ECON 379(F) The Economics of Sustainability (Same as Environmental Studies 379) (Q)
Sustainability is a term used frequently in environmental policy debates,but what does it really mean? At their core, all definitions of sustainability and sustainable development are about trade-offs between what we as a society consume today and what we leave for future generations but they often differ substantially in what they imply for environmental policy. The objective of this course is to consider a number of different notions of sustainability- from economics, the environmental sciences and social philosophy-and use the tools of economic theory to develop their policy implications. A key element of many of the environmental policy decisions that we will consider is that they involve complex interactions between human and biophysical systems. Because of this, the course will also emphasize the analytical tools required to make sense of these interactions and the use of computer simulation to study the impacts of proposed policy measures.
Format: Seminar/discussion. Requirements: Problem sets and computer lab assignments, a midterm exam, and a final paper.
Prerequisites: Economics 251, familiarity with statistics (Economics 253 or 255 or Statistics 346), and basic computer literacy. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 25). Preference given to senior majors.
Hour: CARBONE