An abstract is a 150 to 250-word summary of your essay topic and argument.

Make sure you also include a proposed title and five academic references.

Essays should focus on a specific environmental problem, and clearly discuss how a political ecology framework understands that problem and proposes solutions to it, and how that is different from other common frameworks to understand and propose solutions for that problem. Students can select any environmental problem, and any competing frameworks to discuss alongside political ecology. Papers can cite readings from the class, but must also cite additional academic materials (e.g. journal articles and academic book chapters) identified independently. At least five academic references are required. Additional references (journalistic sources, etc.) can also be included

To help guide you in this assignment, work through the following questions and write your responses as a single paragraph.

(1) what is the environmental problem you want to discuss? (try to be specific, and focus on concrete issues)

(2) what is a common way that problem is normally understood? what are the common solutions given for addressing that problem?

(3) how would this problem be understood differently from a political ecology framework? what different solutions might be sought if we adopt that political ecology approach to understanding this problem?