The reality of The Tragedy of The Commons (1)

I believe that Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons" is the best way of describing the root issues of environmental degradation (1968). As Hardin explains, any resources held in the commons will suffer from degradation due to the desire of individuals to maximize their wellbeing. Improving one's wellbeing by using the commons may be primary, such as using the resources for sustenance or secondary, such as using the resources for financial gain in the goal of improving one's wellbeing. When individuals are acting in their personal interest in the commons, this can lead to degradation due to the overuse of the resources by each individual. An overuse or overallocation of a resource inevitably leads to degradation (Hardin, 1968).

Many of the earth's resources have been held in the commons in the past. Many examples include the world's rainforests, the atmosphere and most notably, the ocean. I do not necessarily agree with Hardin in saying that restricting population growth is the only method in avoiding tragedy in the commons. Rather, I would argue that property and resources held in the commons should be transferred to private or government ownership. Transferring resources from the commons to these ownership schemes facilitates the tracking of resource use and assists in internalizing externalities often present in the commons. These management tactics, used in conjunction with other methods are helping to avoid the reoccurrence of over-use events such as the collapse of the Atlantic Northwest cod fishery in the early 90s. A current example of the Tragedy of the Commons, is the degradation of the atmosphere due to the release of carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases into this common space. No single or group of parties is responsible for maintaining the health of the atmosphere, yet we all benefit from its services. Governments are beginning to make an effort at regulating emissions in order to ensure the health of this resource thereby avoiding a modern-day Tragedy of the Commons.

References:

• Hardin, G. (1968). "The Tragedy of the Commons" . Science 162: 1243-1248