Dalhousie University International Summer Institute on the Science and Economics of Climate Change

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Dalhousie UniversityInternationalSummer
Institute on theScience and Economics of
Climate Change
July 25 August 19, 2011
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Dalhousie University

• Founded in 1818
• One of Canadas G13 Universities
• Full range of programs at graduate and
  undergraduate level
• Inspiring students in a research intensive
  environment
• Times of London HES 2010
• In the Top 200 universities in the world

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• There have been 86 Rhodes scholars from
  Dalhousie. Only Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Toronto
  and McGill have had more.
• Dalhousie provides the opportunity to excel.

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• Halifax is a safe city with a population of
  350,000.
• Located a short flight away from Toronto,
  Montreal, New York and Boston.
• Students at Dalhousie enjoy developing all sides
  of their personalities.

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Numbers

• Dalhousie has over 16,000 students
• Including 3,500 Graduate Students
• 1400 international students (from over 110
  countries)
• Student to faculty ratio of 15 is the lowest in
  Canada
• Annual research funding exceeds 130 million

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The Program

• The Science and Economics of Climate ChangeJuly
  25 August 19, 2011

Astronaut Photography of Earth Source NASA
photograph ISS022-E-6678.
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The Science and Economics of Climate Change

• COURSE DESCRIPTION
• This course examines how climate change will
  impact the environment and human activities and
  how to formulate and implement economically
  realistic solutions, to deal with these impacts.
  It integrates science and economics to analyze
  the issues and possible response options as
  countries attempt to move towards a
  carbon-neutral society.

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Instructors

• Prof. Glen Lesins
• Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science
• Dalhousie University
• Prof. Ruth Forsdyke
• Department of Economics
• Dalhousie University

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Course Credit

• The course is a full credit offering equivalent
  to two one-semester courses.
• Including field trips, it will involve
  approximately 110 contact hours over a four-week
  period.
• Students may register for the course as Economics
  2850.06 or Physics 2850.06
• Students who have taken ECON 2216 or PHYC 2800
  may not register for the course.

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Science Component

• Introduction of the workings of the atmosphere
• Emphasis on the greenhouse effect and carbon
  cycling

The retreat of Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss
Alps.  (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002).
Source German Wikipedia by Zuecho

• Different types of climate change Natural and
  human forces
• Global climate models and predictions for the
  next century
• Impact of global warming on both human activities
  and ecosystems
• Societal response strategies

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Economics Component

• Why study the economics of greenhouse-gas-induced
  climate change?
• What criteria do/should economists use to
  evaluate climate change decisions?
• Investigation of policy approaches
• Policy approaches and comparisons
• (e.g. cap and trade, carbon taxes)

• Need for global coordination of policy
• Macroeconomics of climate change
• Are developing countries a special case?

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Course Structure

• 20 class days weekend field trips
• Both a Science and an Economics lecture daily
• cross-referenced with each other
• BLS (Blackboard Learning System) for online work

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Field Trips

• Several field trips will be organized as an
  integral part of the learning experience, both
  within the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)
  and elsewhere in Nova Scotia.

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Integrated Group Project

• A special integrated project designed to relate
  the science, prediction models, economic analysis
  and policy decision(s) for a given scenario will
  be undertaken by teams of students in the course.
  
• Each project group will present their results to
  the class.

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Course Evaluation

• Homework assignments 25
• Midterm exam 20
• Group Project 20
• Final exam 35

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Prerequisite Background

• No formal background in either science or
  economics is required.
• Calculus is not required, but a knowledge of
  simple algebra and use of graphical analysis is
  recommended

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Textbooks and Readings

• Global Warming The Complete Briefing, 4th ed.,
  John Houghton, Cambridge University Press.
• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
• Development and Climate Change
• World Development Report 2010 (World Bank)
• The Economics of Climate Change The Stern Review

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Program Activities

• Included in Course Fee
• Course lectures and related activities
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Weekend field trips
• Bus Tour of Halifax
• Welcome Lunch
• Farewell Dinner
• Airport Pick-up
• Airport Drop-off
• Barbecue night
• Lobster Boil Party

• Optional (may include additional cost)
• Tour of Halifax Citadel
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
• Movies at local cinema
• Bicycling
• Hiking
• Excursion to
• Peggys Cove
• Harbourfront Walk
• Halifax Public Gardens

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Accommodation

• Students from outside Halifax are expected to be
  housed in university residence accommodation.
  This accommodation includes a meal plan. Both the
  accommodation and meal plan are included in the
  price of the course.
• Students from Halifax who do not require
  accommodation to be provided will have the price
  adjusted accordingly.
• If university residence housing proves not to be
  available, alternative housing will be provided.
  The total course price will not increase in this
  event, but it may decrease.

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Cost

• Tuition Fees Accommodation Meals
• 4750 CAN

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Contact

• For Further information or to learn how to apply,
  write to
• Shannon Peng
• Administrative Coordinator, DISSECC
• Department of Economics
• Dalhousie University Halifax , Nova Scotia
• B3H 3J5 Canada
• E-mail shannon.peng_at_dal.ca
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]