ENV 828b () / 2023-2024

Environmental Risk & Policy: Perceptions, Analyses, Ethics, & Policy

This course will focus on the concept of environmental and health risks and their management by both the public and private sectors.   Risk assessments have become the primary form of rational analysis that governments and corporations rely upon to identify, prioritize, and manage environmental & health threats.  The class will examine a series of environmental challenges dimensions of risk in each case including magnitude, distribution, duration, reversibility, and probability.  Each case will also consider past and potential policy types to assure a safe, healthy, just, and sustainable future.  These range from prohibition, regulation, tax adjustments, trading programs, subsidies, certification, transparency requirements, buffer zone specification, transboundary contamination management, among others.  Special attention is given to those at special risk including the young and elderly; minorities experiencing discrimination, poorer populations without the resources to self-manage environmental dangers; those living in high hazard areas; and those with background illnesses.