Environ 305: The Great Lakes—Issues and Approaches

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:30AM – 1PM (4151 USB)

Gregg Crane

gdcrane@umich.edu

Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2 pm, 1120 USB

 

 

Introduction:

In this class, we will survey a number of prominent challenges or controversies facing the Great Lakes and water in this region.  While our list of these problems will not be exhaustive, it will, hopefully, illustrate the complexities involved in seeking solutions to such challenges.  Our fundamental orientation will be that of law and policy makers, informed citizens attempting to sort out the complexities involved in any given problem.  We will begin the course by acquiring an overview of the relevant legal doctrine.  Our analysis of some examples of judicial opinions on water controversies will provide us with examples of the methodology or mode of reasoning we will apply to the other water issues we consider during the course of this class.  In brief, this method will involve spotting and defining with some precision the issues involved in any Great Lakes or water controversy.  We will ascertain the facts material to that controversy, the various stakeholders involved in the controversy and their points of view, and attempt to discover or formulate principles that will help us decide how to handle the conflict or problem.

 

Course Content:

The content of this course (i.e., the materials you must read, listen to, and learn) will be generated by three sources.

First, I will be handing out photocopied materials for you to read.  This means that you must come to class to obtain these hand-outs.  Please note that there will be a lot of reading in this class, and there will be regular unannounced reading quizzes.

Second, several experts will be coming to class to offer presentations relevant to a wide variety of Great Lakes and water issues (e.g., invasive species, eutrophication, microplastic pollution, the Native American perspectives on the Great Lakes).  Please note that much of the science introduced in this class will come from these experts.  You will be tested on your comprehension and retention of these presentations.  Hence, again, class attendance will be imperative.

Third, you will, on a weekly basis, generate some of the materials we will consider in this class in the form of reports on research you will be conducting into the issues we’re discussing.  For instance, I will ask you to find, read, and summarize newspaper editorials, speeches, legal cases, public hearings, and other public commentary (e.g., comment by environmental groups, sport fishing groups, and boards of tourism).  You will locate, read, digest, and summarize such materials as well as uploading them to the canvas website for this course.

 

Skills:

We will talk about and hone our analytic method throughout the semester.  The fundamental skills involved in that method are careful and close analysis of the materials relating to problems we are considering and clear analytic expression (oral and written) that lucidly lays out the issue(s), material facts, the possible policy principles or legal rules potentially useful in addressing the problem, and an analysis applying those principles to the facts.

 

Ground rules (please read carefully):

To PASS this class you MUST do ALL of the following: 

1) come to class having done the assigned reading and any other required preparation (such as gathering materials for discussion), 

2) participate in class discussion, and

3) complete all of the following assignments:

–a midterm exam (1 hour and 20 minutes), 

–a final exam (2 hours),  

–unannounced weekly reading quizzes, 

–in-class presentations of your research on various issues, 

–and a final research paper (8-12 pages). 

Your grade will be calculated as follows: class participation, in-class presentations, and the quizzes will account for one third of your grade, the midterm and final exam will account for one third of your grade, and the final research paper will account for one third of your grade.

Substantial failure to accomplish any of the above requirements will result in a failing grade (for instance, if you don’t come to class and participate, you will not pass regardless of your marks on the other requirements of the class).

Please note that the use of electronic devices during class, such as laptops, cellphones, ipods, ipads, will NOT be permitted.  If you have an emergency and have to answer or respond to a cellphone call or message, you will need to leave class to do so.

If you have questions about the rules, requirements, or course content, ask me immediately.  I will interpret your continued presence in this class as a sign that you understand what we are going to be doing in this class and that you agree to fulfill the class requirements as I have described them in this document and orally on the first day of class.  If you are not interested in this subject matter or you find the requirements of the class, including the taking of the final exam ON THE SCHEDULED DAY (December 20, 1:30-3:30) to be impracticable or too demanding, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.

Please note that it is your responsibility to keep me posted as to matters concerning your ability to complete this class.  Every term, I have at least one student who, for some legitimate reason, such as illness, has a problem completing the course.  If you have such an issue, you need to let me know right away so we can discuss your situation and figure out a way for you either to complete the class or drop it.

 

Weekly Schedule (nota bene: this schedule is subject to revision.)

9/6—Introduction

9/8—The law of the Great Lakes, an overview.

9/13—Two cases: Glass v. Goeckel, Nemeth v. Abonmarche

9/15—Jennifer Read, Director of the Water Center, presents on binational and state/provincial policy management, the similarities and differences between the systems of governance in the Great Lakes basin.

9/20—Water diversion from the Great Lakes.

9/21—Water diversion from the Great Lakes, the Waukesha case.

9/27—Water diversion from the Great Lakes, the Waukesha case.

9/29—Invasive species, an introduction.

10/4—Paul Webb, speaking on invasive species.

10/6—No Class.

10/11—Cory Brant, speaking on invasive species (sea lamprey).

10/13—Invasive species.

10/18—FALL BREAK

10/20—Frank Ettawageshik, speaking on Native Americans and the Great Lakes.

10/25—Native Americans and the Great Lakes, culture, law, and policy.

10/27— Native Americans and the Great Lakes, culture, law, and policy.

11/1—Melissa Duhaime, speaking on microplastic pollution.

11/3—Microplastic pollution.

11/8—Hydrodynamics and oil spills in the Great Lakes

11/10—Hydrodynamics and oil spills in the Great Lakes

11/15—Rebecca Muenich, speaking on agriculture, nutrient pollution, Lake Erie HABs, and hypoxia.

11/17—Eutrophication and hypoxia.

11/22—Eutrophication and hypoxia.

11/24—No Class, Thanksgiving

11/29— Jason Duvall, the public and the process of policy making.

12/1—the Flint water crisis.

12/6—the Flint water crisis.

12/8—the Flint water crisis.

12/13—TBA

Final research paper due—December 13 in class.

Final exam—December 20, 1:30-3:30