CHRISTIAN JAMES V.

RAET
BSABE-4A
TRAGEDY OF COMMONS
REACTION PAPER

Many challenges and issues exist in today's world that are difficult to fix. These are
problems that may have been caused by humans or may have always existed in this world.
As we consider environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges, we see the
tragedy of the commons play out again and again, for population crisis is not getting any better.
Instead, it keeps growing. However, our world is finite, and our resources are limited. Thus, the
tragedy of the commons applies to almost all sustainability issues and should be viewed as a
fundamental framework for addressing them. Because the rapid growing of human population
may result, inequity and steadily emerging in our society, and soon, throughout our entire planet.
But if we can see in our society there are the people, existing who do not consider what will
benefit the world and the people around them in the long run. Without considering that if large
number of people overconsume in the name of self-interest, resources can result to depletion,
ecosystems can collapse, and negative consequences for the individual and the population result.
In this leading issue that we are facing in our society we can basically include the
importance of institutional and technological elements in the rivalry in the consumption of goods
because it is somehow crucial to understanding and overcoming the tragedy of the commons.
Overconsumption can be reduced by regulating consumption and use, or by excluding individual
s, and government investment in resource conservation and regeneration can assist to prevent
depletion. Or by investing into the fundamentals of agriculture so that we in our society can also
benefits and we can able to produce our own goods. Because over the course of history, human
societies have developed a variety of mechanisms for dividing up and enforcing exclusive rights
to economic products and natural resources, hence direct control from the government resource
could be one answer. But we cannot deny that this kind of problem occur because of
overpopulation, this year china has the higher percentage of population, but they are also one of
the countries with higher economic growth. The situation of overpopulation can lead to
environmental issues. One of it is pollution in air and water, because of the higher percentage of
people who consume goods and the number of business that throws their garbage’s in the water
and not properly managing their waste. This activity may result to wildlife poisoning and to
those who live near and rely on it. Because of those pollutants that flow through the water it will
affect everyone. The marine life cannot survive because chemicals enable them to breath because
of insufficient oxygen cause by pollution. That is why Garret Hardin applies the tragedy of
commons idea on intolerable freedom to breed it is fallacy to believe that we can control human
reproduction in the long run. Even there are alternatives given by governments. But if we
evaluate, we can conclude that maybe one of factors that lead to overpopulation is the
availability of food and other resources in this way people tend to procreate and overpopulate
because their mind set that they can able to survive because they can avail resources. They
become dependent in the resources, but even our natural resources cannot suffice if the
population will grow rapidly in a larger percentage. If we consider broadly, the consumption of
natural resources can lead to environmental concerns imagine if there are larger consumer base,
which will lead to cutting of trees as they construct homes to reside in. Environmental problems
will result if there aren’t enough trees. Fruits and vegetables will be insufficient, there will be
water scarcity.
We can connect tragedy of commons in what is happening in our society now. We can
see that everything we learn in the tragedy of commons can be used in today’s environment. We
are currently dealing with the world’s most crisis, the spread of corona virus. The act of
consuming commodities is very high. Especially in the first year of virus propagation. People are
buying hygienic mask and alcohol. We can see that the tragedy of the commons is not simply a
feature of human nature. It is a lesson that we can all learn from. In conclusion because the
tragedy of the commons affects us it should be examined. We are the ones that suffer at the end
of the day. The tragedy of the commons teaches us a simple logical lesson that when you exploit
a common resource, you diminish the enjoyment of others. As a result of this negative
externality, all types of common resources are exploited disproportionately more frequently. It is
the government's responsibility to investigate possible solutions to the problem, such as
decreasing the usage of common resources through taxes or specific laws. The government, on
the other hand, has the authority to change the status of common resources from public to
private.
As we consider the environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges, we see
the Tragedy of the Commons play out again and again. Self-interest drives our need for cheap,
fossil fuels in the short term, but also causing climate change that we will all have to deal with.
Self-interest pushes us to desire low-cost consumer items in the short term, but it also causes our
oceans to choke on plastic waste and widens social and economic inequality. I challenge you to
consider any topic connected to sustainability through the Tragedy of the Commons lens, and I
believe you will discover the basic conundrum of short-term self-interest working against the
long-term common good.
When resources grow scarce, the Tragedy of the Commons becomes more evident. The
short term feels shorter, and self-interest feels more threatened, therefore the population's long-
term common good suffers negative consequences that become more obvious. It's difficult to
dispute that the Tragedy of the Commons pertains to the COVID-19 situation. When I see the
resource hoarding that is currently taking place with toilet paper, baby wipes, paper towels,
facemasks, and other goods, short-term self-interest is creating scarcity and harming our
population. The negative consequences of a shortage of face masks for healthcare providers are
acute and significant.
