Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations
- The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Revisiting the Origins and Evolution of Commons Thought
- Part II Averting New Tragedies
- 4 Averting Tragedy of the Resource Directory Anti-Commons
- 5 Time and Tragedy
- 6 Transforming Climate Dilemmas from Tragedy to Cooperation
- Part III New Forms of Contested Commons
- Part IV Urban Landscape and Infrastructure as a Commons
- Part V Reassessing Old and New Institutions for Collective Action
- Part VI Managing and Restoring the Commons
- Part VII Law, Legal Theory, and the Commons
- Part VIII Technology, the Internet, and the Future of Commons Governance
- Index
6 - Transforming Climate Dilemmas from Tragedy to Cooperation
from Part II - Averting New Tragedies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 October 2021
- The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations
- The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Revisiting the Origins and Evolution of Commons Thought
- Part II Averting New Tragedies
- 4 Averting Tragedy of the Resource Directory Anti-Commons
- 5 Time and Tragedy
- 6 Transforming Climate Dilemmas from Tragedy to Cooperation
- Part III New Forms of Contested Commons
- Part IV Urban Landscape and Infrastructure as a Commons
- Part V Reassessing Old and New Institutions for Collective Action
- Part VI Managing and Restoring the Commons
- Part VII Law, Legal Theory, and the Commons
- Part VIII Technology, the Internet, and the Future of Commons Governance
- Index
Summary
Climate change has often been analyzed as a tragedy of the commons, a social dilemma where cooperation could make everyone better off but incentives induce individuals, businesses, and nations to keep on emitting greenhouse gasses. However, the simple game theory model of tragedy of the commons, Prisoner’s Dilemma, is just one of many possible models for climate conflict and cooperation. The topology of payoff swaps in 2 x 2 games shows relationships between games, including their potential transformations. Changes in the ranking of outcomes can transform Prisoner’s Dilemma into a Stag Hunt with the potential for win-win cooperation or Chicken with a shared fear of catastrophe, and then create convergent incentives that yield the best for both in Concord. Models of climate negotiations about whether to abate or pollute can be compactly displayed in a table based on how payoffs from symmetric games combine to form asymmetric games. Maps for transforming climate dilemmas reveal symmetric and asymmetric pathways to climate cooperation through fear of catastrophe, or assuring cooperation that is best for both, or adjusting incentives even if a polluter always want to avoid abating while the other pollutes. Maps for transforming climate games show the diversity of climate dilemmas and potential pathways to cooperation.
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- The Cambridge Handbook of Commons Research Innovations , pp. 66 - 76Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021