It is no secret that California has water problems. The current drought, which began in 2012, has led to a 500-year record low snowpack, a 200-year record for drought conditions, and, overall, may be a 10,000 year event. Due to the intensifying impacts of climate change, hotter summers from La Niña, and decreasing Sierra snowpack, weaknesses in California’s policy and natural environment are being exposed and exploited. These recent developments only underscore the institutional problems in California’s system of water management.
This class aims to develop knowledge of the history, political economy, and policy that regulates California water policy today. Topics from hydraulic mining in the 1800s to groundwater usage rights to hydraulic fracturing to the Sacramento River Delta will be discussed. Each class will consist of an overview of one system relevant to California Water Policy. Problems will be identified, and solutions will be proposed, discussed, and debated in class. The class will be primarily discussion based. Get excited for mock stakeholder town-halls, debates, and model moderations! The knowledge gained in this class will lead to an environmental communications project at the end of the course.
Section | Facilitator | Size | Location | Time | Starts | Status | CCN(LD) | CCN(UD) |
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Section 1 | Daniel Ahrens | 20 | 246 Dwinelle | [Tu] 6:00PM-8:00PM | 01/24/2017 | Open | -- | 24871 |
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