Understanding the global commons

This paper seeks to refute the pessimistic conclusions of "tragedy of the commons" in regard to global "common properties" such as the atmosphere, the oceans, and the Antarctic continent by presenting possible international resource management regimes which would operate to leverage the competing interests of countries in order to achieve rational use and protection of these resources. The paper focuses specifically on the protection of tropical rainforests, which are primary processors of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas. According to the paper, the wealthy nations of the North have an interest in preserving tropical rainforests, as they mitigate the effects of the global air pollution for which the wealthy nations are primarily responsible. However, the poorer nations, where the rainforests are mainly located, are under intense domestic pressure to make use of the rainforests, whether as a source of much-needed foreign exchange or as a "safety valve" for poor, landless citizens who might otherwise present a threat to political stability. Following a discussion of property regimes in the international context, the paper presents a scenario whereby the wealthy nations would essentially pay the poorer nations to preserve rainforest and/or help them to adopt environmentally appropriate technologies; the recipient nations would then use the funds to advance their own economic development and provide alternative economic opportunities for their citizens. Includes references.