Tragedy in the Commons

Question 1

Tragedy

Answer 1

Rational choice of each individual acting in

self interest leads to continued overgrazing

Question 2

What are 5 solutions to prevent another tragedy at the commons?

Answer 2

1) State intervention/laws
2) Hardin: “mutually agreed coercion”
3) Privatization
4) Appeals to conscience
5) Education/Science

Question 3

What are 5 factors leading towards a collapse?

Answer 3

1) Harm inflicted on environment
2) Climate change
3) Relations with friendly neighbors
4) Relations with hostile societies
5) Political, economic, social factors that make it less
likely to perceive and address environmental and
social problems

Question 4

What are 3 alternative theories of why the Easter Island collapsed?

Answer 4

1) Rats introduced by humans were an
invasive species that ate palm nuts and
contributed to decline of forests
2) Slash and burn agricultural practices also led to deforestation
3) human population decline
may have been due to contact with
Europeans

Question 5

What are the 4 differences of a collapse in the modern world compared to ancient civilization?

Answer 5

1) Technology –can use bulldozers and nuclear power, rather than chisels and human power
2) Many more people
3) Globalization, interconnectedness of world
4) Climate change

Question 6

While Diamond sees parallels between the
environmental dilemmas of the ancient world
and the modern world, he is cautiously
_______ about our future.

Answer 6

optimistic