Readings

Global Warming

A rise in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities, potentially exceeding 1.5°C and triggering climate tipping points.

Emission Scenarios

Different projections of greenhouse gas emissions and their potential impacts on climate change and tipping events.

Tipping Points

Critical thresholds in the climate system that, when exceeded, can lead to significant and often irreversible changes.

Tragedy of the Commons

A theory by Garrett Hardin suggesting that individuals overuse shared resources, leading to their depletion.

Sustainable Systems

Cooperative and self-organized approaches to managing shared resources effectively, contrary to Hardin's theory.

Perennial Crops

Plants that grow back year after year, used to restore degraded lands and improve soil health.

Soil Fertility

The ability of soil to sustain plant growth, which can be enhanced through practices like growing perennial crops and rotational grazing.

Buffalo Commons

An ecological and economic restoration concept for the Great Plains, promoting buffalo over cattle and environmental tourism.

Livestock Reduction Program

A U.S. government initiative in the 1930s aimed at controlling overgrazing on the Navajo Reservation, impacting the local community.

Agroecology

A movement focused on creating sustainable food systems that address social inequalities and improve nutrition.

Biodiversity Conservation

Efforts to protect and restore ecosystems, which have shown effectiveness in improving biodiversity in many cases.

Economic Self-Interest

The assumption that humans primarily act for personal gain, a key premise in Hardin's theory.

Common-Pool Resources

Resources shared by a community that can be depleted if not managed properly, often influenced by established institutions and norms.

Institutional Norms

Established rules and practices that govern the use of common-pool resources, which can change and lead to resource degradation.