The Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Sample

Introduction

It is true that communal land ownership, forests, and fisheries are guaranteed road to ecological disaster? As human beings, we always want to maximize the returns from the use of any resources. It is vital to note that these resources are shared among many individuals. Resources are limited in nature while the population using them is always growing exponentially. This will lead to the depletion of the resources meaning people will continue getting fewer returns from the resources as time goes by. In a community where they have a communal grazing ground and each member of the community adds an extra cow, the extra strain will be put on grazing land leading to soil erosion which is an ecological disaster (Hardin 244). The farmer will not mind because the cost of the depletion of the resources is shared with other members of the community. The profits accrued from the cow he will enjoy alone. So each farmer will do the same until there will be no grazing land left. The fact that the land is communal no one is willing to take personal responsibility for its use and management

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Privatization is not the only way to protect the environment and end the third world poverty. Bur according to Hardin he believes that private owners of land will do a much better job at conservation of the environment because they want to protect their assets (Hardin 247). But this is not the case. Private landowners want to maximize their land use and will add more fertilizers and pesticides to increase their crop yield which will have a negative impact on the ecosystem. Financial gain is the main objective of the private landowners rather than the preservation of the ecosystem. It is wrong to make the assumptions that private property will lead to economic prosperity in third world countries. Third world poverty has not been caused by communities having communal properties but by many years of exploitations, colonialism, and racism.

There are aspects of Hardin's argument that ring true today. Firstly, it is true that private enterprises are well managed compared to state-owned corporations. State-owned corporations are mostly controlled by politicians thus decisions made might be politically correct but don't make any economic sense. Private enterprises motivation is the creation of wealth for its shareholders thus any decision made is geared towards profit maximization. Secondly, it is true that overpopulation is a major concern all over the world. The population in countries like China and India is large thus putting a lot of strain on their commons. This is also the countries with major environmental pollution as they strive to sustain the population. Hardin was of the idea that the population to be curbed if we do not want to deplete our resources.

It is essential to note that human behavior, culture and norms changes with time. The way people interacted in the early 19th century is not the same as with the 21st century. It is unrealistic to assume the way of life then and today are the same. Initially in the 19th-century family and community values were upheld and followed. It is the community which owned land and not individuals. Currently, it's rare to find communal commons. Most land is privately owned and benefit only the owner. Because land was the source of life the society in the 19th-century people ensured it was well managed. Thus it's wrong to assume they would risk their only source of survival.

There are some alternatives forms of managing the commons beyond private property. One of the most effective options for curtailing the depletion of common pool resources is Self-management by groups of resource users. This conservation management option basically involves the groups or individuals who are using the common pool resource coming together and combine forces in creating a blueprint that will help them in the management of the common pool resource. These groups or individuals do this on their own initiative and are not aided in any way by some third party. This criterion has served the human race efficiently for centuries because of the way it is communal centered and it's initiated by the people who use the common pool resource. This conservation method gives people the right to getting involved in the affairs of the common pool resource.

There are ways in which both perspective can be incorporated to work together in harmony. Firstly, awareness should be created on the importance of making good use of our resources and managing them well for future use. We should also appreciate what private institutions bring to the table in our society. Both private and communal resources should be used to achieve a common goal which is utilizing of the common pool of resources efficiently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the tragedy of commons teaches us a lot and it's applicable in many other situations in our society. For example, if today one person decides to throw away one plastic can from his car, what would happen if more than ten million people did that. The results would be disastrous for the environment. It also teaches us that is crucial for everyone using the common pool resource to take part in its management. Not by use of force but out of free will. There are also some assumptions Hardin's has made which are not true. Firstly it's that the less fortunate in the society are the ones who are responsible for the depletion of resources in our society. Lastly the community will ensure that resources are well utilized as they all depend on it.

Work Cited

Hardin, Garrett. "The Tragedy of The Commons". Journal Of Natural Resources Policy Research, vol 1, no. 3, 2009, pp. 243-253. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/19390450903037302.