Week 2 Discussions and Required Resources
Assignment: This is a two-part assignment. Each part must be at least 200 words unless otherwise noted. Please read all attachments and follow ALL instructions.
To receive full credit you must include at least 2 citations of scholarly support to your answers for each discussion post (i.e. Discussion One – 2 citations, Discussion Two – 2 citations). Citations should be within your post and include (Author, year, page number) if you are using a quote, page number is not required if you are paraphrasing. Just listing references and not using them in your post does not count as a citation or support. You can use your textbook as scholarly support and remember to include a reference for the support cited.
Part 1: Government’s Role in Energy
There are two important sources of energy: renewable and non-renewable sources. Given the implications of externalities, this undermines the ability of a market to produce efficient outcomes that are present in both sources of energy. What role should the government provide in this market to bring about efficiency? In your answer, pick one renewable source (i.e. wind power) and one non-renewable source (i.e. coal) and estimate the role of the government in these particular markets to bring about efficiency in the market. What are the implications of allowing either the public or private sector to bring about efficient market outcomes?
Part 2: US Oil Imports
The price of oil is a very important and volatile resource in our economy. Oil has many different functions that are either used as a final or intermediate good for our economic functioning. How do you think the United States should deal with the vulnerability of importing oil? What impact does OPEC have on the price of oil when the US, one of the largest importers of oil, is experiencing either a recession or economic growth? Why would a recession make the cartel more vulnerable to price cutting? In your answer, make sure to discuss how the control of OPEC will allow more alternative energy sources to be researched and what impact this has on the governments’ role.
Required Resources
Text
Tietenberg, T., & Lewis, L. (2012). Environmental and natural resource economics (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Addison-Wesley
· Chapter 5: Dynamic Efficiency and Sustainable Development
· Chapter 6: Depletable Resource Allocation: The Role of Longer Time Horizons, Substitutes, and Extraction Cost
· Chapter 7: Energy: The Transition from Depletable to Renewable Resources
· Chapter 8: Recyclable Resources: Minerals, Paper, Bottles, and E-Waste
· Chapter 9: Replenishable but Depletable Resources: Water
· Chapter 21: Population and Development