Why environmental sustainability needs economics

Last semester, my public economics professor offered an extra credit assignment in which we could attend a Teale Lecture Series talk on climate change policy. I interpreted it as an easy opportunity for extra grade points—I would stop by the Dodd Center, take a few notes, and submit the write up. Instead, what seemed to be an academic freebie turned out to be deeply impactful on my views of the relationship between economics and climate change policy.