Final answer:
Elinor Ostrom provided a solution to the tragedy of the commons through community self-regulation and collective decision-making, with success in small communities but uncertain applicability at a global scale.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elinor Ostrom, who won the Nobel prize for her work, found a solution to the tragedy of the commons that did not rely on sovereign control or market prices. Ostrom's solution was based on the capability of local communities to self-regulate their resources effectively. She emphasized the importance of collective decision-making and establishing clear rules within the community. Ostrom identified that these principles successfully managed common resources in small, close-knit communities such as the irrigation systems in Japanese villages and the Spanish huerta. However, it is uncertain whether this solution is scalable to address global challenges such as climate change, due to the lack of a global sovereign and the larger scale of the issue.