Garrett Hardin wrote: The tragedy of the commons develops in this way. Picture a pasture open
to all. It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as
many cattle as possible on the commons. Such an arrangement may work
reasonably satisfactorily for centuries because tribal wars, poaching,
and disease keep the number of 60th man and beast well below the
carrying capacity of the land. Finally, however, comes the day of
reckoning, that is, the day when the long desired goal of social
stability becomes a reality At this point, the inherent logic of the
commons remorselessly generates tragedy. As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain.
Explicitly or implicitly, more or less consciously, he asks, “What is
the utility to me of adding one more animal to my herd?” This utility
has one negative and one positive component. (1) The positive component is a function of the increment of
one animal. Since the herdsman receives all the proceeds from the sale
of the additional animals, the positive utility is nearly + 1. (2) the negative component is a function of the additional
overgrazing created by one more animal. Since however, the effects of
overgrazing are shared by all the herdsmen, the negative utility for
any particular decision making herdsman is only a fraction of - 1. Adding together the component partial utilities, the rational
herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is
to add another animal to this herd. And another; and another…But this
is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a
commons. Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that
compels him to increase his herd without limit-in a world that is
limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each
pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the
freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. (06/15/05)
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BBC World — A
pretty but sedate town in rural Westfalia, Laer is unremarkable except
for one thing: it has made headlines in Germany for its high birth rate
and its radical approach to childcare. All over Europe the issue of
childcare is a hot topic. There is not enough of it you hear, or it is
too expensive. Some women say poor childcare keeps them tied to the
home and others say it stops them having children. “When it comes to
childcare,” Germany’s Family Affairs Minister has herself declared, “we
live in a third world country.” Only 16% of German mothers with
children under six go to work. In Britain it is 67%. Germany’s tax and
welfare system also make it more favourable for women to be at home.
But the situation is also due to a long upheld culture of “Kinder,
Kueche und Kirche”, or “children, kitchen and church”, a label coined
by Kaiser Wilhelm II to describe women’s traditional role. Germany has
one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe. And in a country worried
about population, productivity and pensions, improving family policy
has become a priority. Women have begun to push for change too. And the
town of Laer has been showing the country how change can happen. “I
want to work and I need to work,” Elke Pangert exclaimed. She is in her
30s, a teacher, and mother of Paul. Nine years ago when she moved to
Laer, just after Paul’s birth, she became frustrated because there was
nowhere to leave him when she was at school. State care for children
under three years in Germany is almost non-existent, and nannies and au
pairs are not popular alternatives there. “When Paul was two-years-old
I tried to get him into a nursery school but I didn’t get a place
because he was too young,” she said. So Elke and a small group of Laer
mothers set up their own day care centre for toddlers and infants,
taking it in turns to do the child-minding. “It was very difficult,”Elke said. “First we had to find a venue and teachers. We tried to do
it ourselves to begin with, but everyone wanted to work.” Paul, Elke’s
son, is very proud to be a pioneer. Since he was a baby Laer has
acquired six nurseries and kindergartens. And children can stay all day
in Laer’s primary school, as Paul does, which is another rarity in
Germany. Laer is a town of 6000 people, and about one sixth of them are
children. (06/15/05)
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