EACH summer I’m reminded why John Steinbeck thought that Montana would be heaven if it only had an ocean. This summer, the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE) again hosted conferences for federal judges, seminars for environmental writers, bike trips, and research on environmental economics and policy. But I see changes in […]
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MANY people share my deep concern with improving and protecting the wildlife, watersheds, and recreation values of forests. Good policy links these goods with sound economic practices. All require landowners’ confidence in the future. The proposed export ban on raw logs from private lands subverts this confidence and undermines the management required to reach these […]
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IT is easy to understand why some people find banning private log exports an attractive idea. Superficially, it appears to save jobs, reduce domestic timber prices and slow environmental degradation caused by logging. But there are good, ethical reasons why a ban makes little sense. In later columns, I will discuss the likely economic and […]
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TWICE I’ve cried in a movie. The first time I was 4 years old and saw Bambi. The second was in 1970, when I saw a tear-provoking “documentary” of a polar bear hunt. The few polar bears I’ve seen in the wild inspired awe and admiration. But during this film, a faux-sportsman was flown onto […]
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I OFTEN defend the habitat of species I care for deeply: grizzly bears, wild trout and birds of all kinds. But, like most people, I care even more about preserving the quality of my own habitat, my neighborhood and community. Within that habitat, we not only worry about pollution and disease, we are concerned with […]
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GOLD mining on federal lands, raising sugar cane near the Everglades, and irrigating Western deserts all illustrate the critical differences between being pro-free market and pro-business. It is easy to see why many people confuse the two. Wise Use groups and others, out of duplicity or ignorance, posture as defenders of the free market. But […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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