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Economics and the Environment:
The EcoDetectives lessons differ in form and content from the materials found in many environmental education programs. They call for investigation into 15 EcoMysteries–environmental problems or conditions that seem to be puzzling. For each EcoMystery, the investigation that follows is informed by one or more of six principles of EcoDetection. These principles are derived in turn from basic concepts of economics. The mysteries are provocatively formulated, and the instructional activities that accompany them will challenge students continually to think in new ways. This curriculum was developed by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) with support and assistance from PERC. It is available from NCEE online or call |
EcoDetectives
Economics and the Environment: EcoDetectives is a 15-lesson curriculum designed to show how teachers and students can use economic reasoning in efforts to describe and explain environmental problems.-
PERC Reports Magazine, Summer 2026
A special issue exploring American conservation history as the nation turns 250.
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Thomas Jefferson: The Lost Founding Father of American Conservation
Two years before he authored the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set out on the lifelong project of conserving Virginia’s Natural Bridge. Michaelle Browers has described the effort as “perhaps the first major act of nature preservation in the new republic.” The man who would be Governor of Virginia and President of the United StatesContinue reading "EcoDetectives"
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How the Eagle Came Back
As we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it is heartening that America’s national symbol, the bald eagle, is no longer imperiled. Although once at risk of extinction throughout much of its historical range, this majestic species rebounded in the late 20th century, and populations are now in good health. At the time of the nation’sContinue reading "EcoDetectives"
