The Meaning,Prospects, and Future of the Commons: Revisiting the Legacies of Elinor Ostrom and Henry George

Elinor Ostrom's work on the commons has convinced mainstream economists that “collective” governance of the commons can overcome the “tragedy of the commons” and “free‐rider problems.” Yet, a more systematic appraisal of Ostrom's work shows that it contains no concept of justice. Her idea of rights is extremely limited, often tied to the notion of joint, rather than equal, rights. Indeed, for Ostrom, the notion of the commons is socially separatist and not ecological. Ostrom uses historical examples, but without analyzing how common possession historically evolved and was undermined by external forces. Hence her proposed “collective action” to save the commons actually accelerates the real threats to the commons. A strikingly different and more holistic approach to the commons is offered by Henry George, who posits the commons as the most important path to social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Unlike Ostrom, who studied the commons “scientifically” to show that some goods are neither private, public, nor club‐based, George studied the commons to understand and remove injustice at the roots. His approach is more critical and certainly more relevant today in showing that another world is possible. However, George's work too, requires significant changes to update its framing of the meanings, prospects, and future of the commons.     

地方政府环境规制失灵的原因及解决途径——以跨界水污染为例

公用地的悲剧及集体行动的困境提供了政府规制的空间。环境规制是政府规制的一项重要内容,政府通过制定相应政策约束市场主体的排污行为来保护环境。但近年来以跨界水污染纠纷为代表的一系列环境规制政策实践表明,地方政府对于环境外部性的规制并不总有效,即环境规制失灵。地方政府环境规制失灵带来许多环境问题,但这并不构成怀疑政府环境规制的充分理由,而应研究如何纠正地方政府环境规制失灵。     

Are We Really Measuring the Quality of Life?Well-being Has Subjective Dimensions,As Well As Objective Ones

A bstract . In order to compare the quality of life (QOL) in U.S. metropolitan areas economic, sociological, political and cultural data are often gathered and equally weighted without regard for the way QOL is perceived by those who live there. Basing our comparisons of U.S. metropolitan areas solely on objective data or official statistics biases the results so that there is little relationship between one set of measures and another. These results contradict conclusions reached by survey researchers who siwdy the perceptual aspects of the quality of life. Therefore, we must rethink the methods used in future of life studies, Psychographic and demographic data must be integrated.     

西部开发与环境保护

人类生存离不开生活环境,环境是评价人们生活质量的重要指标。西部大开发必须考虑生态环境问题、环保问题。本文站在国家实施西部大开发战略的高度,阐述了西部开发与环境保护关系,分析了西部资源开发对生态环境可能产生的影响,探究了建立西部资源节约型经济体系的途径,具有开放性视角。     

Can Banks Self‐Regulate? Voluntary Agreements,Intrinsic Motivation and Games

This article argues that lessons on how to achieve a sustainable financial system can be learnt from the work done on sustainable commons (on common‐pool resources – CPRs – where there is no ‘tragedy of the commons’). Existing approaches to financial regulation may not give proper attention to available solutions. The article proposes that innovative solutions could be tested using experimental methods commonly used in CPRs: repeat run, feedback driven games.     

FDI影响我国环境质量的现状及机理分析

我国利用外商直接投资的规模年年攀升,有力地促进了我国经济的增长,但是否影响我国的环境质量正日益受到各界的关注。文章在分析FDI影响我国环境质量的现状的基础上,进一步探究了FDI通过规模效应、结构效应和技术效应3条途径对我国环境质量产生影响并提出相关的对策。     

Tragedy of the Partnership: A Critique of Elinor Ostrom

Elinor Ostrom thinks she has discovered a third way apart from private and government property: the commons. In her view, there is no “tragedy” associated with this third option. The present article takes strong issue with her. Our claim is that she has not properly distinguished between a commons and partnership arrangements. In the former case, outsiders cannot be excluded from entry; in the latter, they can. The reason for this confusion between the commons and private property in Ostrom's work is that she believes private property is possible only if government protects and enforces it. We show by using various historical examples that this assumption is wrong, and hence the central tenet of Ostrom's model of the commons fails.     

Work–life balance in Asia: A systematic review

A growing body of empirical work on the work–life interface in Asia has investigated the effects of various work–life constructs on work and non-work outcomes. However, scholars are also debating whether work-life constructs from the West must be conceptualized and operationalized differently when used in the Asian context. The present study reviews the literature on the work–life interface in Asia, identifies research gaps, and proposes an agenda for future research. This review contributes to the literature by developing a conceptual model that informs our theoretical understanding of work–life research in Asia. In doing so, it provides important insights into how cultural, economic and institutional factors influence employee perceptions of the work–life interface. The present review stresses the need for methodological advancement, multilevel analysis, and an extension of work–life constructs in Asia.     

