Schedule: ENST30501: Ecology, Economics, and Ethics

Summary: This is the schedule for ENST30501, Ecology, Economics, and Ethics, offered at Ramapo College by Professor Wayne Hayes in the fall 2011 semester. The page will guide the sequence of events in ENST30501 but may change slightly as the course moves forward.

Syllabus |Bulletin Board

Important Dates ^

The Academic Calendar for the Spring 2011 semester displays important dates to keep in mind. Please note the due dates for ENST305 below:

Introduction to ENST305

This section initiates the course and introduces each other and the material of the course. Expectations and timelines are established early.

September 7: My flooding caused me to provide an alternative assignment:

  1. Examine the syllabus and this schedule for discussion on September 14.
  2. View the video, Home.
  3. Read and study Wolfgang Sachs, Fairness in a Fragile World: A Memo on Sustainability.
  4. Recommended: the full version of Wolfgang Sachs, Fairness in a Fragile World: A Memo on Sustainability

September 14: Introduction and business of ENST30501; how to do well here. I will distribute the Hitana Bay simulation game, a significant learning exercise that initiates the course. We will do in class:

  1. Roster check and introductions, yours and mine.
  2. Examine the syllabus and this schedule, with attention to assignments and grading. I will explain the origins, curricular role, and mission of Ecology, Economics, and Ethics.
  3. Discuss the video, Home.
  4. Set up and distribute role-playing game on sustainable development, Hitana Bay

September 21: We will form teams to play the Hitana Bay role-playing simulation game on sustainable development. The class will report on a sustainable development plan for Hitana Bay and discuss the results.

Please read for class discussion:

  1. Study closely the Hitana Bay narrative, distributed on September 14.
  2. Aaron Glantz, Number of Green Jobs Fails to Live Up to Promises, New York Times, August 18, 2011
  3. Sabrina Tarvenise, Soaring Poverty Casts Spotlight on Lost Decade, New York Times, September 13, 2011

Economics and Sustainability

September 28 and October 5: We will continue the review of articles that help to frame Ecology, Economics, and Ethics

  1. Carlo Rotella, Can Jeremy Grantham Profit From Ecological Mayhem?, New York Times, August 11, 2011. His latest news letter, recommended, is sobering. See the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment web site.
  2. See the Summers memo on exporting polluting industries to Africa for a sample of economic analysis in action.
  3. Recommended is this late addition: The IMF issued its latest World Economic Outlook on 9/20/2011, forecasting slower economic growth and warning of higher likelihood of a recession in the USA. See the article at CNN. The IMF also calls for tighter regulation of the financial sector. The IMF warns of supply-side inflation, however. I will lead the discussion in the second part of our class on September 21.
  4. Discuss Wolfgang Sachs, Fairness in a Fragile World: A Memo on Sustainability.
  5. Wayne Hayes, Statement of Concern

We will start Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff and the companion video. I have prepared some notes to guide a class discussion.

We will engage and discuss this amusing and straightforward book, The Story of Stuff. The book is a readily available and highly accessible explanation of substantive aspects of the intersection of economics and sustainability. Be prepared for a lively discussion in class. We will also view the Story of Stuff video. Note that this book encompasses the life cycle of the production of goods (less so services), introduces (irreverently perhaps) important concepts, and includes but surpasses the simplistic f ocus on markets.

October 19: The term paper proposal and sample of experiential learning log is due before class.

October 12 & 19: Economic Strategies for Sustainability;
My article on Economic Strategies for Sustainability provides an overview of economic theory for sustainers. You must study this article closely. I will supplement the article with lecture notes and web pages.

  1. Brief discussion: Prof. Hayes's lecture notes on approaching economics for sustainability. See also a workng definition of economics and my lecture notes on the economic strategies for sustainability.
  2. Hayes, Economic Strategies for Sustainability. A copy will be distributed for class use. The article is also available as MS Word download. I will use this image to set up.
  3. Peter Montague: Sustainable Development in Six Parts: Part I, II, III, IV. Note, for emissions trading, also see Annie Leonard, The Story of Cap and Trade. See Daly's empty world versus full world diagram.
  4. Recommened: Read the original statement on the stationary state economy defined in 1848 by John Stuart Mill. See especially section IV.6.9 for the ends of political economy.
  5. Recommended: Partha Dasgupta, Are Poor Countries Really Getting Richer?, New Statesman, November 2003.

