I’m writing soon after the invasion of Iraq began. I’m scheduled to travel before this appears. What can I say that’s neither trite nor obsolete, but surely true? First, few adults live here by accident or assignment. We have consciously, deliberately elected to live in the Northern Rockies. The reasons carry a common theme; attraction […]

Change is our only certainty. How we handle it is important. Some risks can be reduced or insured against, such as illness, auto wrecks, and fires. But many risks offer opportunities. Progress implies change and change implies risk. But when considering our environment, many would avoid all risks. Instead they defer to the “precautionary principle.” […]

In 1989, 60 Minutes produced a panicky story alleging the chemical Alar (used to retard the rotting of apples) greatly increased the risk of childhood cancers. Across America, parents poured apple juice down the drain and stores pulled apple products from shelves. The Washington Post described the event as “one of several food scares that […]

I applaud state senator Emily Stonington’s (D-Bozeman) Senate Bill 240. The bill would have required methane-drilling companies to seriously consider the impact of their activities on the owners of surface rights. Her bill implicitly recognizes the importance of property rights and illustrates their evolutionary nature. Clear and enforceable property rights subject to the rule of […]