 Essay by Garrett Hardin  Short-term interests of individual vs. long term welfare of society  Someone has to take responsibility for maintaining a resource or it can be overused and eventually depleted.

 Economic forces influence how we use resources  Law of supply and demand – the greater the demand for a limited supply of something, the more the thing is worth.  Example: If the supply of oil decreases, we have 3 choices: pay the higher price, use less oil, or find new sources of energy.  Cost-Benefit Analysis – balances the cost of the action against the benefits one expects from it.  Example: To an industry, the cost of pollution control may outweigh the benefits, but to a nearby community, the benefits may be worth the high price.  Risk Assessment – a tool that helps us create cost-effective ways to protect our health and the environment.

 Developed Countries: › Higher average incomes › Slower population growth › Diverse industrial economies › Stronger social support system

 Developing countries: › Lower average incomes › Simple and agriculture-based economies › Rapid population growth

 Local population pressures  Example: When the population in an area grows rapidly, there may not be enough natural resources for everyone in the area to live a healthy, productive life.  Consumption trends  Example: Developed nations use about 75% of the world’s resources, even though they make up only about 20% of the world’s population.  Ecological Footprints  Definition: it shows the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country.

 Sustainability – the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely.  A sustainable world is not an unchanging world.  If individual citizens, industries, and governments cooperate, we can move toward sustainability.