From: Kharin (kharin@kharin.com)
Date: Sat Oct 18 2003 - 08:58:25 MDT
Hmmm. The idea of the tragedy of the commons has been much debated and many problems identified with it (not least of which is the illiberal nature of some of Hardin's prescriptions, something Hayek had already discussed in another context: http://jim.com/hayek.htm). For example, Bjorn Lomborg argued that in many cases natural resources can be reasonably be described as being infinite, in which case the issue of a tragedy of the commons simply does not arise (though I think that idea is perhaps worthy of being more sceptical about).
The most well known example of these critiques is Elinor Ostrom in her book Governing the Commons:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521405998/qid=1066488732/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/202-7285614-7840636
http://picopeer.net/dox/ostrom.pdf
Ostrom argued that problems of the kind Hardin described can be solved by alternative means than privatization or centralization, such as “polycentric” governance systems, in which central authorities provide broad enforcement, but let local communities set their own rules as much as possible. For example, problems of overfishing of lobsters along the Maine coast have been solved by allowing local lobster fishermen to informally regulate certain parts of the coast, working in conjunction with the state government.
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