Term
| Growth/Progress and the Use of Resources |
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Definition
| Hardin suggests that growth is exponential and that our technological progression is growing at a similar rate. He also asserts that our world is a finite world. |
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Term
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Definition
| Nature sets natural limits on the resources which we use. Oil takes vast quantities of time, pressure, and heat to be created. Diamonds take similar conditions, along with most other things we have deemed valuable. Other resources which have been deemed “renewable” or “infinite” have inevitable limits as the population grows without bound. |
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Term
| “Tragedy of the Commons” Idea |
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Definition
| The idea behind the tragedy of the commons is that the freedom which all men feel they are born with, the freedom to pursue their own best interest, leads to the eventual demise of the entire society. As men pursue their own goals of expansion, procreation, profit, and happiness, they encroach upon the goals of those around them. Overpopulation, the extinction of resources, and the limit of space cause the eventual extinction of man. |
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Term
| Regulation of Resource Use |
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Definition
| Hardin states that the use of resources should be restricted to what is necessary for survival. However, he realizes that the commons only works for small, controlled populations. As populations grow beyond the capacity of the land and the resources which they thrive upon, the commons falls apart. |
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Term
| Exploitation of Resources |
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Definition
| In Hardin’s discussion of the commons, he shows how it is our natural behavior to increase productivity by way of expansion. When we use resources without thought of replacing or restoring what we have used, this is exploitation. The exploitation of resources reduces a pool from which all people pull from. This is not only detrimental to the environment, but also our fellow man. |
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Term
| Externalities (positive and negative) |
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Definition
| These are costs or benefits that are borne by an entity (individual, company, organization...). These can be both positive and negative. Pollution from a factory can be detrimental to the health of those in surrounding areas. On the other hand, a beekeeper keeping bees for their honey can lead to increased pollination in surrounding areas. |
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