It is difficult to believe the assertion that no empirical examples exist for a "tragedy of the commons." The destruction of the forested hills of ancient Greece, the reduction of America's aquifers and wetlands, the extinction and near-extinction of hunted species are all examples of a common good or property held in common that has been wasted by over-use under circumstances that fit the "tragedy of the commons" model. Before making the claim that there is no empirical evidence for a loss or extinction among common resources that fluctuate over time, it is helpful to examine empirical evidence with the help of scientists who are qualified to interpret the evidence. This begins with a crisp definition of what is meant by the phrase "tragedy of the commons." Even a fuzzy definition will do if it is reasonable. Historical data from several ten of thousand years of human history clearly offers evidence that this phenomenon occurs -- unless you want to argue that the resource substitution or the continued presence of human creatures is evidence that extinctions and loss are not genuine examples. -- Ken Friedman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Department of Leadership and Organization Norwegian School of Management Visiting Professor Advanced Research Institute School of Art and Design Staffordshire University