The economists are showing that common pool resources affect everyone and not just one individual as many people may perceive it, as it is revealed in the video stating,"Good for me, good for you, bad for us". Some of the problems that may be caused by these sources include: nonrenewable resources, population growth, overgrazing, overfishing and deforestation . These problems do not affect people individually in daily life, but people significantly contribute to the growth of the problems without realizing it. The paper will evaluate and examine the statement "Good for me, good for you, bad for us" regarding common pool resources.
From the video, one can see that it is a good thing to have herds of sheep but in the long run the significant number of sheep affects the land. It means that to create more space for the herds, one has to clear the forests leading to deforestation. Therefore, deforestation and a large number of sheep may result in overgrazing of the land. Another view is looking at nonrenewable resources, which are mostly used by vehicles, and in the process they cause air pollution of an unimaginable magnitude . Eventually, these resources will be unavailable because they will diminish, if they continue to be used at the high rate. Therefore, when the economists sing, "Good for me, good for you, bad for us" they are trying to show how shared resources are only beneficial for now. It means the marginal cost will not be same as a marginal benefit, so the received profits from the resources will be dropping.
Common pool resources are only beneficial at the moment and not in the long run period. According to the video, some of the resources: the atmosphere, pasture, and fisheries. The problems arise from each resource . Starting with pastures, in the recent time, they are commonly used in the United States. The problem with pasture is that it can only be used for grazing up to a certain amount per year beyond which the core resource is harmed. It is clear that overgrazing is harmful to the land because the land is left bare, the soil particles can be quickly eroded. From the video, one can see that society is trying to reduce the pasture problems by regulating the number of sheep in a given piece of land as well as finding alternative fields to feed the sheep herds.
Moving on to fisheries, the main problem of fisheries as shown in the video is overfishing. Fisheries are at a risk of being over-exploited due to the high demand for fish and fishing products. One can see that even the immature fish are being fished out. This can lead to the extinction of some kinds of fish. Society has taken a few steps to combat overfishing (Singh, 1994). First, society is finding alternative food to fish. The awareness of the importance of protecting the fisheries is being propelled. Moreover, the rules and regulations as well as law enforcers are established on the fisheries like oceans.
Finally, looking at the atmosphere, the main problem is air pollution. One can see there is overdependence on the use of cars and machinery. The cars burn fuels which emit a lot of pollutant gases into the atmosphere. Another cause of air pollution is the use of pesticides . It is evident that society is trying to reduce this problem by opting to walk or using alternative means of transport where use of a car is unnecessary. The idea of planting more trees to reduce the air pollution is encouraged. Holding conferences and new curricula are introduced into schools, education facilities and within organization to teach society about solutions to these problems.
In conclusion, the economists are trying to show that as much as humanity may enjoy the benefits of the common pool resources now, in the long run it has damaging impact. However, with the time, efficiency in using common resources will be maximized.
About author
Linda works as an editor at https://essaysservice.com/tips-for-writing-annotated-bibliographies.html. She has always enjoyed working with a variety of literature and being interested in new facts. In addition, she easily finds common ground with many people. She also received her master's degree from American University Washington