Lecture 1 [Introduction Technology Conflicts Uncertainties and the Tragedy of the Commons

CGEO 702 TECHNOLOGY & CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTS Week 1 [Introduction: concepts] Dr. A. Aryee aaryee@ryerson.ca Department of Geography Ryerson University - Economic, technological and scientific developments are accompanied by ever- larger risks for the environment. Both resources and environment are function of technology. Constructive - Technology has denied or forestalled the original Malthusian vision of population growth outrunning food production. - With technology, the problem of typhoid in many regions of the world have been solved. INTRODUCTION Destructive - Pollution: degradation of the environment as a result of some type of contamination. a. acute b. chronic c. Persistent Spatial displacement and temporal displacement Displacement through different media - Bioaccumulation and biomagnification - Disturbance: physical disruption of the environment. Dematerilization is the decline over time in weight of materials. Wisely a. Stock resources, finite b. Flow resources c. Continuous resources Dematerialization calls for; - waste reduction - recycling - reuse of materials Significant technological advances have been made in sewage treatment. Increase efficiency of resource use (conservation). SOLUTIONS Four Types of Conflict In Resource Management Cognitive Conflict - different understandings of a situation Conflict of Value - different judgments about the ends to be achieved Interests-based conflict - Disagreement regarding the distribution of benefits and costs. Behavioural Conflicts - It emerges due to personalities, conditions and circumstances. Types of Conflicts Continued… Uncertainty Risks - Behaviour of a system is basically known and various outmodes can be defined and quantified. Uncertainty - It occurs if the behaviour of the system is unknown and it is not possible to estimate probability of given outcome. Indeterminacy - Lack of understanding of cause-and-effect relationships Ignorance A situation that escapes recognition Uncertainty continued … END OF SESSION ONE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS GARRETT HARDIN Picture a pasture land open to all. Garrett Hardin 1968 As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. What is the benefit of adding one more animal: The positive component is proceeds, profits, dividend, wages or income The negative component is overgrazing OVERGRAZING TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS CONTINUED It is applicable to open access resources Each herdsman increases his herd without limit. Overshoot and collapse. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. It reppears in problems of pollution. The tragedy of the commons can be prevented by coercive laws. CARRYING CAPACITY According to Hardin “Carrying Capacity is the fundamental basis for demographic accounting”. 1. Maximum population 2. Maximum ‘load’ - Waste assimilation capacity CARRYING CAPACITY: TECHNOLOGY & TRADE Does technology and trade expand ecological carrying capacity? Appropriated carrying capacity The biophysical resource flows and wastes assimilation capacity appropriated per unit time from global totals. Ecological footprint “The total area of land/water required to produce the resource used and to assimilate the wastes produced” William Rees and Wackernigel Criticisms of Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons Critics argue that Hardin's tragedy of commons is applicable only to open access resources. Hardin’s tragedy of the commons often results from institutional failure to control access to resources. Assumptions Necessary to Avoid the Tragedy Hardin made three critical assumptions; 1. A 'criterion of judgment’ 2. Coercion system 3. Effective administrative system Schools of Thought on the Common Property Property rights school Allocation of Full Authority Assurance Problem Approach PROPERTY REGIMES In open access, there are no property rights. There are no defined group of user’s or owners. 1. Open Access Regimes 2. Common Property Regimes Common property resources are held by an identifiable community of interdependent users. Common property is a social unit with definite membership and boundaries.