Can transnational aluminium producers be ecologically sustainable? A case study of Jamaica's bauxite/alumina industry

The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the transnational aluminium corporations currently involved in Jamaica's bauxite/alumina industry are promoting an ecologically sustainable industrial development (ESID). ESID is defined as those patterns of industrialisation that enhance economic and social benefits for present and future generations without impairing basic ecological processes. This discussion will be pursued by comparing actual industrial performance against three proposed conditions that this pattern of industrialisation must satisfy if it is to be deemed ecologically sustainable: (1) It must minimise the degradation of the environment, (2) it must make the most efficient use of man-made and natural capital and (3) it must promote equity. These criteria are applied to two major environmental problems related to bauxite mining and storage of hazardous bauxite waste; rehabilitation of mined out bauxite fields and storage of hazardous bauxite residue. My findings indicate that the current activities of Jamaican bauxite/alumina production to a certain extent can be characterised as ecologically sound, insofar as the biosphere is not severely degraded. This is due to several measures initiated both to prevent environmental degradation as well as enhancing a more efficient use of production inputs. To be deemed ecologically sustainable, however, the industrial activity must also in accordance with the proposed criteria, promote equity. Regardless of extensive corporate initiatives beyond regulatory compliance, a significant share of Jamaica's potentially productive lands remains destroyed and/or occupied. Thus, 1 question whether the present pattern of Jamaican bauxite/alumina production can be characterised as ecologically sustainable.     

论发展我国绿色物流产业之对策

30年来,我国经济快速发展,取得了为世人瞩目的成就。然而,一味的摄取,必会引发一系列问题。由此,经济发展必须以保护地球环境为前提,注重可持续发展。具体来说,企业要树立环保理念,发展环保型绿色物流,势在必行。文中以我国绿色物流产业存在的问题为切入点探讨如何发展绿色物流产业,以期起到抛砖引玉之作用。     

Development and Wealth: A Georgist Perspective

This essay addresses concerns of economic and wealth distribution, especially as they challenge the developing world. The foundation for any new framework of economic thought must embody a structure that allows for a sustainable future, not only for individuals but also for whole societies and economic units, and the assurance of minimal standards of living for the entire world's people. The Georgist position is that all the natural resources of the earth and sky should require payment back to society for the privilege of their use. Hence the recovery of rent is the proper source of finance for government services, restoring what is otherwise an imbalance between the public and the private realms of society. The Georgist philosophy offers economic justice and clarity of vision, restoration of and protection for the commons, and protection for the environment of the earth in a deft and gentle way that is within the capacity of governments to implement.     

Environment and profitability in the reprocessing of paper in Norway: contradictory research reports in the context of circulation economics

In this article we study three Norwegian reports concerning the environmental problems connected to use of natural resources and production of waste. The reports are responding to political initiatives in White Paper 58 (1996–97) and White Paper 8 (1999–2000). The reports describe, analyse and give reasons for various resolution strategies with regard to excessive consumption of virgin natural resources, inefficient economic processes and irresponsible waste management. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, we present a theoretical framework that enables an integrated analysis of economic problems. We have termed the theoretical context for our analysis circulation economics. Second, we illustrate the complexity of the problems through a discussion of the three different reports concerning waste management. Third, in the context of circulation economics the different reports elucidate various aspects of the phenomenon area and the new perspective can be used to synthesize the partial findings. In addition to this, we suggest where further work has to be done in the future. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Mutual Help Networks and Social Transformation in Japan

Japanese society has changed from the past as a result of modernization. However, there is one aspect of social action that has persisted at least in spirit. The purpose of the article is to show how traditional mutual help remains important, has been transformed in the transition to modernity, and has contributed to the continuing development of Japanese society. Mutual help can be divided into three types: yui, reciprocity through exchanging labor; moyai, redistribution based on a common store of goods and resources; and tetsudai, nonreciprocal support in social rites of passage. While these customs have almost disappeared from modern life, the tradition of mutual help is still manifest in some modern civic activities. The social system of mutual help arose from indigenous conditions in order to overcome the “tragedy of the commons.” Modern society might do well to reconsider such mutual help networks in search of ways of solving both public and private social problems in Japan and overseas as well.     

