HGSE 381 - Ecological Economics
Weekly synchronous classes Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00am to 11:30am Pacific
The emerging discipline of ecological economics has been influenced by the intersection of political, economic and ecological systems. This course will be divided into two parts: the first part will look at the underlying philosophy and principles of ecological economics and the basic concepts of ecological economics such as economic low-growth, ecosystem services, valuation of nature. The course will have students question current measures of ‘progress’, comparing conventional measures (of wealth and growth) with those that incorporate environmental components, and we will discuss their usefulness – both conceptually as well as in various policy settings, including Haida Gwaii. The second part focus will shift to the implications of a radical reorientation of a political economy. Students will look at cascading effects of change, unintended consequences of change, and why it might be difficult to separate our ecological goals from our political realities.