Humanities

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

It refers to the depletion of common-pool resources when individual users act in their own self-interest, leading to overuse and degradation of the resource.

What are common-pool resources?

Valued natural or human-made resources that are non-excludable (difficult to exclude others from using) and rival (use by one person reduces the amount available for others).

What are Hardin's claims about common-pool resources?

• Those who use the resource without restraint gain economically over those who use it responsibly.

• Evolutionary processes will favor those who exercise unrestrained use over those who limit their use.

How can tragedies of the commons be prevented?

1. Privatization: Individuals own rights to the resource.

2. Government Regulation: The state governs use through laws.

3. Social Norms: Users create collective rules to manage the resource.

What are the four sources of U.S. environmental law?

• Constitutional Law (e.g., Commerce Clause, Property Clause)

• Statutory Law (e.g., Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act)

• Administrative Regulations (how agencies enforce laws)

• Common or Case Law (court interpretations)

What are the criticisms of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?

• Taxonomic bias (focus on vertebrates)

• Inadequate incentives for enforcement

• Unfair cost distribution

• Little prevention for species becoming threatened

Intrinsic value

Nature has value in and of itself, regardless of human use.

Instrumental value

Nature has value because it provides benefits or resources to humans.

What are productive, consumptive, and non-consumptive values of nature?

• Productive/Consumptive Value: The value of natural resources that are harvested or consumed for human needs (e.g., timber, fish).

• Non-Consumptive Value: The value derived from natural functions and services that do not involve direct consumption (e.g., water purification by wetlands).

How does the Prisoner's Dilemma relate to the Tragedy of the Commons?

The Prisoner's Dilemma demonstrates how individuals acting in their own self-interest (using resources without limits) leads to a worse outcome for everyone, as seen in the overuse of common-pool resources in the Tragedy of the Commons.

What are the methods for measuring biodiversity?

• Species Composition: Identity of species in an area.

• Species Richness: Total number of species present.

• Species Evenness: How evenly species are distributed in a community.

• Diversity Index: Combines richness and evenness to measure overall biodiversity (e.g., Shannon Diversity Index)

What are the five mass extinction events, and are we in a sixth?

• End Ordovician (444 mya)

• Late Devonian (360 mya)

• End Permian (250 mya)

• End Triassic (200 mya)

• End Cretaceous (65 mya)
  There is concern we are in a 6th Mass Extinction, driven by human activity (HIPPCOD).

What does HIPPCOD stand for in relation to modern extinction drivers?

• Habitat destruction

• Invasive species

• Pollution

• Population growth

• Climate change

• Overexploitation

• Disease (not human diseases)

What is the significance of the Tellico Dam and Snail Darter case?

The Tellico Dam project was delayed because of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which protected the snail darter fish found in the dam’s construction area. This case was one of the first major judicial decisions upholding the ESA.