We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Wicked Ideas for Wicked Problems: Marine Debris and the Complexity of Governance
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper examines the governance challenges of marine debris, framing plastic pollution in the ocean as a 'wicked problem' that resists simple solutions. Researchers argue that the complexity of international governance over common ocean spaces makes coordinated action on marine plastic especially difficult.
Myriad challenges regarding earth's common spaces, those unregulated by sovereign state authorities, mount and intensify as resources diminish and competition for commercial, scientific and security advantages increases; the pollution and degradation of those spaces simultaneously expands. Threats to the global commons complicate efforts to achieve international consensus which impedes attempts to develop effective governance. As an example, marine debris is a growing problem and is an existential threat to the global commons. This dissertation aims to characterize marine debris as a wicked problem and explores the complexity of governance in the global ocean commons by answering two fundamental questions. Under what condition(s) does regulating debris in the marine commons pose unique governance challenges? Is the wicked problem of marine debris unsolvable? An interdisciplinary, mixed methodology approach is used, to include the development of a novel System Dynamics model, to explore the reinforcing cycles of exponential growth of marine debris. The design and analysis demonstrate multiple variables as components of a larger system and explore their dynamic interaction.
More Papers Like This
Governance solutions to the 'tragedy' of marine plastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper analyzed the governance challenges of marine plastic pollution, framing it as a collective action problem similar to a tragedy of the commons and reviewing international governance frameworks for addressing it. The authors argue that current mechanisms are insufficient and propose strengthened global governance solutions.
Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper frames plastic pollution of the world's seas and oceans as a defining contemporary challenge in ocean stewardship, reviewing the scale of the problem and arguing for urgent policy and management responses.
Marine plastic pollution governance: the role and challenges of international law
AI summary Read the abstract
A review of international legal frameworks for marine plastic pollution finds current governance fragmented and inadequate, calling for a lifecycle-based international legal regime to address the full chain of plastic production, use, and disposal. Strengthening international law is essential for systemic microplastic reduction, as ocean connectivity means that plastic—and the microplastics it becomes—cannot be managed effectively by individual nations alone.
Governance Solutions to the Tragedy of the Commons That Marine Plastics Have Become
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper examines marine plastic pollution as a "tragedy of the commons" and evaluates existing and proposed governance frameworks for addressing this shared environmental challenge. It argues that effective solutions will require international coordination, extended producer responsibility, and complementary regulatory and market-based instruments.
Solutions to Plastic Pollution: A Conceptual Framework to Tackle a Wicked Problem
AI summary Read the abstract
This review proposed a conceptual framework for organizing the diverse technological, governance, and societal solutions to global plastic pollution, mapping the value-laden issues that drive different actors' preferences for particular approaches.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.