Economics Department main page ECO1340 - Economics of Climate Change
Fall 2023 Schedule
Professor Matthew Turner
Department of Economics
Brown University
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    The following schedule describes the material to be covered during the term. The dates on which particular material will be covered and when asignments are subject to change depending on our rate of progress. Please check this schedule at least weekly for updates and changes.

    Topic Reading Problems Solutions
    #1:Introduction, Carbon Accounting
    Notes #1
    September 6, 11
    Required:
    • Hansen to p111
    • Nordhaus, Ch 1
    Optional:
    PS#1, due Sept. 19 solution
    #2: Trends in Climate and CO2
    Notes #2
    September 13
    Required: Optional:
    #3: Uncertainty and the warming hiatus
    Notes #3
    September 18
    Required:
    • Finish Hansen
    Optional:
    PS#2, due Sept. 25 solution
    #4: Climate damage I
    Notes #4
    September 20, 25
    Required: PS#3, due Oct. 2 solution
    #5: Climate damage II
    Notes #5.
    September 27, Oct 2
    Dell et al is difficult. Do your best, but don't expect to get it all. Just the first two pages of Roberts and Schlenker are required. For Greenstone et al., try p1-9, 11-37. PS#4, Due Oct. 11 solution
    #6: Climate damage III: Evidence from the Little Ice-age
    Notes #6.
    October 4, 11
    (No school October 9)
    We'll cover these four for sure. Try to read through them all. We'll cover these if we end up ahead of schedule:
    #7: Discounting, or how to compare present and future consumption
    Notes #7.
    October 16, 18
    Required: PS#5, due Oct. 25 solution
    Midterm office hours
    October 23
    take home midterm 2023
    #8: Mitigation
    Notes #8.
    October 25, 30
    Required. This paper is pretty hard. Concentrate on understanding Figures 3a and 8a: PS#6, due Nov. 1 solution
    #9: Solving for the optimal mitigation policy
    Notes #9.
    Nov. 1, 6
    Required: This is a more technical version of Nordhaus' chapters 2-4. It's optional, but if you can do the math, it's easier to get through and you can read it INSTEAD of the book. Optional. More facts about mitigation.
    • Stern Ch 9-10
    PS#7, due Nov. 8
    A Simple IAM
    solution
    #10: The tragedy of the commons
    Notes #10.
    November 8, 13

    Required: Optional: The lectures are based in part on Cheung, Ostrom is stories about common property in reality. PS#8, due Nov. 20
    Don't leave this one until the last minute.
    solution
    #11: Regulation
    Notes #11.
    November 15, 20
    (No class November 22)
    Stavins is required. The Weitzman paper is hard and optional. PS#9, due Nov. 29 solution
    #12: Regulation continued
    November 27, 29
    The lecture is based on these three readings. Spence will likely be too hard, so it is optional. The Page chapter is required. The Metcalf is is an easy/useful survey of a lot of the material we've covered on regulation. PS#10, due Dec. 6 solution
    #13:Treaties and existing regulation
    Notes #12.
    December 4, 6
    Frankel is required as is the Reference manual to p 40. The text of the Kyoto Protocol is optional. Related material:
    Final, Due Decemember 18 final exam
    Old final exams:
    2019 final exam 2018 final exam