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Course Description
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Course Name
Environmental Economics and Policy
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Host University
Queensland University of Technology
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Location
Brisbane, Australia
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Area of Study
Agriculture and Natural Resource Economics, Economics, Environmental Studies
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Prerequisites
BSB113
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Course Level Recommendations
Upper
ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.
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Credit Points
12 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits3 - 4
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units4 - 6
Hours & Credits
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Overview
Synopsis:The unit introduces students to some of the current environmental and natural resource issues confronting society and how planners and decision-makers could better understand and address these problems using economics. This unit demonstrates that economics has a major role to play in helping us to understand and solve some of the environmental problems facing societies. It will be demonstrated that economics can often be used to help protect the environment rather than harm it. The unit would benefit those who wish to work either in the public or the private sector.Learning OutcomesUpon completion of this unit, you should be able to:- Identify and analyse key environmental issues facing societies within an economic framework incorporating interdisciplinary work;
- Propose appropriate responses to reduce or solve key environmenal issues facing society using market and non market instruments and techniques;
- Identify and analyse various obstacles to providing economic solutions to environmental problems
- Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in oral forms
ContentThe unit is divided into two parts. Part I explores some important concepts/techniques in economics and illustrates why they matter for environmental issues. Part II deals with how economics can help us to understand the causes of a series of important problems, and more importantly, to understand how best we can manage them.Part I (Economic Theory/Tools - 7 lectures)Economics and the Living Environment: Two Parts of a Whole (1 lecture); Economic growth and sustainable development (1 lecture); Markets for the environment (1 lecture); Regulation and instruments of pollution control and environmental conservation (1 lecture); Valuing the Environment and Natural Resources (1 lecture); Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis (1 lecture).Part II (Applying Theory - 6 lectures)Energy: The Transition from depletable to renewable resources (1 lecture);Urban Water Conservation and Management (1 lecture); Transport and the Environment (1 lecture); Economics of Climate Change (1 lecture); Is More Really Better? Consumption and Welfare (1 lecture); Poverty, Population and the Environment (1 lecture); Epilogue: What happens when the environment gets left out of economics and what happens when economics gets left out of the environment (1 lecture).Approaches to Teaching and LearningThe unit will be delivered in weekly three-hour blocks, two hours of which will typically take the form of a lecture presentation. Relevant readings for each week will be placed on the Course Materials Database (CMD). Tutorial sessions will be student-driven as each student will be required to present a compulsory tutorial presentation. Tutorial topics will be provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the semester. Students can nominate a date to do their presentation between Week 3 and Week 13. The time permitted is two weeks. This tutorial presentation will be given a mark and weighted at 20%. This will be followed by an essay on a topic assigned by the lecturer at the beginning of the semester. This is worth 30%. The rest of the marks (50%) will be from the final examination. The exam will consist of a mixture of both theoretical and practical questions. All materials covered during the semester will be examinable.AssessmentAssessment name: Oral PresentationDescription: Oral presentation during tutorials and abstract writing. Details are available in the Week 1 Information Document.Length/Duration: 12 minutesFormative or Summative: Formative and SummativeRelates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4Weight: 20Internal or external: InternalGroup or individual: IndividualDue date: Weeks 4-13Assessment name: AssignmentDescription: Only one assignment topicLength/Duration: 1,500 words (with 20% tolerance)Formative or Summative: Formative and SummativeRelates to objectives: 1, 2, 3Weight: 30Internal or external: InternalGroup or individual: IndividualDue date: Week 10 (5pm Friday)Assessment name: End of Semester ExaminationDescription: The final examination consists of multiple choice questions, short answer and essay questions. The subject matter for the examination will be drawn from all 13 modules.Length/Duration: 2 hoursFormative or Summative: SummativeRelates to objectives: 1, 2, 3Weight: 50Internal or external: InternalGroup or individual: IndividualDue date: Central Exam Period
Course Disclaimer
Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.
Eligibility for courses may be subject to a placement exam and/or pre-requisites.
Some courses may require additional fees.
Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.