85779 - Economic Geography and Economics of Environmental Resources

Course contents

- 1st Part-Geography of Sustainable Development (20 h.):

1. Environment, population and resources (Geo-ecosystem and its feedbacks with human activities; bio-resources, agriculture and agri-business; mine resources and energy);
2. World-system and globalisation (The World-system concept and the globalisation of the world economy; changes in the international division of labour ; innovation, industrial decentralisation, and global commodity chains' networks; the evolution of transnational corporations; geography of trade; the organisation of trade and information flows);
3. The economic development: ideologies and policies (from the ideology of growth to the ideology of sustainability; policies for economic integration and development: from the international organisations to the local actions).

- 2nd Part-Economics of Environment and Natural Resources (20 h.):

1. Economics and environmental issues (economists copying with the environmmental issue; environmental ethics; market failures and conservation; the limits to growth; interpreting sustainable development - strong and weak approaches);
2. The assessment of environmental goods (monetary methods; non-monetary methods; environmental risk assessment);
3. Environmental policy measures (the socially optimal level of pollution; the polluter-pays principle; environmental policy tools: incentives, green taxes, permissions and environmental standards; the management of renewable and non renewable natural resources).

Readings/Bibliography

Teacher's notes and didactic materials distributed through the Unibo's on-line platform "E-Learning".

Teaching methods

- Lectures;

- Experts' seminars

Assessment methods

- students are evaluated through a written test;

- students may also choose to be evaluated through two distinct written tests: the first, regarding the contents of the 1st Part of the teaching, will take place at the end of the 1st Part's lectures; the second test, regarding the contents of the 2nd Part of the teaching, will take place at the end of the 2nd Part's lectures;

Student evaluation will be based on the following: knowledge of the topics; writing skills and correct use of the discipline’s terminology; constant and active attendance of the course’s lectures and development of didactic activities agreed with the teacher.

Teaching tools

- Slides

- Distribution of didactic materials through the Unibo's on-line platform "E-Learning"

Office hours

See the website of Massimo Canali