The tragedy of the commons

Tragedy of the Commons and Modern Environmentalism

The 'tragedy of the commons' is that, left to their own devices, people will always over-consume free or under-priced resources. Cattlemen will want to graze more cattle than can be supported by the land. People will pollute, without realizing that what they expel affects the health of others. People will want to have more children than can be supported by the world. The morality of the action and its impact upon the world cannot be fully understood unless the picture is viewed in its totality. For example, we might be horrified by the image of someone burning a forest, until we realized that it was controlled burning of the land, to ensure that the forest did not erupt into a serious conflagration. Similarly, having a hamburger may seem like an innocent pleasure until we consider its environmental costs. Our inability to see the 'big picture' leads to unproductive actions and assumptions that make it necessary to reign in our freedom in a way that will be unpopular, and in many ways, undemocratic [Thesis].

An excellent example of 'The Tragedy of the Commons' in modern life can be seen in the consumption of meat. In general, as societies grow more affluent, the more meat they consume. It could even be argued that a high-protein diet is salutary for human health, so long as the diet is not too high in saturated fat. "Randomized, controlled trials continue to show comparable, if not superior, effects of high-protein diets compared with lower protein diets on weight loss, preservation of lean body mass, and improvement in several cardiovascular risk factors for up to 12 months" (Brehm & D'Alessio 2008). Fast food might be unhealthy, but consuming fish is not. But if the levels of meat consumption (particularly cattle and endangered fish) continue to rise, consumption will be unsustainable.

"The world's total meat supply was 71 million tons in 1961. In 2007, it was estimated to be 284 million tons" (Bittman 2009). Cows release methane into the air, and contribute to global warming. The world's oceans are over-fished. It takes more land resources to bring animals to slaughter than it does to grow vegetables that could feed the world. What may be pleasurable, or even good for the individual is not necessarily what is good for the 'common' -- for the majority of the people who will have to live on a planet being depleted of natural resources. This is also true for car-buying habits. When the price of gas goes up, there is often a shift to purchasing more fuel-efficient cars. However, as the price of gas goes down, particularly in the United States, the trend for larger, showier and more fashionable cars tends to increase. People are also loath to take public transportation, except in cities notable for their congestion and good public transportation systems like New York City.