That which is held in common is abused in common (or neglected/abused by all).

The Commons was an English term for the common land, the land left unfenced in old England and used by the common people to collect firewood, nuts etc. and to use for grazing by their animals. Because nobody and everybody owned this land it was often overgrazed, overcut or abused. Eventually the Commons were enclosed by lords and the common people lost this asset.

The same abuse of common land can be seen in large areas of overgrazed North Africa, Middle East, tropical rain forests, etc. Our common sea is over fished and used as a garbage dump and sewer outlet. Public urban areas are littered but the private home is not. I am always struck how many students in some countries (Korea China) are so clean and neat about themselves (shampoo, fashions, haircuts, makeup etc.) but very messy with garbage and show no concern for what is not theirs. Education fails.

Values are cultural and learned at home. I once picked up the tissues dropped by a boy and showed the father who came to pay me. He took them and let them fly in the wind saying "We are Arabs." To a Bedouin this is logical. These are old habits from a pre-plastic world. I have seen the same thing on Native land in Canada. These habits worked in the past when Arabs and North Africans and American Indians were nomadic..all garbage was organic (skins and cloth, wood and ceramic) and returned to the soil by the following season. Things are different now. Populations are larger and people have become sedentary and much of the excess shopping becomes trash which is not easily recycled or biodegraded.

Old habits have not caught up with our new technology and settled ways. There is not enough collective thinking, collective care for mother/father earth. Nurture Nature and Nature will Nurture, you.