Sustainable tourism in Greek islands: the integration of activity‐based environmental management with a destination environmental scorecard based on the adaptive resource management paradigm

Tourism is a major industry that can lead to economic gains as well as to degraded environment and social infrastructure. Tourism has the potential to destroy the available common environmental resources through overuse and poor management practices, as limited information disclosure and poor monitoring of actions encourage the perpetuation and extension of environmental problems. Based on the adaptive resource management paradigm for addressing problems related to the use of the commons, this paper suggests a methodology for the development of a management tool that can provide island hotels with a continuous flow of timely, relevant, accurate and objective information on the environmental impact of critical corporate activities. The tool, named the destination environmental scorecard (DES), draws on activity‐based management concepts and can help local hotel SMEs measure and compare their performance against certain standards and thus conduct operations in a responsible and measurable way to the benefit of both business financial performance and regional sustainability. The paper presents the DES operational characteristics and the potential benefits from its implementation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

仓储过程引发的灾害及自然减灾

由于人为或自然因素，使环境中本来的组成成分、状态、环境素质发生了变化，扰乱并破坏了生态系统与人们的正常生活条件．对我们的生活产生了直接或间接乃至潜在的影响，商品流通引发的环境污染问题较多。引发的灾害事故触目惊心，因此产生的社会、经济上损失是巨大的。论文从我国商品流通与物流环境的分析入手，找出仓储过程引发的一些灾害现象．并在此基础上提出物流过程的自然灾害对策。     

城市的经济社会问题与城市化战略的调整

无论从国外的历史经验还是从中国的实践来看,快速城市化阶段往往伴随着种种复杂的城市经济与社会问题.能否解决好这些问题,决定着城市发展的前景是迈入现代化的殿堂还是陷入"拉美化"的陷阱.因此,认为必须审视并调整当前的城市化战略,由数量扩张型转向质量提升型,由城市自我发展型转向区域城市协作型,由二元结构型转向一元结构型,由资源浪费型转向可持续发展型,由传统管理型转向现代管理型.     

Green design assessment of electromechanical products based on group weighted-AHP

Manufacturing industry is the backbone of a country’s economy while environmental pollution is a serious problem that human beings must face today. The green design of electromechanical products based on enterprise information systems is an important method to solve the environmental problem. The question on how to design green products must be answered by excellent designers via both advanced design methods and effective assessment methods of electromechanical products. Making an objective and precise assessment of green design is one of the problems that must be solved when green design is conducted. An assessment method of green design on electromechanical products based on Group Weighted-AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) is proposed in this paper, together with the characteristics of green products. The assessment steps of green design are also established. The results are illustrated via the assessment of a refrigerator design.     

化学职业技术教学更应重视渗透环保教育

职业技术教育是直接给社会经济建设培育输送人才的,必须面对环境保护这个人类面临的共同问题,认真贯彻基本国策,在教学中切实抓住课堂主阵地,积极拓宽渠道,采取灵活多样的方法,有意识地渗透环境保护知,向学生进行环保教育,使学生树立起强烈的环保意识和责任感,为改善我们共同生活的家园环境而努力。     

Agency Problems in Diverse Contexts: A Global Perspective

abstract    Bruce, Buck and Main (2005 ) offer two criticisms of agency theory as a valid model of executive behaviour. First, they suggest that because researchers have failed to find a strong empirical link between executive pay and firm performance, and since this research generally rests on models derived from agency theory, then we must question the theory. Second, they suggest that agency theory is under-socialized and therefore lacks generalizability to settings where social solutions would seem to eliminate the agency problem. In our response we make three points. First, agency theory rests on an assumption of self-interest that does not necessarily reflect opportunism. Second, agency theory does not make any reference to pay-performance sensitivity, and the failure of this research can be attributable to a variety of problems with the research. Third, we agree that agency theory does not explicitly recognize contextual factors, but suggest that this abstraction from context, gives agency theory greater generalizability. Finally, we review the UK and German contexts discussed by Bruce, Buck and Main to show that socialized solutions do not prevent the occurrence of agency problems.     

The Pursuance of Better Quality of life: In the Long Run, Better Quality of Social Life Is the Most Important Factor in Migration

A bstract . A model is developed to explore the relationships between interregional migration and regional variations of quality of life. The model incorporates the impact of the interregional variations of the various aspects of quality of life including economic, political, environmental, social, health and education. The long-run and short-run migration data for 65 major U.S. standard metropolitan statistical areas are used to test the model. The results suggest that unlike the conventional conclusions, economic factors are not so important in motivating interregional migration. Rather, it is shown that in the long-run the pursuance of better quality ot social life turns out to be the most important factor. In the short-run, the results suggest that the pursuance of better environmental quality is the dominant factor in explaining the interregional migration.