Upon reflection of the tragedy of the commons scenarios in the text, a few real scenarios come to mind. One, in particular, is the problem of garbage collecting in our oceans. The ocean is an excellent example of a common resource that has been abused and neglected by our society.

   There are various laws aimed to limit the amount of waste distributed into the ocean from rural areas. There are laws against littering, dumping laws, banned distribution of certain materials, forbidden materials on beaches, nationwide and statewide recycling organizations, etc. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific government agency that evaluates and provides information regarding the condition of the ocean and atmosphere. Ultimately they serve as researchers and enforcers of environmental regulations in their effort to manage the use of resources.

   The problems that come with environmental laws and regulations to protect the commons is getting the masses to adhere to that standard. As Douglas Van Belle illustrates in the book, A Novel Approach to Politics, enlightened self-interest is no match for the short-term benefit of exploiting the commons (Van Belle, 2016). Why should one person sacrifice what they know others are not? An effort to eliminate this issue is to educate as many as possible about the risk factors. This could be done in hopes that they will think twice about not abiding by the rules for the betterment of the common resource in investment for the future.    

   However as Van Belle addresses, even the most educated and enlightened will be tempted to overexploit the commons regardless. The concept of everyone collectively working towards the betterment of society’s future is ideal, but realistically people gravitate towards the overexploitation of the commons.

Resources:

Van Belle, D. A. (2016). A Novel Approach to Politics. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press. Retrieved from. https://content.ashford.edu/books/Vanbelle.7183.17.1/sections/37