Economic Geography
                            Spring 2003

Economics 4389, Section 12393                 Thomas R. DeGregori
Time: MW 2:30-4 PM                                 Office: 209D M
Room 122M                           Office hrs. MW. 11:30 AM-1 PM
                                                 or by appointment
                                            Email: trdegreg@uh.edu
Required Reading

Vaclav Smil - The Earth's Biosphere: Evolution, Dynamics, and Change, MIT
Press.
Thomas R. DeGregori - Bountiful Harvest: Technology, Food Safety, and the
Environment, Cato Institute, paparback.
Thomas R. DeGregori - The Environment, Our Natural Resources and Modern
Technology, Iowa State Press.

Pick One According to Region of Interest

Barbara Weighman - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and
Southeast Asia - John Wiley.
Brian and Olwyn Blouet - Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic and
Regional Survey - John Wiley.
April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon (ed.) - Understanding Contemporary
Africa - Lynne Rienner.
Vaclav Smil - Cycles of Life: Civilization and the Biosphere,  Scientific
American Library: Distributed by W.H. Freeman and Co., paperback (for
Europe and those without a region).

Topics for papers

1) "Natural" Resources - What are they?
2) Globalization and its Implications.
3) Geography and Development in _____ - Region of your choice
4) Agriculture and Biotechnology or
    Geography Matters? How it Matters or
    Technology and Economic Geography.

Topics. On topics 1 & 2, do papers of between 5 to 8 pages with a total of
about 10 to 15 pages. The third and fourth papers should be between 10 to
20 pages. For each of the topics, more information on what is required will
be made available in class during the semester.

Students wishing to sign up for an additional one or two hours credit as a
special problems course may make arrangement with the instructor to do
additional papers.

This course may also be taken as a special problems course for 1, 2 or 3
hours credit or for graduate credit. You may take it any time up to
December 1, 2003. For special problems, please see Marion Foley in 208B M.
Final due date for all papers, May 1, 2004.

Those who wish to take this as an International course for Business, may
seek permission for it to so count from Dr. Frank Kelley. The above topics
have the necessary regional focus. Those taking the course for 1 hour
credit will do one 10 to 15 page paper. Those taking it for 2 hours credit,
will do one 20 to 25 page paper. Graduate students will do two papers of 10
and 30 to 40 pages each. Please see me for details and assignment.

The syllabus is available and posted October 2002 to allow students who
wish to do so, to begin the research for their papers.

ALL PAPERS MUST INCLUDE SUBSTANTIVE REFERENCES TO THE ASSIGNED MATERIAL.
ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED MUST HAVE A SOURCE. THE FINAL PAPER MUST ALSO
INCLUDE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FROM RESEARCH IN THE LIBRARY OR THE WWW. USE OF
INFORMATION FROM THE WWW IS REQUIRED FOR AT LEAST ONE PAPER. HYPER LINKS TO
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SITES ARE PROVIDED ON MY HOME PAGE
(http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg). PLEASE GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS
POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED ON MY
HOMEPAGE IN ADDITION TO BEING PASSED OUT IN CLASS. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

Thomas R. DeGregori, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Houston
Department of Economics
204 McElhinney Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-5019
Ph. 001 - 1 - 713 743-3838
Fax 001 - 1 - 713 743-3798
Email trdegreg@uh.edu
Web homepage http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg