This thesis contains three separate papers. A balance of questions: what can we ask of climate change economics? is a critical analysis of the economics of climate change literature. It concludes that much more research effort needs to be put into studying the investment needed for a transition to a zero carbon energy infrastructure, rather than the focus on determining the social cost of carbon. The interaction of scale economies and energy quality is a theoretical study of the ability of economies to operate given different qualities of energy resources. Measuring costs and benefits of independence is an analysis of the welfare costs to Catalonia from reduced trade, which may arise on independence from Spain. These costs are set against the benefits to Catalonia of not paying fiscal transfers to the rest of Spain.