Who should bear the burdens of environmental harms? We rely on the environment for a wide range of resources and opportunities. What is the fairest way to divide up those resources and opportunities? Should we think of the environment as a resource to be divvied up at all? This introductory course will use the lens of environmental justice and sustainability to introduce conceptions of fairness and vulnerability, and the challenges we face as we balance the flourishing of people today against the flourishing of future generations. The course will examine topics such as water availability, agricultural patterns, globalization, environmental resources, and climate change.
Field ClassCountry: Morocco
Date: October 16, 2019
In this Field Class we will visit a local organization that has developed a process for harvesting the moisture available in fog. The idea of drawing water out of the air, rather than out of the ground, provides an intriguing opportunity for addressing water scarcity. As populations increase there is increased pressure on water and environmental resources. New and creative means of acquiring water will be needed. In this experience we will observe one such means, harvesting fog. We will examine the long- term viability of this resource, and so consider questions of its sustainability, and examine the ability of various segments of the population to reap the benefits of this technology, and so consider questions of environmental justice.
- investigate the balance between fairness in short term and long term sustainability
- consider the need to find alternative points of access for limited resources
- explain the challenges faced by increasingly stressed populations as they strive to access limited resources.