Global commons
The term Global Commons refers to the earth's unowned natural resources, such as the oceans, the atmosphere, and space.[1] The definition does not specifically state define whether the absence of ownership is traditional or deliberate. Resources such as the Northern and Southern polar regions may be subject to disputes by some states. These resources are central to life.[2]
In old English law, the common (or commons) was a tract of ground shared by residents of a village, but belonging to none. Whether used as grazing grounds or the village square, but it was held in common for the good of all.
According to the World Conservation Strategy, a report on conservation published in 1980 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in collaboration with UNESCO and with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
"A commons is a tract of land or water owned or used jointly by the members of a community. The global commons includes those parts of the Earth's surface beyond national jurisdictions - notably the open ocean and the living resources found there - or held in common - notably the atmosphere. The only landmass that may be regarded as part of the global commons is Antarctica ...".[3]
One issue that specifically affects the global commons is global warming/climate change.
“At the same time,” Mr. Stern added[4], “climate is a classic global commons problem, where each country needs confidence that others are acting, so international cooperation is important, and this then takes you to the core international issue: you can’t rationally address this problem at the international level unless you get all the major economies, developed and developing, acting in a common system.”
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[edit] Commons outside the natural realm
The Internet and the resulting cyberspace may be considered a global commons. Others include unowned information of all kinds, including arts and culture, language and science.
[edit] Tragedy of the commons
Like all commons, the global commons is subject to the tragedy of the commons in which common resources are overexploited because no person or institution has the motivation and/or responsibility to allocate them in a sustainable way. The classic example is the town grazing grounds, which have no mechanism for deciding who can bring their cows, how many they can bring or how short they can graze the grass.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Coalition for the Global Commons A network of concerned world citizens who want to create awareness for the Global Commons
- Share the World's Resources Sustainable Economics to End Global Poverty - the Global Commons in Economic Practice.
[edit] References
- ^ Oxford Dictionaries accessed 02 November 2011
- ^ Principles of International Environment Law, Phllippe Sands, Cambridge University Press, Second Edition
- ^ World Conservation Strategy Chapter 18, The global commons Accessed 22 May 2009
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/science/earth/nations-meet-to-address-problems-of-climate-change.html
- ^ "The Tragedy of the Commons". Science 162 (3859): 1243–1248. 1968. doi:10.1126/science.162.3859.1243. PMID 5699198. Also available here [1] and here.
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