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The American people own in common a lot of very cool places. Among our vast wildspace wealth is the National Forest system, public lands in national forests and grasslands with magical names like Monongahela, Chattahoochee, Tongass, and Wallowa-Whitman. You know that old aphorism about atrophy, right? Use it or lose it. Have you been indulging […]

It’s hardly a stretch to say that the American commons encompasses a massive wealth of natural resources that accrue incalculable benefits not just to the citizenry of the United States but possibly to the entire human race. The challenge in protecting said commons lies in the adjective “incalculable,” a dilemma rooted in the […]

We the people own in common all sorts of physical resources, valuable commodities that certain business entities or organizations would love to get their greedy talons on. Since you and I lack the time, infrastructure, or, frankly, the expertise to manage our massive portfolio, we appoint agents to manage them for us. Actually, we elect […]

Of course there is much more to the American commons portfolio than mineral wealth waiting to be extracted, air and water resources eager to be bent to man’s will. Our dominion, as some describe it, extends over countless flora and fauna. Many of these species serve as commercial goods as components of textiles, construction, or […]

Real estate comprises a substantial portion of what we consider the American commons, but as important as land is, we can’t forget about those assets that lie beneath, grow upon, or billow above it. Clean air, for example, is a priceless commodity. Those who believe otherwise have never seen smog settle like a […]

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from off the goose.
The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine.
The poor and wretched […]

The Cato Institute is far from the only organization spinning the snake-oil salesman line about how the commons are best preserved by being sold off and exploited. It is no coincidence that the advocates of privatization are also rampant opponents of conservation. Consumerism all the way, baby!
Who opposes the protection of the commons? I […]

For many, the idea of assets and ecosystems is too abstract. Commodities like timber are too dry (sometimes literally) and boring to care about. Let’s get to the good stuff. What are some of the really cool things we the American people own? How about these:
Acadia National Park
Arches National Park
Big Bend National Park
Denali National […]

What exactly are these commons you’re supposed to protect? You, as an American citizen, own an incredible wealth of natural resources. Maybe the magnitude of this windfall hasn’t sunk in yet. The concept of purple mountains majesty and fruited plains seems so ambiguous. What exactly is included in the American commons?
The US encompasses six, count […]

In 2006, I penned a series of posts explaining the myriad reasons why we (meaning the United States) as a nation need to protect our commons. The shameless efforts of the Bush Administration to sell off public lands and assets to private corporations were what initially drove me to explore these issues, but my frustration […]