The article of Garett Hardin is indeed written eloquently.

If we critically analyze the message of his article, it is true that gone are the days where we have the liberty to enjoy common property resources. The ever increasing population have made the resources that the world has to offer scarce. We have to accept the reality that we are living in a finite world and thus we cannot multiply infinitely for in the end the human race will suffer as it is right now, the world has been experiencing the effects of climate change because of its abusive population. The problem of the world today is that we must fall victims first to our own ill-doings, before we realize the destruction we have caused. Recall that during the industrial revolution, the focus of the time was how to maximize production without even putting into consideration the consequences of the harmful emissions by industries to the environment which in effect will yield a long-term destructive state to the what the world can offer to the succeeding generations. In those days, people where fond of using fossil fuels, chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs), Freon 12 and the like without knowing that these caused the depletion of the ozone layer of the earth. Nowadays, these are still prevalent, the only difference is that there had been laws enacted to temper its adverse repercussion. The continuing industrialization and population explosion has likewise spurred the demand for increasing energy wherein power producers likewise obtain it from what the earth has to offer. Good, if these players resort to renewable sources like wind, geothermal, solar, hydro-electric and the emerging ocean energy, because it has practically no harmful emissions at all, however, renewable energy development entails high investment cost compounded by the fact that these resources are scarce. Thus, most of these players opt to develop non-renewable energy sources but this again results to numerous harmful effects to the population and the earth. Generally most of the power producers today uses coal to generate energy because it is cheaper. Coal mining, has a lot of harmful effects to the environment, such as greenhouse effect and the like, in addition to the fact that it is not a finite resource as well. Studies show that the world's supply of coal could only last for about two hundred fifty (250) years. We cannot anymore go back to using another fossil fuel which is oil because it is diminishing at a rate greater that earlier calculations and besides it has far worst emissions to the environment that coal. We recently visited a coal-fired thermal power plant in Visayas, they operate two power plants one is using bunker fuel oil, and the recent one is using coal, upon entering their premises, we noticed right away the black smoke coming from the chimney of the older plant, and yet they claim to be compliant with our environmental laws. These are just examples of the addressing the demands of the population which correspondingly depletes our natural resources. While we grow in number the earth and its resources does not become bigger. I share the same admiration in the idea espoused by Hegel that "Freedom is the recognition of the necessity". When the people will understand that there is a problem then we begin to be freed from the vicious cycle of worsening deficiency. This will then pave the way for recognizing the necessity to institute mutual coercion that we all will fully comprehend the reason why we have to be part of it and from there on mutually agree upon a common solution.

MARLI P. ACOSTA-DE FIESTA

ENRM 221 Activity 1

Page 1 of 2 Pages

I also agree that we cannot anymore rely on self-restraint and leave the fate of our children's children to mere advocacy. A solid step by an iron hand is necessary to finally facilitate the recovery of our mother nature. We cannot leave procreation in its current state specially here in our country that it is absolutely unrestrained. This has put our country in the dire condition that we are in right now. This country has been among the poorest of poor in complete contradiction to our status in the nineteen sixties. Majority of our countrymen is below the poverty threshold. Our resources is barely enough for all of us to live decently. It's high time that we recognize the necessity of abandoning the freedom to breed as Garett puts it. We cannot go anywhere if we persist to be tied by pious reasons, and continue to overrule logic by fear of the unknown. Otherwise we will continue to be imprisoned in the bondage of poverty and before we know it, we will be in the abyss of impoverishment that will require a miracle to resurface again. In sum, there is a need to curtail human activities in order to be in pace with the ability of nature to recharge itself. While our population increases the lesser common property resources is available to us, making our freedom of dominion over our own property subjected to a lot of restrictions. But there is freedom in knowing the extent of what we can do, because in recognizing our limitation, we can now freely act in the space designed for us. We must accept this fact otherwise we will end up with nothing at all.

MARLI P. ACOSTA-DE FIESTA

ENRM 221 Activity 1

Page 2 of 2 Pages