The Global Commons Today Issues and Challenges

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Loraine Brooks
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1 The Global Commons Today Isses and Challenges T. JAYARAMAN, (SCHOOL OF HABITAT STUDIES, TATA INST OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MUMBAI) KEYNOTE ADDRESS, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE GLOBAL COMMONS, PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY, NOVEMBER 20, 2018.

2 Otline Some Relevant Theoretical Isses Commons Global commons For key examples Atmospheric Nclear Explosions Law of the Sea Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol Global warming and the Global Carbon Bdget A Reprise of Theory

3 The Rise of the Commons Politics and the Environmental Trn circa 1950s? Decline of class Rise of identity and environmental movements Gradal separation and later oppositional qality to class verss identity/environment movements Frther differentiation of environmental movements Environment first Conservationist trend (with some scientific management) Environmental politics (Different strands tend to make common case fngibile discorse)

4 Rise of the Commons (contd) Shift from class as the basis to the commnity Decline of focs on internal hierarchy Contradiction shifts to the external vs the commnity Right vs Left versions Ignoring the role of capital vs Ptting capital into the pictre However many other common featres remain

5 Two Related Myths First Myth -- The romantic virte of the small The absolte virtes of decentralization The irrelevance of scale. Second Myth Skepticism of Technology or Techno-optimism (technology makes the small, sstainable) Not eqally shared by all streams bt both myths are continally part of the general discorse in varios ways. Crrent fascination with primitive accmlation is a good example Paralleled by decentralized energy leading to energy democracy. Neo-Gandhianism meets sstainable livelihoods Related to commons thro the idea of commnity.

6 The Global Commons Two different inflences One the realist view of international relations Power Absence/Contingent character of Co-operation Second The fight for national liberation and the anti-colonial strggle. Appear simltaneosly Constantly confront each other in the global arena Environmentalist movements caght between the logic of the commons nderstood in the local sense verss the global Mch confsion on sstainability/climate adaptation and so on.

7 Eqity and the Commons The myth Governance of the commons is necessarily eqitable Eqitable for some Not for others. Nor is the commnity in India rooted in any eqitable arrangement Definitely not tre in India Example of water, caste discrimination Global commons Eqity an isse pfront New confsions global eqity vs international eqity

8 For Case Stdies Atmospheric Nclear Explosions Atmosphere not explicitly recognized as a global commons Bt the significance of how the degradation of the atmosphere affects all sharply realized. Bt US-Soviet Partial Test Ban Treaty (1958) did not halt sch testing Other nclear contries (except UK) contined atmospheric testing for mch longer.

9 Law of the Sea Traditionally Based on notions of Maritime Power, free passage, etc. Open access/laizes Faire bt really power (Bellm omnim contra omnes) Sea-bed resorces the new ingredient (Common Heritage of Mankind) Environmental Polltion the third element Presages all the difficlties that we know in climate for different reasons.

10 Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol Remarkably sccessfl Fll co-operation Limited scope of the actions involved Relatively lower costs

11 So what is it? Change in Climatic System Increase in global temperatres

12 So what is it? Warming Greenhose Effect Greenhose Gases

13 GHGs Main Clprit CO 2 CH 4, N 2 O to a lesser degree

14 How mch CO 2? Varies with temperatre target Limit Paris Agreement 1.5 and 2 deg. C

15 How mch CO 2?

16 How mch CO 2?

17 How mch CO 2?

18 How mch CO 2?

19 1.5 Impossible 2 Difficlt Why?

20 CO 2 from where?

21 CO 2 from where? 2100 Poplation % 1870 USA and EU (41%) 1.5 2

22 CO 2 from where? 2100 Poplation % 11% Other Rich Contries (17%) 1870 USA and EU (41%) 1.5 2

23 CO 2 from where? 2100 Poplation % 6% China (15%) Other Rich Contries (17%) 11% 1870 USA and EU (41%) 1.5 2

24 CO 2 from where? Rest of the World (27%) China (15%) Other Rich Contries (17%) Poplation 64% 19% 6% 11% 1870 USA and EU (41%) 1.5 2

25 CO 2 from where? 2100 What is Left for the ftre Poplation 64% 2017 Rest of the World (27%) China (15%) Other Rich Contries (17%) 19% 6% 11% 1870 USA and EU (41%) 1.5 2

26 A Reprise of Theory Bt is the theory of the commons adeqate? Other problematic categories sch as pblic goods What abot capitalism? The contradiction of socialized prodction verss private appropriation/accmlation -- As long as this persists can we legitimately preserve the commons?

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