LibGuides: ENV 375 Topics in Environmental Studies: Cases in Environmental Resource Management: Overview

Tragedy of the Commons

Hardin, G. (1968-12-13). "The Tragedy of the Commons" Science. 162 (3859): 1243–1248. doi:10.1126/science.162.3859.1243
The population problem has no technical solution; it requires a fundamental extension in morality.(From the article)
Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons Revisited
Professor Ponce from San Diego State University gives a simple explanation of the Tragedy of the Commons

Ostrum, Elinor. 2010. “Polycentric Systems for Coping with Collective Action and Global Environmental Change.” Global Environmental Change. 20:550 – 557.
Many problems conceptualized as “global problems” are the cumulative result of actions taken by individuals, families, small groups, private firms, and local, regional, and national governments. A pressing global problem faced in the contemporary world is reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by individuals and organizations around the world that cumulate to increase the threat of major climate change. Solving this problem requires collective action. To avert this global threat, many actors at diverse levels need to make costly decisions to reduce GHG emissions. Everyone benefits from reduced emissions even if they do not contribute any effort themselves (Cole, 2008, Sandler, 2004). As analyzed by distinguished policy analysts, reducing the threat requires an enforceable global treaty (Carraro, 2003, Nordhaus, 1994, Wiener, 2007).(From the Introduction.)

Oreskes, N. (2004). The scientific consensus on climate change. Science, 306(5702), 1686-1686.
Policy-makers and the media, particularly in the United States, frequently assert that climate science is highly uncertain. Some have used this as an argument against adopting strong measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, while discussing a major U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report on the risks of climate change, then-EPA administrator Christine Whitman argued, “As [the report] went through review, there was less consensus on the science and conclusions on climate change” (1). Some corporations whose revenues might be adversely affected by controls on carbon dioxide emissions have also alleged major uncertainties in the science (2). Such statements suggest that there might be substantive disagreement in the scientific community about the reality of anthropogenic climate change. This is not the case.