PECO 220 Intermediate Micro and Macroeconomic Theory
The global ecological crisis is arguably the most pressing challenge facing the human species since its inception. This course examines the origins and nature of the crisis by analyzing the political-economic systems and infrastructures that have undergirded the transition to the Anthropocene - a geological epoch in which human activity has become the primary driver of environmental change. Although we examine the ecological crisis from a historical perspective, our primary focus is on the Great Acceleration - the period beginning in the second-half of the twentieth century when the growth of global capitalism accelerated the scope and scale of Earth System change. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the politics of: global consumption; the global agro-food system; energy systems; water systems; transportation systems; and population growth. We will also examine ongoing political struggles to initiate structural changes to the U.S. and global economies through large-scale projects like the Green New Deal. Overall, this course provides students with the conceptual tools and empirical knowledge required to more thoroughly engage the politics of the global ecological crisis.
Prerequisite
PECO 110 or instructor's permission