energy, resources and environment program - Johns Hopkins ...

Select Energy, Resources and Environment Course Descriptions (Washington, D.C.)
Agriculture - Global Issues SA.680.783
Examines issues related to global agriculture. Topics covered include: the world food system, the nexus
of poverty and hunger, the rurality of poverty, the uniqueness of agriculture relative to other economic
sectors, agriculture’s role in economic development, resource constraints on future food production,
climate change and agriculture, energy and agriculture, technological change in agriculture, public vs.
private roles in agricultural and rural development, public policy distortions in global agriculture,
globalization and agriculture, and the volatility and trend in agricultural commodity prices.
Case Studies in Sustainable Development: Smart Cities & Urban Innovation SA.680.784
This course will provide students an opportunity to author a publishable-quality case study on a set of
topics related to sustainable cities and urban systems. The first part of the course will include a review
of existing case studies from the Harvard Business School and other case study programs, followed by a
methodological review of what makes a good case study. The second half of the term will focus on the
research and development of one new case study by each student (or student team) focused on the
core issues of integrated planning and economic, environmental, and social trade-offs of specific urban
sustainable development challenges. The final products of this course will be a set of case studies; the
top papers from the spring and fall semesters are anticipated to be compiled into an edited volume for
publication.
Economics of Natural Resources SA.680.851
Presents fundamental concepts and their application in the economics of nonrenewable and renewable
resources as well as related environmental issues. Topics include economic scarcity of natural resources,
efficient resource allocation over time, the roles of market forces and public policy, non-market
resources and sustainable development. Presents course material using a mix of basic economic
reasoning and intermediate micro theory. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the ERE that also can
fulfill a requirement for the International Economics Program.)
Energy Governance in China SA.680.769
This course uses energy as a window to look at how the Chinese political system tackles complex policy
problems in the era of reform and globalization. It analyzes the multiple dimensions of the energy
challenges facing China, examines how its energy sectors respond to these challenges over time and
how these sectors have evolved since the country opened to the world and launched economic reforms
in 1978. It also explains the governing structures, institutions, and processes through which China
governs its energy economy and makes its energy policies and decisions. Finally, it evaluates the system
performance, system capacity, and system direction of the Chinese state by investigating how China
confronts climate change and energy security challenges domestically and internationally. (This course is
cross-listed with China Studies).
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