Bozeman consistently ranks high among American towns. Unless one is allergic to cold, committed to scuba diving, or loves big cities, Bozeman is wonderful. Cultural and natural beauty abound, while considerate behavior and civility are normal, not aberrations. Community involvement with music and the arts is exceptionally high; consider support for the Bozeman Symphony, Intermountain […]

Governor Brian Schweitzer is a swashbuckling policy entrepreneur. He’s charmed the elite East Coast media with his Western swagger and tough talk about turning Montana’s abundant coal reserves into synthetic fuels: “Why wouldn’t we create an economic engine that will take us into the next century, and let those sheiks and dictators and rats and […]

Montana’s culture, economy, housing patterns, transportation, and politics all evolved assuming we’d enjoy cheap and plentiful energy over the long-term. Low priced energy guided our development and social patterns. I recall occasionally driving to Butte just for dinner in the ‘70s. Many Bozeman friends did likewise, and Billings was a casual destination with little thought […]

After another 4th of July celebration, thoughts of patriotism linger. Is patriotism singing the national anthem or shooting off fireworks? No, patriotism is simply valuing one’s country. Likewise, environmentalism is valuing the environment. Both are abstract concepts that are left to the individual to express. I may display a Support the Troops bumper sticker, while […]

For over two decades FREE has sought to constructively work with responsible environmentalists, e.g., folks with Environmental Defense and the National Wildlife Federation. Our conference last week featured Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger, authors of Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility. They joined us (and a dozen others), seeking […]