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Economic Tools for the Environment (ENST20004)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
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About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides students with hands-on experiences in the use of economic tools to assess and develop environmental protection strategies. This includes methods for evaluating “environmentally friendly” products, projects and policies in terms of their benefits and costs. Benefits considered include marketed benefits, such as energy savings and avoided property losses, and non-marketed benefits, such as improvements in human health and conservation of biological diversity. Economic tools for solving environmental problems that will be considered in the subject include taxes on environmentally harmful activities, tax deductions for “environmentally friendly” activities, making polluters or “risk creators” pay for environmental damages, and allowing private ownership of environmental assets.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Describe the challenges in estimating the benefits of environmental protection, including human health benefits and biodiversity benefits;
- Select appropriate economic assessment tools for appraising "green infrastructure" investments, "green products" and environmental protection projects;
- Discuss how economic tools can change people's incentives to protect and restore the environment;
- Make reasoned, evidence-based arguments for applying economic tools to solve environmental problems.
Generic skills
In addition to learning specific skills that will assist students in their future careers in science, they will have the opportunity to develop generic skills that will assist them in any future career path. These include;
- Problem-solving: the ability to engage with unfamiliar problems and identify relevant solution strategies based on evidence and logical reasoning;
- Critical thinking: consider which impacts of a project or product are likely to be important;
- Contribute to multidisciplinary projects: contribute constructively to group projects involving members with different disciplinary backgrounds;
- Communication: communicate results of their work to a broader group.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
It is recommended that students have completed a minimum of 12.5 points in an environmental science or environmental studies subject.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
A multi choice online exam (40%), due in week 7.
| Week 7 | 40% |
An investigative report (60%), 3000 words in length, due in week 14. This report has a focus on comparing the proposed solution with alternatives and making an evidence-based argument for a preferred solution.
| During the examination period | 60% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Coordinator Danny Spring Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 1 hour lecture per week, 2 hour workshop/computer lab per week, a 1-day excursion (6 hours -Saturday) in Week 5. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022 Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022 Census date 31 August 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 September 2022 Assessment period ends 18 November 2022 Semester 2 contact information
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Recommended texts and other resources
A list of texts and readings will be provided on commencement of the subject. Printed subject materials will be available from the University Co-Op Bookshop.
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024