How can there be peace when the people who cause war still clamor for the perpetuation of our misery? The arrogance that lives in the government palaces and the houses of the lords of land and big business is still screaming for war and death for our race; they won’t tolerate the idea that indigenous [...]

“This focus on diversity is good. It is the future of conservation. It is good.” -Dave Magpiong “There was so much incentive for me to stop birdwatching.” -John C. Robinson I spent all day Saturday at the Focus on Diversity: Changing the Face of American Birding conference organized ably by the irrepressible Dave Magpiong and a host [...]

The next time a bird poops on your car, think carefully before you act. Consider who the rightful owner of this rich resource might be and weigh the consequences of hasty action. Now a car manufacturer might suggest that you remove the caustic substance immediately with a soft cloth, but are they really the right people to [...]

U.S. Route 12 passes through Idaho and Montana as a two-lane undivided highway snaking along the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers, shaded by the trees and cliffs of two national forests. It takes tourists to hot springs and historic markers, bicyclists and motorcyclists on the ride of their lives, locals to the skiing and sport fishing [...]

Given the events of the last 24 hours it seemed inappropriate to have my weekly New Zealand post be about a jolly pelagic trip. The country is still reeling from Tuesday’s catastrophic earthquake in Christchurch which has killed at least 70 people and has levelled numerous buildings in the centre of the country’s second largest [...]

There are many things that are special about Montana, but my favorite, the thing that makes me most pleased with my new state, is one that few people know about. It’s not visible to the naked eye like the mountains and the rivers and the fabled Big Sky; it’s not easy to find with a [...]

Right now I should be enjoying astounding views of the greatest natural wonder my country has to offer.  I should be standing on the south rim of the Grand Canyon with my jaw on the ground, seeing what James Fisher described in Wild America with these words: The world ended; began again eight miles away.  [...]

Hi, everyone! I’m honored to have Corey ask me to be an occasional Beat Blogger for 10,000 Birds. Those of you who read my blog, Julie Zickefoose, know that it’s a shiny happy place. But I got a letter from a friend in Tennessee that made me grind my teeth, and I wanted to alert [...]

Rand Paul, the Republican candidate for United States Senate from the state of Kentucky, is either dumber than a doorknob or completely in the bag for big coal.  Check this out from the forthcoming issue of Details: Paul believes mountaintop removal just needs a little rebranding. “I think they should name it something better,” he [...]

The United States Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, has announced that the votes aren’t there to act on climate change legislation this year.  Why?  Because no Republican senators would vote on the right side of history.  So another year goes by, this one likely to be the hottest year in the history of record-keeping, and [...]

At first glance the answer seems obvious: of course creationists can be birders!  Everyone can be a birder regardless of what it is that they believe.  So perhaps it would be better to phrase the question like this: “Can creationists possibly appreciate birds as much as non-creationists?”  And then the answer gets a bit murky, [...]

We here at 10,000 Birds tend not to wear our politics on our sleeves, preferring to focus on birds, bugs, nature and conservation.  But the current election for President of the United States is critical: after eight years of the Bush Administration gutting environmental regulations and being almost completely inactive on global warming (when not [...]

We the people own in common all sorts of physical resources, valuable commodities that certain business entities or organizations would love to get their greedy talons on. Since you and I lack the time, infrastructure, or, frankly, the expertise to manage our massive portfolio, we appoint agents to manage them for us. Actually, we elect [...]

Of course there is much more to the American commons portfolio than mineral wealth waiting to be extracted, air and water resources eager to be bent to man’s will. Our dominion, as some describe it, extends over countless flora and fauna. Many of these species serve as commercial goods as components of textiles, construction, or [...]

Real estate comprises a substantial portion of what we consider the American commons, but as important as land is, we can’t forget about those assets that lie beneath, grow upon, or billow above it. Clean air, for example, is a priceless commodity. Those who believe otherwise have never seen smog settle like a shroud over [...]

The law locks up the man or woman Who steals the goose from off the common But leaves the greater villain loose Who steals the common from off the goose. The law demands that we atone When we take things we do not own But leaves the lords and ladies fine Who take things that [...]

The Cato Institute is far from the only organization spinning the snake-oil salesman line about how the commons are best preserved by being sold off and exploited. It is no coincidence that the advocates of privatization are also rampant opponents of conservation. Consumerism all the way, baby! Who opposes the protection of the commons? I [...]

For many, the idea of assets and ecosystems is too abstract. Commodities like timber are too dry (sometimes literally) and boring to care about. Let’s get to the good stuff. What are some of the really cool things we the American people own? How about these: Acadia National Park Arches National Park Big Bend National [...]

What exactly are these commons you’re supposed to protect? You, as an American citizen, own an incredible wealth of natural resources. Maybe the magnitude of this windfall hasn’t sunk in yet. The concept of purple mountains majesty and fruited plains seems so ambiguous. What exactly is included in the American commons? The US encompasses six, [...]

In 2006, I penned a series of posts explaining the myriad reasons why we (meaning the United States) as a nation need to protect our commons. The shameless efforts of the Bush Administration to sell off public lands and assets to private corporations were what initially drove me to explore these issues, but my frustration [...]