ResearchMy research analyzes systems for regulating the environmental and social impacts of industrial activities. Through a range of projects, I have been examining trends in industrial development, and state, firm, and community responses to adverse impacts of industrialization. I work with NGOs and community-based organizations in the US and Asia to analyze the impacts of manufacturing on communities and workers, and to advance more effective strategies for regulating environmental and health hazards. Specifically, my research focuses on:
Transparency and Consumer Information. I am currently exploring the dynamics of providing information about the environmental, social, and health effects of products and companies to consumers in the marketplace. The Consumer Information Laboratory has three primary goals: (1) to analyze and improve the quality of information that is available to consumers on the social, environmental, and health impacts of products and companies; (2) to research the impacts of this information on consumer behavior; and (3) to develop tools to deliver better information to consumers in the most credible and user-friendly way possible. Environmental Justice and Community-Driven Regulation. I am currently working on several projects that analyze participatory strategies for environmental planning and regulation. I have studied "Community-Driven Regulation" processes in Vietnam. I am also interested in community initiatives around environmental justice concerns in the US. I have been working for several years on community monitoring of environmental issues in the US such as "bucket brigades," community health surveys, sniffer logs, and good neighbor agreements which support environmental justice campaigns. Sweatshops and Independent Monitoring. I have been working over the last several years to analyze the growth of "sweatshop" production in industrialized and developing countries, and emerging strategies to curb these conditions. I have conducted extensive research on the footwear sector (focusing on Nike, Reebok, and adidas), and on the transnational advocacy campaigns to influence production practices. I have conducted a number of studies to analyze labor monitoring systems, including efforts to better understand the conditions under which university-branded apparel is manufactured, and to develop strategies to enforce and verify that subcontractors are complying with codes of conduct. Regulation of Global Production Systems. My longer-term research focuses on the challenges of regulating global supply chains and of more effectively implementing environmental and labor standards around the world. I am particularly interested in the role of the state in the regulation of multinational firms and production chains, and in the potential for state-society synergy in environmental and labor regulation. I also currently analyzing firm strategies to integrate labor and environmental standards into global management systems. Industrial Ecology. I also have a continuing interest in the area of industrial Ecology. Based on past work in pollution prevention and cleaner production (including technical waste audits of factories), I am now looking more broadly at tools for improving the environmental performance of industry (such as design for environment, life cycle assessment, environmental management tools, etc.) and the barriers and incentives for the effective use of these tools. I am particularly interested in the development and implementation of information tools useful to the public. All of this work involves collaborations with other academics, policy-makers, firms, and community groups in both the US and a number of developing countries. |
TeachingESPM 163 - Environmental Justice
This course engages environmental problems, community responses, and policy debates regarding “environmental justice” (EJ) issues – essentially the race, class, and equity implications of environmental problems and policies. The course presents empirical evidence on distributions of environmental quality and health, enforcement of regulations, access to resources to respond to urban and industrial problems, and the broader political economy of decision-making around environmental and health issues. The course explores and critically analyzes philosophies, frameworks, and strategies underlying environmental justice movements. The goals for the course are to: analyze institutional processes impacting race, class, and the environment; analyze data on the distributions of environmental quality and demographic trends; analyze government policies related to environmental issues; analyze strategies to prevent or remedy environmental justice problems; and to strengthen critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills. ESPM 260 - Governance of Global Production This graduate seminar explores theory, policy and management strategies driving the governance of global production and consumption. This year’s course is focused in particular on the role of citizen/consumers and their consumption decisions, and how this affects manufacturers and retailers. Ultimately, we are interested in emerging strategies in governance to advance more sustainable systems. We will examine: · The increasing globalization of production and consumption; · Recent marketplace and political disruptions (from the Occupy Movement to radical transparency coming to markets); · Continued gaps between what consumers and corporations say about sustainability, and what they actually do; · Strategies to overcome the “attitudes-behavior gap” through information, NGO campaigns, and policies/regulation. · Strategies to mobilize citizen/consumers to consume less, greener, collaboratively, politically, etc.; · NGO market campaigns to influence corporations; · Leading corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. (Are Walmart’s sustainability initiatives serious or PR? Can Nike really change its business model? Is Unilever serious about listening to consumers as it develops new products?) · Innovative governance strategies to advance sustainable production. Using case studies from a wide range of industries, we will explore the potentials and limitations of new governance strategies, corporate social responsibility programs, NGO campaigns, green consumer movements, behavioral psychology strategies to change consumers, and regulatory strategies. We will examine why new strategies have emerged, how they function, and when and under what conditions they are actually effective in advancing more sustainable production and consumption. ESPM 24 - Globalization, Sweatshops, Toxics and You This seminar examines where and how the things you consume and use everyday – jeans, shoes, computers, coffee, food, plastics, etc. – are produced, the environmental and social impacts of producing and consuming all of this stuff, and efforts to reduce pollution, sweatshops, and other adverse impacts of global production. Students will analyze both the structure and control of global supply chains and their personal connections to these systems. |
Prospective Graduate Students
I have a small research team at UC Berkeley and am thus interested in recruiting students that work in CLOSELY RELATED areas of research. I am particularly interested in students who have worked on new governance schemes (such as fair trade initiatives, codes and monitoring systems, product take-back schemes, etc.) or who have direct work experience in the industrial sectors which I am studying (such as electronics, apparel, forest products, etc.). In general, I am most interested in students with a proven record of performance both in academics and professional or advocacy work.
Please read about my current research before you contact me. If you feel your work fits closely with my research, and would like to inquire about applying, please send me an email with your research interests and resume attached as a PDF. Unfortunately, because I receive so many email inquiries from prospective students, I will not be able to respond to every inquiry.
Also, if you have any detailed questions about the admissions process, GRE score requirements, etc., please review the ESPM Graduate Information Office.
Please read about my current research before you contact me. If you feel your work fits closely with my research, and would like to inquire about applying, please send me an email with your research interests and resume attached as a PDF. Unfortunately, because I receive so many email inquiries from prospective students, I will not be able to respond to every inquiry.
Also, if you have any detailed questions about the admissions process, GRE score requirements, etc., please review the ESPM Graduate Information Office.