Structural engineers never bitch about the force of gravity nor aeronautical engineers about air friction. These are merely forces with which they contend. These observations come from a casual, but substantial survey conducted during recent travels. Whenever I met an aeronautical or structural engineer I’d simply inquire, “Have you or any of your colleagues ever […]
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Those of us working to preserve wildlife habitat and open space will be more successful when we grasp a key principle; all resources, including land, gravitate toward highest valued uses. With agricultural prices nearing historical lows, the pressures forcing farmers and ranchers out of agriculture are increasing. Although some people may object to this claim, […]
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My wife and I got new computers for Christmas, hers a tangerine, mine a blueberry iMac. Our only real decisions involved color. Thanks to Microsoft, we are sure to buy Macs-even though we’re not fond of their maker, Apple Computer, Inc. What explains this irony? First, unlike tractors, trucks, and chainsaws, I really don’t like […]
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BOZEMAN, Mont.–At the beginning of a century, it’s tempting to assess one’s place in the era just passed. For me and most Americans the evaluation is clear, compelling and unambiguous: We hold a winning lottery ticket. America is not utopia. No place ever is. However, we are fortunate to live in the most successful large […]
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When I unpack the complaints of most environmentalists, I find a common theme. In their view, most people want the “wrong” things. Many enviros fault people who prefer snowmobiles to cross-country skies, Humvees over Hondas, or T-bones instead of tofu. SUVs are subject to especially intense criticism. They see the production and consumption of these […]
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Last week wholesale gasoline prices hit a historic low (Alas, not at the pump in Montana however.) and crude oil is just over $11.00 per barrel. But it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. On the first Earth Day, ecologist Kenneth Watt stated: “By the year 2000, …there won’t be any crude oil”. And […]
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Pacific Research Institute, 1998, John A. Baden, contributing author and editor.
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Second Edition, Indiana University Press, 1998, John A. Baden, contributing author and editor (with Douglas S. Noonan). This is a new edition of a pioneering work on the origins, developments, and recent innovations in the debate on managing commonly-owned lands and resources. It includes both new and updated essays which focus on alternate institutional approaches […]
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The Christmas decorations adorning our streets and shops give multiple messages. All are intended to be cheerful but they cause some minor anguish by reminding us of the necessity of gifts. We all have friends and relatives for whom it’s hard to buy. What can I get someone who has everything or the ability to […]
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1997 marks the centennial of the National Forest System. This is America’s best example of centralized government planning and management, our glorious experiment in “sylvan socialism.” In the Federalist Papers, America’s founders urged us to consider each law and policy as an experiment to be evaluated and perhaps modified. The end of a century’s experiment […]
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