Welcome to ECON 295

ECON 295: Introduction to Sustainable Development

Washington and Lee University 

Spring 2018

 Professor: James F Casey

Email: caseyj@wlu.edu

Class: MWF 9-12, Wilson Hall 2019

Office Hours:  MWF 12-1 and TR by appointment

Office Location: Holtkamp 119

Course Description

In September 2015, the world adopted a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2015-2030 to replace the Millennium Development Goals when they expired in 2015. These SDGs set targets for reducing poverty, protecting the environment, and increasing equality of opportunity for those who may have had less than equal opportunity in the past – These are the three pillars of Sustainable Development.  The primary objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the concept, theories, and potential outcomes of sustainable development.  In addition to this, we will take a case study approach and look at policies and programs that have aimed to address each of the SDGs.  By the end of the term, you will have been introduced to sustainability through policies addressing oceans, biodiversity, climate, energy, education, social investment and health.

Learning Objectives

The course learning objectives focus on broad knowledge attainment, critical thinking and research and writing skills.

By the end of the semester, students should:

• Be familiar with conceptual debates on sustainable development - understanding basic issues, trends, and concepts in the field of sustainable development

• Be familiar with current and emerging global issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals

w  Have a greater understanding of some of the strategies and examples of ways in which government and the private sector can contribute to sustainable development  

• Demonstrate critical thinking, research and writing skills in a research paper on a topic of their choice related to sustainable development (topic must be approved by professor)

Reading material:

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Class Outline (with additional readings)

WEEK ONE:

           

Monday:         Introductions, overview, expectations.

Economic Development: A theoretical framework

Wednesday:     What is Sustainable Development?

                       

                        Chapter 1 from -

                        http://www.researchkh.org/userfiles/image/upload/1454164020676.pdf

and

Sustainability: An Economist’s Perspective

http://cda.mrs.umn.edu/~kildegac/Courses/Enviro/3008/Readings/Solow.pdf

Friday:             Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

                        https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

Sachs, J.D., “From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals,” The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9832, Pages 2206 - 2211, 9 June 2012. 6 pages. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60685-0/fulltext

WEEK TWO:

Monday: SDGs 1, 2, and 3

Poverty, Hunger and Health

Wednesday: SDGs 12,14, and 15

Production and Consumption, Water and Land

Friday:

Garden and Campus Kitchen and Compost

WEEK THREE:

Monday: SDGs 6, 7, and 9

Clean Water, Clean Energy, and Clean Infrastructure

Wednesday: SDGs 11, 13, and 18

Cities, Climate, and Finance

Friday:

Third-Year Housing, Energy and Water Usage

WEEK FOUR:

Monday: SDGs 4, 5, and 8

            Education, Work, Equal Opportunity

Wednesday:  SDGs 10, 16, and 17

            Inequality, Institutions, Interconnectedness

Friday:

Community Engagement, Habitat for Humanity, and Boxerwood

Course Requirements

Each day, a group of three students will work together to make and deliver a formal presentation to guide our discussion. You should 1) summarize your SDG, 2) provide us with a summary of the targets, 3) give us an update on progress, 4) tell us about organizations working on these goals, and 4) try to think creatively about what we can do locally to contribute to the targets.

Class Participation is an important part of the course. I expect students to read each day’s assigned readings, be prepared to discuss them, and to participate actively. On days when your group is not presenting, your group must come to class with a list of questions or comments about the days assigned reading.  This is your ticket to class (I will explain).  This, also, means you need to meet with your group outside of class.  Even if you are uncomfortable speaking in class, I urge you to step out of your comfort zone as much as possible, and I will help to create a supportive classroom environment. Developing confidence in public speaking is a crucial skill, and is important for the overall quality of our joint learning.

Each week, we will have, at least, one un-announced Quiz.  The quiz will be based on material covered the previous day. They are un-announced in order to provide the correct incentive to review your notes from class every day during the term and to provide you with an opportunity to meet with me outside of class if you have any questions about the material.  We will have 6 quizzes, in total, and you will keep your top 5 scores.

The Final Paper assignment will provide you with an opportunity to research and present a case study in Sustainability of your choosing.  The basic premise is to 1) ask a question, 2) find three primary sources, i.e. journal article, book chapter, etc., and 3) “answer” your question. An excellent guide for this can be found here:

            http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/cases.html

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

           

Grading

Presentations/student-led Discussion                          25%

Class Participation                                                       25%

Quizzes                                                                       25%

Paper                                                                           25%

A note on the honor system:  Students must adhere to W&L’s Honor System.  Be vigilant in the use and citation of others’ work when writing the term paper.  https://www.wlu.edu/executive-committee/the-honor-system/the-white-book

A note on disabilities:

Washington and Lee University makes reasonable academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. All undergraduate accommodations must be approved by the Title IX Coordinator and Director of Disability Resources.  Students requesting accommodations for this course should present an official accommodation letter within the first two weeks of the term and schedule a meeting outside of class time to discuss accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to present this paperwork in a timely fashion and to follow up about accommodation arrangements. Accommodations for test-taking must be arranged at least a week before the date of the test or exam, including finals.