Thus The Economist in its current edition. “Humans are damaging the high seas,” the newspaper explains. “Now the oceans are doing harm back.” About three billion people live within driving distance of the sea, and their number is growing. The oceans produce three-trillion dollars worth of goods and services a year. They also have untold value for the earth’s ecology. But people are damaging the oceans, as witnessed by the melting of the Arctic ice, the spread of oxygen-starved dead zones, and the death of coral reefs. And so on and on. The lengthy article offers a plethora of examples of the horrible things people do to the oceans, the vastest commons on the planet. And the oceans that many nations exploit without a thought about tomorrow best exemplify the tragedy of the commons. Self-interest ultimately works against the interest of all. Although the high seas are not ungoverned, much needs to be done to make the international governance of the common resource more in tune with environmental dangers that lurk. The article offers a few ideas about the way forward, but it is immediately obvious that the likelihood of better governance of the oceans is pretty close to naught. It thus offers a useful mirror of the human species. It is in deep water from the very start, as every tragedy of the commons to date exemplifies. It only took a while for the ugly truth to become obvious to all.