Joe Balay, PhD
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Course Description: PHIL 376: Environmental Ethics introduces students to environmental ethics theory, case studies, and practical applications to critically explore some of the key problems and ideas in environmental ethics today: Who or what has value? Why? What kind of value? Do animals have value? How about amoeba, trees, rocks, and rivers? What right do we have to a healthy environment? Who or what violates our environmental rights today?
As part of the CNU CEL Tidewater Fellowship, this semester we have a special opportunity to partner with a local non-profit, the Newport News Green Foundation (NNGF). In small groups, you will be assigned one of the NNGF’s green spaces. Over the course of the semester, your team will be responsible for studying the unique environmental and social benefits/challenges of your property. Our goal is to help the NNGF and local community by better meeting their needs, building capacity, and providing support. At the end of the semester, your group will present a plan to the NNGF Board to better activate the property, and provide several deliverables to help support your pitch. In this way, we will learn first-hand how environmental ethics research can help support our local communities.
Click here for PHIL 376 Syllabus
Link to CNU news article on our project. This was also re-shared by the NN daily newsletter: https://cnu.edu/
