Environmental Policy and Economics

Photograph of large plume of smoke from a controlled burn of an oil spill.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill illustrates the need for cooperation between corporations and governments to address environmental issues and policy. (This image is in the public domain. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

14.42 / 14.420

As Taught In

Spring 2011

Level

Undergraduate

Cite This Course

Course Features

Course Description

This course explores the proper role of government in the regulation of the environment. It will help students develop the tools to estimate the costs and benefits of environmental regulations. These tools will be used to evaluate a series of current policy questions, including: Should air and water pollution regulations be tightened or loosened? What are the costs of climate change in the U.S. and abroad? Is there a "Race to the Bottom" in environmental regulation? What is "sustainable development"? How do environmental problems differ in developing countries? Are we running out of oil and other natural resources? Should we be more energy efficient? To gain real world experience, the course is scheduled to include a visit to the MIT cogeneration plant. We will also do an in-class simulation of an air pollution emissions market.

Other OCW Versions

Archived versions: Question_avt logo

Hunt Allcott. 14.42 Environmental Policy and Economics, Spring 2011. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA


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