[School/University]
[City or State where it is located]
It is a fact that the world’s resources are depleting every second. It is also a fact that people are insatiable of exploiting the resources. The population grow bigger and bigger every year and the resources left can hardly suffice for the needs of the population. The problem on climate change cannot be brushed off today as the impacts are felt through rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and natural calamities. Worse, the climate crisis is affecting the most vulnerable countries who are usually the least culprits of climate change. The 1st world countries who own the extractive industries operating worldwide seem to be sleeping safe and sound in their castles protected against the wrath of natural calamities. These multinational corporations are searching everyday for greener pastures where they can exploit to supply the endless demands of the world market. It is not only the growing population that depletes the world’s natural resources but most specially, human greed.
One of the examples of greed is the Grand Banks Fisheries operating off the coast of the Newfoundland where cod fish thrived. Several years later, fisher folks observed that cod fish is already endangered in that area (Spooner, A., 2016). The decrease of fish population due to the Grand Banks Fisheries forced other small time fisher folks to move away from the area to have large catch.
Coming from the argument of Hardin (1968) regarding the tragedy of the commons where common resources are always in danger of depleting and private property is the only way to save the resources, the examples like the Grand Banks Fisheries is not applicable in the argument. It is not open access that depleted the resources but the insatiability of human greed. As Elinor Ostrom mentioned in a video interview, the problem is complex as it affects many facets of social life and the solution to it should not be simplistic (Big Think, 2012).
Elinor mentioned in her previous researches that top down solutions for the problem did not prove anything ever since. Ostrom also recognized that locally, there are numerous ways people do in order to manage resources (Dietz et.al., 2012). Local people especially the indigenous peoples around the world have practiced good stewardship since time immemorial and they did preserve the natural resources within their territories. The experience of the Philippine indigenous people would tell that their resources were depleted not because of their activities but because of the greedy transnational corporations especially the big mining corporations who have mined in their territories for more than a century already.
Elinor Ostrom’s ideas on how to manage resources which will eventually help minimize the impacts of climate crisis is closely related to the indigenous peoples’ concept of stewardship where lands and resources are not declared as disposable properties but is considered as resources that are owned not only of the current generation but also the future generations thus the value of using only what one needs is observed. They have the concept that they borrowed the land an resources from the future generations so they will safeguard it from human greed. These concept and value are present in Elinor Ostrom’s researches on how to manage the world’s depleting resources.
In managing the common resources, Ostrom suggests that peoples’ way of management should be taken into consideration and even learn from it. The solution she stressed should not com from the top and implemented down without studying its possible effects on the social dynamics of people on the ground. She despises the top-down way of solution which is only a one-way process disregarding the knowledge of local people on resource management. Ostrom pushed for a solution where all sectors are involved which include the people, the government, the academe, the environmental experts among others. A solution she said should be a consensus to avoid conflicts. Also, there should be a gradual imposition of sanctions against those who do away with the policies in governing the remaining common resources (Acheson, J., 2011).
Ostrom does not agree with Hardin’s government control which advocates privatization to manage resources. By experience, privatization of properties or declaring a resource or land protected have been proven as failure in governing the commons. Declaring an area protected will prohibit human activity which affects the livelihood of the people living in the area. It creates conflict between the government and the people. This kind of policy has been tested one in the Philippines and the indigenous peoples living near the protected areas have been complaining. They were the ones who have safeguarded the area but when the government declared it as “protected” they were evicted from it.
Ostrom’s concept of governing the commons will really help hamper the massive impacts of climate change in a way that it will respect the rights of people in using the commons and at the same time, instilling an strengthening a value of being stewards of the environment. Being stewards means using only the resources according to needs and not according to greed. It will instill a value that will cherish the nature which is giving life to every living being inside the planet. Thus, only by becoming stewards will we be able to govern the natural resources and save the earth from extinction.
Reference List
Acheson, J. M. 2011. Ostrom for Anthropologists. International Journal of the Commons, Vol. 2 (2). Igitur Publishing. Pp. 319-339.
Dietz, T., Ostrom, E., & Stern, P. 2003. The Struggle to Govern the Commons. Science. Washington DC. Pp. 1907-1910.
Ostrom, E. & Negandra, H. 2006. Insights on linking forests, trees, and people from the air, on the ground, and in the laboratory. PNAS, Vol. 3 (51). Available at www.pnas.orgcgidoi10.1073pnas.0607962103.
[Accessed 2 May 2016].
Walljasper. J. 2011. Elinor Ostrom’s 8 Principles for Managing a Commons. On the Commons. Available at http://www.onthecommons.org/magazine/elinor-ostroms-8-principles-managing-commmons
[Accessed 2 May 2016].
Spooner, A. 10 Real Life Examples of the Tragedy of the Commons. DUMMIES. Available at http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ten-reallife-examples-of-the-tragedy-of-the-common.html
[Accessed 2 May 2016].
