Explain why global warming is a problem characterized by collective action:

What will be an ideal response?

Ans: Collective action problems involve international actors working together in a way that the benefits of their cooperation are not exclusively enjoyed by the cooperative nations. Simultaneously, the cooperative actors only pay the costs of cooperation. Global warming involves the premise that green house gas emissions are increasing and they are causing the worlds temperatures to increase putting human life at risk. The top emitters are not the same list of nations as the top nations at risk. Also, the nations that can best afford to reduce their emissions could have their reductions offset by other nations that cannot afford to or refuse to reduce emissions. Hence, the wealthiest nations COULD reduce their emissions at great cost but there is no way to exclude nations that refuse or cannot afford to reduce their emissions from the benefits of clean air. The costs, of course, remain with the wealthy nations that changed their behavior.