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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Climate Change and International Security |
| Unit code |
POLIM0004 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
M/7
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Ashley Dodsworth |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This module will explore the implications of climate change for international security, assessing how the destructive transformation of the earth’s resources and environment will impact the current world order. The course will cover the key areas of economic security, energy security and territorial security, as well as the role of climate change in driving conflict and global migration. Students will also explore the international efforts to limit the effects of and adapt to climate change, from international summits and negotiations to specific policies such as emission trading, and assess whether these measures will be enough to secure human life.
The aims of the unit are:
- to explain the different ways in which climate change threatens international security
- to explore the measures different actors have taken to try and mitigate this
- to enable students to develop their skills in critical thinking and writing
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the threat of global climate change and its causes
- Critically assess the ways in which climate change may create and drive conflict
- Explain how climate change may affect economic, territorial and energy security as well as the issue of climate migration
- Critically evaluate the international measures that have been taken to limit and adapt to climate change and suggest strategies for future action
Teaching Information
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities
Assessment Information
25% 1500 article review
75% 4000 word essay
Reading and References
Kate O’Neill, The Environment and International Relations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Stephen Gardiner, Simon Caney and Dale Jamison (eds.) Climate Ethics: Essential Readings (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2010)
David Ciplet and J. Timmons Roberts, Power in a warming world (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2015)
John Volger, Climate Change in World Politics (London: Palgrave Macmillian, 2015)
Simon Dalby, Security and Environmental Change (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009)
David Cromwell and Mark Levene (eds.) Surviving Climate Change: The Struggle to Avert Global
Catastrophe (London: Pluto Press, 2009)
