Classes meet Wednesday 2 - 4 in 201 Giannini Hall
Assignment Due September 3:
a) Read Chapters 1 - 3 of "The Logic of Life"
b) Write short essay (approximately 2 pages) on "What causes happiness?"
c) Write two suggested questions/topics for a future assignment.
Assignment Due September 10:
a) Read Chapters 4 - 6 of "The Logic of Life"
b) Write short essay (approximately 2 pages) describing and evaluating Gore's proposal that the US rely predominantly on renewable energy within 10 years.
Assignment Due September 17
a) Read Chapters 7 - 9 of "The Logic of Life".
b) Rewrite your first essay on "What causes happiness?" When you turn in this essay also turn in the marked copy of your first attempt.
Assignment Due September 24
a) Summarize and compare the Republican and Democratic presidential platforms on climate change policy. In addition to reading material that the candidates publish, you should also find information from other perspectives, including business and environmental groups.
Assignment Due October 1
a) Describe the major types of policies (e.g. standards, taxes, cap-and-trade) that have been proposed and/or used to control GHG emissions. Discuss some of the arguments for and against the different types of policies, and explain which groups support which policies.
Assignment Due October 8
a) Write a two page essay that address the following (compound) question: What are the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol and how successful has the Protocol been in achieving these objectives?
b) Read and be prepared to discuss chapters 1 - 2 of "Predictably Irrational.
Assignment Due October 15
a) Write a two page essay that addresses the following question: What role do developing countries play in the Kyoto Protocol? Your answer should include a discussion of the “Clean Development Mechanism”.
b) Read and be prepared to discuss chapters 3 - 5 of Predictably Irrational.
Assignment Due October 22
a) In a two-page essay, discuss proposals for achieving an international climate change agreement to follow the Kyoto Protocol (which “expires” in 2012). This essay can include a discussion of the role of developing countries in the next agreement.
A useful website: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/project/56/harvard_project_on_international_climate_agreements.html
Suggested reading: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18522/proposal_for_the_design_of_the_successor_to_the_kyoto_protocol.html
b) Read and be prepared to discuss chapters 6 - 8 of Predictably Irrational
Assignment Due October 29
a) Write a two-page describing actual experiences with the Clean Development Mechanism.
b) Read and be prepared to discuss chapters 9 - 11 of Predictably Irrational
Assignment Due November 5
a) Write a two-page essay on the problems of international trade in hazardous waste, and the international agreement designed to control this trade (the Basle Convention).
b) Read and be prepared to discuss the rest of Predictably Irrational.
Announcements made November 5
1) The class will meet three more times: On November 12, November 19, and December 3.
2) There will be two more written assignments (2 page essays)
a) Due November 12: Discuss the environmental effects and the economic costs and benefits of the high speed train link between the Bay Area and LA.
b) Due November 19: Discuss biofuels' potential environmental benefits and possible economic costs (e.g. the effects of higher food prices on the poor.) (See http://are.berkeley.edu/foodcrisis/ for some ideas.)
3) During the next weeks we will discuss readings from Jared Diamond's book "Collapse". Here are the chapters that people are responsible for summarizing and discussing:
Chapter 2 Reed
Chapter 3Zarrah
Chapter 4 Kelly
Chapter 5Jeff
Chapter 9 Fey
Chapter 10 Eric
Chapter 11 Shelly
Chapter 13 Katherine
Chapter 14 Hannah
Chapter 15 Christian
Potential future essay topics
Summarize estimates of the economic cost (i.e. changes in number of jobs and changes in State income) to California of achieving its proposed reductions in GHGs. What explains the variation in these estimates?
What are the costs and benefits of allowing oil production from the Artic National Wildlife Reserve?