SYLLABUS

E50.2020: Contemporary Debates in Environmental Ethics

Spring 2004

Topic: Ethical Issues in Restoration Ecology

Instructor: Andrew Light, Assistant Professor of Environmental Philosophy

Office: 246 Greene Street, Room 314E

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00,and by appointment.

Phone and messages: 998-5636

E-mail: andrew.light@nyu.edu

Texts: The Once and Future Forest, Leslie Sauer (OFF)

Faking Nature, Robert Elliot (FN)

Nature as Subject, Eric Katz (NS)

Miracle Under the Oaks, William Stevens (MUO)

Restoring Nature, eds. Paul Gobster & Bruce Hull (RN)

The Sunflower Forest, William Jordan III (SF)

Nature By Design, Eric Higgs (ND)

Articles on Reserve (OR)

Summary of Class and Requirements:

This course will examine historical and ethical debates over attempts to recreate ecosystems which no longer exist, such as the restoration of tall-grass prairies, wetlands, oak savannahs, and forests. Examples of projects range from small scale urban park restorations, such as those currently underway in Central Park and Prospect Park, to multi-billion dollar wetland mitigations in the Florida Everglades. Philosophical critics have long claimed that restored ecosystems are unnatural and so either are second best alternatives to efforts to preserve native ecosystems, or else may represent a new form of domination of nature, one where we once again impose our will on what we see as the best forms of natural ecosystems to suit our needs. Topics covered will include controversies over what historical period we restore to, the cultural status of restoration projects in and outside of aboriginal communities, the role of public participation in restoration projects as a form of environmental education, and whether restorations should aim at producing landscapes which can be passed off as originals.

As this is a graduate seminar, the course will be mainly discussion based. Students will write two papers (approximately ten-fifteen pages), one on an assigned topic in the seventh week of the seminar and one on a topic of their choice at the end of the semester, due during finals week. The topic of the second paper must be given prior approval by the instructor. No exceptions will be made to this rule. A paper turned in that has not been granted written approval will be given a mark of 0. Each participant should provide the instructor with a written summary of the topic of this paper by the ninth week of the seminar. Participants may also provide rough drafts of the final paper to the instructor for comments and suggestions for improvements up to one week prior to the final due date of the paper.

In addition to completing these papers, each participant will be required to prepare written questions or commentaries on the readings assigned for that week. These commentaries should raise a substantive issue about some part of the reading. You should focus your commentary on as specific an issue as is possible. Aim for a half a page to one and a half pages. These questions will periodically be taken up during class without prior notice and graded.

When taken up these questions will be given a grade of E (excellent), P (passing), S (satisfactory), or U (unsatisfactory). The grades for the questions will be averaged and applied to the initial course grade from the papers on the following scale: if the average grade is an E, the initial grade for the class will be raised by two steps (e.g., from C to B-) to produce the final grade for the course; if P, the initial grade for the class will be raised one step (e.g., from D+ to C-); if S, the initial grade for the class will not be changed; if U, the initial grade for the class will be lowered by one step (e.g., from C to C-).

Appeals of any grades must be made in writing (typed), providing a detailed argument for why a grade should be increased. Any work found to be plagiarized will be given a mark of 0 and disciplinary action will be taken. Late work will not be accepted.

Reading Schedule*

J22: Introduction to Class

J29: What is Restoration Ecology?: Cairns, “Rationale for Restoration,” OR;

Hobbs, “The Ecological Context: A Landscape Perspective,” OR;

MacDonald, et. al., “The Ecological Context: A Species Population

Perspective,” OR; Davy, “Establishment and Manipulation of Plant

Populations and Communities in Terrestrial Ecosystems,” OR;

Holloway, “Nurturing Nature,” OR;

F05: What is Restoration Ecology?: Sauer, OFF (all)

F12: Philosophical Critics of Restoration I: Elliot, “Faking Nature,” OR and

Elliot, FN, Chapters 1-2.

F19: Philosophical Critics of Restoration I: Elliot, FN, Chapters 3-4.

F26: Responses to Elliot: Gunn, “The Restoraton of Species and Natural

Environments,” OR; Light, “’Faking Nature’, Revisited,” OR; ***

M4: Philosophical Critics of Restoration II: Katz, NS, all of section two, and Katz, Chapter 2 in RN.

Midterm Assigned

M11: Responses to Katz: Scherer, “Evolution, Human Living, and the Practice of

Ecological Restoration,” OR; Lo, “Natural and Artifactual: Restored

Nature as Subject,” OR; Light, Chapter 3 in RN

Midterm Due

M16-M18: No Class – Spring Break

M25: Case Study – The “Chicago Wilderness”: Stevens, MUO (all).

Paper Topics Due

A01: Case Study – The “Chicago Wilderness”: Gobster & Hull, RN,

Introduction, and Chapters 6, 7,12.

A08: New Philosophies of Restoration: Light, Chapter 8 in RN; Light,

“Restorative Relationships,” OR; Light, “Restoring Ecological

Citizenship,” OR.

A15: New Philosophies of Restoration: Jordan, SF, all.

A22: New Philosophies of Restoration: Higgs, ND, Introduction-Chapter 4.

A29: New Philosophies of Restoration: Higgs, ND, Chapters 5-7.

Final Examinations, Specific Due Date TBA

*Reading schedule is subject to change.