Tragedy of the Commons
What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
What is the depletion of shared resources when individuals act according to their own self-interest rather than considering the long-term good of the group.
What is clearcutting?
What is the removal of all trees in a given area, often used in timber harvesting.
What is food production?
What is the transition from subsistence farming to industrialized agriculture to feed growing populations.
What is tilling?
What is breaking up soil structure, releasing stored carbon and increasing erosion.
What is drip irrigation?
What is high water-use efficiency, minimal evaporation, but expensive to install.
What is resource depletion?
What is the idea that without considering the long term effects of over collecting or use, the resources will not replenish fast enough to sustain our consumption.
What is soil erosion?
What is without tree roots, soil becomes unstable and is easily washed away by rain.
What are GMOs?
What is genetically modified crops increase yields and pest resistance but raise concerns about biodiversity and ethics.
What is slash and burn agriculture?
What is deforestation method that emits greenhouse gases and reduces soil fertility.
What if flood irrigation?
What is simple and inexpensive but wastes water and causes waterlogging.
What are potential solutions?
What is government regulations, privatization of resources, community based resource management, and education on sustainability and resource conservation.
What is carbon storage?
What is forests act as carbon sinks, while clearcutting releases stored carbon which contributes to climate change.
What is an inorganic fertilizers?
What is a boost nutrient levels but cause soil degradation and water pollution.
What is fertilizer runoff?
What is leads to nutrient pollution of waterways from the use of fertilizers.
What is furrow irrigation?
What is cheap but prone to evaporation and uneven distribution.
What is prescribed burns?
What is used to reduce underbrush and improve forest health while preventing uncontrolled wildfires.
What are pesticides and irrigation?
What is control pests but lead to resistance and harm non-target organisms. What is an expanded arable land but caused salinization, waterlogging, and aquifer depletion.
What is eutrophication?
What is excess nutrients cause algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and aquatic dead zones.
What is spray irrigation?
What is even coverage but has high evaporation and energy demands.
What is selective cutting?
What is a sustainable alternative that minimizes environmental damage by selectively harvesting trees.
What is fossil fuel use?
What is mechanization increased reliance on fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.