I’ve been with FREE for nearly five years, first as its research associate and lately as its publications and program coordinator. In the time I’ve been here, a lot of people have moved to Bozeman; unfortunately, it’s time for me to move on. I came here in February of 2002 from the other end of […]
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It’s not news that Gallatin County, like much of the West, is growing rapidly. Planners, politicians, and preservationists worry about the shape of our future. Restricting growth to preserve agriculture and open space increases housing costs (think Boulder, CO). Unchecked growth keeps home prices down but consumes land and other qualities that make this place […]
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Here’s a great and beneficial irony: exploiting poverty helps the poor. Many argue that increasing globalization enables wealthy countries to consume the world’s resources while exploiting poor countries’ cheap labor and trashing their environments. Well, here’s a resource we should be trying our utmost to deplete: poverty. Yes, poverty is a resource, and one that […]
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My wife and I are taking our honeymoon in February. Since we’ll be gone for three weeks but still want to travel light, I was in the market for a new suitcase. The last time I actually bought a piece of luggage was probably 20 years ago — an internal-frame backpack with shoulder straps and […]
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Gallatin County is asking voters to approve a $20 million bond issue to build a new jail. Supporters argue that the present jail is overcrowded, and all too often we read of an nth-offense drunk driver cited and released because the jail is full. Will a larger jail solve our problems? Here are some points […]
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Gallatin County is undergoing rapid economic and social change. We are home to increasing numbers of high-tech and biotech start-ups. Our population grew 50 percent from 1990 to 2004, far outpacing national growth of 18 percent. This is not the case in all rural areas; many regions face diminishing opportunities and populations. And those fortunate […]
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Most folks instinctively believe growth and environmental protection are mutually exclusive. Increased economic activity and growing populations stress the Earth’s “carrying capacity.” In this view, we must choose between protecting the planet or promoting economic progress. Fortunately this is not the real choice. Consider this. Population Growth In 1798, Thomas Malthus published An Essay on […]
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Bozeman’s extended spell of vernal temperatures spurs thoughts of global warming. The preponderance of scientific evidence shows that for whatever reasons (human-induced carbon emissions, natural climatic variation), average global temperatures are increasing. The important question is: What do we do about it? The most common arguments revolve around reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. But this […]
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Rapidly growing small towns like Bozeman face choices with long-term consequences for their communities. Next month, Gallatin County residents will be asked to consider its second open space bond initiative. While I tend to favor preserving open space, I also recognize there are tradeoffs. Alas, not all cherished values are free. To get some things […]
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Think tanks challenge conventional wisdom and generate alternatives. Gallatin Writers and FREE seek innovative solutions to difficult environmental and economic problems. In this spirit we sponsor the Wallace Stegner Essay Contest. Here are the results for 2004. Wallace Stegner claimed that he was born to write one story — the story of the “boomer” and […]
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