Socialism and the Tragedy of the Commons: Reflections on Environmental Practice in the Soviet Union and Russia

Abstract

Socialism can be looked upon as a fourth potential strategy for avoiding Garrett Hardin's "tragedy of the commons." The other three are social pressure, regulations, and division of the resource into private sections. In theory, having a common resource used exclusively by a community, rather than by private parties, eliminates the personal profit motive, thereby opening up possibilities for more rational resource management. Exposés on the severe environmental degradation in the former Soviet Union have caused many to conclude that socialism is basically a flawed system in regard to environmental management. We question here whether this is an appropriate conclusion to drawfrom the Soviet experience. The paperfirst reviews some of the writings of Marx and Engels on the relationship between man and the environment and how their dictates were implemented and distorted in the Soviet State by Lenin, Stalin, and later leaders. An assessment of the condition of the environment in the former Soviet Union is offered, with comparisons being drawn to the United States,followed by a look at how the environmentfared even worse as political and market reforms were introduced in thefirst years of the new Russian Federation. The conclusion is drawn that the former Soviet Union does not offer a true test of the potential of socialist systems for environmental stewardship, but that these systems can be diverted toward other ends which take a heavy toll on the environment.