 People from both sides of the aisle, throughout the country, and around the world are
banding together to combat COVID-19. Younger people appreciate the importance of
maintaining social distance in order to protect those who are more susceptible. To combat the
threat of COVID, we are implementing robust public measures. We observe more people than
ever before enjoying family time, going for a stroll, tending to a garden, or learning a new
activity. We are finding that absence makes the heart grow fonder as we socially remove
ourselves. We genuinely care about people and the greater good.
We're seeing that the Tragedy of the Commons isn't just a natural aspect of life. It is
something from which we can learn. I believe that we will band together and beat COVID-19 in
the end. My hope is that we will learn from this experience. I hope that we will place a greater
emphasis on the long-term common good rather than short-term self-interest. I am hopeful that
climate change will be recognized as a severe threat to the common good. I'm hoping that we can
address disparities and help the most disadvantaged. I'm hoping we'll realize we're all in this
together.
Humans are naturally greedy, prioritizing their own interests over the interests of others.
Humans, according to Garrett Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons, will prefer to pursue short-
term gain at the expense of long-term benefit than tolerate minor inconveniences for long-term
gain. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those who contribute to this tragedy are unaware of
their actions. I was unaware of the problem before reading this paper, and to be honest, I still
have no idea how to prevent this disaster.
Our population issue is not going away. Instead, it keeps growing and growing. Our
earth, however, is finite, and our resources are restricted. As a result, as the human population
grows, each person's share of the planet must diminish. But what is going on now? For himself
and his family, each person collects whatever resources he can. As a result, inequity is steadily
emerging in our society and, eventually, in our planet. Humans continue to do what we want
rather than what we need: reproduce and satisfy our own desires. We are increasing our demand
for the earth's resources while refusing to sacrifice even minor inconveniences. In general, the
human population continues to rise as global resources continue to decline. This is a tragic
situation.
Illegal logging is one of the most pressing environmental issues in this discussion. Illegal
loggers are simply interested in obtaining lumber to sell. They are completely unconcerned about
the planet's future. These are the folks who do not consider the long-term benefits to the world
and those around them. It may be too late for them to realize their error when the time comes. By
"too late," I mean that we will no longer be able to view green meadows, that more animals will
become extinct as a result of their homelessness, and that many, many people will die because
pollution has been slowly but steadily ruining their health in recent years. Aren't we already
seeing the consequences of people's irresponsibility? How much longer will our children and
their children have to wait? That is, if they live long enough to view the world as we see now.
That is, assuming pollution does not kill them before they reach the age of maturity to
understand what our world has become, or, more accurately, what their fathers and father's dads
have done to their environment.
Chemical waste is being thrown into rivers and seas, harming aquatic life. Sure, it won't
have an immediate impact on our water supplies, but it will. Imagine if all factories began
dumping their waste into rivers and seas simply because "the rest" were doing so. This would kill
fish, turtles, and other marine life, and we would lose our freshwater and seawater food supply.
Not only that, but we will also run out of water. What are our options then? Can these factories
provide us with clean water to drink and bathe in? Or will they sell us pricey water that has been
chemically manufactured? We won't have the heart to complain, and we won't even have the
option to refuse them when that time comes.
Heaters and air conditioners have become indispensable. We want it hot when it's
freezing outside. We want it cool when it's scorching outside. Is it possible for humans to be
content? When will we be able to focus on the "bright side of life" rather than what we don't
have or what we want? We were fortunate to be born into a world rich in resources, vibrant with
life, and generous. But how did we react to it? We, the "stewards of God's creation," have
mistreated it, ignoring its needs, fragility, and need for protection. All of this is being said while
my air conditioner is running. I know I'm saying all these things, but I can't shower without a
heater.
There are numerous such examples of this catastrophe. I could go on and on about human
ity's selfishness and disrespectful actions against Mother Earth. I can keep tapping on my keyboa
rd, expressing my anger at what has become of this planet and condemning myself for what I hav
e done to it. Instead than focusing on all the mistakes that have been made and continue to be ma
de, perhaps it is time we asked ourselves and others around us, "What can truly be done?
I hope that we will recognize changes in environment, other social and economic
problems as a serious threat to the common good. I hope we can address inequalities and help the
most vulnerable. I'm hoping we'll realize we're all in this together.