What does "tragedy of the commons",mean to you???

Question

Thanks for your answer...Tom Science 4

Answer 1

when the peoples share a place in common for everyone to use...everyone owns it yet no one owns it...in these cases, the commons are abused and eventually rendered useless to all. no one cleans them or takes care of them b/c no one is responsible for them...

it is arguably the best model under which to understand our current environmental crisis

Answer 2

The wikipedia entry will give you a good overview:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

In short, the tragedy of the commons is a metaphorical construct representing the consequences of a system in which the profit for an action is received by one person or entity but the cost of that action is borne by society.

The metaphor of "commons" derives from the time when villages typically shared a large grassy area called a commons. This area was frequently used for animal grazing. Because the area was shared by all, anyone could use it. In the essay by Garrett Hardin, it is argued that a herder will maximize his profit by increasing the number of animals he is grazing in the commons, if at all possible, because he will receive the profits for the animal. In doing so the quality of the commons is decreased, and if he continues to follow this selfish instinct the commons will ultimately be destroyed, but that he will have profited, while the rest of the village will be left with the cost of the damage that is done.

The idea of the "commons" has been extended to environmental resources. Water and air are shared and used by everyone. Traditionally, these were seen as almost limitless resources, however it soon became apparent that there was a limit to the amount of pollution that could be dumped into either, however excessive pollution continued to exist because there was a strong profit incentive to pollute, and the cost of the pollution was largely borne by society. Environmental protection laws and enforcement exist to break this cycle by creating artificial limits upon the amount of pollution that can be discharged (limit the amount of use each entity has of the commons), or alternatively ensuring that the cost to correct environmental damage is borne by the polluting entity.

If you need a more detailed answer, I highly recommend reading the wikipedia entry and the 1960's article by Hardin.

Answer 3

There is a Chinese proverb that says, "A courtyard common to all will be swept by none." That is to say, if no one has personal ownership of a place, it will not be kept up. Here in the school that I teach, the difference between the hallways and the classroom are clear. Teachers maintain ownership of their classrooms, and keep them neat, clean, and safe. Although everyone uses the hallways, no one claims ownership of them. Because of this, the hallways are not kept neat, clean, and safe.
The same is true of the environment. No one chooses to dump hazardous waste in their own yard, but they might not care if it is dumped in a common area. That is the "tragedy of the commons".

Answer 4

It means to me, that when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. That it is always the 'other' persons worry, not mine. I believe that this is a question of philosophy and you will get some very appropriate responses under the Politics and Government category or the Arts and Humanities category under the sub-category Philosophy. (Of course at this site also.)