TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS Jørgen Stig Nørgård Local and Regional Sustainability Workshop, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, 16 – 17. March 2009

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 2 The title refers to a 1968 paper by Garrett Hardin in ‘Science’ The ‘Commons’ refers to the land in communities earlier available for free grazing etc. THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 3 – a global Common, limited and closed, except for energy THE EARTH – a global Common, limited and closed, except for energy ECONOMIC SYSTEM HEAT RADIATION SOLAR RADIATION GLOBAL ECO- SYSTEM HIGH GRADE ENERGY LOW GRADE ENERGY MATERIALS & FOSSIL FUELS WASTES & POLLUTION After Daly and Goodland PLANETARY SOURCES ECONOMIC SYSTEM PLANETARY SINKS

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 4 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Definition: A development, which does not reduce the development options of the future by deteriorating the natural environment. (Herman Daly)

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 5 PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVE IN TIME AND SPACE Meadows et al: Limits to Growth 1972

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 6 THE GLOBAL COMMON A century ago the perception of the world as infinite and abundance lead to some dangerous dogmas: Adam Smith’s invisible hand, called for selfishness. Bentham’s goal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ called for growth.

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 7 CORPORATIONS IN THE GLOBAL COMMONS The threat to old Local Commons came from individual’s selfishness and moral decay. The threat to today’s Global Commons are more severe, since they come from maybe far away Corporations, which have a clear responsibility to their shareholders, normally to maximize profit with no moral considerations (except if it can increase profit ! ).

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 8 THE GLOBAL COMMON A century ago the perception of the world as infinite and abundance lead to some dangerous dogmas: Adam Smith’s invisible hand, called for selfishness. Bentham’s goal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ called for growth.

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 9 THE LIMITS TO GROWTH Published: 1972 Size: 200 pages Sold in 30 million copies..... in 30 languages a turning point !!

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 10 The Limits to Growth Renewed interest in the report, due to both the financial crisis and the climate problems. Rebutting the early critique. The report and its follow up editions are surprisingly right and relevant. A useful basis for discussing the new path necessary for human as well as for nature.

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 11 SATISFACTIO N HAPPINESS, etc. ECO- SACRIFICE LIFE PATTERNS EXPLOITATION OF NATURE TECHNO- ECONOMY MONEY ECONOMY REAL ECONOMY EFFICIENCY REAL ECONOMY

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 12 ACCIDENTS INCREASES GDP !

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 13 A. EINSTEIN: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and, not everything that counts can be counted”

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 14 SATISFACTIO N HAPPINESS, etc. ECO- SACRIFICE LIFE PATTERNS EXPLOITATION OF NATURE TECHNO- ECONOMY MONEY ECONOMY REAL ECONOMY EFFICIENCY REAL ECONOMY EFFICIENCY = SATISFACTION SACRIFICE INTERNALISING THE EXTERNALITIES REQUIRES A MORAL MOBILIZATION EXTERNAL GAINS EXTERNAL COSTS

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 15 HAPPY PLANET INDEX, HPI Life Satisfaction x Life Expectancy HPI = Ecological Footprint = 28.8 for USA # 150 in the world = 41.4 for Denmark # 99 = 61.1 for Bhutan # 13 = 56.0 for China # 31 = 22.8 for Russia # 172 = 16.6 for Zimbabwe # 178

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 16 New York Times WAKING UP? Tom Friedman Op-ed columnist, New York Times March 7, 2009 ….Let’s today step out of the normal boundaries of analysis of our economic crisis and ask a radical question: What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.” ….. And he goes on like this….

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 17 VISION POSSIBLE ! HOW CAN WE ENSURE EVERY HUMAN BEING A DECENT LIFE IN A SUSTAINABLE AND BEAUTIFUL NATURE ? More equity, more leisure, more moral, more … Less work, less consumption, less people … Technology alone can contribute, but can never be the basic solution … The economic system must be adapted to these goals, locally as well as globally.

Sustainability Workshop Syddansk Univ / Tragedy of the Commons, J. S. Nørgård, Technical University of Denmark, 18 THANK YOU ! Steve Bloom