The dreaded mad cow disease has finally arrived. How worried should we be? Do I need to avoid the range cattle I come across on my hikes in Montana or skip that steak when I visit Bozeman? This issue is complicated by scientific complexity and strong emotions — ingredients for error. Given their limited resources, […]

In late 2002 Sierra Club Books published Downhill Slide: Why the Corporate Ski Industry Is Bad for Skiing, Ski Towns, and the Environment by ski journalist Hal Clifford. I just reread it after skiing our newest area, Moonlight Basin. Clifford gives an extremely harsh critique of the ski industry. He faults its cultural, economic, and […]

Ramona and I created Gallatin Writers more than a decade ago. Our goal was to foster sensitive but analytically sound analysis of problems and opportunities in our emerging West. With generous support from the Fanwood Foundation and in cooperation with Yellowstone Public Radio, Gallatin Writers and FREE are again sponsoring the Wallace Stegner Essay Contest […]

Globalization has rapidly improved the social and economic status of women in the developing world. The explanation is straightforward: In a competitive, globalized world, the role of women becomes ever more valuable. Cultures that exclude women from full participation (e.g., Saudi Arabia) fall ever further behind. Societies that embrace education for women enjoy dramatic social […]