The Tragedy of the Commons

Summary of Selection 7

There is no technical solution to our environmental and population problems. Adam Smith's belief, "...the individual who intends only his own gain is led by an invisible hand to promote...the public interest" is very very wrong! The thought experiment of "the tragedy of the commons" shows that man is trapped in a system that compels us to increase our possessions, money, resources, etc. without limit - in a world that is limited. Our commonly owned resources are thereby doomed to destruction. Grasslands (overgrazed), oceans, lakes (overfished), and our National Parks (which are being degraded by constand visitors) are the "Commons." Pollution of the air, water, and land is like a reverse tragedy- instead of overusing something, we put pollution into the commonly shared areas.

These issues are linked in a major way to overpopulation. We should not allow unlimited breeding because this puts a strain on the commons and thee is no "natural" process to curb human population growth. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights has declared "...any choice and decision with regard to the size of the family must irrevocably rest with the family itself..." but this is only harmful to the human race. It should be rethought. We can't depend on people's conscience's to do the right thing, because people vary greatly- some inevitably will do it, but a lot won't.

It is necessary to set up a form of "mutual coersion" to control use of the commons. This could be a system similar to our tax system...which none of us love, but accept as necessary for the benefit of everyone. It doesn't need to be a perfect system, just better than the one we have right now! We have improved our situation slightly by limiting the commons in some areas (private property, restricting hunting and fishing etc.) but we must take this further. We must also deal with overpopulation immediately by recognizing the necessity of the restriction and enjoy the freedom of a healthy planet, rather than freedom to breed.