AECN/NRES 883 Ecological (Sustainability) Economics

                                                                     Class Schedule, Fall Semester, 2009
                                                    (Also see the full Syllabus)

                                        "We are always only one failed generational transfer away from darkest ignorance" (Daly and Farley, 2004, p. 41)

Last update:  October 5, 2009. Plan on checking this schedule at least weekly during the time of the course, due to minor course adjustments being made throughout the semester. This will facilitate keeping abreast of which Lesson is being covered at a particular time; class materials needed at any point in time are made available under the Lesson on Blackboard.

(see UNL Academic Calendar for other important dates; note that our classes run on a Tuesday to Monday schedule, so we start with the class on Tuesday, Sept. 29, completing that Lesson's material by the following Monday, October 5. We keep this pattern throughout the Semester: So, think of the class week as running from Tuesday through Monday, always including one weekend)

The UNL on-campus class of 2009 (and TA Prabhakar Shrestha, upper right hand corner of middle image)! It would be good if each of you, both in-residence and distance students could attach a picture of yourself to the Discussion Board, under Lesson 1 in the Introductions forum.    

Sept. 29-Oct. 5 Preliminaries, Including Self-Introductions on the Discussion Board!
Lesson 1: How to use Blackboard. Organization of Materials on Blackboard. Solving problems with Blackboard. Overall nature of this course: Why an "eco" economics?
Lesson 2: Why Study Economics? (Chp. 1 in D&F)
 

Oct. 6- 12  Overall Character, Ends, Means, Policy of Ecological Economics
Lesson 3: The Fundamental Vision (Chp. 2 in D&F)
(Additional readings on the fundamental vision)  (See Role of the Additional Readings)
Lesson 4: Ends, Means, and Policy (Chp. 3 in D&F)

Oct. 13-19  Abiotic and Biotic Resources in a Full World
Lesson 5: The Nature of Resources and the Resources of Nature (Chp4. in D&F)
Lesson 6:  Abiotic Resources (Chp. 5 in D&F)

Oct. 20-26
Lesson 7:  Biotic Resources (Chp. 6 in D&F)
Lesson 8:  From Empty World to Full World (and the move to  EcoCommunity) (Chp. 7 in D&F)
(Additional full world readings)

**Exam 1 over Lessons 2-8**

Oct. 27-Nov. 2 Microeconomics and Meta(to include Thermo)economics: 
Lesson 9: The Basic Market Equation (Chp. 8 in D&F)
Lesson 10: Supply and Demand (and Behavioral Economics) (Chp. 9 in D&F)
(Additional microeconomic and metaeconomic readings)


Nov. 3-Nov. 9 Market Failures and Missing Markets
Lesson 11: Market (and Government) Failures (Chp 10 in D&F)
(Additional  property problem readings)

Nov. 10-16  Valuation
Lesson 12: Valuation Philosophy and Methods (Chp. 3 in Chapman; also see Costanza)
(Additional  valuation readings)

Nov. 17-23   Measuring Overall Progress
Lesson 13:  Macroeconomic Values (Chp. 13 in D&F)
Genuine Progress Indicator (See Costanza et al paper; and Redefining Progress website)
Continue discussion of materials in Lessons 9-13

**Exam 2 over Lessons 9-13**

Nov. 24- 30 Institutional Design and Managing Resources
Lesson 14: Institutional Design (Chp. 20 and 21 in D&F)
The material in Lesson 14 starts the discussion about the alternative "tools" and frameworks... and alternative designs of institutions, market and other-wise... for helping movement onto a more resilient and sustainable, eco-path for each of the resources, and for the overall Earth-system

Dec. 1-7  Managing Abiotic Resources
Lesson 15: Minerals, especially Energy and Energy Alternatives (Chp. 1 in Chapman; Chp. 11 in D&F)
(Additional readings addressing abiotic scarcity)
Lesson 16:  Sulfur (air quality) and Carbon/Climate Change (Chp. 11, 18 in Chapman; Chp. 11 in D&F)
(Additional readings on sulfur and carbon markets)
Lesson 17: Water Management (Chp. 11 in D&F)
(Additional readings on water marketing)
(Additional readings on water and soil conservation/erosion reduction)

Regarding the end-of-semester project, the Eco-Success PowerPoint (including detailed Notes on each slide and/or Audio augmented slides):
1. Be sure to review the PowerPoint Presentations Rubric (see the Syllabus) in preparing your overview of the Eco-Success you have chosen to consider.
2. By December 4: Upload the Eco-Success Assignment in Lesson 20; you can upload the actual LastNameFirstInitialEcoSuccess.ppt or .pptx file or a .pdf version of it. If you choose to add extensive Audio and/or Photos, Graphics, which can make for a very large PowerPoint file, you can send the PowerPoint to us, for transformation into a "streaming" PowerPoint: We use a software package called "Impatica."  We will then "stream" it, and send you the URL for posting to the Discussion Board. Be sure to use the naming convention, e.g. LynneGEcoSuccess.ppt
3. By December 4: Upload the same file (or post the URL) as an "Attachment"  to the Eco-Successes part of the Discussion Board. This attachment needs to be associated with a  Thread started by you, about your project, within the Lesson 20 Forum.
4. During the period December 4-15: Each student will comment on, engage in discussion about the Eco-Success presentation of at least 1-other student as well as respond to at least 1-comment on their own Eco-Success presentations. 

Dec. 8 - End of Semester. Managing Biotic Resources and Eco-Successes in Contemporary Eco-Business, Eco-Industry, Eco-Community and Eco-Government
(Additional readings addressing biotic scarcity)
Lessons 18-19: Buffalo and Prairie Dogs, Fisheries and Forests (Chp. 12 in D&F)
(Additional readings on the fishery)
Lesson 20: Eco-successes (case studies) in business, industry (industrial ecology), community and government
(Readings on eco-business and eco-community: agriculture, business, industrial ecology, communities and tourism)

**Exam 3 over Lessons 14-20. This Exam will be posted no later than Thursday, December 10 and will be due back by 6 p.m. on December 15**