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Protecting Global Commons

 

            Global commons is defined as, according to the LMBSO, areas and resources not under national sovereignty that belong to no single country and are the responsibility of the entire world. The oceans, beyond the two-hundred-mile limit, outer space, and Antarctica are global commons areas. Despite efforts by governments or individuals to establish property rights or other forms of control over most natural resources, the global commons have remained an exception, which is why they are so difficult to protect.
             Global commons are very difficult to protect because they aren't owned by any one country or individual. According to, "The Tragedy of the Commons," the biggest issue we have is people who privately own land go somewhere else, a common area, to get their natural resources they need instead of using their own land. For example if four fisherman each individually own a lake, they will take the bare minimal amount of fish needed to keep them alive and healthy out of their own lake. When they want more fish they will go to the common lake that is opened to the public and fish until their heart is content. The problem with that is eventually the common lake will have no more fish and will become depleted and unusable. The fisherman who own the private lakes will not be as affected, and in their opinion if they don't deplete the lake someone else will. So with no one willing to accept responsibility or planning to stop there are a few options available we could use to protect against the lake becoming depleted. One thing that can be done is to have the government take over the land and sell permits for people to purchase and use. That way the government could use the money it makes and it can replenish the natural resources, like replacing the fish in the example I used earlier. Another option that is pointed out in, "Reader," is the use of international treaties and agreements.


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