Tragedy of the Commons related to Science & Environmental issue - Essay Example

Topic:  Tragedy of the Commons related to Science & Environmental issue The tragedy of the commons related to Science & environmental issue can be correlated with sustainability and ecological concepts. The tragedy of the commons was introduced by ecologist Garrett Hardin and was published in a journal called “Science” in 1968. According to (Rosenberg) “In a 1968 article published in the journal Science, ecologist Garrett Hardin described how individuals, acting rationally by looking out for their own best interests, can deplete resources and ruin things for society as a whole”.

The tragedy of the commons directly relates to the tragic situation a common resource will be in, due to the use of that resource by an individual or a group of people with varied motives. At times, the motives can be selfish in nature, which can destroy the properties of the resource or its potentiality. Here, we can give an example of fishing, where some people go fishing to get out of starvation whereas some do it to consume it as a delicacy. Here the one who fishes for starvation has no selfish interest while the other party does it for selfish motives.

The fish in the ocean, lake or river is not only consumed by human but by other creatures as well. Men are selfish in nature, and consume fish despite of the alternative food sources available to them. The creatures that consume fish are naturally designed to eat fish, whereas men can consume cultivated vegetables, grains, meat or fruits. He has the intelligence to understand the potentiality of nature, its structure, working pattern and sustainability issue associated with it. Now the time has shifted and availability of fish as a food source for both animals and humans has become a tragic issue.

So here, the tragedy of common related to science and environment applies in a way that everyone is commonly suffering due to the tragic issue, which is the depletion of fish. The disappearance or extinction of fish as a creature and as a food source is of grave concern. Humans are intelligent and need to think about the sustainability of the fishes as a component of nature and as a food chain element. A Human has the intelligence, hence, has the responsibility to assist nature from getting destroyed.

This is a dilemma wherein only humans can take action as animals never take advantage or exploit nature in any sense. Fish is a common resource, and utilization of it should be in line with its consumption. If fish are consumed more than their production, then the tragedy of commons of science occurs on a great level. This tragedy is an avoidable situation as men have the capability to avoid nature from being depleted. Here government could prevent the tragedy of common by implementing more regulations on the utilization of natural resources in order to avoid their depletion.

Now there is more voluntary and government organization, which regulates fishing in order to save nature. Another solution is the breeding of fish that are getting depleted or cultivation of them to increase their population. Nature has given us many natural resources, and as an intelligent being, a human has the complete responsibility to save the depleting natural abundance of fish. This goes a long way into the protection of the ocean bed and its creatures. This is indirectly related to our own survival.

Work Cited Rosenberg, Yuvel. "Warren Buffetts High-Stakes Challenge to the GOP." The Fiscal Times. The Fiscal Times, 12 Jan. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. .