Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2016

Environmental Sciences Master Information
Major in Environmental Systems and Policy
Policy Engagement
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
701-0016-00LPhilosophical Issues in Understanding Global Change Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 9.
Priority is given to D-ERDW and D-USYS Master's and doctoral students.
W2 credits1SG. Hirsch Hadorn, C. J. Baumberger, R. Knutti
AbstractThis course investigates the potentials and limitations of models and computer simulations that aim at understanding global change. We also discuss the limitations of observations and the role of results from models and computer simulations in decision making on policy for sustainable development.
ObjectiveStudents learn to reflect on concepts, methods, arguments and knowledge claims based upon computer simulations by critically analysing and assessing topical and recent research papers from philosophy and the sciences.
ContentGlobal change is not just a major real-world problem, but also a challenge for the natural and social sciences. The challenge is due to the spatial and temporal scales considered, the diversity, complexity and variability of aspects involved, and, last but not least, the descriptive, pragmatic and normative questions raised by global change. This course investigates the potentials and limits of research methods such as modelling for understanding global change with a focus on climate change, and it discusses the role of results from modelling and computer simulations in decision making on policy for sustainable development.

In the seminar, topics such as the following are discussed:
(1) What is a model? What are purposes and potential pitfalls of modelling? What are the basic steps of modelling?
(2) What are computer simulations and what is their relation to models? How do we learn about the real-world by running computer simulations? How do computer simulations differ from classical experiments?
(3) What do data tell us about the problem we are investigating? What are the difficulties in assessing and interpreting data?
(4) What is the role of results from modelling and computer simulation in decision making on policy for sustainable development? Which questions for policy can be answered in this way? What are the consequences of uncertainties for policy making?
Lecture notesA set of papers from philosophy and from science to be discussed and a guide to analyzing texts are provided.
LiteratureThe papers to be discussed in the seminar sessions and guidelines about the analysis of texts are provided.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis seminar is offered at the ETH and the University of Bern. There are four seminar sessions, each lasting 4 hours. The sessions take place from 13:45 to 17:15. The places alternate between Zurich and Bern in the following way
18.03. Berne UniS A-119 Schanzeneckstrasse 1
08.04. Zurich CHN P12 Universitätstrasse 16
29.04. Berne UniS A-119 Schanzeneckstrasse 1
20.05. Zurich CHN P12 Universitätstrasse 16

In the first meeting, participants are introduced to methods on how to read a philosophical paper. For each meeting, every participant answers a couple of questions about the paper scheduled for discussion. This preparation will take about 4-5 hours for each paper. Answers have to be sent to the lecturers before the seminar takes place and provide a basis for the discussion. All students that have subscribed will get the questions and text for the first meeting by email.
Seminar discussions are chaired jointly by lecturers from philosophy and from science. Interest in interdisciplinary reading and discussion is a prerequisite. The number of participants from ETH is limited to 9, in total to 18.
Requirements for 2 CP: (1) Answer the questions about the text before the meetings (4 times), (2) At the end of the semester, write a final essay of about 2-3 pages pages about a topic discussed in our meetings. This essay should be delivered until 3 weeks after the end of the spring semester.
Master or PhD students of D-USYS or students of Atmosph. + Climate Science MSc have priority.
701-1350-00LCase Studies in Environment and HealthW4 credits2VK. McNeill
AbstractThis course will tell the story of a few individual chemicals from different standpoints: their basic chemistry, environmental behavior, ecotoxicology, human health impacts, and societal role. The goal of the course is to draw out the common points in each chemical's history to be able to better predict the environmental and human health impacts of new chemicals whose story is so far unknown.
ObjectiveThis course aims to illustrate how the individual molecular properties and societal pressures lead to environmental and human health crises. The ultimate goal of the course is to identify common aspects that will improve prediction of environmental crises before they occur. Students are expected to participate actively in the course, which includes the critical reading of the pertinent literature and class presentations.
