Teaching economics and environmentalism within a conservative curriculum

Over the years the author has noticed his students seem to be becoming more conservative, politically. Even global warming and the impending environmental crisis bother few of them. They are inclined to regard our economic system and the status quo as entirely legitimate. That society could, or should be radically altered and improved has not occurred to most of them. If we don't teach our students to question society, and to see that it could be better, there is little hope that the next generation will endeavour to improve the world. This paper analyses the (conservative) way Economics typically explains two major social problems: poverty, and environmental degradation. Conservatives represent poverty and environmental degradation as unexpected aberrations in our otherwise benevolent capitalist economic system. Their solutions are usually minimalist and don't tamper with the system. More radical teachers view environmental destruction and poverty as inevitable outcomes of capitalism. These are symptoms of a more fundamental problem: modern capitalism. This is what needs to be fixed. This paper describes the essence of these two different perspectives. Furthermore, it summarises experiences in teaching critical thinking about questions of poverty and environmental degradation within an Economics curriculum which emphasizes a more conservative approach.