Natural Resource Economics

Newspapers and television programs remind us regularly of the market and non-market costs associated with carbon emissions, reduction of oil reserves, destruction of forests, loss of biodiversity, wildfire management, exhaustion of fish stocks, and rapidly growing human populations. Economics provides a framework for systematically analysing these issues, and the social benefits and costs of alternative natural resource management policies.

The Natural Resource Economics emphasis provides students with the skills to socio-economically analyse natural resource management policies. For example, has the decline of the timber industry in the Pacific Northwest of the United States generally been of benefit to society? Should fire-fighting resources be deployed to protect the habitat of threatened and endangered species at the expense of protecting private homes in the wildland-urban interface? Should taxes on gasoline be raised to account for the cost carbon emissions? The Natural Resource Economics emphasis is intended for students aspiring to graduate studies or careers in natural resource management and policy design and evaluation. A listing of strongly recommended and other suggested courses follows.

Strongly recommended

Other suggested courses