ContentEach semester will feature between three and five case studies of molecules, or classes of molecules, that have had a profound effect on human health and the environment. These case studies will be explored from different angles, including considering their environmental chemistry their toxicology and their societal role. Students will be expected to contribute to the discussion and, on selected topics, to lead the discussion.
Lecture notesHandouts will be provided as needed.
LiteratureHandouts will be provided as needed.
701-1502-00LTransdisciplinary Case Study Information Restricted registration - show details W7 credits15PM. Stauffacher, P. Krütli
AbstractThis course is project-based and organized in a real-world context. Students deal with complex, societally relevant problems where environmental issues are key and that demand mutual learning among science and society.
ObjectiveStudents learn how to plan and organize their work in groups, how to structure complex problems, how to use empirical methods and how to organise transdisciplinary collaboration between research and people from outside academia.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe number of participants is limited. Students have to apply for this course by sending a two-page motivation letter (why are you interested? what do you want to learn? what can you contribute?) to Link and Link (latest by 15 January 2016)
701-1562-00LCases in Environmental Policy and Decision Making Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 40.
O6 credits4PA. Patt, M. Morosini, D. Schröter, A. Scolobig
AbstractThe course will proceed through a series of case studies, modeled after those often used in business and policy teaching curricula. Students will engage in individual and group work to practice the art of effective decision-making, recommending a course of action for the individual and organization that is the subject of each case, gaining valuable insights into environmental policy-making.
Objective- Identify the facts, assumptions, theories, and social constructions guiding the decisions of different stakeholders to a range of environmental and natural resource policy problems.
- Recognize key institutional and interpersonal challenges in decision-making situations.
- Design communication and decision-making processes that can work effectively in the context of stakeholder worldviews and perspectives.
- Conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of value to decision-makers, and communicate that in a manner that is clear and effective.
- Consider broader policy issues applicable across the cases, such as the appropriate roles of public, non-profit, and private sector organizations, the decentralization of authority, and possible societal pathways towards sustainability.
ContentThe course will cover a range of environmental problem areas, include land conversion, water quality, air quality, climate change, and energy. Across these issues, cases will force students to confront particular decisions needing to be made by individuals and organizations, primarily in the public and non-profit sectors, but also in provate sector firms.
Prerequisites / NoticeIt would be desirable, but not essential, that students had already taken a course on policy analysis and modeling.
701-1653-00LPolicy and Economics of Ecosystem ServicesW3 credits2GS. Andrade de Sa
AbstractThe course introduces the concept of ecosystem services (ES), their value for society, the causes of their degradation and potential policies to reduce degradation, from an environmental economics perspective. The main focus is thus on policy options for addressing ecosystems' degradation. The strengths and weaknesses of alternative policies are analyzed and illustrated with examples.
ObjectiveThe objective is to draw on insights from environmental economics for explaining human-induced ecosystem change and for assessing the potential of policies and economic incentives as strategies to reduce ecosystem services degradation. Students understand the relevance of environmental economics in application to the sustainable provision of ecosystem services (ES). They can define different categories of ecosystem services and understand underlying sources of market failure that lead to suboptimal human decisions regarding ES provision. They understand the importance of policy choice and policy design. This incorporates both established and newer policy approaches that can be used to address market failure and move towards better outcomes from a societal point of view. They can assess strengths and weaknesses of alternative policy approaches and instruments and understand the basis for selecting among alternative instruments to address ecosystems' degradation. Students have an improved understanding of the political economy underlying the making of environmental policy. They know a variety of real-world applications of different policy approaches related to land use choices and ES in developing and developed countries. Finally, they understand approaches for assessing policy impacts.
