GLOBAL ECONOMY

The global economy holds important implications for the global environment and for domestic economic conditions. Indeed, the events of September 11, 2001 remind us that global politics is very much influenced by the global economy. Great dependence of the industrialized world on oil⎯much of which comes from the Middle East, where economic and political conditions are hardly encouraging for human progress⎯illustrates that the global economy is seen by many individuals as a source of economic and political repression. When governments fail to create the conditions of economic and democratic progress then despair and frustration are the expected results. Despair can be played out in unpleasant ways. In this course we will explore topics concerning how humans impact nature, how we think of (and "construct") nature and the environment, how ethics and economics inform environmental policy, and how population growth affects levels of human consumption and therefore environmental quality. In addition, we will explore how a modest level of economic knowledge can be useful for understanding issues of biodiversity and sustainability, the global economy, international trade in timber and oil, air pollution (greenhouse gasses that cause global climate change), and pollution of international rivers. We will explore these topics from the economic way of thinking. The intent here is to help you understand how an economic perspective can provide important insights into the causes and solutions of various global environmental problems