ECG9150

Natural resources and environment

Ms Carol Jeffs

6 points · Distance, approximately 12 hours per week · Second semester · Gippsland · Prerequisite: ECG9102, ECG9120

Objectives This subject builds upon microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts, enabling students to analyse the problem of global resource scarcity within an international, national and regional context. Students will further cultivate the ability to understand how economic principles can be extended to address specialised problems of natural resources and environment; develop strong analytical and research skills within an economic framework; apply economic analysis to contemporary environmental and natural resource issues; use economic tools to assist decision making in the use of environmental and natural resources; use economic tools to critically evaluate contemporary environmental and natural resources policy.

Synopsis This subject uses economics as a framework to explore the issue of global resource scarcity with a regional and national context. The problem of economic growth within a finite environment will be the overarching theme of the subject's three foci: environment, natural resources and policy. Environment: an understanding of how the relationship between human actions and the environment as facilitated by an economic system is used to analyse environmental problems. From this base, the suitability of the market system to deal with such problems is discussed and the need for government intervention evaluated. Natural resources: microeconomic principles are used to assist decision making in the management of renewable and non-renewable natural resources having application to both private and public resource ownership. Policy: international, national and regional policies addressing natural resources and environment are critically evaluated using economic tools collected and analytical skills developed in the previous two sections.

Assessment Essay work (2000 words): 40% · Case study (4000 words): 60%

Prescribed texts

Khan J R The economic approach to environmental and natural resources Harcourt Brace, 1995

Back to the 1999 Business and Economics Handbook