October 26: Ashwani Vasishth will visit our class to explain the important concepts of natural capital and environmental services. This emerging field builds an essential bridge between ecology and economics. Please read:

  1. Rebecca L. Goldman, Environmental Services: How People Benefit From Nature, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, September-October, 2010
  2. Paul L. Hawken, Amory Lovins, and Hunter Lovins, Chapter 1, The Next Industrial Revolution, from Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution (Boston: Back Bay Books, 2008)
  3. Robert Costanza, Social Goals and the Valuation of Natural Capital, Gund Institute for Ecological Econonmics, the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., July-August 2003

November 2: Professor Vavishth presents our class. Please read:

  1. Janet N. Abromovitz, Putting a Value on Nature's Free Services, Worldwatch Institute, October 18, 2011
  2. R.K. Turner and G.C. Daily, The Ecosystem Services Framework and Natural Capital Conservation, Environmental Resource Economics, 2008
  3. Mathis Wackernagel and Rees, Perceptual and Structural Barriers to Investing in Natural Capital: Economics from an Ecological Footprint Perspective, Ecological Economics, 1997

November 9 & 16: We will prepare for the essay on the intersection of economics and sustainability. The first version of the presentation, which will help synthesize the intersection of economics and sustainability will soon be available to guide your study and review --- as soon as I solve my server problem loading the Powerpoint file. Please read for our next two classes:

  1. Economic Strategies for Sustainability Powerpoint is now under construction. This presentation, which will be updated periodically before our class on Wednesday evening, will guide our next two classes.
  2. Please review the instantly classical article by Steffen, Will & Paul J. Crutzen & John R. McNeill. 2007: The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature?, Ambio v36n8 (December 2007): 614-621. This helps to frame how economics intersects with sustainability.
  3. Paul Krugman, Here Comes the Sun, New York Times, 11/7/2011, speaks of energy sources --- fossil and solar --- and subsidies.
  4. Tom Friedman, Something is Happening Here, New York Times, October 11, 2011. Friedman is following up on his prior column on this topic, The Earth is Full, New York Times, June 11, 2011
  5. Annie Leonard, Consumer Spending, New York Times, October 26, 2011
  6. See a regional case study on a shift to renewable energy: Offshore Wind Power Line Wins Backing, Matthew Wald, New York Times, October 12, 2010. See also Google backs power cable for N.J. offshore wind, Eliot Caroom, Star Ledger, March 2011. See also Koch brothers declare war on offshore wind, Keith Harrington, Grist, July 15, 2011
  7. I recommended Donella Meadows, Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System. Note especially the leverage given to paradigm shifts, which is needed for economics to support sustainability.

We will also review two articles for the preparation of your essay which have already been assigned, above:

  1. Wayne Hayes, Economic Strategies for Sustainability, an overview of economics for sustainers, available as a MS Word download. See also lecture notes on approaching economics for sustainability. See also a workng definition of economics and my lecture notes on the economic strategies for sustainability.
  2. Peter Montague summarizes key points from Herman Daly's classic, Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development: Sustainable Development in Six Parts: Part I, II, III, IV. Note, for emissions trading, also see Annie Leonard, The Story of Cap and Trade.

On or before November 23: Submit your essay on intersection of economics and sustainability as attachment sent to wwkhayes@gmail.com or whayes@ramapo.edu.

November 23: Thanksgiving break: no class

Papers and Presentations

November 30: Workshop on term papers and preparation for presentations. Please prepare a status report of only one to two minutes for class discussion. We must schedule presentations for our final two classes, December 7 and 13. I will also examine and comment on the experiential learning logs. Please study for class:

  1. Presentation: Prof. Hayes, Notes Towards a Strategic Sustainability and Building an Eco-Economy
  2. Prof. Hayes will conclude Economic Strategies for Sustainability Powerpoint
  3. Prof. Hayes presentation on Getting Sustainability, V. 0.1
  4. Read again, Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff, Epilogue: Writing a New Story, pp. 237-252.
  5. Read for discussion: Christopher B. Leinberger, Death of the Fringe Suburb, New York Times, November 26, 2011.
  6. Examine the recent sustainability coverage at the Bloomberg news web site.

December 7: The experiential learning log is due.

December 7 & 13: presentations of term paper

December 21: term paper due. No class but professor will be available.

©Wayne Hayes, Ph.D. | Initialized: 7/20/2011 | Last Update: 11/30/2011 | V. 3.5 Build #32