Transcript of The 4 Laws of Ecology

And The Tragedy of the Commons

The 4 Laws of Ecology
The 4 Laws of Ecology
Developed by Barry Commoner
Used to describe the flaws people forget about the world we live in
1. Everything is connected to everything else.
Humans and other species are interconnected.
Things that are connected are dependent on each other.
Everything we do impacts our environment and the other living things.
2. Everything must go somewhere.
There is no
AWAY
!
Matter can not be created or destroyed.
When you burn wood, it does not disappear, it turns into smoke and ash.
3. Nature knows best.
Hurricanes and floods play an important role in the environment.
Swamps and wetlands help cleanse water and regulate flooding.
Natural fires burn grasses and trees so that nutrients are put back into the ground and
new growth can occur.
4. There is no such thing as a free lunch
Everything we eat, wear, drive, view, etc. has an environmental cost as well as a
monetary value.
What is a Commons?
The Tragedy of the Commons
The "Commons," refers to common-property resources.
These refer to land or resources that are owned by none,
But are available for all to use. Most are renewable.
One cause of environmental degradation is the overuse of these "Commons."
ex) Clean air, fish in the open ocean, migratory birds, and Antarctica.
In 1968, biologist Garrett Hardin coined the term "The Tragedy of the Commons."
The term is used to describe the idea that, "If I don't use this resource, someone else
will. The little bit i use or pollute is not enough to matter."
With few users, this logic works, but the cumulative effect of many people trying to
exploit a common-property resource is eventual exhaustion or destruction of that
resource.