Course
Outline
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ECON
275 – ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS All readings should be completed
prior to lecture) |
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DATES |
TOPICS |
READINGS AND
ASSIGNMENTS |
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May 22 |
Visions for the Future |
Text:
(TL)Reading: Chapters 1 and 2 Chapter 1 Lecture
- Chapter 1 Lecture - Visions of the Future (PPT) Chapter
2 Lecture - The Economic Approach: Property Rights, Externalities, and
Environmental Problems (PPT) Required Readings: A
Great Civilization Brought Low by Climate Change (and, no, it’s not us) How Do
Economists Really Think About the Environment 6
ways climate change and disease helped topple the Roman Empire Websites: EcoMENA Qatar Ministry of
Municipality and Environment Environmental
Defense Fund UN Environmental Programme Videos: Gaia Hypothesis
(Theory) Malthus, Population Growth
and the Resource Base |
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May 23 |
The Economic Approach: Property Rights, Externalities,
and Environmental Problems |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 2 Chapter
2 Lecture - The Economic Approach: Property Rights, Externalities, and
Environmental Problems (PPT) Required Readings: External
Costs: Research Results on Socio-environmental Damages Due to Electricity and
Transport Should We Tax People
for Being Annoying? Additional Reading: Notes
on Externalities Websites:
Environmental Performance Index OECD
Environmental Data and Indicators Resources for
the Future Videos: Environmental
Econ: Crash Course Economics The Coase Theorem
Explained The Tragedy of the
Commons Class Discussion: Chapters
1 and 2 A Simple Question Assignment 1 (Due June 1) – Looking at your home country, a country you most associate
with, or a country in which you really have an interest, write a 750-word
paper describing what you (and others for that matter) perceive to be the
country’s most serious environmental concern (other than climate change). Be
sure to describe the issue in detail and provide a summary how the problem is
currently being addressed (if it is at all). Be sure to cite at least five
(5) references. |
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May 24, 25 |
Evaluating Trade-Offs: Benefit-Cost Analysis and Other
Decision-Making Metrics |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 3 Chapter
3 Lecture - Evaluating Trade-Offs: Benefit-Cost Analysis and Other
Decision-Making Metrics (PPT) Handout-The Equimarginal Principle of Cost Effectiveness Required Readings: Cost
Benefit Analysis of a Net-Zero Energy Housing in Qatar Environmental
Impacts of Food Production
Additional Reading: How
to Perform a Cost Benefit Analysis The Economics of
Regulatory Repeal and Six Case Studies Websites:
Resources for
the Future-Topics/Environmental Economics Videos:
Intro
to Cost-Benefit Analysis (Conservation Strategy Fund Series) |
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May 26 |
Valuing the Environment: Methods |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 4 Chapter
4 Lecture - Valuing the Environment: Methods (PPT) Required Readings: Hedonic
Pricing Method The
Cost of a Human Life, Statistically Speaking Videos: Economics: How to
Calculate the Value of Life Valuation of Ecosystem
Services: Intro to Valuation Valuation
of Ecosystem Services: Contingent Valuation Valuation
of Ecosystem Services: Travel Cost Method |
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May 29, 30 |
Dynamic
Efficiency and Sustainable Development Depletable
Resource Allocation: The Role of Longer Time Horizons, Substitutes, and
Extraction Cost |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 5 and 6 Chapter
5 Lecture - Dynamic Efficiency and Sustainable Development (PPT) Chapter 6 Lecture - Depletable Resource Allocation: The Role of Longer Time Horizons, Substitutes, and Extraction Cost (PPT) Websites: Dynamic
Efficiency Illustration Our World in Data Videos:
Economics of
Sustainability What is Sustainable
Development? |
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May 31 June 1 |
Energy: The
Transition from Depletable to Renewable Resources Recyclable Resources:
Minerals, Paper, Bottles, and E-waste |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 7 and 8 Chapter
7 Lecture - Energy: The Transition from Depletable to Renewable Resources
(PPT) Chapter 8 Lecture - Recyclable Resources:
Minerals, Paper, Bottles, and E-waste (PPT) Required Readings: When Fossil Fuels Run Out, What Then? What is Fracking and Why is it Controversial? How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled Videos: Animation of Hydraulic
Fracturing – One View Fracking 101: Why
Fracked Gas is Dirty and Dangerous (Another View) The War on Plastic
isn’t Working – Recycling Myths Exposed Assignment 2 (Due June 15) – Although Qatar’s gas reserves are considered quite
substantial, several other countries face the situation of no longer being
able to rely on the export of their once substantial natural resource to
contribute to economic growth. Choose a country (we exclude Qatar) in such a
situation and write a 750-word paper describing 1) current and future
projection of the supplies of the natural recourse; 2) the contribution of
that resource to the economy; and 3) what, if any, plans the country (or the
industry) has made to address the situation (diversification, substitution,
etc.). Be sure to cite at least five (5) references. |
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June 2 |
Review and Catching-up
Time |
Review and
Catching-up Time |
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June 5 |
