tonybogar’s Recent Comments

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  Klamath River: Deal or No Deal?

  Friends of the River has been heavily involved in these negotiations for years, and we think this is good but ...

  The preliminary agreement announced yesterday is certainly a step in the right direction. But we still have a lot of work left to do. The agreement resolves significant water issues in the Klamath basin and sets up a restoration program to bring salmon back. Despite news reports, though, it doesn't include the removal of PacifiCorp's four outdated, destructive dams on the Klamath River. That will come in a settlement with PacifiCorp.

  So Friends of the River, PacifiCorp, California, and everyone else involved in negotiations still has to work hard to save the Klamath.On Deal reached to remove Klamath River dams for salmon; obstacles remain posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

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  Friends of the River

  This is a shameless plug for the group I work at: Friends of the River, California's statewide river preservation group. We'll take your money and put it to good use! Check us out at www.friendsoftheriver.org.

  On a less self-centered note, think about your food bank. My wife and I also work with local farmers, and food and land use are big issues to us. Our gift to each other this year was a donation to our local food bank, which does a good job of using surplus food from local farmers. That, in turn, promotes local, small famers and their environmentally friendly practices.On Umbra on green donations posted 1 year, 9 months ago 21 Responses

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  Eggs in Australia

  I lived in Oz for several years, and no one and no store refrigerated their eggs. We had our own chickens and never refrigerated the eggs. Egg farmers and retailers gave me a good reason. In Australia eggs are not scrubbed clean before they are packed, as they are in the USA. Hence, American eggs actually lose their natural protection and therefore need to be refrigerated. No one ever mentioned irradiation, which is still not widely accepted in Oz as far as I know.On Umbra on refrigerator downsizing posted 2 years, 3 months ago 34 Responses

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  Growth Fetish

  A few years ago, when I lived in Australia, I read a book by Clive Hamilton titled "The Growth Fetish". As its name implies, he argues that GDP growth is not the ultimate measure of success. He then argues that capitalism today depends not on companies buying and selling commodities, but on you and me buying "stuff". Therefore, we have more power to control the economy and its impact than ever before. I am simplifying this too much, but essentially if we stop buying into the marketing that tells us we need to buy every new product, then we can slow down the damage we are doing.On Following U.S. consumerism through the fields of China and Brazil posted 2 years, 7 months ago 6 Responses

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  The biggest subsidy

  Could someone comment on the benefits and costs of eliminating the most widespread subsidy: the residential mortgage tax deduction? If we eliminated that, could we slow the endless cycle of buying homes, carpets, appliances, etc. and reach more realistic costs for them? I lived in Australia, where there is no residential mortgage deduction. Unfortunately, they allow the deduction for investment properties, so real estate is the mom-and-pop investment of choice these days. That, of course, spurs home building. I know it is political suicide at this point, but is it even a good idea economically?
  On A challenge to all of those enamored with common property ownership posted 3 years, 3 months ago 20 Responses