14. Tragedy of the commons

Question 1

Why study behavioural ecology?

Answer 1

Fundamental problem of sustainability is one of human behaviour. Too many people consuming too many resources in an inequitable way. We will need tools from science and technology to help. But, no quick scientific or technology fixes, it’s mainly about us.

Question 2

Who wrote The tragedy of the Commons?

Answer 2

Garret Hardin

Question 3

Tragedy of the commons fill in the blank:

The population problem has no technical solution; it requires a …

Answer 3

fundamental extension in morality

Question 4

T/F: There is a technical solution to climate change and deforestation

Answer 4

false

Question 5

What is a common property resource?

Answer 5

Common pool resources. Owned by the public. Open access (everybody can breathe air). Free: no user fees (you don’t pay for water except through taxation). Difficulty of exclusion.

Question 6

What does Garret Hardin mean by no technical solution?

Answer 6

A technical solution: one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the way of change in human values or ideas of morality.

Question 7

What is the importance of the Tragedy of the Commons?

Answer 7

Identifies the tension between individuals and collective interests. Decisions reached individually will, in fact, not be the best decision for an entire society.

Question 8

Explain the classic analogy for the TOC of common pastures vs privately owned

Answer 8

Picture a pasture open to all. As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. “What is the utility to me of adding one more animal to my herd”?
Since the herchman receives all the proceeds from the sale of the additional animal, the positive utility is nearly +1
The effects of overgrazing are shared by all the herdsmen, the negative utility for any particular decision making herdsman is only a fraction of -1

Question 9

Why are common property resources overexploited?

Answer 9

Benefits go to users. Costs are shared by all. If individual benefit > share of the cost: then it leads to overexploitation

Question 10

What are the results of common property resources overexploitation?

Answer 10

Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. TOC: industrial pollution, garbage

Question 11

According to Garret Hardin, what is his solution to TOC?

Answer 11

Coercion: laws, taxes (ex: carbon taxes)
Make it illegal to do the wrong thing
Make it cheaper to do the right thing
Privatization

Question 12

What are the flaws in Hardin’s theory? (1968)

Answer 12

1. Population growth: a critical problem, but not the biggest issue of TOC. “there is no prosperous population in the world today that has, and has had for sometime, a growth rate of zero” That is untrue, some countries have a negative growth
2. Privatization as the only route to sustainability? Taking ownership. Individual transferable quotas are an example. Cases where privatization doesn’t solve the entire TOC: Bycatch issue: even when it works, it doesn’t solve entire problem.
3. TOC is inevitable? Not empirically true, he was overly pessimistic.
4. His example: Common pasture were not always over-grazed (so his example was a bad one). Has been criticized for this.