Jade Dragon Meets Green Energy

April 21, 2026

Green is an important color in Chinese culture. Jade symbolizes harmony with nature; the dragon represents transformation. Green tea symbolizes health; green bamboo implies resilience. And now, China wants to be known for its leadership of the global transition to green energy. But the transition does not include China – that image is fake, no […]

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Where Money Meets Power

April 15, 2026

I follow ups and downs of the environmental industry almost like a part-time hobby, for several reasons. For one, many environmental groups pretend to be local, grassroots activists, when in fact many are nationally organized and funded as part of a larger network. But also, their growth, influence, finances, and occasional declines offer fascinating insights […]

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Giving States a Seat at the Table

April 10, 2026

I attended a meeting recently about federal ownership of Western lands, and various proposals to transfer some of it to states. To settle a bet, I asked a popular AI tool how that might work, just to test its objectivity. It said, “Transferring public lands to state control can lead to significant challenges and risks […]

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NEPA Was Never Meant to be a Weapon

April 1, 2026

In 1970 when President Nixon presented to Congress “Reorganization Plan No.3,” no one foresaw the eventual result – some of history’s greatest environmental successes, and a virtual stranglehold on economic progress. America’s air and water are far cleaner today, automobiles emit virtually nothing, and many formerly polluted lands have been cleaned up. But the cumbersome […]

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Look What They’ve Done to Her Song

March 18, 2026

The New Seekers are best remembered for wanting to buy the world a Coke in their classic hit, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” But a year earlier, they first hit the charts with another standard, “Look What They’ve Done to My Song,” featuring the sad lyric, “It’s the only thing that I […]

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Greenpeace Judge Might Just Beat the Dutch

March 14, 2026

My granddad had a great expression when something was remarkable or astonishing: “Well, if that doesn’t just beat the Dutch!” It was a linguistic heirloom of the 17th Century when England and the Netherlands were commercial and naval rivals. Something had to be extreme to surpass even the Dutch, so that eventually became a common […]

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Cracking on About Wind and Solar

March 6, 2026

John Palsgrave, a linguist and tutor in Henry VIII’s court, illustrated a point by writing, “He cracked afore we came hyther that he wolde do marvaylles, but nowe he is shronke asyde no man can tell whyther.” The word “cracked” was often used in the Middle Ages to mean “boast,” as in “he cracked on […]

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Noble Bill Was a Noble Cause – Still Is

March 3, 2026

This Fall Colorado voters may see a ballot measure to change the way highway funding is spent, always a source of controversy and heated debate. For all but the most inner-city urban voters, though, the issue is a no-brainer if ever there was such a thing. Building, fixing, and maintaining the roads was the founding […]

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Does Anyone Care About the Wolves?

February 10, 2026

If you were a grey wolf, it would be hard to imagine a more hostile environment than this state, into which 25 wolves have been involuntarily and violently extradited from their natural homes. It is reminiscent of illegal immigrants from south of the border being deported to prisons in unfamiliar countries like South Sudan and […]

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Palisade to Fruita in 15 Minutes?

February 4, 2026

At Club 20 in the 1990s, we often fought against diverting highway funds for non-highway purposes, such as mass transit. We reminded national officials that “there will never be a Japanese bullet train from Slick Rock to Egnar.” They had never heard of either place, of course, so it was a succinct way to explain […]

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