Blog number 1: Tragedy of the Commons

Summary:

This reading began by describing both theoretical and actual cases of tragedy of the commons, highlighting that people are doing it so that they are receiving a benefit, while an externality is created at the burden of all those sharing the common, or that the common effects.  One important example of an externality in the reading was pollution, it described how we emit mass amounts of pollutants, but only share a minor cost of our own emissions.  The conclusion stated that a commons only works when there is a low population density, although we have yet to completely rid society of commons, the most important to impose change on is the freedom to reproduce. 


Critical Thinking:

1) Why should people not have as many children as possible?

Having a lot of children causes a constraint on resources, as most resources are a common the increased population causes an increased strain on the common. Thus creating a scarcity problem, and potentially leady to a tragedy of the commons.