An economic case for protecting the planet | Naoko Ishii

Summary

The speaker from Japan narrates the story of how communities historically managed local commons through social contracts to prevent overuse and depletion. This contrasts with today's global commons, such as air and water, which are under threat due to a lack of such contracts. The speaker, an economist, emphasizes the need to integrate stewardship of global commons into our economic systems, citing the example of the food system's impact on the environment. The talk concludes with a call to action for collective responsibility to preserve these shared resources for future generations.

Takeaways

• 🐟 The story of Japanese fishing villages illustrates the importance of social contracts to prevent overfishing and protect shared resources.
• 🌐 The concept of 'commons' extends globally to include air, water, forests, and biodiversity, which are under threat due to human activity.
• 🚫 Modern economies have disconnected from the local and the commons, leading to environmental damage and a lack of stewardship for shared resources.
• 🔢 Nine planetary boundaries have been identified by scientists to mark the safe operating space for humanity; four of these have already been crossed.
• 🌿 The speaker, an economist, acknowledges the absence of global commons in economic decision-making and calls for their integration.
• 🌍 It's crucial to recognize and manage the global commons, similar to how local commons were managed in the past, to prevent their loss.
• 🏙️ Cities, energy systems, production-consumption patterns, and food systems are four key areas that need transformation to protect the global commons.
• 🛑 The current food system contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.
• 🌱 There is a growing coalition of stakeholders working to transform the food system to reduce its environmental impact and ensure sustainable food production.
• 🌳 The example of palm oil production in Sumatra shows the need for collective action among farmers, companies, and governments to protect tropical forests.
• 🌐 GEF's new strategy places the global commons at its core, emphasizing the need for collective stewardship and action to safeguard our shared environment.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the story about Japanese fishing villages?

The central theme is the development of a social contract among fishermen to prevent overfishing and preserve the shared resource of fish for the community's long-term benefit.

How did communities around the world manage their shared resources historically?

Communities historically managed shared resources by developing rules and practices, changing their behavior to ensure the sustainability of resources like pastures, forests, water, and wildlife.

What is the 'tragedy of the commons'?

The 'tragedy of the commons' refers to a situation where individuals, acting independently according to their own self-interest, deplete a shared resource, leading to scarcity and potential collapse of the resource.

How has the shift from local economies to global economies affected our connection to the commons?

The shift to global economies has led to a loss of connection to local commons, as economic objectives and systems expanded beyond local areas without incorporating the concept of taking care of shared resources like oceans and forests.

What are the nine planetary boundaries proposed by scientists?

The nine planetary boundaries are thresholds vital to human survival, defining the limits of ecosystem resilience and Earth's capacity to provide services that support human development without causing irreversible environmental change.

What is the current status of the nine planetary boundaries according to the script?

As of the script's context, four of the nine planetary boundaries have already been crossed, indicating that we are nearing or exceeding the Earth's capacity to maintain stable environmental conditions.

Why was the concept of global commons not a significant part of economic decisions for the speaker?

The speaker, an economist, suggests that the concept of global commons was not a part of economic decisions because it was not integrated into major financial discussions like state budgets or investment plans, reflecting a broader societal oversight.

What is the speaker's personal realization about the role of humans in determining Earth's future living conditions?

The speaker realized that humans have become a dominant force shaping Earth's future living conditions and that we are running out of time to act, implying an urgent need for stewardship of the global commons.

What are the four key economic systems identified in the script that need to change?

The four key economic systems that need to change are cities, energy systems, production-consumption systems, and food systems, all of which exert significant pressure on the global commons.

How is the food system contributing to environmental issues according to the script?

The food system contributes to environmental issues by being responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, being a major user of global water resources, causing deforestation and species extinction, and wasting one third of the food produced.

What is the role of coalitions of stakeholders in transforming the food system?

Coalitions of stakeholders are coming together with a shared goal to transform the food system, aiming to produce enough healthy food for everyone while reducing its environmental footprint, thus creating a new social contract for managing the global commons.

What is the new strategy of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as mentioned in the script?

The new strategy of the GEF puts the global commons at its center, emphasizing the need for collective action and stewardship to preserve the environment and avoid the tragedy of the commons.