:
This course will introduce students to the legal tools and policy measures used to respond to the world’s most pressing and prominent environmental problem — global climate change. In the process, we will explore evaluative frameworks and the latest developments in California, the U.S., and internationally, including the status of international climate negotiations and new treaty commitments, the pervasive social justice dialogue among governments and with civil society and the business sector, and the implications for the people of the developing and developed world. The course will emphasize the practical aspects of implementing measures, including new and pending federal and state regulations, the operation of economic mechanisms such as carbon markets, related energy issues, and the increasing need to focus on climate adaptation.
Grading will be based on both class participation and final papers. The course includes one or more optional site visits
Limited enrollment.