LWU: Lesson - The Tragedy of the Commons (Topic 5.1) đź“–

⏳ Estimated Reading Time: 4 - 6 minutes

Learning Objective

Explain the concept of the tragedy of the commons.

 

The Tragedy of the Commons

The tragedy of the commons is a situation where individuals use a shared resource in a way that harms the collective interest. It occurs when the self-interest of present individuals and generations is at odds with the longer-term, sustainable interests of the community or society.  Resources that do not belong to one person, but to everyone often suffer from mismanagement.  Because these resources are owned by everyone and no one, no one feels the need to protect them.

The graphic illustrates the tragedy of the commons, where a shared resource is overused, leading to depletion. Three panels depict different stages: Sheep graze on green hills, benefiting all when usage is below carrying capacity. More sheep cause grass to turn brown, deteriorating the commons due to overuse. With further overuse, grass becomes dry, signaling environmental costs. Failure to address this renders the land unusable for everyone.
Garrett Hardin first described the tragedy of the commons - how a resource that belonged to everyone and no one, wasn't protected from overuse, and was eventually destroyed for everyone.

In 1968, Garrett Hardin wrote an article about the tragedy of the commons. He discussed a pastureland in England that belonged to the entire village. Everyone in the village raised their sheep on this land. The sheep quickly ate all of the grass, making the land unusable for grazing and raising sheep. Because the land belonged to no one, no one tried to protect the land from overgrazing, and consequently, was destroyed for everyone.

Hardin’s essay was both a warning about overpopulating the Earth and a warning about overusing common resources to the point of depletion. In his writings, Hardin explained that privately held grazing lands would be cared for to a higher degree because the private landowner had a vested interest in not overusing the land. Common grazing lands owned by the public, he argued, would be overused and depleted because each person who grazed sheep on those lands had no vested interest other than trying to maximize their individual profits. As such, profits trumped all, and the common grazing lands suffered as a result. Hardin’s essay hit home with ecologists all over the world as more and more of the world’s commons came under increasing pressure from a growing human population.

The “commons” around the world include animals, forests, grasslands, croplands, oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater, and virtually any resource that can be overexploited by humans.

Examples

Anytime an aspect of the environment is mismanaged because it is owned by the public, essentially no one, we call it a tragedy of the commons. Explore the interactive below to learn about some real-life examples of the tragedy of the commons, just tap on the white dots at the bottom to uncover all the fascinating details!

These stories have been repeated the world over. 

 

Essential Knowledge

The tragedy of the commons suggests that individuals will use shared resources in their own self-interest rather than in keeping with the common good, thereby depleting the resources.

 

Check for Understanding

 

AP Exam Tip

The tragedy of the commons is an important concept in environmental science. You should understand how it works and what is and is not a tragedy of the commons.

 

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