ECON 505. Environmental Economics. 3 Credits.

This interdisciplinary course examines environmental issues through an economic lens, focusing on the complex interactions of human activity, environmental systems, and resource management. The curriculum provides rigorous investigation of economic theory influencing natural resource allocation, market handling of environmental externalities, and the distinction between economic efficiency and social optimality. The course challenges conventional thinking and harnesses the power of individual incentives and markets to inform policy decisions for sustainability. Activities facilitate active learning of core concepts for evaluating trade-offs around resource usage. Students emerge with practical understanding of economics as a pragmatic tool for environmental advocacy, equipped to tackle profound local and national sustainability challenges. The course is accessible to interdisciplinary backgrounds, with foundational readings providing grounding in economics basics where needed. Discussion emphasizes applicability of economic principles to real-world environmental problems and solutions.
Fall Only.

ECON 713. Environmental Economics and Sustainability. 3 Credits.

Addresses public policy issues related to energy and other natural resources from the perspective of environmental economics. Topics include fossil energy, nuclear energy, solar and other alternative sources of energy; natural resources ranging from soil, water and minerals to wildlife, forests and parks. Societal concerns with appropriate resource utilization require a recognition that such usage must be consistent with long-term sustainability of planetary resource endowments.
P: gr st; REC: Pu En Af 608 and Env S&P 752.
Fall Only.