CLASS 1: THE

UNSUSTAINABILITY

TU103: Life and

Sustainability
Module 3: Economics and
Sustainability
Anin Aroonruengsawat, Ph.D.

EVALUATION
25 points from activities in
this module
Class activities and attendance : 15 points
Project presentation: 10 points

Note that there will be a final exam

(25 points)

OUTLINE
Class I : Environment VS Economy? How economic
development affects environment.
Class II : Introduction to economics concepts
Class III : Economics instruments for environmental
and resources management.
Class IV : A road to sustainability: What have we done
and what will we do?
Class V : Group presentation

What is Sustainable Development?

ECONOMY AND THE

ENVIRONMENT

EE476 SEMESTER 1-2015

ECONOMY AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
In economics, the environment is
viewed as a composite asset that
provides a variety of services.
The environment provides the
economy
the life support systems that
sustain our very existence
raw materials, which are
transformed into consumer
products by the production
process
energy, which fuels the
transformation
Ultimately, these raw materials
and energy return to the
environment as waste products

Large amounts of
wastewater discharged
into the Yangtze River in
China.
(2009)

Iron and steel waste

water from steel plants
flows into the River
Anyang. (2008)

A trash-covered creek in
Philippines.

The country's poorest sift through

the garbage to find discarded
objects they can sell on or re-use,
or even scraps of food to eat

In 2007 more than

150000 kg of fish died
out in the Qinglong Lake
due towater
pollutioncaused by
industrial waste
discharge of local
factories in the suburb of
Wuhan City

In Mongolia there are two

"black dragon" from
Power Plant includes the
villages nearby. (2005)

10

ECONOMY AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
HOME (Start at 15:10 minutes) is a 2009
documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The
film is almost entirely composed of aerial
shots of various places on Earth. It shows the
diversity of life on Earth and how humanity
is threatening the ecological balance of the
planet.

ACTIVITIES: PROBLEM
TREES OF THE
UNSUSTAINABILITY
Given your selected
problem, draw a
tree (problem) with
roots (causes) and
branches (effects).
Draw a man and
link how your daily
behaviors be a part
of causes or be
affected by
consequences.

GROUP ACTIVITY (5
POINTS)
Select the problem of your interest.
Facts finding about the selected problem.
Do the problem tree.
Solutions? At the individual, national or globle
level.

ECONOMY VS
ENVIRONMEN
T
IN THAILAND
Gold mining in Phichit and Loei
Potash mining in Chaiyaphum
Solid waste problems on Samui
island, Surat Thani.
Solid waste management problems
Electronics waste problem
Air pollution from Cement industry,
Saraburi province
Haze pollution problems in
northern and southern Thailand.
Tourism vs natural resources

ECONOMY VS
ENVIRONMEN
T
Environmental and Health impacts from Mab Ta
Phut industrial park, Rayong
Environmental and Health impacts from Mae
Moh coal power plant, Lampang
Coal power plant construction in Krabi and Trang
Nuclear power plant in Nakorn Sri Thammarat
Pak Bara deep sea port, Satun
Construction of dams, such as Pak Mun Dam and
others..
Child labor and slave labor in seafood processing
industry, Samut Sakhon