Abstract
The tragedy of the commons is a primary contributing factor in ensuring that humanity makes no serious inroads in averting climate change. As a recent Canadian politician pointed out, we could shut down the Canadian economy tomorrow, and it would make no measurable difference in global greenhouse gas emissions. When coordinated effort is required, it would seem that doing the “right thing” alone is irrational: it will harm oneself with no positive consequences as a result. Such is the tragedy. And that is the challenge that we take up here. Though Garrett Hardin suggests that the solution is a governmental process that rules over all contenders, since a world government seems unlikely before the planet hits the tippy point, we suggest an educational initiative instead: one that holds a mirror up to the behaviour of individuals, rather than to the behaviour of individuals in groups. Such an educational initiative would be focused on priming individuals to keep constant track of what they do as individuals as opposed to focusing on the behaviour of humanity in general. Such an educational initiative would focus on tackling the “problem solvers” rather than just “the problem”.
Highlights
Looking at a map of Africa in 1919 [1] (p. xxiii), one cannot help but be stupefied by the fact that, except for Ethiopia, South West Africa and tiny Liberia, the rest of the continent either belongs outright to a European nation or is “a sphere of influence”.1 How is that possible, one wonders? What is it that prompted the European nations to carve up the rest of the world amongst themselves in such an apparent frenzy? Historian Margaret MacMillan makes it clear through her narrative that the answer is the “tragedy of the commons” [2]
Though Garrett Hardin suggests that the primary way to overcome the tragedy of the commons is through a governmental process that rules over all contenders [4], in light of the fact that a world government seems unlikely before the planet hits the tippy point, we suggest an educational initiative: one that holds a mirror up to the behaviour of individuals, rather than to the behaviour of individuals in groups
Such an educational initiative would be focused on priming individuals to keep constant track of what they do as individuals—something over which they have control and about which they can have optimism—as opposed to focusing on the behaviour of humanity in general, which can lead to paralyzing despair
Summary
Looking at a map of Africa in 1919 [1] (p. xxiii), one cannot help but be stupefied by the fact that, except for Ethiopia, South West Africa and tiny Liberia Though Garrett Hardin suggests that the primary way to overcome the tragedy of the commons is through a governmental process that rules over all contenders [4], in light of the fact that a world government seems unlikely before the planet hits the tippy point, we suggest an educational initiative: one that holds a mirror up to the behaviour of individuals, rather than to the behaviour of individuals in groups Such an educational initiative would be focused on priming individuals to keep constant track of what they do as individuals—something over which they have control and about which they can have optimism—as opposed to focusing on the behaviour of humanity in general, which can lead to paralyzing despair.
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