Dear Miranda and other ESS members, I would like to suggest that one aim of the section, "to promote scholarly interactions," be changed to "to promote ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE scholarly interactions." I say this because, as part of ISA, ESS encourages members to fly long distances to attend conferences, which is not environmentally responsible. Unless I am mistaken, just one not-very-long flight to the annual conference would produce more carbon emissions by the scholar doing the flying than comes from total annual per capita emissions (from all activities) from most of the world's population. (I might be over- or understating this, but I think the point obtains nevertheless.)
If we can't address this sort of thing, I have to wonder what the aim of "better understanding of the reciprocal influence of natural and human systems" is for. Put another way, we have to act on our better understanding (and push ISA to do likewise). I realize that this is a sensitive issue, and that many members don't want to give up trips to the conferences (and that ISA makes its money from attendance), but it's an issue that isn't going to go away. We, perhaps most of all among ISA sections, look increasingly hypocritical if we don't act very robustly on this matter. That will have to mean members staying at or near home instead of jetting off to ISA meetings. Maybe we need a quota, say three trips to ISA in a career (to get over some people's objection to cutting off young members' opportunities to network in person, although some might argue that the environment is more important than such networking opportunities, not least because the internet provides so many alternative ways of having them). All best, Paul ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] On Behalf Of Miranda Schreurs [[email protected]] Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 6:46 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [gep-ed] Rechartering the Environmental Studies Section of the ISA Dear ESS members (to those of you who are not yet members of the Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association, I urge you to consider joining!) The International Studies Association requires its sections to apply for rechartering every five years. This requires putting together a lot of information about the section. Much of the information will be of interest to those on the list, so I have excerpted part of our submission to share with all of you. If anyone who is an ESS member cares to see the full submission (which includes a copy of the amended ESS charter, names of current officers, and financial data), let me know (message just to me please). I think the following may be of interest to all: ISA ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SECTION 1. Section Annual Activities The aim of ESS/ISA is to seek a better understanding of the reciprocal influence of natural and human systems within global, regional, and national contexts, and to promote scholarly interactions among social and natural scientists and policy-makers interested in these issues. 1. Following the prominence of global, regional and national environmental issues and the active scholarly interest they have raised, the section has experienced steady growth since 1983, both in the number of members and in the number and variety of panels offered at annual meetings. The Section is thus blessed with highly dynamic and enthusiastic members. Section members actively work to promote the section and attract new members. 2. The annual ISA conference is the highlight event of the year for the ESS. ESS members are very active at the annual conferences. This is visible from the large number of panels the section organizes at the ISA. In 2009 we sponsored or co-sponsored 50 panels and roundtables. In 2010 it was 53 and in 2011 it looks like it will be 52. For the 2011 conference, 21 panels, 1 roundtable, and 124 papers were submitted to ESS as a first choice. At the annual section business meeting that is held in conjunction with the annual conference, panel ideas for the next year’s program are floated to begin the process of generating coherent and thematically-relevant panels. The program Vice-Chair (Pamela Chasek) evaluates panels for the program and creates panels out of individually submitted papers. 3. Special workshops organized by ESS members are often tied to the ISA annual conference. In 2010, Paul Wapner, Sikina Jinnah, and Simon Nicholson were making plans for a workshop on “Global Environmental Politics on a New Earth: Deepening Community and Research for the Environmental Studies Section” to be held one-day prior to the Montreal ISA Annual Conference in 2011. The workshop will bring together 60 members of the Environmental Studies Section of the ISA for a day of discussions and fellowship. 4. A large number of our members are extremely active in the Section. Many are highly active in international programs, institutions, networks, and conferences dealing with global or regional environmental policy-making. Throughout the year, ESS members exchange information, plan events, participate in research projects, and help keep the section really present in the community. 5. GEP-ED. Many years ago ESS member, Michael Maniates established a discussion list (open to all) on teaching global environmental politics. This list provides a forum for discussing substantive and pedagogical issues related to the teaching of global environmental politics (GEP) at the undergraduate and graduate level. The list was initially organized to provide a place for college and university teachers of GEP to compare notes and explore alternative curricular and pedagogical approaches. Over the years, the list has taken on another purpose too, that being a place where scholars, government analysts, activists, and graduate students can raise questions and broach issues about the state of the field and the events and scholarly resources that inform it. Much of the list’s discussion revolves around how or what to teach, and about why and how we teach what we do. Narrow requests for help and insight are welcome on this list (e.g. “what recent good books exist out there for my undergraduate course in international relations,” “how do I teach international political economy to a varied classroom audience,” or “what’s the latest word on international property rights and biodiversity, and how are people framing these issues in their courses?”) So too are broader discussions about contemporary and alternative approaches to teaching GEP, and questions or concerns grounded in the struggle to enlighten and inspire students with whom we now, or may someday, work. For technical reasons, the list was shifted to a new provider ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>). This is certainly one of the largest list serves of its kind with several hundred professors, graduate students, and experts participating. 