SMNR: Saving Our Planet: Investigating the Economics, Law, and Policy of Innovation

• Semester: Fall 2021
• Course ID: 397S
• Credit Hours: 3
• Unique: 30034

Description

This is a new seminar designed for students who want to engage with some of the major movements being launched in support of planetary conservation through analytic and practical investigation. The movements under study will include land and water set-asides (eg, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Global Evergreening Alliance); the "new food" movement (eg, Eat Just's lab-grown chicken; Blue Nalu's lab-grown fish; and solar-powered cooking); new construction (eg, mass timber; replacements for concrete); the movement to de-commission or "trade" dams, to re-negotiate multi-state river compacts, and to "retreat"! from beaches and shorelines; and to "re-use" and "replace" pl! astics within the circular economy. We'll focus on the work of particular public and private organizations leading these charges, including Austin start-ups being fostered by ATL (the Austin Technology Lab). We'll make a pro bono contribution to the work of at least two of these organizations through group projects. Students will also write a research paper on approved topics within the whole.