EconS 101.04 Writing Assignment #4 Fall 2013
The video “tragedy of the commons” is about the common resources and public goods and their reason of being problematic from the economic point of view. The economists in this video have sung a line that “Good for me, good for you, bad for us” which means that the common resources are depleting due to overuse. This is because people only consider their personal self interest, think about themselves and give importance to their own costs and benefits. There is misalignment of the incentives, which is arising from the improper use of the common resources.
The common pool resources that are considered in the video are pasture, fisheries and atmosphere. The specific problem with each resource is that their excessive use is depleting them (Hardin). Considering green pasture, the herder graze sheep on the pasture, sheep will then grow and provide wool, meat and reproduce and give lambs. All these are beneficial for the herder. The herder is then motivated to increase the number of animals, which will pave the way to overgrazing. This will further lead to the less productive pasture. The process continues as the herder is motivated further to increase animals for his own benefits and finally ruination of pasture occurs.
Secondly, people love to eat fish to satisfy their taste buds. By doing so they consider just their own personal motives without considering the facts that the fish population is exhausting and the fishing industry is on the verge of collapse, which is quite destructive (Goldman). Furthermore, our atmosphere or the air is among the commons that are quintessential. No country or group can claim the exclusive rights or ownership of this natural resource. But, excessive emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide from the automobiles such as cars that people buy for their own personal use is causing air pollution, creating chaos for the whole society.
Some societies have tried locally to avoid this tragedy. An example of this fact is Japan, where individuals residing in Tikopia have saved forests and the entire agrarian economy that depend on the forests. They have limited their population to an extent that can be sustained and supported by their resources and economy (Stewart). Thus, the need of the hour is that everyone has to work together in a regulated and coordinated way in order to avoid the damaging of the resources and ensure that the resources are utilized in a manner that are in the common interest of all people.
The Common pool troubles or problems are intricate to solve from the top to down and hence a polycentric approach is required, with people developing the ideas and implementing behavior at the city, community, and national/local and also at regional level. In the case of atmosphere, the energy should be utilized effectively, instead of fuel in cars alternate sources of energy that do not emit carbon dioxide and store and capture carbon dioxide gas should be used so that our atmosphere can be protected and remain unpolluted. Moreover, fisheries can also become regulated to a greater extent if the policy of centralized management is adopted. In this regard the strategy of scientific management and economic efficiency should be adopted in order to manage the marine ecosystem. Flexible and voluntary agreements should be created for coping with the modifications in the ocean atmosphere, this will pave the way to the socially and ecological sustainable fisheries. Furthermore, the pastoralists should be convinced to leave the nomadic way of living and settle down on the individual or specific ranches so that the problem unproductive pasture can be avoided.
References
Stewart, Robert. "Tragedy of the Commons ." Oceanworld. A & M University, 15 Jan 2013. Web. 3 Dec 2013.
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/tragedyofthecommons.htm.
Hardin, Garrett. "The Tragedy of the Commons." Science no. 13. 162 .3859 (1968): 1243-1248 . Print.
Goldman, Rebecca L. "Ecosystem Services: How People Benefit from Nature." Environment. 52.5 (2010): 15-23. Print.
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