For our first issue of 2018, the R&L editorial board wanted to put together a very special “green” issue. We traveled across the country and talked to many experts to bring you essays, interviews, reviews and more, focusing on the environment, good stewardship and the importance of property rights.

“Marotz-Baden Ranch” by John Couretas

For the cover story, Director of Communications John Couretas and I ventured to Bozeman, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park. In “Growing pains in the Romance Lands,” Couretas describes the difficulties of preserving land while also allowing for businesses to grow and munities to be built. In an panying feature, “Betting the ranch”, Couretas profiles John and Ramona Baden, who put their Montana ranch into a conservation easement rather than cashing it in.

Last year, I visited Washington state where I spoke with Todd Myers, director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center. We discuss everything from dolphin-safe tuna, leaded gasoline and the importance of where people who care about the environment actually live. You can find all that in “A conversation about the best policies for the environment.”

For our transatlantic sections, you can find an essay from Bishop Dominique Rey about why our language is so important when discussing environmental concerns in “Going back to the grammar of creation.” Philip Booth talks about Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and what it’s missing. “Laudato si’ would have been a more rounded document if it had considered the importance of private property for the protection of the environment,” Booth argues.

Bruce Edward Walker reviews The Death and Life of the Great Lakes and discusses why these bodies of water are so important to us in the midwest.

Featured in our “green” liberal tradition is Aldo Leopold, the “father of ecology.” Leopold truly practiced what he preached and used his own land to test conservation and restoration efforts. He spoke about the importance of “individual responsibility for the health of the land” and the importance of private property rights for the good of the land

Featured Image: “Mammoth Springs” by John Couretas