1. E-109: Environmental Politics Section Meeting 9 December 9, 2008

2. Focal Points: Ethics and the Environment Environmental Justice / Environmental Equity Framing Scale? Standing given to natural objects (Stone) Problematic? Scale? Sustainability Rio “Earth Summit” of 1992 Ambiguities in definition

3. Question: Noel Clay I agree with the sentiments you conveyed on the first day of class that we were likely to leave the class armed with more questions than answers. I do have more questions than I do answers at this point, and yet would like to attempt to make changes in the way our society approaches the environment through policy. What advice would you provide to those of us in positions that implement existing environmental policies when we don’t really have any answers. If we have access to decision-makers and/or policy- makers what are some key areas where you would like to see us challenge them and what tools would you recommend we use to help make our case?

4. Question: Josh Hager President-elect Obama holds a message of environmental change, particularly in comparison to the current administration. Various news outlets are describing the potential for a reversal of trends in the EPA, where numerous scientists left under a cloud of partisan censorship. Given the current economic and international crises, do you think that the change hoped for in the new administration will become an immediate priority, or will it remain a back-burner issue? Is it possible for the United States' environmental science paradigm to undergo the type of change outlined in 'The Death of Environmentalism' under the new administration?

5. Question: Melissa Downes What’s the correct “alignment of the stars” to get a permanent change with some decent momentum? We had the shift from agriculture to industrial revolution and I’d like to see the next shift from industrialization to “?”. I guess the other thing is how to recognize when there’s no common ground with critics to move an agenda. You can substitute European imperialism if that’s more appealing.

6. Question: Gayle Rockett If you were to recommend three (or more) points that would be important to include in global climate change policy, what would they be? Can you explain what adaptation versus mitigation is in the climate change arena?

7. Questions: Melissa Downes My business law class required the reading of Brown vs. the Board of Education. The NAACP lawyers were multiple generations from the same family – and showed how they developed their strategy and built cases to enable the precedent to change. I understand that the environmental law is a patchwork of laws and agencies and jurisdictions. Are there any cases, actual or conceptual, out there that could have a similar landslide ruling? If so what? What career opportunities do you see out there for people who can work with multiple disciplines to effect change?