Marc- Our undergrad curriculum at Boston College is unfortunately weak on environmental topics, but we are right now in the middle of developing a minor in "sustainability." As you can imagine, a) that has different meanings to different schools, and b) the administration is dragging its feet on implementing this, I believe because it doesn't yet fit any recognized disciplinary boundaries. As we (the committee) originally framed it, however, "sustainability" reached from environmental and natural resource science/policy directly into economic and political development, and from there into tertiary fields such as public health, sociology, law, and private sector business development.
As to which is most appropriate, if the idea of sustainability isn't extended beyond just natural resources, then it risks being lumped into the "special interest" of environmentalism (a la Nordhaus & Shellenberger) and relegated to policy irrelevancy. -Beth -- Elizabeth L. Chalecki, PhD Visiting Asst Professor International Studies Program, Environmental Studies Program Boston College 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 chalecki [at] bc.edu elizabeth.chalecki [at] gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/chalecki On Fri, Dec 10, 2010 at 7:09 AM, Marc Levy <[email protected]>wrote: > 1) Would you say that, where you teach, undergraduate classes on > "sustainable development" are more or less framed as extensions of > environment/natural resource science and policy, or as subject areas > that seek to integrate challenges to sustainability with challenges to > development? > > 2) Which approach do you think is most appropriate? > > Thanks, > Marc > > -- > Marc A. Levy > Deputy Director, CIESIN > Adjunct Professor, SIPA > > PO Box 1000 > 61 Route 9W > Palisades, NY 10964 > t +1 845-365-8964 > f +1 845-365-8922 > m +1 845-270-5762 >
