http://www.hawaiitokai.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=21
On Saturday February 23, 2008 all 12 students from ECON 120, along with Professor White and Chris Ritzau from HTIC Academic Services, attended the PAAC Environmental Economic Conference held at HTIC. The students served as volunteers by assisting with auditorium and room set ups, and also attended sessions of the conference.The focus of the conference, attended by 160 Oahu high school students, was to discuss and resolve to support global economic environmental principles to reduce global warming. Groups of students acted as delegates from 12 countries including the USA, Japan, India, Russia, Poland, the Marshall Islands and others.
In a first exercise students learned about the opportunities of low, middle and upper class society as they were given a monthly budget and tasked to decide how to allocate spending for necessities and luxuries. This activity gave students an understanding of scarcity of limited resources.
Students then went on to country breakout sessions. Each country looked at its economic resources and its ability to limit pollution activities. Students learned both economic and political realities of their country. Their assignment was how to negotiate their countriesÂ’ position in the afternoon summit.
The afternoon Summit brought all 12 countries together to negotiate an accord to limit pollution. In the afternoon session it was interesting to see the students argue for or against the issues as representatives of the 12 countries. Interestingly, the Marshall Islands had the most at stake as global warming of just a few inches could render their nation under water.
The entire conference related to Macroeconomic and International economic issues studied in the course text. ECON 120 Students wrote and submitted summaries of their learning experiences.
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