Natural resources and environment
Offered subject to university approval
Ms Carol Jeffs
6 points
* 3 class hours per week
* Distance: approximately 12 hours
per week
* Second semester
* Gippsland
* Prerequisites: GBU1102,
GBU2104
Objectives This subject builds upon intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts, enabling students to analyse the problem of global resource scarcity within an international, national and regional context Students will understand how intermediate economic principles can be extended to address advanced and 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 environmental and natural resources policy.
Synopsis The subject uses economics as a framework to explore the issue of global resource scarcity within 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 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 of approximately (4000 words): 60%
* Written
examination (2 hours): 40 %
Prescribed texts
Tietenberg T Environmental and natural resource economics 4th edn, Harper Collins, 1996
| Published by Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
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