Americans are incredibly generous. We contribute around $250 billion annually to a wide array of charitable causes. Our culture of philanthropy is an expression of the highest of American ideals; it shows our commitment to the well-being of our neighbors — and of strangers in need. Philanthropy is critically important in Montana, a small state […]
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The Washington Post reports that a group of wealthy Democrats will fund a network of left-wing think tanks. They know they’ve lost the war of ideas. They hope to turn this tide by competing with conservative and libertarian outfits such as the Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, and twenty others within the […]
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Bozeman is the state’s fastest growing and most prosperous city. Much of our public discourse centers around how to manage the stresses that come with our growing popularity. Hence, I was surprised to read that the Bozeman City Commission will soon decide if the northeast section of town is a “blighted” area. This designation will […]
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Oil is a non-renewable finite resource, yet we’ll never run out. How is this possible? The answers are not obvious and some folks are unduly concerned. Let’s explore the logic of oil exploration, production, and consumption. First, there is a critical difference between resources and reserves. Resources are the total physical stock of a natural […]
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Dear Governor Schweitzer: I supported your candidacy. I paid careful attention to your energy plans for Montana and believe you aspire to keep energy prices low while protecting Montana’s environment. I heartily endorse this goal. Hence I’m puzzled by your determination to subsidize the construction of ethanol plants and to mandate we use gasoline made […]
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Contrary to recent rumors and reports in the New York Times, environmentalism is not dead. An essay declaring it so, “The Death of Environmentalism,” has sparked an intense debate. Environmentalism is in trouble — but not for the reasons claimed. Modern environmentalism evolved from the radical social movements of the late 1960s. As a social […]
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The International Energy Agency projects 65 percent growth in world energy demand by 2020. Two questions pop up: How will we meet this energy demand and what are the environmental consequences of our choices? When we consider these issues we confront three vexing realities. First, fossil fuels (i.e., oil and coal) are our cheapest, most […]
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It’s an accident of geology that most of the world’s proven reserves of low-cost oil are in unfriendly or politically unstable countries. This reality prompts calls to “reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” A recent article in Slate magazine describes an alliance of Iraq war hawks seeking to reduce American dollars flowing to oil-rich Islamic […]
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Imagine a world without borders. Here, businesses are free to move people, products, and capital anywhere with minimal friction. Governmental interference has lessened and economic coordination improved. Critics of globalization and free trade would have us believe the result would be a giant race to the bottom. They expect firms to seek out localities with […]
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For the last two years I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to Bozeman High School’s philosophy classes. It’s an experience I thoroughly enjoy. This column is for them. What are we to make of the situation in which an Indian worker is paid 50 cents to assemble a shirt that sells for $25? Isn’t this […]
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