What accounts for Detroit’s failure to produce a commercially viable electric car? When I discuss this question with students, I sometimes get conspiracy theories. They cite the 2006 documentary film “Who killed the electric car.” The film attributes the demise of GM’s all-electric car, the EV-1, to collusion among the carmakers, the government, and oil […]

I intend this column to be helpful advice to women. It’s about a sad subject, the plight of pine trees in our urban, suburban, and rural landscape and the casualties that follow. Mountain pine beetles have hit our trees. These creatures attack most pines, particularly ponderosa, lodgepole, and Scotch; trees we treasure around our homes […]

Although today we must report to the IRS, there are solid reasons to be optimistic about our future. Many people find the positive cultural and environmental qualities of our valley, and indeed our region, compellingly attractive. Despite obvious current setbacks, our situation is enviable on multiple dimensions. Most importantly, accomplished, highly successfully people find Bozeman […]

In 1983, Professor Bruce Yandle of Clemson provided an economic perspective on prohibition. His paper, “Bootleggers and Baptists: The Education of a Regulatory Economist,” described how an alliance of bootleggers and Baptists, who for quite different reasons, had incentives to seek restrictions on the Sunday sale of alcohol. Baptists sought moral improvement, while bootleggers supported […]

Each summer FREE organizes and hosts a series of small academic conferences in the Bozeman area. In addition to academics and professional environmentalists, we work with opinion leaders and decision makers throughout America. Our arena is public policy focused on environmental issues viewed broadly. We foster understanding and are non-partisan. FREE has involved Article III […]