Global Warming and the Tragedy of the Commons

The discussion of global environmental issues in chapter 10 calls to mind the “tragedy of the commons,” a concept introduced during the discussion of collective goods in chapter 7. Global environmental issues are an increasingly salient—and controversial—element of the agenda of world politics. In this exercise, you will consider one global environmental issue—global warming—in light of the “tragedy of the commons.”

You are an aide to the U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environment. The Assistant Secretary has been asked to brief the newly appointed Secretary of State on the Kyoto Treaty, the 1997 accord designed to curb global warming. The United States has not supported or ratified the Kyoto Treaty, and pressure is building from environmental groups such as Greenpeace, as well as from other developed countries in Europe, for the United States to better lead the global community toward greater protection of the environment. The Assistant Secretary wants information and evidence (from your course readings and Internet sources) that will shed light on the nature of the problem. You must gather and summarize such evidence in time for him to use it in his meeting preparation. Your task is to find empirical evidence that provides a description of the problems facing the global environment and threat to collective goods. You must then use this evidence to address both how the United States should respond and whether the Kyoto Treaty is an effective international mechanism. Specifically, you must prepare a one-page (typed, single-spaced) memo.

I. Concepts. Review your text’s discussion of the global environment in chapter 10. Also review the brief discussion of the tragedy of the commons in chapter 7. For more on the tragedy of the commons metaphor, consult www.econlib.org/library/Enc/TragedyoftheCommons.html.

II. Finding the Evidence. The Assistant Secretary wants a balanced brief on the problem, the Kyoto Treaty and its problems and prospects. Organize your evidence according to the following questions, using your text as a starting point and taking advantage of information on the Internet.

• The problem. What is global warming and who are the main contributors? Who is threatened by its consequences and how are they threatened? Does it represent a collective goods problem? How? How does it exemplify the tragedy of the commons? You may find the following sources helpful:
• The Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_warming/ page.cfm?pageID=521)
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg2/index.htm)
• United Nations Environment Programme (www.unep.org/)
• The Proposal. What is the Kyoto Treaty and how would it address global warming? You may find the following sources helpful:
• Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (full text)
• Fact sheet on Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (1/15/98)
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (official site)
• The Recommendation. What are the main arguments for and against US support for the Kyoto Treaty? Provide at least three arguments in favor of the treaty and three arguments against it. Conclude with your recommendation on how the US should respond to domestic and foreign pressure with regard to the Kyoto Protocol You may find the following sources helpful:
  • The Department of State (current)
    www.state.gov/www/global/oes/climate/
  • The Department of State (previous Administration)
    www.state.gov/www/global/global_issues/climate/
    climate_key_reports.html
  • The Environmental Protection Agency
    yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/
    content/index.html
  • Greenpeace and the National Resources Defense Council (pro-Kyoto)
    www.greenpeace.org/international_en/
    campaigns/intro?campaign_id=3937
    www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/default.asp
  • The Cato Institute (anti-Kyoto)
    www.cato.org/current/global-warming/index.html

III. Conclusion. What would be necessary to avoid this “tragedy of the commons”?