devils in trinidad

{Lisa}

At a local park, just outside our window, lies a real life tragedy of the commons (a few feet away, sheep and cows—owned privately—graze. This park is a commons in every sense of the word.) Trash is a huge problem here; littering seems to have not gained the social stigma we, in America, associate it with. And the fact that stray dogs often tear open trash bags placed on residential streets, dispersing the trash, doesn’t help. Like any problem, this one has its roots in infrastructure; this park lacks any trash cans. And it’s easy to lay the blame at the government’s doorstep and shrug as you toss a bottle on the grass.

But the tragedy of the commons is that nobody takes personal responsibility; this isn’t the government’s park, it’s our park. I think personal responsibility is something that is easy to advocate for, but very hard to instill in others (and even in ourselves). Creating a sense of personal responsibility for community concerns will be one of our biggest challenges this summer, regardless of our specific work site.