In an episode of the Stuff You Should Know podcast, Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant unpack the "tragedy of the commons" concept and its far-reaching implications. Originating with Garrett Hardin's 1968 essay, this theory posits that individuals exploiting shared resources, like cows grazing on communal land, inevitably leads to overuse and degradation.
The hosts dive into the historical context and policy applications of the tragedy of the commons idea, exploring both criticisms and alternatives. While Hardin advocated privatization and population control, later scholars like Elinor Ostrom demonstrated how local communities can successfully self-govern common-pool resources. This thought-provoking episode examines topics like sustainability, individual vs. community interests, and environmentalism from multiple angles.
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Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant explore the development and core principles of the "tragedy of the commons" concept, introduced by Garrett Hardin in 1968. Hardin built upon earlier ideas by William Forster Lloyd, describing how individuals exploiting a shared resource—like farmers adding cows to a communal field—leads to its depletion.
Hardin argued that privatization or government intervention were solutions, controversially linking the commons tragedy to overpopulation in poorer nations. He advocated for capitalism and privatization through Lloyd's concept, which countered Adam Smith.
Hardin's ideas prompted privatization and market solutions, like environmental trading markets (ETMs) starting in the 1980s-1990s for emissions and fishing rights. The World Bank recognized ETMs as crucial for managing natural resources.
While reducing issues like acid rain, ETMs enabled consolidation of power among few entities. Hardin's arguments also justified restricting population growth and immigration to prevent resource overuse.
In contrast, Elinor Ostrom showed how communities can successfully self-govern common-pool resources (CPRs). She identified principles like clear boundaries, local rules, group decision-making, and sanctions for misuse.
Ostrom provided evidence of communities sustainably managing resources for centuries, from Switzerland to the Philippines. She highlighted how common ownership can grant autonomy, and local rule-setting is key for those with vested interests in sustainability.
1-Page Summary
Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant explore the development and core principles of the Tragedy of the Commons, as introduced by Garrett Hardin in 1968 but built upon earlier ideas by William Forster Lloyd.
The discussion begins with Chuck Bryant citing the 19th-century English mathematician and economist William Forster Lloyd for the foundational idea that would later become known as the Tragedy of the Commons through the work of biologist Garrett Hardin.
Clark and Bryant describe a thought experiment used by Hardin, which deals with multiple farmers sharing a grazing field. They outline how, if one farmer adds an extra cow to increase profits, it leads to the depletion of the shared resources. As more farmers decide to add cows, the problem of overtaxing the commons is compounded.
Hardin argued that the tragedy of the commons occurs when individuals exploit a shared resource for their own benefit, which inevitably leads to resource depletion. Bryant mentions the psychological aspect where each farmer keeps adding cows, under the assumption that other farmers will do the same. Clark explains how the diminishing profit from each additional cow forces even reluctant farmers to add more to remain profitable.
They summarize Hardin’s assertion that the depletion of shared resources is inevitable under these circumstances, as all parties seek to maximize their profits. The solutions Hardin proposed included dividing communal areas into private plots or government intervention to regulate usage.
Hardin controversially linked the tragedy of the commons to overpopulation in poorer, non-white countries. He argued that international aid enables overbreeding by providing food a ...
Origins and Key Concepts of the Tragedy of the Commons
Clark and Bryant discuss the concept of the tragedy of the commons, which has dramatically influenced resource management and environmental policy, and the shift towards privatization and market solutions driven by this narrative.
The tragedy of the commons became a dominant perspective in environmental policymaking, particularly as environmental consciousness grew in the latter half of the 20th century. Hardin's ideas propelled a shift towards privatization, and influenced the development of market mechanisms such as environmental trading markets for managing common resources.
Environmental trading markets emerged as a solution to resource management, beginning prominently in the 1980s and 1990s. Attributed to Canadian economist J.H. Dales, these markets responded to government regulations intended to cap emissions and manage resources like fishing rights efficiently. Companies received permits that allowed them to harvest a specific number of fish or emit a certain amount of sulfur dioxide, for instance. These permits could then be traded, establishing environmental trading markets (ETMs). The World Bank recognized this paradigm as crucial to understanding and addressing natural resource issues.
The implementation of cap and trade schemes led to a significant reduction in acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide emissions. As emissions were curtailed, companies that managed to reduce their emissions could profit by selling their surplus allowances to others who exceeded their caps. This system created monetary incentives for pollution reduction and imposed financial penalties for exceeding limits.
While cap and trade schemes were effective in reducing environmental issues like acid rain, they inadvertently enabled the consolidation of power among a few entities. By successfully managing their emission allowances, companies could dominate their respective markets. For example, the same system applied to fisheries could unexpectedly lead to monopolizing that market, where one company controls most of the fishing rights, thereby running smaller competitors out of business.
Garrett ...
Tragedy of the Commons in Policymaking and Impact
Elinor Ostrom's work presents a stark contrast to Garrett Hardin's "tragedy of the commons" by demonstrating how local communities can successfully manage shared resources.
In her book "Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action," written in 1990, Elinor Ostrom brought managed common-pool resources (CPRs) to the attention of the political world. She identified eight principles of successful regulation of a commons, including clear boundaries, rules fitting local needs, group decision-making, local monitoring including fines and incremental sanctions, and supportive or non-interfering authorities. Josh Clark highlights that privatization and outside industry shares in the commons can lead to the tragedy, not the commons themselves. He and Chuck Bryant discuss how communities use ostracism for repeat offenders, showing community-driven governance mechanisms.
Ostrom's field studies provided evidence that local communities can indeed sustainably manage resources. Using examples from Switzerland, Japan, and the Philippines, she showed that areas like grazing lands, forests, meadows, and fisheries have been effectively maintained for centuries. Maine's lobster fishermen, who formed harbor gangs for self-policing, underline Ostrom's findings with a contemporary example of sustainable resource management.
The conversation touches on how communities can have autonomy w ...
Tragedy of the Commons: Critiques and Alternatives
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