Since 9/11 there has been an understandable resurgence in support for government. While there are good security reasons for this, there is also a huge potential for damage. Both the steel tariff and the farm bill are excellent examples of the dangers and injustice inherent to activist government. Nearly all environmentalists, conservatives, and libertarians are […]
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Economics is ubiquitous, pervasive, and didactic. Baseball, nearly so. While the sport is a form of entertainment, and a religious experience to some, it can teach us a good bit about the economic process. In the mid-20th century America had parallel baseball leagues, the white American and National leagues, and the Negro American and National […]
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Earth Day’s slogan, “Think globally, act locally,” has two implications, one physical, one mental. The easy physical stuff may ease guilt and give a sense of superiority, e.g., planting a tree, riding a bike to work or buying organic food. These are largely symbolic acts that make little difference unless they presage massive behavioral shifts. […]
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I have the great good fortune of living and working on a ranch near Bozeman. I write this while looking out a south window at 30 horses. They’ve come down from our hills to drink at a spring. Although much of the ground is bare, one of the streams which cuts through our place is […]
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I have a friend whose job is to attract high-tech businesses to Montana. He knows that folks with integrity, intelligence, and a strong work ethic-people with high human capital-are the key to success. He’s trying to develop the financial and physical resources to lure these scientists and entrepreneurs. He’s got a big stake in the […]
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I’m a life-long conservationist. On the first Earth Day I was in the fourth grade. With the help of my mom I crafted a letter to President Nixon urging increased protection for our nation’s air and water. In college I studied geology. In the years before graduate school, I worked as a teacher and later […]
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The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment and Montana State University are the beneficiaries of a curious but important trend. Many highly successful, extraordinarily well-educated people are attracted to Montana, the most remote of the contiguous 48 states. Concurrently, to our mutual benefit, MSU is gaining national recognition and respect. When I came […]
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The sorry Enron saga reminds us of an important, persistent truth. Unless those at the top are relentlessly vigilant and honorable, large organizations will find compelling reasons to lie, hide facts, and violate ethical standards. When the stakes are high there is a temptation toward dishonesty and irresponsibility. In the process, innocent people are hurt, […]
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Does the Bush administration care about the environment or the sensitivities of conservation-minded voters? On western public lands issues environmental groups have successfully portrayed the Bush administration as pandering to the old Sagebrush Rebels and Wise Use constituencies. And although Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey is a former lobbyist for the timber industry, his plan to […]
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During our recent snowstorm I backed into a pickup, nicking its rear fender. I waited about 15 minutes but the driver didn’t appear. Time is precious so I left my name and phone number on the windshield and reported the damage to my insurance company, Farm Bureau. I explained my fault, gave them the vehicle’s […]
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