Exam Preparation on Environmental Crisis and Social Contracts

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on the environmental crisis and social contracts.

What urgent problem is discussed in the lecture by Ben Al-Nataloumbous?

The environmental crisis.

What is one declaration made by Extinction Rebellion in 2019?

Humanity is in its darkest hour due to the environmental crisis.

What is the sixth mass extinction event?

Biodiversity is being massively eradicated globally.

What is a core characteristic of public goods?

Others are difficult to exclude from their use.

What does the term 'free-riding' refer to in environmental contexts?

Benefiting from resources without contributing to their maintenance.

What are common pool resources?

Goods that are difficult to exclude others from and using them extracts value.

What notion did Garrett Hardin introduce regarding common resources?

The tragedy of the commons, showing how individual choices can lead to collective ruin.

What three difficulties must be taken into account to address environmental issues according to Ostrom?

Free riding, externalities, and political conflict.

What are the two types of solutions the old social contract offers to environmental crises?

Market solutions and state solutions.

What does Hobbes argue about the state of nature?

In the state of nature, individuals have unlimited freedom but face security problems.

What is required for the effective management of resources according to Ostrom's analysis?

Self-organization and trust among individuals.

What is a significant barrier to cooperation identified in the lecture?

Asymmetry in interests and perceptions among individuals or groups.

What is the key takeaway regarding human behavior from Ostrom's perspective?

Human selfishness is not inherent; it is influenced by the institutions present.

What might be a new direction for a social contract based on Ostrom's ideas?

Radical democratization that reconnects local governance with global issues.

What challenge does the global commons present that differs from local commons?

Complexity in negotiation of shared interests among many diverse actors.

What role does trust play in solving social dilemmas?

Trust fosters cooperation and helps bridge uncertainty in collective actions.

What outcome can occur if individuals focus solely on their own benefits in resource usage?

Over-exploitation and environmental degradation.

What metaphor does Hardin use to describe the individual pursuit of self-interest in commons situations?

Ruin is the destination to which all men rush.