Class Discussion of
Assignment Exam 1 Assigned |
Take-Home Exam (PDF) - (Exam Due June 10) |
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June 6, 7 |
Water: A Confluence of Renewable and Depletable
Resources A Locationally Fixed, Multipurpose
Resource: Land |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 9 and 10 Chapter
9 Lecture - Water: A Confluence of Renewable and Depletable
Resources (PPT) Chapter
10 Lecture - A Locationally Fixed, Multipurpose Resource: Land (PPT) Required Readings: Environmental
Problems of Modern Cities Experts
Name the Top 19 Solutions to the Global Freshwater Crisis Water Statistics in the
State of Qatar 2017 Additional Reading: High
and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy (Read Executive Summary) 10
things to Know About the Impacts of Urbanisation Videos:
Are Future Water Wars
Inevitable? Countries Are Building
Economic Empires by Controlling Water Supply Journey 2050: Land Use Journey 2050: Water |
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June 8 |
Common-Pool Resources: Commercially Valuable Fisheries |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Lecture - Common-Pool Resources: Commercially Valuable Fisheries (PPT) This chapter will rely heavily on the following videos. Please
make sure to watch outside of class too! Videos:
Fishing (Sustainable
Yield) Fisheries Economics
& Policy: Maximum Economic Yield The Simple Economics of
an Open-Access Fishery |
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June 9 |
Ecosystem
Goods and Services: Nature’s Threatened Bounty |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 13 Chapter
13 Lecture - Ecosystem Goods and Services: Nature’s Threatened Bounty
(PPT) Required Reading: MDG
Monitor Role
of Tourism in Sustainable Development Additional Reading: The Economics of Ecosystems
and Biodiversity Report Videos:
Can Eco-tourism Help
Save the Ocean?
Valuation of Ecosystem
Services: Classes of Values |
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June 12 |
Economics of Pollution Control: An Overview |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 14 Chapter
14 Lecture - Economics of Pollution Control: An Overview
(PPT) Required Reading: Carbon
Tax - Pros and Cons What
is Carbon Offsetting? Qatar
Airways Launches Voluntary Carbon Offset Programme
for Passengers Videos: Carbon Offsets The Story of Cap &
Trade The Love Canal
Disaster: Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood The Japanese Town
That Was Poisoned Assignment 3 (Due June 21) – Write a 500-word paper proposing a policy
initiative you would recommend be implemented to address an air pollution
problem that you perceive to be extremely harmful to society. Be sure to
describe the problem and use economic tools in your policy proposal. Be sure
to cite at least three (3) references. |
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June 13, 14 |
Stationary-Source Local and Regional Air Pollution Mobile-Source Air Pollution |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 15, 16 and 17 Chapter
15 Lecture - Stationary-Source Local and Regional Air Pollution
(PPT) Chapter
16 Lecture - Mobile-Source Air Pollution (PPT) Required Reading: The
Facts on Fuel Economy Standards Volkswagen: The Scandal
Explained Websites:
Advantages
And Disadvantages Of Ethanol
The
Case for Electronic Road Pricing Gas Prices
Around the World Transport and Environment Videos: Are Electric Cars Really More Environmentally Friendly? What's Behind Extreme Air Pollution in India |
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June 15 |
Climate Change
Cont’d |
In class Presentations of Assignment 2 Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapter 17 Chapter
17 Lecture - Climate Change (PPT) Required Readings: Climate
Change 2007:Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers Healing the Ozone Layer Is Human Activity Primarily
Responsible for Global Climate Change? Additional Readings: An Earth System
Model Shows Self-Sustained Melting of Permafrost Even if All Man-Made GHG
Emissions Stop in 2020 Rolls-Royce
plans 16 mini-nuclear plants for UK
Ten
Facts About the Economics of Climate Change and Climate Policy Websites: The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Videos: Science Works: Protecting The Ozone Layer What in the World? A Climate Change Game |
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Interesting
Articles: Afghanistan’s Green
Future? Most fundamental' climate
metric takes a worrying turn |
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June 16, 20 |
Climate Change Water Pollution |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 17 and 18 Chapter
17 Lecture - Climate Change (PPT) Chapter
18 Lecture – Water Pollution (PPT) Required Readings: Maps
and Statistics Ocean Pollution Marine
and Ocean Pollution Statistics and Facts 2020 Water
Pollution: Everything You Need to Know
Websites: The
Balance - Water Pollution
Effects, Causes, and Solutions Videos: The Plastic Problem - A PBS NewsHour Documentary What is WATER POLLUTION? Interesting Article: Replacing
A Coal Plant Takes An Infinite Number Of Wind Turbines |
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June 21, 22 |
Environmental Justice The Quest for Sustainable
Development |
Text:
(TL) Reading: Chapters 19, 20, 21 Video: Environmental Justice, Explained
Chapter 19
Lecture - Toxic Substances and Environmental Justice (PPT)
Chapter
20 Lecture - The Quest for Sustainable Development (PPT) Required Reading:
The
Delusion of Infinite Economic Growth |
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June 23 |
Final Exam |
Take-Home Final Exam (PDF) (Exam Due June 28) |
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