1. HONR 229L: Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Governance
Capitalism
Your name here
23 October 2018

2. As always, I suggest consideration of working the admission ticket questions into the presentation.
Since these are still in flux, once they are established, see if you can work these into the material.
I think most non-economists do not appreciate the role of “trust” in the modern economy. Should you so desire, you could grab some images and ideas from this website:
to lead a discussion of this core element of economic growth.

3. Seems to me regardless of the ATs, will want to incorporate some element of the Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations into the discussion.
Another element of the reading that should be provide for class participation is the building of palaces, wars, monumental cathedrals etc stated on the bottom of page 9. Of course, folks will relate the maoi on Rapa Nui and the Inca monuments, plus the continual war in these regions, to the reading. I’m hoping some will remember the decision to save the forests in Japan and to no longer raise pigs on Tikopia as examples of scientifically driven conservation. Many other examples can come up here. if you go this route, I think the class can “carry the ball” here.

4. I did not place “it is the scientists who foot the bill” into the AT, because well can’t cover the entire chapter in the ATs. Here, you could ask students to support or refute the argument that scientists really do foot the bill of long term economic growth. In my opinion, probably more true that false, but easy for me at a scientists to state this! Anyway, if you go down this route, can certainly factor in the Industrial Revolution and the growth of CO2 that resulted. You are welcome to use the image below as well as the image on the next slide.
Fig 3.1, Salawitch et al., Paris Climate Agreement: Beacon of Hope

5. This figure shows that land use change associated with agriculture: i
This figure shows that land use change associated with agriculture: i.e., deforestation, was the primary cause of rising CO2 during the period 1850 to about It is debated, quite hotly, how far back the human perturbation of CO2 due to agriculture extends.
Fig 4.1, Salawitch et al., Paris Climate Agreement: Beacon of Hope

6. Totally your call how much or how little of the Spanish, Dutch, and British conquests to work into the discussion. I do expect many will write, as something new they learned from this reading, the notion that early wars were fought by merchants rather than by governments as being something “new”.

7. I will show clips of Al Gore’s movie “Speak Truth to Power”, before you stand up, stating that India argued for “credit” before signing the Paris Climate Agreement.
To the degree possible, would be great if you can review the credit rating of various countries (perhaps websites such as or would help)
Background info regarding this film clip is detailed here:
Assuming this is shown before you stand up, at the end of your presentation, you can work India’s credit rating, their massive population currently lacking access to electricity, as well as the final draft AT question into a discussion of the role of capitalism for getting us out of our current bind.

8. Here are the figures from the reading:

9. Here are the figures from the reading: