PRESIDENT Clinton is desperately looking for places to cut the budget. He even hints of hitting the Rural Electrification Administration. REA is an egregious example of government subsidies that enrich the wealthy while retarding environmentally beneficial innovation. REA was established in 1935 by President Roosevelt. It subsidized the delivery of electric power to remote rural […]

ECONOMIES are like ecosystems in that everything is tied to everything else. We cannot do only one thing. Protecting owls by limiting timber harvest has multiple consequences, mostly unintended. People anticipate outcomes, estimate how regulations affect their security and livelihood, and often change their behavior accordingly. Regulations that ignore this interconnectedness can make matters worse, […]

I’VE sent my check to the Salvation Army for the relief of California’s earthquake victims (Salvation Army, Earthquake Fund, 615 Slaters Lane, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313). People are in genuine distress and there is clearly a need for outside help. But I’ve also written letters to my congressional representatives, urging them to not […]

TOMORROW is the Seattle meeting of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. According to their news release, the council’s goal is to: “explore and develop policies that encourage economic growth, job creation, and effective use of our natural resources.” Council leaders want to learn what works in environmentally sound economic-development policies. The council includes prominent […]

I’M BACK HOME in Montana for the Christmas break. It’s zero degrees at daybreak, no wind, clear day. It’s great to be on the ranch, but there is something I miss. This morning brought it back. In this holiday season when we show understanding toward others, it helps to know people who spend their lives […]

AT a conference last October, I listened to a speech by Gregory Benford, a respected biophysicist and acclaimed writer of science fiction. He noted that the 19th century had been dominated scientifically and culturally by chemistry, the 20th by physics, and predicted the 21st would be dominated by biology. Professor Benford is undoubtedly correct that […]

IT is easy to be an enthusiastic supporter of recycling, especially in Seattle. Recycling requires little effort from consumers and appears to eliminate waste and alleviate pressures on the environment. Recycling is an easy choice for those who believe it will always save money and resources. They have little problem equating it with conservation and […]

PEOPLE who believe in the power of government to do good probably found it outrageous that the U.S. Senate squandered weeks debating higher grazing fees, a financially trivial issue. The Western Senators’ filibuster diverted the Senate from critically important issues like NAFTA and health care. But this posturing is a predictable consequence of political management […]

I HAVE long held a vision of what a good society would include. Its most important elements are liberty, environmental quality and communities of people who value both. But only certain institutional arrangements foster these ends. History is unlikely to show that yesterday’s election moved us toward these goals. But elections do cause thoughtful people […]

DEFENDERS of Wildlife is a national environmental group devoted to the protection of wildlife and the restoration of habitat. For years, Defenders strongly advocated the regulatory approach to species protection. But they now realize the limitations of regulations, particularly when dealing with private landowners. This October, they published a collection of essays titled “Building Economic […]