As easy a goal as this might seem, it has been an uphill battle for individual property owners. One of the most formidable tasks is to overcome the false perception that property ownership translates into a lack of regard for the environment. The challenge is to show the general public that property rights and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive goals and, in fact, are mutually dependent. This label, however, could not be further from the intent of the property rights movement. No one in his right mind wants dirty air or polluted water.
Private ownership fosters greater responsibility and concern for one's affairs.
If a private owner damages his own land, that blight remains with him and his successors for as long as they own the land. If the harm is severe enough, he may not even be able to sell the land, since it will no longer have any productive use. By contrast, in the case of publicly held land, no one owns the land and there is no incentive to care for it. The classic example is a rental house. In the eyes of renters, there is no need to do so because they do not own it and, except in extraordinary conditions, will reap no benefit from their investment.