tragedy of the commons

Which of the following best describes the concept of the tragedy of the commons? A Resources that are shared by individuals, such as the Ogallala Aquifer groundwater, are highly regulated by legislation, thereby depriving common people of their use. B Communities enact recycling programs to reduce the amount of materials that need to be mined. The cost of the recycling program is absorbed by community taxes. C The aim of large logging operations in tropical rain forests is economic gain, rather than sustainability. Therefore, the shared resources in the forest could become depleted. D Soil nutrients, such as nitrates, are used unequally depending on the type of vegetation. Therefore, farmers must add fertilizers to certain areas to grow crops.

C.

degradation

a decline to a lower condition, quality, or level- which can lead to tragedy of the commons

a commons

area used by everyone but belongs to no one ex: the ocean, forests

sustainable use of the commons: regulations and examples

hunting/fishing license, land use permits, selective tree cutting, country quotas (splits and trades)

Tragedy of the Commons

individuals will use shared resources in their own self interest rather than keeping it with the common good therefore depleting resources

replenish methods

replant trees, throwback gravid (fish full of eggs), rotate grasslands used for grazing

Which of the following is an example of an industrial practice that contributes to the tragedy of the commons? A Burning fossil fuels for energy production B Creating constructed wetlands on abandoned land C Enacting and enforcing legislation on point-source pollutants D Promoting aluminum and glass recycling

A

Which of the following best exemplifies how an action within the fishing industry could lead to a tragedy of the commons? A Fishing companies increasing the number of aquaculture facilities B Fishers throwing back fish that are at peak reproductive age to help keep fish populations stable C Fisheries limiting the amount of overall catch per fishing season D Overfishing of threatened fish species leading to the eventual depletion of the resource

D

which of the following illustrates the concept of the tragedy of the commons? a.destruction of landscape by surface mining b.selective harvesting of trees by timber company in national forest c. inadvertent destruction of beneficial species while pest controlling d. depletion of aquifer by regional farmers

D.

ensure compliance methods

treaties and laws with fines, incentives, subsidies etc. (such as environmental protective agency) and privitization