BIO SCI 55 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Population Pyramid, Precautionary Principle, Demographic Transition
19 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
The tragedy of the commons: an economic theory within a shared-resource system where individual user acting independently according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the common goods. Assumptions of scenario noted: no controls on behavior, behavior is selfish (self-serving, there is an unlimited number of animals, there is limited land, there is no sense of doom unfolding . Common-use resources: the tragedy of the commons: main characteristics. Solutions: private (individual ownership, communal control (laws, state control (government regulation; socialism) Problems with privatization: may be no long-term outlook. Long regenerative time of resource (incentive to cut down because it takes long to grow back, for example, a tree) Problems with communal control: presence of a cheater (they win, unequal value placed on resource by members. People believe they are entitled to something because of their position: population at or above carrying capacity (people will fight for as much as they can get, even though there isn"t enough for everyone)
