本課程有三個基本目標。第一、介紹有關美國環境政策的制定，在這之中,我們探討政治、經濟與社會利益及其價值觀在對環境政策制定與運作上如何相互競爭衝突與相互影響。另外,我們也以另外一種角度,由地方、區域及國家政府機構與非政府組織及利益團體，及一些公益團體來觀察他們如何來設定環境議題/決定問題走向與如何形成、制定解決方案.。

第二、我們研究科學及工程這些所謂專業的意見如何在環境政策的決策過程被納入考量，以及他們如何與其他通常更有影響力的政策形成力量對抗。在所提到這些個案都在在的顯示出專業與政治因素在環境政策上的相互衝突及妥協與政策目標價值上的交換,尤其是在一些原本著重的價值和利益分歧就已經很大時,這種情況更是明顯。舉例來說,對許多政策制定者來說,就專業的科學與工程為主的分析會被認為是"陳義過高"的意見,基本上，本課程試著解釋現實世界中的針對環境政策中所提及的環境問題,其在環境政策制定過程中所產生的解決方式與單純以一個專業工程的問題所提出的解決方式,相較之下,兩者間為何不同,如何不同。

第三、本課程探討如何應用不同分析架構－或，概念透視－來看一個已存在的環境問題所能產生不同角度的問題觀察結果及其所對應出來的解決方法。換言之,如果市場經濟學家們及激進生態學家們都了解同樣的科學，為何他們所持的立場與建議的解決方式是如此不同？

人類、人文及社會科學之傳播密集課程標準： 人類、人文及社會科學之重點溝通課程(以下簡稱HASS CI 課程)必須交至少3~5個主題之作業，以上作業寫作總頁數至少需20頁。上述3~5個主題之作業中，至少須有一個主題提交修訂本。HASS CI 課程必須進一步提供學生口頭練習之具體機會，如簡報、由學生主持的討論或課程中的參與。為了保證學生作業及口述練習能得足夠的注意，在無實習課(教授為唯一的指導者時)，本課程最多可接受的學生人數為18人。如果有課程寫作助教協助則學生人數可增加至25人。

本課程分為針對理論與分析的課程及主題探討的實習課。前者為每周二次，每次1至1.5小時授課時程，其中授課的主題著重理論及分析議題及在指定讀教材中所出現的具體問題。這部分最重要的部分在針對這一週的主題提出另外的替代方案檢視。 歡迎學生針對當週的授課主題發問及對於上課內容提出意見。

每周將有1小時的實習課，課程中將有數個小組可供選擇。實習課將更為仔細地探討演講及閱讀教材內容，提供學生之間更廣泛的討論，並修正授課者於課堂上所犯的錯誤。有些實習課將著重於題目中暗示或隱含卻未被講者提及的內容。實習課學生數目不得多於18人

(1) 本課程兩本必讀教材：

• Layzer, Judith A. 《環境案例》(The Environmental Case.) Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 2002.
• Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn. 《環境政治》(Environmental Politics.) Wadsworth Press, 2001.

(2) 學生必須藉由GREENWIRE提供的新聞服務來注意環境議題的新聞。GREENWIRE可由任何MIT位址的電腦連結到 http://www.greenwire.com

所有與當周課程相關的閱讀作業都必須在上課前讀完。

成績將依學生下述表現決定：

• 課程參與/課程報告:25%
  
  學生必須定期參與每周的課程及實習課. 未依規定參與者將自動被視為不及格，無論其他成績為何。 定期參與的定義為演講及實習課均不得有超過1節以上的無理由缺席。
  
  演講及實習課均需學生積極參與，包含口頭討論、評論、提出問題及深入討論之辯論及意見。學生也必須準備一或更多的口述報告在演講及實習課中報告。
  
  
• 三份主題報告：
  • 第一份報告為三頁表達見解的社論，包含重寫練習，因此，成績將由初稿(1/3)及修訂稿(2/3)組成。(5%)
  • 第二份及第三份報告為各八頁論文。

教學大網中每份論文的都有規定提交日，遲交的論文每逾一日扣1/2分數。

• 期末考: 40%
  • 最後一周將有3小時簡答題之期末考。

This course has three basic goals. First, it is an introduction to the politics of U.S. environmental policy making. We explore how conflicting political, economic, and social interests and values contend for influence and exert power in the realm of environmental policy. We look at the ways in which local, regional, and national governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations and interest groups, and the public interact in defining environmental problems, and formulating and implementing solutions.

