Abstract
AbstractThe world faces serious environmental problems. To solve them we must work together. Fortunately, humans are a very cooperative species. We have faced a range of cooperative problems in the past, and have evolved and invented a range of cooperative solutions to them—kin altruism, mutualism, reciprocity, heroism, deference, fairness, and property rights. Here, we illustrate how each of these solutions can be pressed into the service of conservation goals. Unlocking this potential will require overcoming conservationists' current cycloptic focus on only one type of cooperative problem (the prisoner's dilemma) and one type of solution (reciprocity). Only then will policy makers be able draw on the full range of cooperative dispositions and design more systematic and effective environmental interventions.
Highlights
Humans are a remarkably successful species: population size, longevity, and consumption per capita have increased dramatically since the industrial revolution
The world faces a catalogue of environmental problems, including climate change, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and pollution (United Nations Environment Programme, 2012)
For each type of cooperation, we introduce the basic problem and solution, and give examples of how policymakers might take advantage of the relevant cooperative disposition and its byproducts
Summary
Humans are a remarkably successful species: population size, longevity, and consumption per capita have increased dramatically since the industrial revolution (https:// ourworldindata.org). The world faces a catalogue of environmental problems, including climate change, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and pollution (United Nations Environment Programme, 2012). We descend from a long line of social primates who have lived in groups for tens of millions of years During this time, we faced a wide range of different cooperative problems and opportunities—allocating resources to kin, coordinating to mutual advantage, engaging in social. Humans possess cooperative dispositions that lead us to (1) care for our families, (2) maintain coalitions, (3) reciprocate favors (and punish cheats), and resolve conflicts through contests involving displays of (4) heroism and (5) deference, (6) fairness, and (7) respect for prior possession (Table 1). For each type of cooperation, we introduce the basic problem and solution, and give examples of how policymakers might take advantage of the relevant cooperative disposition and its byproducts
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