The classic definition of the tragedy of the commons involves the mismanagement of a shared resource. Individuals are said to act in pure self-interest by grabbing as much of the shared resource as they can, in order to privately profit at the expense of the collective wealth. The tragedy is that this resource, if properly managed
The recent tragic fire that engulfed Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse / artist space / underground residence, killing at least 36 people, is sparking a conversation about why so many people were living there in the first place. One obvious answer is that young artists that are struggling to get by can’t afford the exorbitant rents
In a heartening example of government defending the interests of individual citizens over those of predatory businesses, a bipartisan bill that protects consumers who write negative reviews has been passed by unanimous consent by the Senate and is now awaiting President Obama’s signature. The Consumer Review Fairness Act, which was introduced in 2014, was sponsored
Ralph Nader recently said of the election of Trump: “This could be the most serious event in American political history.” (1) In this piece, we look at the power of Presidents to protect people. Ralph Nader is probably the most knowledgeable person on the subject of safety and his views have proven trustworthy. In his
A class action lawsuit filed against Nebraska-based debt collector Credit Management Services has been settled out of court for $198,000. The suit was filed by Nichole and Jason Palmer and Laura Powers in 2011, and accused the debt collection agency of having violated federal law by claiming they could collect attorney’s fees and interest from
President-Elect Trump took an important step towards uniting our country last Thursday as he negotiated with the CEO of United Technologies, a major defense contractor and the parent company of furnace-maker Carrier. Appearing to fulfill a campaign promise to keep Carrier from shipping jobs to Mexico (but which Trump later explained he didn’t remember saying
Recently, the New York Times reported that international trade is down. Global trade was flat in the first quarter of 2016 and fell slightly in the second quarter, with the value of American imports and exports falling by more than $200 billion in 2015. While this may merely be a temporary lack of demand for
After another child fatality, bringing the total number to six, home goods giant IKEA has issued a recall of 29 million MALM model dressers, in addition to other models of chests and drawers. When not properly anchored to the wall, the recalled models of both chests and dressers remain unstable and pose a serious tipping
What a time to be alive! Assisted by profligate use of fossil fuels and inspired by generous subsidies, we are awash in cheap carbohydrates. Commodity corn is used to make corn syrup, to fatten feedlot beef, and as the main ingredient in all kinds of junk food. At the same time, we’ve become far more
In August 2015, contractors working for the EPA were attempting to clean up the Gold King mine near Silverton, Colorado. Acidic water, laden with harmful metals like lead and arsenic, was backing up inside the abandoned mine. The entrance to the mine had been plugged on the cheap, and the force of the backup of