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Semester: Fall 2008
Course: Economics 343, Environmental Economics
Instructor: Dr. Stonebraker
Office: 401 Thurmond
Office phone: 323-2488
E-mail address: stonebrakerr@winthrop.edu
Office hours: MW 3:30-5 p.m., TR 9-11 a.m., F 1-2 p.m. (no appointment needed)
                      Other hours are available by appointment.

Objectives:

Discussions of environmental issues and policies are too often framed in superficial rhetoric and clouded by uniformed emotion. Students completing this course should be better able to discuss these issues rationally and coherently. This includes being able to:  

1.     Discuss the concepts of efficient and sustainable resource use and environmental pollution. 

2.     Explain the circumstances in which free markets will and will not generate efficient patterns of use and pollution.

3.     Characterize the types of public policies being used to curb environmental problems, and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Text:

Environmental Economics and Policy, 5th edition, by Tom Tietenberg. This text is the standard in the field and covers the material thoroughly.  Unfortunately, it often gets bogged down in minutia.  Although we will follow the organization and broad topics presented in the text very closely, we will ignore much of the detail.  Read accordingly.

Grades:

Grades will be determined by the following:

 

        Paper/presentation:                    20%

        Exam with lowest grade:             24%

        Other two exams (28% each):     56%

Exams:

Exam questions will stress analysis rather than factual information and will be based on the material presented in class. You will be expected to write short essay/explanation answers and to solve graphical and numerical problems. Students caught copying/cheating will be dealt with harshly.  The final exam will be given at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 10 and will include some specified review material. You may use non-programmable calculators during exams, but graphing calculators, cell phone calculators or other programmable calculators are NOT allowed. The approximate grading scale will be

        86 - 100%      A
        72 - 85%        B
        60 - 71%        C
        50 - 59%        D
          0 - 49%        F

 

Make-up policy:

 

Make-up exams will be given to students with what I judge to be a valid excuse. Needing more time to study is not a valid excuse. If you cannot make an exam I expect to be notified as quickly as possible, preferably before the exam. Students who do not notify me in a timely manner should not expect a make-up exam.

Paper/presentation:

In addition to exams, there will a group paper/presentation (20% of your grade). For details, click here.  

Attendance Policy:

 

You are expected to attend every class on time and are responsible for all class material whether or not you attend.  Following  the Winthrop University Attendance Policy, students missing as many as 1/4 of the class meetings will receive a grade of F or U, whichever is appropriate.

Course withdrawal:

 

Friday, October 24 is the last day to withdraw from this course.  (Automatic N grade is issued.)  Students may not withdraw from a course after this date without documented extenuating circumstances.

 

Students with Disabilities:

 

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education.  If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact Gena Smith, Program Director, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290.  Once you have your official notice of accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.

 

Expectations:

 

As a student you should expect me to take my class responsibilities seriously.  You should expect me to deliver quality instruction in each class, to start and end each class on time, to be responsive to student perspectives and questions, and to treat each of you with respect.  As an instructor, I expect similarly responsible behavior from you.  In particular, I expect that you will:

1.   Attend every class. In addition to the obvious negative impact on your own learning, your absences can damage your classmates as well. Students that skip classes, ask questions that were answered last week, and then mooch missed notes and material from conscientious classmates who are trying to pay attention impede the learning of others and slow the pace at which material can be covered. 

2.   Come to class on time and stay until its conclusion. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive and inconsiderate of others. 

3.   Turn off and put away all cell phones and pagers. I expect never to see these devices in class.

4.    Pay attention and participate. While in class you should be concentrating on class.  That means no idle conversations with those around you, no attempts to complete work or study for other classes, and no other extraneous activities.

Course Outline

I. Introduction: Issues to Come

chapter 1

II. Environmental Economics: Basic Concepts and Tools

A. Cost-benefit analysis

     1. Static and dynamic efficiency

     2. Measuring costs and benefits 

         chapters 2 and 3

B. Markets and efficiency

        chapter 4 (omit sections starting on pp. 73-75)

       

III. Economics of Natural Resources

A. Human resources and population issues

     chapter 6

 

Exam #1: Approximately Monday, September 29

 

B. Non-human resources

       1. General concepts: time and sustainability

            chapters 5 and 7

       2. Energy         

       3. Water

           chapter 9

           Tradable Water Rights

       4. Wood and wildlife

           chapters 11 and 12

           Endangered Species: Progress and Pitfalls

                   

Exam #2: Approximately Wednesday, November 12