Second, we investigate how, where, and when science and engineering enter the environmental policy process and how they compete with other, frequently more powerful, policy-shaping forces. The cases illustrate how politics often dictates acceptance of tradeoffs and compromise among divergent values and interests, where purely science-based and engineering-based analyses would suggest more 'elegant' solutions. In essence we try to explain how and why solving real-world environmental problems differs from solving engineering problem sets.

Third, the course explores how applying different analytic frameworks--or, conceptual lenses--to view a given environmental problem can produce very different perceptions of the problem and its solutions. If market economists and radical ecologists both understand the same science, why are their solutions so different?

Criteria for HASS CI Subjects: Communication intensive subjects in the humanities, arts, and social sciences should require at least 20 pages of writing divided among 3-5 assignments. Of these 3-5 assignments, at least one should be revised and resubmitted. HASS CI subjects should further offer students substantial opportunity for oral expression, through presentations, student-led discussion, or class participation. In order to guarantee sufficient attention to student writing and substantial opportunity for oral expression, the maximum number of students per section in a HASS CI subject is 18, except in the case of a subject taught without sections (where the faculty member in charge is the only instructor). In that case, enrollments can rise to 25, if a writing fellow is attached to the subject.

The course is organized into lectures and recitation sections. There will be two weekly lectures each of 1-1/2 hours duration. The lectures will delve into the primary topic for the week, covering theoretical and analytical issues as well as the substantive questions raised in the reading material. In particular, the lectures will emphasize alternative ways of examining a given topic. Students are encouraged to ask questions and offer comments in lecture class.

There will be a weekly recitation session of 1 hour, with several sections to choose among. The recitation sections will explore lecture and reading topics in greater detail, provide the opportunity for broad discussion among the students, and correct the mistakes made in lecture class by the lecturer. Some recitation sessions will focus more explicitly on topics implied, but not directly covered, in the lectures. No recitation section will have more than 18 students.

(1) The two of the required course readings are:

• Layzer, Judith A. The Environmental Case. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 2002.
• Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn. Environmental Politics. Wadsworth Press, 2001.

(2) Students are also required to follow environmental news by monitoring the GREENWIRE news service. GREENWIRE can be accessed from any computer with an MIT IP address at http://www.greenwire.com.

All the readings assignments relevant to a given week's class discussion must be read prior to that class.

Grades will be determined by student performance on all of the following:

• Class participation/class presentations: 25%
  
  Students are required to attend both the weekly lectures and a weekly recitation. Failure to regularly attend lectures and recitation sections will result in automatic failure of the course regardless of other grades. Regular attendance means no more than one unexcused absence from lecture or one unexcused absence from recitation section.
  
  Both lecture and recitation section will involve extensive student oral participation, commenting, questioning, and probing arguments and ideas. Students will be required to prepare one or more oral presentations for lecture/recitation class.
  
  
• Three Topical Papers:
  • Paper 1 is a three-page opinion-editorial. This will involve a rewriting exercise. Accordingly, the grade for this paper will be a composite of the initial draft (1/3) and the rewritten paper (2/3). (5%)
  • Papers 2 & 3 will each be eight page essays. (15% each)

Specific due dates for each paper are noted in the syllabus and late papers will be reduced 1/2 grade per day.

• Final Exam: 40%
  • Three-hour short-answer final exam, given during final week.