Archive for ‘Opinion’

  • Earth Notes: Deleterious effects of population growth

    By Kenneth Roy Neither the average conservationist nor the average conservative businessman has yet to seriously address the population explosion in the United States. I became alarmed about 1960 when I saw what happened where I grew up in the New Bedford, Mass. area.  We were not rich by any means, but we managed to […]

  • Small World: Diplomacy in action

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist When I was in the State Department looking out on the world and the world was trying to look in, I used to say that if you read a good newspaper carefully — including a squint between the lines — you would know what Washington was up to despite the […]

  • Uppermost House: Running with the turnips

    By S. Peter Lewis BN Columnist Most days, there’s very little difference between me and a laundry basket full of turnips. Sit said basket down on a cheap office chair in front of a couple of computer screens for nine hours (as I am so ensconced each Monday through Friday at my office) and the […]

  • Small World: The People Speak, Who’s Listening?

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist More than 1,100 Mainers have told their congressional representatives that they oppose U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war, the Portland Press Herald reported last Thursday. That figure compares with 21 who were combat supporters. For months now, the national press has reported with increasing stridency on the heavy “pressure” […]

  • My Irish Up: The Week in Review

    By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist The week in review: Climate change: Before recessing in August, Congress voted to deny the existence of climate change. Then, they voted to deny the existence of Washington, D.C. “Why we didn’t think of ruling before that Washington is entirely imaginary is beyond me,” said Arkansas Rep. Bill Spittoon. “It […]

  • Small World: The struggle for Syria

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist (Secretary Kerry gave the U.S. reasons for accusing the Syrian regime of gassing “its own people.” He offered no evidence that could be investigated and analyzed. Echoes of Colin Powell at the U.N. before the Iraq invasion.) Perhaps by the time you read these words the United States will have […]

  • My Irish Up: Hot and cold running water

    By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist The pitter-patter of steel-shod feet overhead prompting the intended late riser to greet the dawn with excoriations; or the ramshackle piles of mulch and toys and lawn equipment and caskets in the hallway that casually lean out to trip up the darksome returnee to the nest; or the meager lawn-side […]

  • Earth Notes: Wildlands philanthropy

    By Joyce White I am deeply grateful to those individuals who have used their imaginations and resources to protect land from exploitation and make it available for other people to enjoy. Edward Humes wrote Eco Barons in 2009 about a band of visionaries — inventors, philanthropists, philosophers, earth activists, lawyers — who are using their […]

  • Small World: Egypt in Crisis, a glossary

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist Making sense of the current turmoil in Egypt is no simple task, especially for those who have not spent years puzzling out the riddles of the Sphinx. Let me offer a guide to some elements — without claiming they come without bias: Factions. The press tells us there are three […]

  • My Irish Up: Time for impeachment

    By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist It’s high time we impeached the president, unless we already did that and I missed it. During the Congressional recess, impeachment is crowding out every other subject, including even the issues of building a 50-foot wall around the entire United States, or what to do with Syria, or remembering to […]