06-16-2011, 09:54 PM
Hi,
I think what he's looking at is the tragedy of the commons. Unrestrained fishing destroys the fish populations. Unrestrained timber harvesting destroys the forests. Unrestrained slash and burn farming destroys the land. Etc.
There are two things being overlooked: First is that those same practices can (and have) occurred under every economic system to date. Second is that those practices have been harshest where the resource is either "unowned" (e.g., fishing areas in international waters) or owned by the government.
The private ownership of fish farms changes the attitude from "how many can I catch today" to "how can I maximize the long term viability". The private ownership of tree farms leads to the consideration of the costs, other than monetary, of clear cutting. The private ownership of farms leads to the consideration of long term sustainability.
Indeed, the history of commonly held resources compared to privately owned resources indicates that, most often, private ownership leads to better stewardship.
If no one owns something, then everyone wants a piece of it for short term gain and nobody can be bothered to preserve it for the long run. However, if someone does own it, then intelligent self interest will lead to consideration of both short and long term gain.
--Pete
(06-16-2011, 07:20 PM)kandrathe Wrote: How are the costs for land, oil, water not built into the price?
I think what he's looking at is the tragedy of the commons. Unrestrained fishing destroys the fish populations. Unrestrained timber harvesting destroys the forests. Unrestrained slash and burn farming destroys the land. Etc.
There are two things being overlooked: First is that those same practices can (and have) occurred under every economic system to date. Second is that those practices have been harshest where the resource is either "unowned" (e.g., fishing areas in international waters) or owned by the government.
The private ownership of fish farms changes the attitude from "how many can I catch today" to "how can I maximize the long term viability". The private ownership of tree farms leads to the consideration of the costs, other than monetary, of clear cutting. The private ownership of farms leads to the consideration of long term sustainability.
Indeed, the history of commonly held resources compared to privately owned resources indicates that, most often, private ownership leads to better stewardship.
If no one owns something, then everyone wants a piece of it for short term gain and nobody can be bothered to preserve it for the long run. However, if someone does own it, then intelligent self interest will lead to consideration of both short and long term gain.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?