New class

Welcome to Natural Resource Economics class at Towson University. As we study economic theory and apply it to resource issues, we're also going to keep up with current events. This blog is dedicated to highlighting the issues we find interesting. For example, in December the Washington Post did a pretty in-depth piece on how the governmental agencies set up to improve the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem have so far failed. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation published this report around the same time, highlighting the many failures particularly at the EPA, and just a few weeks ago it filed suit against the government in order to force the EPA to act. The CBF is happier about Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's protection of environmental budget items in spite of the budget crunch, which has meant furloughs for many of us working here at Towson and which will probably mean tuition increases for students. When people are forced to take unpaid leave so that there's money to protect the environment, the link between economics and natural resources is painfully clear! Hopefully this semester we will find other interesting issues to talk about. More soon!