Author: Sean MacDonald
Research topic ideas
Post your research topic ideas here by Sat. March 2. If you are working with others on the project, be sure to include the names of the others you are working with.
Wk 5 assignment
- Complete the Ecological Footprint exercise at https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/ and answer the following questions for next week: Summarize what your footprint indicated. Did anything about the results of your footprint surprise you?
- Post/Share/discuss research topic proposals/ideas
- Remember to post in-class group assignments under “Wk 4 Sustainable Consumption and Production”
- Reading for Wed. 2/27: “Moving Beyond GDP:How to factor natural capital into economic decision making” – Introduction and Chapter 1:A new balance sheet for a country (pgs 1- 8) https://www.wavespartnership.org/sites/waves/files/images/Moving_Beyond_GDP.pdf
- and “Voices: Greening the Gross Domestic Product”: https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/voices-greening-gross-domestic-product
additional participation points for participation in class discussion and completing footprint exercise:
1.What is the System of Economic and Environmental Accounts?
2. Discuss an example of what another economy is doing to place a value on a natural resource.
Post responses to today’s in-class assignment below.
For Wed. 2/21:
Be sure to read pages 1 – 12 of the article, ” THE ELEPHANT IN THE BOARDROOM: WHY UNCHECKED CONSUMPTION IS NOT AN OPTION IN TOMORROW’S MARKETS,” World Resources Institute Del Pino, et. al., prepare for a discussion of the following questions on Wed. You may find it helpful to print these 12 pages for Wed.
- According to the authors, ” Most businesses’ growth is still predicated on more people buying more goods” and…”The rapid expansion of consumption-driven markets in the coming decades is the anticipated engine for continued business growth.” Discuss the reasons why authors argue that this growth model is unsustainable.
- The reading argues that in order for production and consumption to become sustainable, they must remain “within planetary boundaries.” Clearly explain what this means in the context of the reading.
- a) Describe two business models the reading points to as sustainable models of production.
- a) Provide your own thoughts on whether either of these two models is sustainable and why. Be sure to provide clear reasoning.
Reminder: Post industry sustainability group assignment
Due by Feb. 12
Industry sustainability
Post group economic/industry sustainability proposals here.
Discussion
Week 3 Discussion – Wed. Feb. 13 Please be prepared for a discussion of these questions based on the readings:
- As described in the reading, what is a ‘food desert’?
- Explain how industrialized agriculture contributes to the problem of cheap, unhealthy food?
- How does the widespread availability of unhealthy food has an environmental impact? Consider how the food is produced, the resources required, etc. What kinds of environmental problems does this contribute to?
- What are some of the economic costs created by industrialized agriculture?
- What are some of the economic and health costs of food deserts? ______________________________________
Week 2: Read Sardar M.N. Islam, Mohan Munasinghe, Matthew Clarke. “Making long-term economic growth more sustainable: evaluating the costs and benefits” and post your answers to the following questions.
- According to the reading, how can long-term economic growth be made more sustainable ?
- What are the costs and benefits associated with these steps? Post your responses in the box below.
