The Global Commons

Question 1

What is the global commons

Answer 1

The global commons are areas that aren’t owned by any one country or organisation
The global commons are governed by different pieces of international law. E.g. the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) governs the high seas.

Question 2

What are the global commons

Answer 2

Antarctica
The high seas
Earth’s atmosphere
Outer space

Question 3

The tragedy of the commons

Answer 3

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. This is known as ‘the tragedy of the commons.

Question 4

Exploitation of the commons

Answer 4

Industrialisation and development are increasing the demand for resources (e.g. food, oil, minerals) — many of these are extracted from the global commons. Industrialisation and development also create waste that is pumped into the atmosphere (e.g. carbon dioxide) or into the oceans (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 5

The global commons are under a lot of different pressures, which cause problems for the planet as a whole:

Answer 5

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.