ECON275 -70: Environmental Economics
Georgetown
University Qatar
Fall Semester 2022
Course will be conducted online so adjustments may be
made in the material and schedule
Office Hours. Office Hours: Sunday, 11:30 am –
12:30 pm and Tuesday, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Also available by appointment and in
Zoom conferencing. Please email me if you would like to meet in Zoom.
Course
Description: This course uses microeconomics to
analyze environmental and natural resource management issues. Topics may
include market-based regulations, valuing the environment, air pollution,
global warming, biodiversity conservation, fisheries, natural resource scarcity
(minerals and oil), and tradeoffs between environmental quality and economic
growth. Coverage of the topics will balance textbook applications of
environmental economics with analysis of environmental and natural resource
policy. Instruction will consist of a mix of lectures and class discussion.
Course
Outline:
https://dcmccornac.com/AEnvironmentalEconomicsFall2022/ECON275outlineFall2022.htm
Goals
of the Course:
·
Understanding
the fundamental building blocks and tools of environmental economics that
underly and support environmental policy and management.
·
Develop
critical skills for analyzing competing policies and economic theories.
·
Evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages of various environmental policies.
·
Critically
discuss the characteristics and properties of measures of benefits and benefit
estimation procedures and their applicability to specific situations.
· Define the basic conditions of the optimal use of
renewable and exhaustible resources.
Students are expected to
prepare for class by completing all readings PRIOR to each class meeting. Thoughtful and constructive class
participation is expected, as it will both help you to better understand the
material and enhance the learning process for all. In addition, students will be expected to
read a newspaper or news websites on a daily basis to keep abreast of events related
to environmental issues.
Required Text: The required text is Environmental
and Natural Resource Economics, 11th Edition, by Tom Tietenberg and Lynne Lewis, Publisher: Routledge. The
E-book version of the text is available in Canvas.
Required Readings: Required and optional readings will be posted on the
course outline and additional articles webpages. The power point presentations
may also contain links to additional readings.
Additional Readings: Additional readings will be put on the
additional articles’ webpage (link from course outline page).
Course Requirements: Exams and Short Papers:
1.
Three short written
assignments. Details and due dates are available on the course outline. Each
assignment is worth 10 points.
2.
There will be one
midterm exam worth 30 points each on the date specified on the course outline.
3.
Class Participation and
attendance are worth 10 points.
4.
The final exam is
worth 30 points and will be cumulative.
Grading Scale
|
Method of
Evaluation |
Points
Possible |
|
Assignments
(3) – 10 points each |
30 |
|
Exam 1 |
30 |
|
Class
Participation and Attendance |
10 |
|
Final Exam |
30 |
|
TOTAL |
100 |
Class
Policies:
1. Written Assignments: All written
assignments must be turned in by the date and time specified on the course
outline and Canvas. They should be submitted on Canvas under the assignment. at
the beginning of class on the due date. Written assignments must be
word-processed and 1.5 or double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font.
You must cite outside work when appropriate. You may use any citation style as
long as you use it correctly and consistently.
2. Late Work: Late work will be penalized
by one full letter grade each day. NO
EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
3. Absences: You are expected to attend all
class meetings. Attendance will be taken and counted towards your class
participation grade. Unexcused absences will strongly negatively impact your
participation grade.
Honor
Code: Every student has the responsibility to abide by the
GU Honor Code. Review academic policies
and the honor system on the GUQ webpage.
Suspected infractions of the Honor
System will be referred to the Honor Council.
If a student is found in violation of the Honor System, I reserve the
right to award a failing grade on the assignment or the course as a whole, in
addition to any sanction that the Honor Council and the Dean may apply.
Title IX &
Non-Discrimination:
As faculty at Georgetown University, we are
committed to our responsibilities under Title IX, as well as the University’s
non-discrimination policies. For details
of University policies, please refer to the following links:
https://titleix.georgetown.edu/#
https://www.qatar.georgetown.edu/campus-life/title-ix
https://bulletin.georgetown.edu/regulations/antidiscrimination