Earth on Fire: Environmental Policy and the Climate Crisis

Course Description

Are you worried about the impacts of climate change? Are you wondering why political leaders aren’t taking action against climate change fast enough to make a difference? Are you wanting to learn more about climate change to be able to make a difference in your community? Then this is the course for you!

Research suggests that the changes we are seeing in global climate and temperature levels and the impacts of these changes are caused by human activity. This is something that has been getting worse over time, and even though many governments around the world have signed international agreements, sometimes these commitments break down in practice. This course will help you navigate the complexities of climate change and government policy responding to this, and will help give you skills on how to advocate for and influence change. Plus, this course includes a variety of educational activities, including a fun field trip to the Ottawa Nature Museum and some informative guest speakers!

This course offers an opportunity for students to explore the current debates about the politics of the environment. This includes discussions on the history and politics of the environment with a focus on the challenges faced by different groups. This syllabus will be divided into four sections tackling different environmental themes and political issues across a variety of levels, including local, national and international considerations. The first section will focus on outlining the basic environmental context and climate science necessary to understand ecopolitics and policy developments. The second section will examine global environmental governance, which essentially means the ways that states come to sign on (or not) to different climate agreements. The third section will focus on the Canadian environmental context and policy, including covering key issues and debates such as ‘the carbon tax’. The last section will focus on environmental advocacy and tangible solutions to the climate crisis, especially focusing on the ways that youth leadership can play a strong role in changing state policy. Students will leave the course well equipped to think critically through key climate change debates, take on leadership roles in their communities, and advocate for effective climate policy.