IDEC8004 Sustainability and Ecological Economics
| Offered By | International and Development Economics Program |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | International and Developmental Economics |
| Offered in | Second Semester, 2009 and Second Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description |
The course is designed to develop an understanding of the sustainability of entire nations, and of the world. Among the questions addressed are: How can sustainability be defined? Is it feasible, for either a nation or the world? How might national accounts be used to measure if a nation, or the world, is developing sustainably? This leads naturally to "ecological economics" questions. Are there any limits to the substitution of human-made capital for environmental resource inputs in making marketed goods, or of marketed goods for environmental quality and social coherence in making people happy? How uncertain and sudden might such limits be? Can they be detected by measuring the economy in physical rather than monetary units? Topics * Scoping and defining sustainability and intergenerational equity * Economic growth with depletable resources and/or pollution * Measurement of sustainability and income: theory and empirics * Environmental and sustainability policies * Case study of greenhouse gas emission control * Physical measures of sustainability, such as Ecological Footprints * Environment and development: the Environmental Kuznets curve |
| Learning Outcomes |
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to: Distinguish between neoclassical and ecological definitions of, and assumptions relating to, the sustainability of both the global economy and national economies Demonstrate an understanding of how resource non-renewability, nonrenewable resource substitutability and importance in production, exogenous or endogenous technical progress, declining interest rates and impatience all affect global and national sustainability Use economic and environmental data to calculate, with suitable qualifications, the neoclassical sustainability of a nation's economy Explain how and why different analyses of climate policy produce such different recommendations for controlling greenhouse gas emissions Explain the strengths and weaknesses of ecological measures of national sustainability |
| Indicative Assessment |
Tutorial assignments: best 3 out of 5 Exercises (15%) and compulsory Essay (10%); |
| Workload | 4 contact hours per week; 6 study hours per week |
| Course Classification(s) | AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs. and SpecialistSpecialist courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide for the acquisition of specialist skills; or 'second degree' and higher level of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs; or knowledge associated with professional accreditation. |
| Areas of Interest | Economics |
|
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills |
Pre-requisites: Master's level microeconomics (IDEC8064, ECON8025 or equivalent), and basic calculus (IDEC8015, ECON2125, MATH1013 or equivalent). |
| Prescribed Texts | A draft textbook is available from the lecturer |
| Preliminary Reading |
(1) Hanley, Nick, Jason F. Shogren and Ben White (2007a). "The economics of sustainable development." Chapter 2 of Environmental Economics in Theory and Practice, 2nd edn. London, Palgrave Macmillan. (2) Cole, Matthew A. (2003). "Environmental optimists, environmental pessimists and the real state of the world - an article examining The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World by Bjorn Lomborg." Economic Journal, 113, F362-F380. (3). Nordhaus, William D. (1992). "Lethal Model 2: The limits to growth revisited." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2, 1-59. |
| Technology Requirements | Access to the internet and a printer is needed |
| Programs | Master of Environmental and Resource Economics, Master of International and Development Economics, and Master of Climate Change |
| Other Information |
Delivery Mode: On Campus |
| Academic Contact | Dr Jack Pezzey |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.