6. The section administers the ISA annual Harold and Margaret Sprout Award given for the best book or article published in the field of international environmental politics – one that makes a contribution to theory and interdisciplinarity, shows rigor and coherence in research and writing, and offers accessibility and practical relevance. Nominated works must be published during the two years prior to the year they are nominated for. Award recipients in the past five years are: 2010 D.G Webster, University of Southern California Adaptive Governance: The Dynamics of Atlantic Fisheries Management<http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11621> MIT Press<http://environmental-studies.org/href=> 2009 Steve Vanderheiden, University of Colorado Atmospheric Justice: A Political Theory of Climate Change<http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/PoliticalTheory/ContemporaryPoliticalThought/?view=usa&ci=9780195334609> Oxford University Press<http://www.oup.com/> Runners-up: Charlotte Epstein, University of Sydney: The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of an Anti-Whaling Discourse<http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11618>. MIT Press<http://mitpress.mit.edu/> Matthew Paterson, University of Ottawa: Automobile Politics: Ecology and Cultural Political Economy<http://cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521870801>. Cambridge University Press<http://cambridge.org/> 2008 David Humphreys, The Open University Logjam: Deforestation and the Crisis of Global Governance<http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=1117> Earthscan<http://www.earthscan.co.uk/> Runner-up: Andrew Szasz, University of California, Santa Cruz: Shopping our Way to Safety: How we Changed from Protecting the Environment to Protecting Ourselves<http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/S/szasz_shopping.html>. University of Minnesota Press<http://www.upress.umn.edu/> 2007 Thomas Princen, University of Michigan The logic of Sufficiency<http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10635> MIT Press<http://mitpress.mit.edu/> 2006 Ken Conca, University of Maryland Governing Water: Contentious Transnational Politics and Global Institution Building<http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10637> MIT Press<http://mitpress.mit.edu/> 1. The section issues a Graduate Student Paper Award for the best paper by a student at the annual ISA Convention. In 2010 no award was administered as the Executive committee did not feel the quality of the papers was sufficiently strong to merit an award. In 2011 an award will be made. 2. The ESS Newsletter is sent out once every three months. The ESS Newsletter is highly valued by the section members. It is currently edited by Richard Matthew and Pamela Donohoo, University of California, Irvine. The ESS Newsletter includes sections on: ESS Section News, New Publications (Books, Articles and Chapters), Dissertation Abstracts, on the Web, Announcements, Career Resources, Student Resources. (http://environmental-studies.org/?cat=4) 3. The ESS maintains a web site (developed by Ron Mitchell and currently administered by Marcus Schaper). The website provides information about the ESS, the ESS charter, ESS Officers, Sprout Award Winners, the ESS Newsletter, Journals of interest to the section, and environmental studies graduate programs. 4. ESS member, Peter Dauvergne founded the journal Global Environmental Politics many years ago. It is currently edited by Jennifer Clapp and Richard Matthews. ESS members regularly publish in the journal. The journal also provides the winner of the Best Graduate Student Paper Award the opportunity to be considered for publication in the journal. Global Environmental Politics. Publisher: MIT Press Description: Global Environmental Politics invites submissions that focus on international and comparative environmental politics. The journal covers the relationship between global political forces and environmental change. Topics include the role of states, multilateral institutions and agreements, trade, international finance, corporations, inequalities, non-governmental organizations, science and technology, and grassroots movements. Particular attention is given to the implications of local-global interactions for environmental management as well as the implications of environmental change for world politics. 5. At the 2010 annual section business meeting, a committee was established to look into steps that could be taken to green the section. The committee is being chaired by Beth deSombre. 6. The ESS has pulled in sponsorship from Ashgate Publishing Co. and MIT Press for its reception at the annual conference. Another potential sponsorship is currently under discussion. 2. Section Membership Section Membership of the ESS has been steadily increasing, doubling in the past five years. The section has worked to expand its membership, working to recruit not only established, but also junior and international scholars. March 2005 = 159 March 2006 = 171 March 2007 = 184 March 2008 = 213 March 2009 = 304 March 2010 = 324 Happy Holiday Wishes to all. Miranda Schreurs (writing in my role as Chair of the Environmental Studies Section of the ISA) -- ************************************* Prof. Miranda Schreurs Director, Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) Department of Political and Social Sciences Otto Suhr Institute for Political Science Freie Universitat Berlin Ihnestr. 22 / D - 14195 Berlin-Dahlem phone: (+)49 - 30 - 838 56687 fax: (+)49 - 30 - 838 566 85 web: www.fu-berlin.de/ffu<http://www.fu-berlin.de/ffu>