ContentThe Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that 60% of the world's ecosystem services (ES) are being degraded or used unsustainably. The UN report on 'The Economics of Ecosystems Services and Biodiversity' highlighted the impacts on human well-being and the role of policy in addressing ecosystems' degradation. Evaluating changes in ES from a societal perspective first requires an assessment of the societal value of different ES and the tradeoffs between them. Second, we need to understand the drivers of human decision-making affecting ES. Examples will be provided on resource use choices in developed and developing countries. Third, an assessment of the causes of excessive ES degradation is needed. Potential causes include the presence of externalities, improperly designed property rights systems, divergence of private and social discount rates, and lack of information and knowledge. Understanding the causes helps to design policies for more sustainable outcomes. Policies include command-and-control, economic incentives (for example, eco-taxes, tradable permits, government payments for ecosystem services), and decentralized approaches (for example, voluntary agreements, eco-labeling, participatory management). Choosing an appropriate policy instrument (or a combination thereof) requires an understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of alternative instruments, their preconditions for success and the political economy of their implementation. Finally, assessing the actual impacts of policy once implemented requires a careful assessment of appropriate baselines.
Lecture notesLecture notes, homework exercises and readings for each class will be made available on OLAT.
LiteratureThere is no single textbook for this class. Instead, a number of articles and book chapters will be suggested for each of the topics addressed during the lecture.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course consists of a combination of lectures, homework assignments on real world case studies, a computer exercise, and an exam.
A prerequisite for this course is a bachelor-level course in Environmental Economics (e.g. 751-1551-00). In particular, students are expected to be familiar with basic environmental economics' concepts such as externality, public good, market failure, opportunity cost, social optimum and market equilibrium, among others. Students with no background in environmental economics can be provided with readings but will be expected to come up to the required standards on their own, prior to starting the class. Please contact Dr. Andrade de Sá (Link) for these.
751-2700-00LLand Markets and Land PolicyW2 credits2GG. M. Giuliani
AbstractIn this course the students acquire knowledge on the particularities of land markets and the effects of policy interventions such as ceiling prices and land redistributions on land markets. Special emphasis is placed on the knowledge of land market structures and on the forms of land markets.
ObjectiveIn this course the students acquire knowledge on the particularities of land markets and the effects of policy interventions such as ceiling prices and land redistributions on land markets. Special emphasis is placed on the knowledge of land market structures and on the forms of land markets.
ContentThe first part of the course deals with the following topics: historical outline of land use; historical models of individual and collective land regulations; Swiss land regulations and land policies; specific theoretical aspects of agricultural land markets; empirical investigations on land property and land markets; interconnections between land policy and agricultural policy. The second part of the course focuses on land property structures in developing countries and in transition countries. After a general systematic and theoretical introduction on land policies and land reforms in these countries, case studies and topcis of current political relevance are discussed. This course provides principles contributing to the evaluation of the sustainability of land use and to the establishment of sustainable land use systems.
Lecture notesWill be provided in the course.
LiteratureAre included in the lecture notes.
860-0012-00LCooperation and Conflict Over International Water Resources
Note: Replacement of 701-0462-01L "The Science and Politics of International Water Management".
Students who already attended 701-0462-01L, kann not be credited again for this course.
W3 credits2SB. Wehrli, T. Bernauer, J. Mertens
AbstractThis course focuses on the technical, economic, and political challenges of dealing with water allocation and pollution problems in large international river basins. It examines ways and means through which such challenges are addressed, and when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail.

This is a research seminar at the Master level. PhD students are also welcome.
ObjectiveThe students get an overview of (1) causes and consequences of water scarcity and water pollution problems in large international river basins; (2) they learn concepts to assess and mitigate such water challenges, and (3) they analyze when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail.
ContentBased on lectures and discussion of scientific papers students acquire basic knowledge on contentious issues in managing international water resources, on the determinants of cooperation and conflict over international water issues, and on ways and means of mitigating conflict and promoting cooperation. Students will then, in teams of two and coached by Profs. Bernauer and Wehrli, do research on a case of their choice (i.e. an international river basin where riparian countries are trying to find solutions to water allocation and/or water quality problems). They will write a brief paper and present their findings during a final meeting at the end of the semester.
The first 4 and the last 2 dates are reserved for lectures and seminars. The students work on their case study from 22.03. to 17.05.
Lecture notesslides and papers will be distributed electronically
LiteratureThe UN World Water Development Report 2015 provides a broad overview of the topic
Link
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course is open to Master and PhD students from any area of ETH.
  •  Page  1  of  1