Climate Change, Economics, Technology

This course covers (1) the causes and consequences of climate change, (2) the predicted economic impacts, policy modeling, and ethical concerns, and (3) the technological pathways that the world is likely to follow. The first part focuses on both basics and common misunderstandings. This includes the role of income growth, population growth, regional growth, efficiency growth, and poverty. The second part begins with integrated assessment models and reasons for disagreement among prominent models. (Students are expected to understand public goods dilemmas and free-riding.) It then proceeds to an obvious but often overlooked basic and essential fact: these models upon which all activist and government actions are based are unrealistic academic exercises. They are not even asking the right questions. Thus, United Nations treaties and carbon footprint initiatives are distractions rather than solutions. The third part discusses where clean and other technology is as of 2022 and what it will still take to reduce global warming. It also discusses why some prominently proposed technologies are hopeless, too; while other cheaper actions have remained unused (lost opportunities). Dissent and discussion, seminar-style, is encouraged. The grade will be based primarily on a midterm and take-home final, with some flexibility for students interested in doing more.