Environmental Studies 230 - An Introduction to Economics with Environmental Applications

(Offered as ECON 111E and ENST 230) An introduction to the core theories and measures of markets and the current economic system. We study both microeconomics, which addresses the central problem of resource scarcity and how markets for individual goods and services function, and macroeconomics, which addresses the economy as a whole and key aggregate measures such as unemployment and inflation. Econ 111E covers the same material as ECON 111 but with special attention to the relationship between economic activity and environmental problems, including market failures, and to the application of economic tools to analyze environmental issues. A student may not receive credit for both ECON 111 and ECON 111E. Two 80-minute and one 50-minute lecture/discussions per week.

Admission with consent of the instructor. Limited to 25 Amherst College students. Spring semester. Professor Sims. 

How to handle overenrollment: Drop students who do not attend the first two classes and admit students from a waiting list.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Modes of learning and assessment include readings, lectures, problem solving, in-class quizzes and exams, short paper, graphical analysis, group discussion.