ABSTRACT
What, you might wonder, is a “commons”? Simply stated, a commons is something owned by everyone and so by no one. Moreover, nature’s bounty, as the global commons, is the “birthright” of every living thing-not just humans. From a human perspective, however, it is the vast realm of our shared heritage, which we can use and enjoy free of a paid toll. Clean air, pure water, fertile soil, and the food they produce; sunlight and warmth; wind and stars; mountains, grasslands, and oceans; languages and cultures; knowledge and wisdom; peace and quiet; sharing and community; and the genetic building blocks of life-these are all aspects of the commons.
