Many social scientists have found that when people do not trust anyone outside their own clan or village, the level of trade and general prosperity tends to be low. Wealthy societies are characterized by high-trust cultures. When I mentioned this observation at a recent conference in Bozeman, sponsored by the Foundation for Research in Economics […]

This is a great day to reflect on America. Despite real problems, we live in the world’s most successful large-scale social experiment. We lucky citizens have won life’s lottery. Regardless of ethnicity, if a wise person behind a veil of ignorance could choose where to be born, America would be her best bet. We have […]

Most Americans are conflicted and inconsistent regarding their energy preferences and priorities. They tell pollsters they want to stop global warming and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Yet they squeal bitterly when energy costs rise, balk at views spoiled by wind farms, are leery of nuclear power (the only alternative that can really make a […]

For over a decade, FREE’s weekly columns, usually on environmental policy, have strived for consistency. We work and write to harmonize ecology, ethics, and economics, while respecting the right of free and responsible individuals to make choices. FREE approaches environmental policy from a political economy perspective. This means we are alert to the reality of […]

When friends visit, they always comment on the attractiveness of downtown Bozeman. It’s really a gem. Downtown property owners and the City of Bozeman are trying to raise awareness to an increase in “petty” crimes. Perhaps they can motivate people in the same manner that the Gallatin Valley Human Rights Task Force did when a […]

Many concerned and informed people feel guilty over their carbon footprint. Buying carbon offsets lets them assuage this guilt, but this is a misguided perspective. Instead, I suggest we promote climate stewardship with policies that steadily encourage energy conservation and low CO2 production, e.g., carbon taxes. Individuals atone for their “excessive” carbon consumption, i.e., twenty […]

Montana’s Public Service Commission has unanimously rejected an Australian firm’s offer to buy NorthWestern Energy. In a recent column, I explored the historical context for Montana’s wariness to deals involving outsiders. Several readers whom I respect confused my explanation with opposition. I don’t know why the PSC denied the deal, but they are too sophisticated […]

I recently came across a flyer in the Maui paper on Hawaii’s “Solar Awareness Program.” However meritorious and well founded our concern about global warming, we should be alert to the potential for gaming the system. While I invest personal resources in solar and wind power, I worry when taxpayer funds are promised as inducements. […]

In accepting an Oscar for “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore said, “People all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It’s not a political issue. It’s a moral issue.” Gore is not the only one defining climate change and other environmental issues in moral terms, and, as more and more environmentalists focus […]

Once upon a time, in a country way, way down under, the government dismantled its system of agricultural subsidies and supports. Initially, cries of outrage and disbelief were heard from farmers all across the land. For more than 20 years, farm assistance had steadily increased, peaking at 33 percent of total farm output (about double […]