GEOG220

Description

Property relations are among the most powerful and pervasive institutions in human societies. Fundamental rules governing and legitimating who can do what, and where, shape and reveal interactions between human societies and physical environments. This course explores these dynamics with a particular focus on their implications for environmental politics and regulation. It addresses debates over common property; the benefits and dangers of privatization of environmental goods and services; distinctions between formal and informal property rights; the development of zoning and other regulation of private property; and contemporary debates over novel forms of property rights in nature (e.g., intellectual property rights, tradeable pollution permits, etc.), as well as relationships among trade, property rights, and environmental quality. At least 6 credits of prior coursework in geography or another relevant discipline (e.g., political science, economics, history, or ID) or permission of the instructor subsequent to discussion regarding the student's level of preparation is required.