POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ENVIRONMENT Faculty Advisor: Sara Anderson (1st-years) and Oran Young (2nd-years) Specialization Description The Political Economy of the Environment (PEE) specialization trains students to develop and implement public policies dealing with environmental problems, to manage public environmental resources, and to understand how firms and other organizations respond to these policies and management systems. PEE students acquire knowledge about interactions between the public sector and the private sector and about the impact of political processes on efforts to solve environmental problems. In the process, they learn how to identify and evaluate policy options and to communicate the results to policymakers and regulators in an effective manner. Broadly defined to encompass the full range of issues pertaining to environmental quality and natural resources, the PEE specialization addresses these concerns as they arise from the local level through the state and national levels to the international level. Students taking this specialization find employment with local, state, and national governments as well as with intergovernmental organizations, firms subject to environmental policies, and consulting groups dealing with the management of environmental resources.

PEE students should take the following courses:

ESM 242: Natural Resource Economics and Policy 
ESM 245: Cost Benefit Analysis and Non Market Valuation

PEE students should take at least two of the following courses:

ESM 243: Environmental Policy Analysis
ESM 247: Governance for Sustainable Development
ESM 248: Env. Institutions: Rights, Rules, and Decision-Making Systems

PEE students are also encouraged to take an elective class in law that will expand or enhance
the knowledge acquired in the core course-- ESM 207: Environmental Law and Policy. 
Some possibilities include:

ESM 259: Law of Coastal Zone Management
ESM 277: Law of Environmental Management 

In addition, a variety of variable topic classes that may be of value are offered, such as:

ESM 294: Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Law

PEE students should take at least two courses that will develop some depth in a substantive area.
For example PEE students with an interest in Conservation Planning should consider taking at least
two of the five key courses (ESM 211, 212, 215, 217 or 270) recommended for the CP specialization.

 

PEE students should take at least one methodology course in addition to those listed in the first
two sections (economics and policy) above. Some examples include the following:

ESM 232: Environmental Modeling
ESM 261: Management of Scientific Data
ESM 263: GIS
ESM 266: Remote Sensing
Econ 140C: Introduction to Econometrics

 

The following variable topic courses often provide curriculum opportunities of value for PEE students:

ESM 430 & 436: Workshops in Environmental Science and Management

ESM 437: Writing for Environmental Professionals

ESM 595A-Z: Seminars/Group Studies in Environmental Science and Management

ESM 294, 296, 297, & 299: Advanced Topics

In addition, there are some classes in other departments that may be appropriate for PEE students.
Some examples include:

Econ 114: Economics Development

Econ 120: Urban and Regional Economics

Global Studies 250: Managing Development Organizations, Non-Profits, and other NGOs

 

Sample Programs

                                                             

Example I	Example II
Natural Resources Economics and Policy	Natural Resources Economics and Policy
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Non-market Valuation	Cost-Benefit Analysis and Non-market Valuation
Advanced Topics in Environmental Law	Environmental Institutions
Environmental Policy Analysis	Law of Coastal Zone Management
Governance for Sustainable Development	Environmental Negotiations
Conservation Planning	Applied Marine Ecology
Principles & Practice of Land Use Planning	Coastal Marine Policy
GIS	Environmental Modeling
Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology and Ecology	Coastal Marine Policy
Survey Design and Environmental Public Opinion	Environmental Policy Analysis

 

Career Opportunities

Potential Job Areas:

• Air Quality Policy
• Conservation Planning
• Corporate Environmental Management
• Education
• Energy Policy
• Energy Regulation
• Environmental Legislation
• Environmental Modeling
• Government
• Hazardous Waste—Clean Up/Treatment
• Natural Resource Management
• Natural Resource Planning
• Policy Analysis
• Research
• Risk Analysis
• Solid Waste Policy
• Strategic Planning
• Transportation Policy
• Urban Growth Management
• Water Policy