Law, policy, and ethics are key in understanding how we respect, manage, and utilize our environment. This course will introduce students to basic principles of environmental law. What is it? How did it evolve? Does it deal fairly with resource preservation, use, and allocation? Can it deal with complex emerging problems such as climate change, species at risk, accumulation of toxics, urban sprawl and so on?

We will review the state of the environmental law, with an emphasis on topical issues in Toronto, Ontario, and Canada. Throughout the course, students will be asked to consider the ethical foundations for environmental laws, and their capability of addressing today’s challenges. We will also consider how to present information in a legal setting. Students will be required to research and prepare a presentation (online) on a current issue in environmental law. This work will be done individually, and as a group, using the tools available on Quercus.