The Concept of the Commons

• Cities, Industries and Farmers can dump into the Lakes because it minimizes their costs

• They receive the benefit

• Dilution and water movement mean that the problems are shared by all, not just the offender

External Diseconomies

• The market overlooks what can be termed external diseconomies

• The full social costs are not taken into consideration by the industry because they are paid for by society at large

• Normally elsewhere in the economy

• Polluting industries do not pay for the complete costs of water filtration plants, - taxpayers do

• The firms contribute but not to the true extent of their contribution to the problem

• The costs of cleaning up wastes involved in discharge versus what the firm pays in taxes that contribute to purification costs – very little comparison

• Familiar example• Purchase a shirt

– plastic wrap– paper supports with pins– plastic under the collar– in a box, in a store bag

• does the cost to the manufacturer include– cost of removing the waste to your house– the cost of burying it or converting it to ash and

CO2– The cost of removing the ash so it does not

wind up on the shirt after washing

• The purchase of a new car does not reflect the costs of air pollution (disease amongst the effects), noise pollution and premature deaths

• The advantage is the use of the Common’s - the air system

• Air pollution is having an adverse effect on our lungs and health — and emissions from automobiles are a big part of the problem. More than three million Canadians suffer from serious lung diseases. In less than 20 years, respiratory disease in Canada has increased 400%.

• Automobile emissions also play a role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, influenza, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). It can also be a factor in heart disease, allergies, and eye and throat irritation.

• Respiratory diseases account for well over $12 billion a year in health-care costs in Canada. Additional costs associated with disability and death run well over $8 billion. And countless days of work are lost.

• Camping in a park does not cost the camper the bill for the clean up, repair or maintenance of the site

• Individuals therefore overuse the site– use of wood falls for kindling– strip bark from trees– cut living trees– drive nails in trees for clotheslines– move fire locations for convenience

• burns through humus and disrupts more area

– less concern for garbage

• A set rental fee encourages maximum use and therefore damage

IF I DON’T USE IT SOMEONE ELSE WILL

• The modern concept of the commons is more wide ranging than pasturing cattle

• It could include the parts of the global ecosystem that cannot be owned– air, water, fish

• Or it could refer to a good or service that anyone can use, within certain restrictions– beach that is used by many

• Types of land ownership

• open access - normally subject to forms of regulation and control by government

• state property• private property• communal property

• though mixtures of the types are very common

• The modern notion of the commons includes many issues associated with environmental management

– Rights of individuals to free access– Responsibility to others– Understanding of the consequences of one’s

actions on the surrounding ecosystems – Understanding of the consequences of one’s

actions on the enjoyment of others– Understanding of cumulative consequences

when there are many small and large stresses

– And finally

• How society regulates individuals use

– the freedom of access is not unfairly restricted

– the commons under the use remains viable and sustainable

• Example

• car exhaust, listening to music in an open space, canoeing in a wilderness area

• restrictions - bylaws to limit access to areas in parks or public noise restrictions (time and/or volume)

• restrictions - Clean Air acts to regulate exhaust emissions or licences to limit use (taxis, or the restrictions associated with the 200 mile fishing limit)

• Additional problem of privatizing the commons

• purchasing rights to normally common property in order to keep others out or to enjoy the use of open access land

• land-locked lakes surrounded by privately owned cottages

• forestry areas located on Crown land - resource development (Government can treat this land as open, limited access, or closed)

• The Government often considers wildlife as open access - it regulates the ‘harvest’ for the common good of the state and all its members

• Long-term leases given to mining, energy development and forestry companies allow for restricted or regulated use of this land for individual gain depending on perception of the resources availability and bounty)

• Conflicts escalate when more and more people want to use LIMITED RESOURCES for a GREATER NUMBER OF PURPOSES

• Traditional decision making processes are challenged - protests, appeals, or rights ignored

• Can governments adequately mediate between all interest groups?

• Who really is a stakeholder in the battle for resources?

• Environmental groups argue that local communities only care about their IMMEDIATE ECONOMIC INTERESTS and not about the overall good of society.

• Example would be South Moresby Island. The local community of Sandspit had an economy heavily dependent upon logging

• The stand was old growth and environmental groups argued for preservation of this unique resource.

• Sandspit argued for survival. The establishment of a National Park would spell ruin for the local economy

• Sandspit lost - the park was established after negotiations with the governments of BC and Canada

• In contrast in 1996 The Temagami Region in Ontario was going through the same process

• Environmental groups, based outside of the region and having an urban based support argued for the preservation of the area for future generations - THE GREATER GOOD

• The local community had a very high unemployment rate

• Local Communities argue

• They have the best knowledge of the region - an understanding based on familiarity. Outsiders have theoretical knowledge only and tend to humanize the environment

• It is in their interest to protect the environment - they have to live in it

• The Ontario Government authorized the cutting of Timber in the region

• The decision was based on the needs of the local community

• Protests, arrests, ecoterrorism results

• Globe and Mail - Saturday Oct 31, 1998

• Historical resource use patterns

• Common property resources are used by individuals with little regard for the INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE RESOURCE or the NEEDS OF OTHERS

• This occurs because they are common property resources

• Consequences

RESOURCE DEGREDATION AND POLLUTION

• Therefore there has to be forms of coercion within the system

• Regard for the sustainability of the resource