CORE S198   Measuring the Environment

Identifying and addressing environmental problems hinges critically on being able to measure them. How does environmental quality influence human well-being, and how are groups differentially exposed to environmental quality? How do different products/industries/countries contribute to environmental problems and how important are these impacts (relative to other social issues)? Students explore methods from economics and environmental science that are used to measure the environment, focusing specifically on experimental and observational data analysis, mapping, air pollution modeling, lifecycle and input-output analysis and economic valuation methods. Students use these methods to answer questions related to a range of current environmental issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, destruction of ecosystems and environmental inequities.