Environment
Agriculture
Wolf plan needs to develop more quickly
While wolves decide beef is what’s for dinner, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is slow to address the urgent need for ranch rescue plans. A New Year’s Day wolf attack at a ranch in Lassen County highlights that, perhaps, the state is moving too slowly in its approach ...
Agriculture
Chocolate cake is real food, too
All food is “real” food. The implication of using phrases like “real food” suggests there are food that are “fake,” “dishonest,” “artificial,” or in some other way harmful. The colloquialism “the dose makes the poison” is as applicable to food as it is to its toxicological origins. More specifically, one ...
Blog
Energy Markets Still Punish Policy Weakness
Venezuela illustrates how quickly political dysfunction can translate into market risk. Once one of the world’s largest oil producers, the country has spent years constrained by mismanagement, corruption, and chronic instability. The consequence is not just lower output. It is persistent uncertainty that markets price in long before any formal ...
Agriculture
New paper on predator management looks at wolves in the western U.S.
The answer is nuanced and differs based on what each state hopes to achieve by having wolves living within the state’s borders. Each state in the western United States has either developed its own map for success or seems to be grappling with how to address a way forward now. ...
Commentary
Newsom budget expands green subsidies taxpayers can’t afford
California is staring at a $3 billion budget deficit, but Gov. Gavin Newsom still wants to spend $200 million on electric vehicle rebates. It’s both a foolish gesture and a graphic example of why Sacramento can’t get spending under control. The funds would replace the $7,500 federal EV tax credits ...
Blog
“Nice Try” Won’t Really Lower Prices at Pump for California Drivers
The law required input from the California Air Resources Board to take effect, which recently said the blend “does not pose a significant adverse impact on public health or the environment compared to” the blend that it is replacing. The new blend, E15, is made with up to 15% ethanol, a biofuel produced ...
Commentary
Does California Want To Be Part Of The Nuclear Renaissance?
As the California Coastal Commission agreed this month to keep the state’s last nuclear energy plant open for at least five more years, the Trump administration announced federal funding for the development of small modular nuclear reactors. The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo Power Plant, the only remaining nuclear energy ...
Agriculture
‘Bridge payments’ to nowhere: time for ag to find its own path
The Trump administration recently announced $12 billion in “bridge payments” for American farmers and ranchers to provide relief from tariffs and “other economic challenges.” American farmers and ranchers are suffering. The national Farm Aid suicide prevention hotline has reported an increase in calls year-over-year and farm bankruptcies for 2025 have ...
California
The Real Cost of Coexistence: How Wolf Policies Are Failing Western Ranchers
Key Takeaways There are nearly 3,500 gray and Mexican wolves scattered across the western United States. Every time cattle are eaten by wolves, taxpayers reimburse ranchers for their losses. Depending on the state, that reimbursement can cost anywhere from $500 to $15,000 per animal. Ranch income is negatively impacted by ...
Blog
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
Wolf plan needs to develop more quickly
While wolves decide beef is what’s for dinner, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is slow to address the urgent need for ranch rescue plans. A New Year’s Day wolf attack at a ranch in Lassen County highlights that, perhaps, the state is moving too slowly in its approach ...
Chocolate cake is real food, too
All food is “real” food. The implication of using phrases like “real food” suggests there are food that are “fake,” “dishonest,” “artificial,” or in some other way harmful. The colloquialism “the dose makes the poison” is as applicable to food as it is to its toxicological origins. More specifically, one ...
Energy Markets Still Punish Policy Weakness
Venezuela illustrates how quickly political dysfunction can translate into market risk. Once one of the world’s largest oil producers, the country has spent years constrained by mismanagement, corruption, and chronic instability. The consequence is not just lower output. It is persistent uncertainty that markets price in long before any formal ...
New paper on predator management looks at wolves in the western U.S.
The answer is nuanced and differs based on what each state hopes to achieve by having wolves living within the state’s borders. Each state in the western United States has either developed its own map for success or seems to be grappling with how to address a way forward now. ...
Newsom budget expands green subsidies taxpayers can’t afford
California is staring at a $3 billion budget deficit, but Gov. Gavin Newsom still wants to spend $200 million on electric vehicle rebates. It’s both a foolish gesture and a graphic example of why Sacramento can’t get spending under control. The funds would replace the $7,500 federal EV tax credits ...
“Nice Try” Won’t Really Lower Prices at Pump for California Drivers
The law required input from the California Air Resources Board to take effect, which recently said the blend “does not pose a significant adverse impact on public health or the environment compared to” the blend that it is replacing. The new blend, E15, is made with up to 15% ethanol, a biofuel produced ...
Does California Want To Be Part Of The Nuclear Renaissance?
As the California Coastal Commission agreed this month to keep the state’s last nuclear energy plant open for at least five more years, the Trump administration announced federal funding for the development of small modular nuclear reactors. The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo Power Plant, the only remaining nuclear energy ...
‘Bridge payments’ to nowhere: time for ag to find its own path
The Trump administration recently announced $12 billion in “bridge payments” for American farmers and ranchers to provide relief from tariffs and “other economic challenges.” American farmers and ranchers are suffering. The national Farm Aid suicide prevention hotline has reported an increase in calls year-over-year and farm bankruptcies for 2025 have ...
The Real Cost of Coexistence: How Wolf Policies Are Failing Western Ranchers
Key Takeaways There are nearly 3,500 gray and Mexican wolves scattered across the western United States. Every time cattle are eaten by wolves, taxpayers reimburse ranchers for their losses. Depending on the state, that reimbursement can cost anywhere from $500 to $15,000 per animal. Ranch income is negatively impacted by ...
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
