The threat of global warming arises on three dimensions: ecological, political, and ideological. Physical changes to ecosystems have adverse impacts, while public policies dictated by politics rather than sound scientific and economic analysis have perverse and regressive consequences. The biggest threat of all, though, may come from ideological fundamentalists who constrain public discourse. We’ve seen […]

A Climate Change Caucus in the Montana legislature has been formed by Bozeman Representative Mike Phillips and his colleagues. One of their goals is to explore policy options to address global warming. The Caucus has consulted with local experts, including MSU’s Susan Capalbo, an economist who directs the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Project. This effort […]

Some of my friends and neighbors resent the prospect of living near the world’s most expensive spec house, a coming attraction in the Yellowstone Club. This is certainly not mere envy of the “haves” by the “have-nots,” for some friends are well-educated and well-off. Rather, they correctly anticipate the imposition of costs on innocent communities. […]

Those pressing for immediate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions face big problems. Here’s one; the prospect of cooling the planet through geoengineering. The people working on this are serious scientists and analysts, not lackeys of Senator Robert Byrd’s (D-WVA) mountain-top removing, coal industry cronies. Rather, they include Paul Crutzen, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize […]

Gallatin Gateway is a genuine community, not a contrived artifact of the New West. It has been my home for nearly 40 years and I cherish it deeply. Just like other rural gems of the West, however, Gateway’s attractive ecological, cultural, and geographic features put it at risk for exploitation. The question is can the […]

Why is Iran risking so much in its quest for nuclear power? Iran’s government claims nuclear power is necessary given the domestic energy situation. The Bush administration declares this petroleum-rich state cannot possibly need nuclear power to meet domestic energy demands, and, thus, Iran’s push for nuclear power must have more nefarious ends. Is Iran […]

It’s easy to be modest when our neighbor is Ted Turner, owner of the historic Flying D Ranch. The ranch spreads from the Gallatin to the Madison Rivers covering some 113,000 acres, and carries a variety of wildlife, including about 3,500 buffalo. For several years I told Ramona we too needed buffalo. After all, they […]

Pilgrim Congregational Church has an exceptional music program, especially during Christmas. I write this as the brass, organ, drums and the choir practice. While Ramona rehearses, I study Pilgrim’s bulletin board and see over a dozen appeals for support. Intermountain Children’s Home, Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity, and Central Asian Institute suggest the range of […]

People make New Year’s resolutions to change their behavior. That’s why so many fail. Stopping unhealthy habits such as smoking or overeating are commitments that require the self-deprivation of pleasure. Vowing to exercise and substitute reading for TV is a positive step to self-improvement, but hard to maintain. The lower the costs or the higher […]

While joyful in anticipation, coming home for Christmas is often a mixed blessing. Folks arrive with their baggage of memories packed over some years and selectively sorted by time and experience elsewhere. Pleasing recollections color our expectations. Unless gone for a very long while, we expect our home territory to be much as when we […]