Energy Economics and the Environment

Name: Energy Economics and the Environment
Rating: 4.5 (797 reviews)

Environmental issues require trade-offs, primarily in how we use energy. A former White House economist offers answers.

Created byBen Ho

Last updated 1/2012

English

Course content

10 sections • 20 lectures • 6h 26m total length

Welcome to the Economics of Energy and the Environment1:32
Brief introduction to the problem, the lecturer, the course, and our objectives: Understanding Energy and Environmental Issues through the lens of Economic Science.

Thinking Like an Economist : Cost Benefit Analysis16:37
Cost Benefit Analysis is the heart of Economics. It is not without its controversies especially as applied to the environment. This lecture will try to address them, and try to convince you that Cost Benefit Analysis is a reasonable backbone for both Supply and Demand, all of economics, and the rest of the course.

The video mentioned for next weeks lecture is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPqdRqacpFk
Lecture Slides 11:00

Measuring Costs and Benefits34:20
In this lecture, we discuss some difficulties in measuring environmental costs and benefits (for example the value of tropical rain forests or the lives of polar bears), and the tools and techniques economists use to overcome them. Amongst them, we consider the tricky isues of valuing human life, of valuing risk, and of valuing time.
Lecture Slides 17:00
PDF version of Lecture Slides

Supply and Demand26:05
In this lecture, I cover the basics of supply and demand and use them to puzzle through a number of applications including: is buying from Ikea an ethical choice, is the world running out of oil, and should we drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This lecture and the next are slightly more on the graph-y side, we will return to more practical discussions on climate chnage starting in two lectures, so feel free to skip ahead if you would like.
Lecture Slides 10:00
PDF version of Lecture Slides

Climate Change - Solutions - And Course Wrap Up32:21
Exploring the technoloigies that will make up the energy and climate future.
Lecture Slides 28:00
Slides for the Climate Change - Solutions Lecture
Final Course Thoughts1:22
Thanks very much for bearing with me, with my first attempt at online teaching. It's been a great learning experience for me as well. If you found the course useful, please leave Reviews and Feedback and Comments. The course is a living thing and I will be updating as I can to make it better so any…

Description

A Faculty Project Course - Best Professors Teaching the World

Energy use and its impact on the environment will be two of the most important issues of the 21st century. The large role of energy in geo-political relationships combined with the fact that most of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with global climate change come from energy production means the energy sector is poised for dramatic change, and thus great opportunity. This course is designed to be a primer for potential entrepreneurs, investors, managers and policy makers on energy and environmental issues.

Topics will include environmental economics, energy economics, environmental ethics, oil sector, the electricity sector, alternative energy, sustainability, climate change and climate policy.

Energy Economics and the Environment

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Course content

Welcome to the Economics of Energy and the Environment1 lecture • 2min

Introduction2 lectures • 22min

Thinking Like an Economist: Cost Benefit Analysis2 lectures • 28min

Measuring Costs and Benefits2 lectures • 51min

Supply and Demand2 lectures • 36min

Externalities2 lectures • 55min

Climate Science2 lectures • 34min

Climate Change - Economic Consequences2 lectures • 47min

Climate Change - Economic Policy Analysis2 lectures • 50min

Climate Change - Solutions - And Course Wrap Up3 lectures • 1hr 2min

Description