The relationship that exists among economic growth, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions:

The cost of energy consumption seems to be greater than the benefits it provides in the sense that while the use of energy brings about an increase in GDP, it also leads to an increase in the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. This calls for concern due to the harmful effects of these emissions on climate change and even on the health of the people. Hence, it is highly necessary to begin a transition to a clean energy system devoid of carbon dioxide emissions through carbon capture utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as policies that will reduce the rate of carbon dioxide emissions during both production and consumption activities.

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Why I don’t want to be defined as a woman economist,  but why it is important nonetheless

As a woman studying economics, I often find myself in the middle of discussions on gender equality. That is on the one hand because for economists and the economy, gender equality is a very relevant topic with respect to labour markets or economic growth. On the other hand, as a woman in economics, I am myself part of a field that is highly gendered imbalanced and where women are notoriously underrepresented. 

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Why Economics?

Most often the discourse around being a woman in economics is about the pitfalls. It is about the struggles of being the only woman in the room, figuring out how to raise our voice, battling imposter syndrome, navigating hostile environments, finding a balance of work and family; to name just a few. Yet despite all this, many of us are still appreciative to have found our way to economics. Within the Writing and Editing Team at the Women in Economics Initiative, we are all grateful to be in economics. In the midst of the frequent negative discussions, four of us want to share our anecdotes of why economics.

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The Link Between Economics, Climate Change, and Gender

Throughout the summer of 2021, there were several events which made the impacts and uncertainty of climate change feel pretty certain. Extreme weather such as unprecedented heatwaves across the US and disastrous flooding in both western Germany and China, led to lives lost, businesses shut down, and economic life put on pause. Likewise, the IPCC report released in August 2021 painted a stark picture; climate warming and its consequences are unavoidable. But first, to fight the consequences of climate change, we must acknowledge the role between economics and environmental degradation, and specifically its connection to women in economic life and the economics profession.

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