steve wrote...

>The primary reason for this is that the "tragedy of the commons" as
>posited by Garret Hardin can be solved by the introduction of property
>rights.

i don't really understand the implications of what you're saying here
steve.... but nonetheless, i want to ask you how this would apply to, say,
air pollution.... in the spirit of the "tragedy of the commons" argument,
the atmosphere can be seen as the commons.... you have x number of
factories, whether they're run by companies, governments, ect. and each
contributes to the total amount of pollution (not to mention automobiles,
run by individuals). the reasoning of the TOTC suggests that that there is
only so much pollution that the atmosphere can absorb until it becomes
danerous, or at least unpleasant, to live in... now, any rational person
will acknowledge that this is a result of pollution.... however, the trick
is that even if we could determine that x amount of pollution from a's car,
or b's factory, or c's power plant is the maximum amount allowable in order
to not saturate the atmosphere past whatever amount is determined as
unpleasant or harmful, even then, the reasoning of 'a' would be that if i
drive my car twice as far, it will benifit me twice as much, but it will
only harm the atmosphere a miniscule amount more, and by that reasoning, it
makes perfect sense to 'a' to do that driving.... and of course when all
polluters use this reasoning, we end up with an unpleasant or harmful
atmosphere.... and that was just one example.... i could come up with a
thousand of them at least.... all showing how the TOTC is still very much
an issue....

spirit

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, November 03, 1998 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: Perceptions of sustainability


>---Steven Bissell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>It sounds as if you've given emperical evidence to support Garret
>Hardin's
>"Tragedy of the Commons" theory. That in itself is significant because
>many
>economists have said there is no "tragedy" at all.
>--------
>
>The primary reason for this is that the "tragedy of the commons" as
>posited by Garret Hardin can be solved by the introduction of property
>rights. The problem is that of an externality and the introduction
>internalizes the externality and there is no problem.
>
>Steve
>
>
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