global commons

Question 1

what is a global common?

Answer 1

parts of earth that are not owned or managed by a single country
—> they are shared resources that belong to everyone (cooperative approach to be managed)

Question 2

what are the 4 global commons identified by International law?

Answer 2

• Outer space
• atmosphere
• the deep oceans (high seas)
• antarctica

—> localities belong to all humanity
—> resources are available for everyone’s use and benefit
BUT we must take into consideration future generations (need to be managed sustainably)

Question 3

what is the tragedy of the commons?

Answer 3

• conflict for resources between individual interest (short term) and the common good (long term)

—> individual may benefit from exploration of a resource but negative effects of this are spread to everyone
e.g. overfishing = fish stocks fall, pollution= climate change, space debris= conflict, loss of crypto here = environmental damage and known on effects to atmosphere, high seas

Question 4

conventions and treaties (how global common is managed)- high seas

Answer 4

• 1982 United Nations Convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS)
  —> sets out territorial claimed
• IMO= oversees shipping
• fishing quotas

value and importance - economically interact for transport, trade (containerisation) and fishing

degree of success
- size of sea= difficult to manage overfishing etc
- impacts of global warming e.g. coral bleaching, endangered species

Question 5

conventions and treaties (how global common is managed)- atmosphere

Answer 5

• United nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCC)
• Paris Agreement 2015- limits GHG emissions

value and importance- basis of human life - would not survive with it —> regulated global temperatures and protect from solar radiation
- aviation industry - economically valuable and links to flows of globalisation

degree of success- ozone threat reduce but human issues = increasing

Question 6

conventions and treaties (how global common is managed)- Antarctica

Answer 6

• The Antarctica Treaty System (ATS)

value and importance- hone to many animals and ice caps
- stores 61% if earths freshwater in ice caps
- if all melted= sea level rise 50m and military intervention

Question 7

conventions and treaties (how global common is managed)- outer space

Answer 7

• outer space treaty- banned nuclear weapons
• moon agreement = unsuccessful
  value and importance- satellites= vital for communications , flows of info
• international space station= increase research into some science

degree of success - limited success in growing problem of space junk
- no nuclear weapons plane in earth orbit (since 1967)

Question 8

deep sea mineral extraction stakeholders?

Answer 8

• mining companies (wanting profit)
• govts- licenses for deep sea exploration
• environmentalists- Greenpeace + WWF —> oppose industry —> dangers to ecosystem
• electric car companies e.g. BMW—> rely on rare metals for batteries
• local communities= conference International mining companies attend

Question 9

deep sea mineral extraction- issue

Answer 9

• Green tech and electric cars need rare earth metals for alloys and magnets etc
  BUT
  deep sea mining = damage ecosystems , environment etc

Question 10

deep sea mineral extraction links

Answer 10

• growing demand for transport and energy in NEEs and HICs (globalisation)
• trade offs economic development and environment
• pacific island nations= benefit from cooperate tax paid by mining TNCs

AO2 eval- demand for rare earth metals would drop if we waste less and reuse more