Título en español.

Abstract

"The Tragedy of the Commons" by Garrett Hardin provides counterintuitive lessons. The most salient is that a class of problems exists for which there is no technical solution. Hardin‘s advice, often overlooked by economists, is that the enclosure of the commons must be accompanied by continuing education. Genetic resources provide an excellent example. Although the Convention on Biological Diversity was ratified in 1993 and revoked "open access" over genetic resources, enclosure did not resolve the problem of access and fair and equitable benefit-sharing (ABS). Each nation, now sovereign over its genetic resources, entered into a bidding war. "Open access" was re-established de facto as the competitive price fell to marginal cost. To attain ABS, the public must understand how governments, acting in unison, can avert the tragedy. Education is a necessary condition. A network of museums is proposed, with the node in San Juan, Puerto Rico, dedicated to bioprospecting, intellectual property rights, and the public domain.