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15
Air Quality as a Common Resource
Abstract
Air quality is a renewable common good (or common pool resource) that is both
influenced by humans and in turn influences us. It has become increasingly
important to understand and modify the decisions people make in shaping this
relationship, in order to reduce pollution, mitigate climate change, and avoid
irreparable ecological harm. In particular, there are risks for a renewable common
resource being chronically overused and devolving into a public good or a club
good. Further degradation can lead to collapse and destruction of the commons,
with remaining resources becoming private goods. A systemic approach to
these threats that uses the design principles and polycentric approach of Elinor
Ostrom implicitly includes an understanding of relevant human social behaviors
and decision making processes. These judgment and decision making aspects
can help to draw out how and why the Ostrom approach can work to address
the issue of sustainable common pool resource management. For example, the
domain-specific nature of problem solving expertise supports a focus on local
organizations making, modifying, and enforcing local rules to reflect changes in
social, economic, and technological contexts.
15.1 Introduction
Both Japan and South Korea have been having serious issues with air
pollution, but not because they are producing a lot of pollution themselves. Instead, air currents are pushing clouds of pollution to them from
China (Ryall, 2017). These countries are not alone in facing this type of
cross- national air pollution, with the US Environmental Protection Agency –
among others – beginning to focus on the issue of transboundary air pollution
(Transboundary Air Pollution, 2018). Through no fault of their own, countries
are now dealing with air quality health and safety issues created by other
countries, along with questions such as who should pay for the expenses
associated with those issues.
Air quality is a common resource; we all benefit from and share it with
everyone else. As long as there is plenty of nice, clean air for us to breathe,
135
15
Air Quality as a Common Resource
Abstract
Air quality is a renewable common good (or common pool resource) that is both
influenced by humans and in turn influences us. It has become increasingly
important to understand and modify the decisions people make in shaping this
relationship, in order to reduce pollution, mitigate climate change, and avoid
irreparable ecological harm. In particular, there are risks for a renewable common
resource being chronically overused and devolving into a public good or a club
good. Further degradation can lead to collapse and destruction of the commons,
with remaining resources becoming private goods. A systemic approach to
these threats that uses the design principles and polycentric approach of Elinor
Ostrom implicitly includes an understanding of relevant human social behaviors
and decision making processes. These judgment and decision making aspects
can help to draw out how and why the Ostrom approach can work to address
the issue of sustainable common pool resource management. For example, the
domain-specific nature of problem solving expertise supports a focus on local
organizations making, modifying, and enforcing local rules to reflect changes in
social, economic, and technological contexts.
15.1 Introduction
Both Japan and South Korea have been having serious issues with air
pollution, but not because they are producing a lot of pollution themselves. Instead, air currents are pushing clouds of pollution to them from
China (Ryall, 2017). These countries are not alone in facing this type of
cross- national air pollution, with the US Environmental Protection Agency –
among others – beginning to focus on the issue of transboundary air pollution
(Transboundary Air Pollution, 2018). Through no fault of their own, countries
are now dealing with air quality health and safety issues created by other
countries, along with questions such as who should pay for the expenses
associated with those issues.
Air quality is a common resource; we all benefit from and share it with
everyone else. As long as there is plenty of nice, clean air for us to breathe,