Food, Population and the
Environment
Spring 2006
Economics 4389,
Time: MW:2:30- 4 PM
Room 116 M
Prof. Thomas R. DeGregori
Office: 209D M
Office hrs: MW (TBA) or by appointment
Email: <mailto:trdegreg@uh.edu>trdegreg@uh.edu
Required Readings:
The World Food Problem: Tackling the Causes
of Undernutrition in The Third World by Howard D. Leathers, Phillips Foster,
Lynne Rienner Publishers; 3rd edition, 2004.
Thomas R. DeGregori, Origins of the Organic
Agriculture Debate: Blackwell.
Nancy Birdsall et al. eds Population
Matters: Demographic Change, Economic Growth, and Poverty in the Developing
World, Oxford University Press paperback.
Thomas R. DeGregori Bountiful Harvest,
Cato Institute paperback
Robert Fogel, The Escape from Hunger and
Premature Death, 1700-2100, Cambridge Pb
Available Online
UNICEF. The State of the World's Children
2007: United Nations Publications - available for downloading online.
UNFPA. The State of World Population 2007:
United Nations Publications - available for downloading online
Topics for papers
1) Genetic Modification of Food
2) Globalization of Food Production -
Implications
3) Feeding 9 Billion in 2040.
4) Water for 9 Billion People
5) Trends in World Population - 1950-2040
6) Population - Issues of Child and
Maternal Mortality
7) Environmental Implications and Potential
of Biotechnology
8) Technology and the Future (with the past
as a guide)
9) Global Environmental Issues
10) Clean, Safe, Environmentally Friendly
Food Production: Meaning?
11) AIDs
12) The Green Revolution ?From 3 billion
people to 6 billion
13) Nutrition and Health
Pick four topics. On the first three papers
should be between 5 to 7 pages with a total of about 20 - 25 pages. The fourth
and final paper should be between 15 to 20 pages - the distribution of pages per
paper is purely advisory but the total for the four is mandatory). Total pages
of all papers taken together should be between 30 to 40 pages. Students who opt
to attend class regularly will be given an extraordinarily simple pass/fail exam
toward the end of the semester and no later than the next to last day of class.
This exam will count for one paper giving a total of four papers and circa 25
pages
You are required to check my homepage for
supplemental instructions on writing your papers. You are responsible for
meeting all requirements for instructions posted by the first day of class.
ALL PAPERS HAVE TO INCLUDE SUBSTANTIAL
CITED MATERIAL FROM THE ASSIGNED READINGS AND A SOURCE MUST BE IDENTIFIED FOR
ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED. YOU MAY USE OTHER RESEARCH MATERIAL AS WELL. THINK OF
YOUR PAPERS AS A KIND OF FINAL EXAM FOR THE COURSE. IF YOU TOOK A FINAL IN
ANOTHER COURSE AND MISSED HALF OR MORE OF THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE YOU READ OTHER
THAN THE ASSIGNED SOURCES, I DOUBT THAT YOU WOULD GET MUCH SYMPATHY. SELECT
TOPICS THAT ALLOW YOU TO USE THE ASSIGNED SOURCES AND IF ONE OF YOUR TOPICS IS
NOT ON THE LIST, SEND ME AN EMAIL REQUESTING PREMISSION TO WRITE ON IT.
MY HOME PAGE - <http://www.uh.edu/%7Etrdegreg>http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg.
PLEASE GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL. - SEE POSTED
MANDATORY SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR MORE DETAILS.
I am enforcing these rules more firmly than
in previous offerings. It is strongly recommended that you make extensive use of
the assigned material throughout each paper. I have returned papers or given C-s
& D-s because they did not follow the basic requirements and will do so whenever
necessary. Given that these rules have now been in effect for over one year, I
will be far less likely to give students an opportunity to re-do their papers so
follow the rules and do them correctly the first time.
Additional topic options will be offered in
class. If there is another topic on which you wish to write and on which you can
use the assigned sources, you may get approval by email with the email exchange
being turned in with the final papers.
Thomas R. DeGregori, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Houston
Department of Economics
204 McElhinney Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-5019
Ph. 001 - 1 - 713 743-3838
Fax 001 - 1 - 713 743-3798
Email
trdegreg@uh.edu
Web homepage
http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg