An Environmental Security Course at West Point Marie C. Johnson Department of Geography and...

An Environmental Security Course at West PointAn Environmental Security Course at West PointMarie C. Johnson

Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, USMA, West Point, NY 10996 marie.johnson@usma.edu

Course outcomes

Course context and contentThis course is taken by senior environmental science majors in their last semester. It effectively combines their two interests.

Summary

Assigned reading

At the conclusion of this course, a student will be able to:1. Explain the concept of environmental security in his/her own words. 2. Describe the relevance of environmental security to U.S. national security. 3. Evaluate the available future energy options for the United States given

projected technical, economic, and socio-political constraints. 4. Evaluate environmental, technical, economic, and socio-political

considerations and propose a sustainable energy plan for a developing region of the world.

Assessment is conducted via written exams, oral briefs, short written papers, and the larger term project. Assessment

1. Readings in Environmental Security assembled by the instructor, includes non-copyrighted sources from the Department of Defense, United Nations and other relief organizations, and the academic community.2. Oil and the Future of Energy, the Editors of Scientific American, the Lyons Press, 2007.

www.usma.edu/Class/2007/ADay/ADayGallery.htmforyourfreedomandmine.com/default.aspx

www.healthspablog.org/category/health-talk/www.rwcc.com.au/Links%20to%20other%20Web%20Sites.htm

www.core.org.cn/jhsph/courses/EpiInfectiousDisease/

i.mktw.net/newsimages/NewsCommentary/SpecialReports/TheHeatIsOn/day2energy_bkgd2_660x852.gif

blog.kir.com/archives/cat_economics_energy_prices.asp

www.windpowerninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/renewable-energy.jpg

www.dodownload.com/image/american+flag+with+eagle.png

This course explores the link between the environment and national security. It specifically focuses on four key drivers: food, water, infectious disease and energy. If a state cannot secure enough food and water for its citizens, effectively respond to infectious disease outbreaks and/or provide energy to drive its economy, it runs the risk of disintegrating socially and politically, becoming a breeding ground for terrorism and violence, and threatening the stability of all other states in our globalized society.

food water infectious disease

energy

national security

www.tork.com.au/upload/1__Global_Files_And_Com/2__Images/8__Environment/environment_plant.jpg

newsblaze.com/pix/2006/0604/pix/CSMB2.jpg

At mid-semester, the students form teams, choose a developing country, and ultimately devise a strategy to further energy security in this country given its unique mix of environmental, technological, economic and socio-political constraints.

Term project

Date LS Topic Assignment

9-Jan 1 Introduction In-class exercise13-Jan 2 Plan B RES pp. 1-11, web reading15-Jan 3 National security strategy RES pp. 12-6519-Jan 4 Defining environmental security RES pp. 66-74, web reading21-Jan 5 Environmental security and the military RES pp. 75-85, web reading23-Jan 6 Environmental peacebuilding RES pp. 86-10627-Jan 7 Millennium development goals RES pp.107-16829-Jan 8 Global trends Paper 1 due, RES pp. 181-194 and 260-264

2-Feb 9 Infectious diseases 1 web reading4-Feb 10 Infectious diseases 2 RES pp. 267-3086-Feb 11 Africom RES pp. 309-319

10-Feb 12 Freshwater RES pp. 320-35412-Feb 13 Food security 1 RES pp. 355-35917-Feb 14 Food security 2 web reading19-Feb 15 Field Trip to the United Nations Paper 2 due. Meet at CGR at 073023-Feb 16 Drop

25-Feb 17 The future of oil SA pp. 1-927-Feb 18 Kyoto treaty RES pp. 361-368, 379-3883-Mar 19 Kyoto treaty simulation In-class exercise5-Mar 20 Carbon sequestration SA pp. 44-619-Mar 21 Climate repair SA pp. 20-33

11-Mar 22 WPR Study all previous materials!13-Mar 23 EV effects of CO2 Hand out previous class

24-Mar 24 Scenario building RES pp. 260-26426-Mar 25 Power grid SA pp. 132-14030-Mar 26 Power and the economy SA pp. 168-1791-Apr 27 Field trip to power plant MS 1 due. Meet CGR at 07303-Apr 28 Nuclear power SA pp. 106-1137-Apr 29 Nuclear waste SA pp. 98-1059-Apr 30 Uranium mining Web reading, in-class exercise

13-Apr 31 Drop15-Apr 32 Scenario presentations MS 2 and presentations due17-Apr 33 Scenario presentations20-Apr 34 Guest lecture Dr. Kent Buts, Army War College23-Apr 35 Renewable energy SA pp. 193-20127-Apr 36 Ethanol or biodiesel In-class exercise29-Apr 37 Hydrogen fuel SA pp. 121-123, 140-1464-May 38 Fuel cells SA pp. 124-131, In-class movie6-May 39 Transportation fuels SA pp. 153-1668-May 40 Plan B (again) Final project reports due, SA pp. 211-221

Defining the problem

Disease, water and food

Energy

!!! Spring Break, 16-20 March !!!

EV Sec Strat

Africom WPRMS 1

DriversMS 2

ScenariosScenario

BriefsTerm Paper

Current Events

Total PointsPercent of Total Course Points

Score (1-5)

1 x 3,4,5,7 1 181 18.1 4.30

2 x 1,2,6,8 132 13.2 4.09

3 9 2 37 3.7 4.24

4 x x x x 650 65 4.31

1000

Performance Based

IndicatorsSubjective Rating

(cadets)

Subjective Rating

(instructor)

Subjective Rating

(combined)Overall

Assessment Color Code

1 4.30 4.13 4 4.08 4.26 Green

2 4.09 4.25 4.5 4.35 4.14 Green

3 4.24 4.50 4 4.30 4.25 Green

4 4.31 4.38 4.25 4.33 4.31 Green

http://epi.yale.edu/Homehttp://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350

The Environmental Performance Index

The Human Development Index

+

the environment the Army

Worldwide Governance Indicators

Metrics of a Country’s Security