3.5.1 Global Commons

Question 1

What are global commons?

Answer 1

Areas that aren’t owned by any one country or organisation – they belong to everybody, and so should be available for everyone’s use and benefit.

Question 2

What are the four global commons?

Answer 2

• The high seas
• Earth’s atmosphere
• Outer space
• Antarctica

Question 3

Why do environmental NGOs want to protect the global commons?

Answer 3

They offer unique habitats for wildlife and have a positive impact on environmental systems. They are also valuable for scientific investigations.

Question 4

What is the tragedy of the commons?

Answer 4

Countries and organisations may feel they can exploit the global commons without dealing with the consequences, as the costs of exploiting the global commons are shared by everybody. [CHECK]

Question 5

Threats facing the global commons

Answer 5

Industrialisation and development are increasing the demand for resources, many of these are extracted from the global commons. Industrialisation and development also creates waste that is pumped into the atmosphere (e.g. CO2) or into the oceans (e.g. chemical waste).

New technology has made it easier to get to areas like the high seas, Antarctica or outer space that were relatively inaccessible before – this makes them more vulnerable to exploitation.

Question 6

Examples of treats facing the global commons

Answer 6

• The high seas – E.g. overfishing, collapse of fish stocks
• Earth’s atmosphere – e.g. Air pollution, climate change
• Outer space – e.g. Space debris
• Antarctica – e.g. Environmental damage

Question 7

The global commons are under a lot of different pressures. How do these cause problems for the planet at a whole?

Answer 7

• The high seas have been the victim of overfishing — taking more fish than is sustainable. This has knock-on effects on other animals in the food chain, and the methods used can damage coral reefs.
• Atmospheric pollution is causing climate change.
• Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also causes acidification of the oceans, which affects marine organisms, e.g. it’s harder for marine snails to form their shells.

Question 8

How are the global commons protected?

Answer 8

Institutions around the world have begun to acknowledge that countries’ right to develop must be balanced by the need to protect the global commons.

NGOs like the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have called for the global commons to be protected by making sure that any development and use of these areas is sustainable.

Sustainable development of the global commons requires global cooperation.

Question 9

Treaties or laws that protect the global commons

Answer 9

• The high seas – the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
• Earth’s atmosphere – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)
• Outer space – 1979 Moon Treaty
• Antarctica – Antarctic Treaty System