tragedy of the commons jørgen stig nørgård local and regional sustainability workshop, syddansk...
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TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS Jørgen Stig Nørgård
Local and Regional Sustainability Workshop, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, 16 – 17. March 2009
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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• The title refers to a 1968 paper by Garrett Hardin in ‘Science’
• The ‘Commons’ refers to the land in communities earlier available for free grazing etc.
THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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THE EARTH – a global Common, limited – a global Common, limited and closed, except for energyand closed, except for energy
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
HEAT RADIATION
SOLAR RADIATION
GLOBAL ECO-SYSTEM
HIGH GRADEENERGY
LOW GRADEENERGY
MATERIALS & FOSSIL FUELS
WASTES & POLLUTION
After Daly and Goodland
PLANETARYSOURCES
ECONOMICSYSTEM
PLANETARYSINKS
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
4
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Definition: A development, which does not reduce the development options of the future by deteriorating the natural environment. (Herman Daly)
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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PEOPLE’SPERSPECTIVEIN TIME AND SPACE
Meadows et al: Limits to Growth 1972
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
6
THE GLOBAL COMMON• A century ago the perception of the world
as infinite and abundance lead to some dangerous dogmas:
• Adam Smith’s invisible hand, called for selfishness.
• Bentham’s goal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ called for growth.
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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CORPORATIONS IN THE GLOBAL COMMONS
• The threat to old Local Commons came from individual’s selfishness and moral decay.
• The threat to today’s Global Commons are more severe, since they come from maybe far away Corporations, which have a clear responsibility to their shareholders, normally to maximize profit with no moral considerations (except if it can increase profit ! ).
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
8
THE GLOBAL COMMON• A century ago the perception of the world
as infinite and abundance lead to some dangerous dogmas:
• Adam Smith’s invisible hand, called for selfishness.
• Bentham’s goal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ called for growth.
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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THE LIMITS TO GROWTH
Published: 1972
Size: 200 pages
Sold in 30 million copies . . .
. . in 30 languages.
- - - a turning point !!
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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The Limits to Growth• Renewed interest in the report, due to both the
financial crisis and the climate problems.
• Rebutting the early critique. The report and its follow up editions are surprisingly right and relevant.
• A useful basis for discussing the new path necessary for human as well as for nature.
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
11
SATISFACTION
HAPPINESS, etc.
ECO- SACRIFICE
LIFE PATTERNS
EXPLOITATION OF NATURE
TECHNO- ECONOMY
MO
NEY EC
ON
OM
Y
RE
AL
EC
ON
OM
Y E
FFIC
IEN
CY
REAL ECONOMY
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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ACCIDENTS INCREASES GDP !
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
13
A. EINSTEIN:
“Not everything that can be counted counts,
and,
not everything that counts can be counted”
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
14
SATISFACTION
HAPPINESS, etc.
ECO- SACRIFICE
LIFE PATTERNS
EXPLOITATION OF NATURE
TECHNO- ECONOMY
MO
NEY EC
ON
OM
Y
RE
AL
EC
ON
OM
Y E
FFIC
IEN
CY
REAL ECONOMYEFFICIENCY = SATISFACTION SACRIFICE
INTERNALISING THEEXTERNALITIES REQUIRES A MORAL MOBILIZATION
EX
TER
NA
L G
AIN
SEX
TER
NA
L C
OS
TS
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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HAPPY PLANET INDEX, HPI
Life Satisfaction x Life Expectancy
HPI = --------------------------------------------------- Ecological Footprint
= 28.8 for USA # 150 in the world = 41.4 for Denmark # 99 = 61.1 for Bhutan # 13 = 56.0 for China # 31 = 22.8 for Russia # 172 = 16.6 for Zimbabwe # 178
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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New York Times WAKING UP?
• Tom Friedman• Op-ed columnist, New York Times• March 7, 2009• ….Let’s today step out of the normal boundaries of
analysis of our economic crisis and ask a radical question: What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”
• ….. And he goes on like this….
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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VISION POSSIBLE !• HOW CAN WE ENSURE EVERY HUMAN BEING A
DECENT LIFE IN A SUSTAINABLE AND BEAUTIFUL NATURE ?
• More equity, more leisure, more moral, more …• Less work, less consumption, less people …• Technology alone can contribute, but can never be the
basic solution …
• The economic system must be adapted to these goals, locally as well as globally.
Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ. 16-17/3 2009
Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, [email protected]
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THANK YOU !
Steve Bloom