Intro to course
What is ecological economics?
What is economics?
Part vs. whole
2 part course: learn and apply
Ecological economics theory through textbook, class discussion, exams
Cold calls in class to respond to questions about ‘big ideas’ or ‘think about it’ (6% of
grade)
Two take home exams (10% of grade each)
Jeopardy games
Participation (10% of grade)
Emphasis on relationship between course material and current events
Application
Projects (40%) of grade
Steady State Burlington (350 Burlington, Transition town)
How would we need to transform the Burlington economy to respect planetary limits?
What would be the impact on quality of life?
Food, transportation and housing
Help plan and organize the USSEE conference
Would need to make it an application of theory
Help plan and organize Ownership Reclamation Series
Full details on Wed.
Population policy (4% of grade)
Reflections (15% of grade)
Bridge theory and application
12 total, one at least every 4 classes. Should discuss relationship between projects,
course material, current events, and your content to project, to current
Current events and course overview
Intro/overview
The Low Politics of Low Growth
“everything is easier if the economy is growing”
Greece Sees Gold Boom, but at a Price
“This will be a business for 10, maybe 15 years, and then this company will just
disappear, leaving all the pollution behind like all the others did”
As China's Economy Revives, So Do Fears of Inflation
On Scale of 0 to 500, Beijing’s Air Quality Tops ‘Crazy Bad’ at 755
The containing system
Energy Industry Awaits U.S. Ruling on Prairie Chicken
Tradeoffs
With Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Record High, Worries on How to Slow
Warming
Heat, Flood or Icy Cold, Extreme Weather Rages Worldwide
Not Even Close: 2012 Was Hottest Ever in U.S.
Australian Forecasters Add New Colors to Temperature Charts to Capture Record
Heat
Microeconomics
Global Food Prices on the Rise, U.N. Says
A Bit of Relief on Food Prices
Natural-Gas Rally Fizzles
Bluefin Tuna Sold for Record $1.76 Million in Tokyo ‘Auction’
Milk of Human Kindness Also Found in Bonobos
Macroeconomics and International trade
Our Economic Pickle
Share of wages in GDP at record low
The share of wages going to the top 1 percent climbed to 12.9 percent in 2010, from
7.3 percent in 1979
From 1973 to 2011, worker productivity grew 80 percent
median income for working-age households (headed by someone under age 65) slid
12.4 percent from 2000 to 2011
the top 1 percent of households garnered 65 percent of all the nation’s income growth
from 2002 to 2007 AND 93% SINCE THE RECESSION ENDED
Treasury Will Not Mint $1 Trillion Coin to Raise Debt Ceiling
U.S. Fiscal Talks Made No One Look Good
The White House essentially caved to a measure that will cost about $100 billion
over 10 years and will benefit fewer than 5,000 wealthy estates.
The political appeal here is to reward big campaign contributors
U.S. Trade Deficit Expands to a Seven-Month High
It's Too Soon to Be Sure of a Euro Zone Happy Ending
Policy
Carbon Taxes Make Ireland Even Greener
Internet Activist, a Creator of RSS, Is Dead at 26, Apparently a Suicide
California's CO2 Now Has a Price, but a Low One
Depardieu and the New Capitalism