Blackout: Energy History Repeats Itself by David Morris Originally published on TomPaine.com, August 15, 2003 Who says history doesn’t repeat itself? On November 9, 1965 at little past 5 p.m., some 30 million people in eight Northeastern states and two Canadian provinces were plunged into darkness. Hundreds of thousands of people found themselves trapped on immobilized … Read More
There’s Something To The State Of Denmark by David Morris Originally published on TomPaine.com, August 8, 2003 “We’re from the government and we’re here to help.” In the United States, such a statement elicits gales of laughter. Even in my home state of Minnesota, a state with a well-deserved liberal reputation, the belief that government is … Read More
We Don’t Need a National Energy Bill By David Morris Originally Published on Alternet, August 5, 2003 Two days before the August recess, the nation’s oil and coal and nuclear companies had run out of time. Despite the vigorous efforts of Republicans, Senate Democrats had stalled a vote on an energy bill. It looked like the … Read More
Business Forum: Beware of private solutions to public problems By David Morris Originally Published on Alternet, April 24, 2003 The words we use reflect the values we hold and the times in which we live. At the birth of the American Republic the word “private ” had a sinister connotation. Derived from the Latin privare, meaning … Read More
Second Thoughts on a Hydrogen Economy By David Morris Originally Published on Alternet, February 24, 2003 When George Bush proposed a $1.7 billion program to promote hydrogen-fueled cars in the State of the Union Address, both sides of the aisle applauded. Almost everyone supports a hydrogen economy – conservatives and liberals, tree huggers and oil drillers. … Read More
Business Forum: Free Trade is Not Free By David Morris Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 16, 2002 It is hard to argue against free trade. The phrase itself conspires against the critic. Free trade, free markets, free enterprise — all bear the magically seductive word “free.” So to discuss free trade, let’s first … Read More
Kissinger and Bin Laden Offer a Dangerous Symmetry By David Morris Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 5, 2002 President Bush believes Henry Kissinger is the best choice to head up an investigation into the adequacy of our defenses against Al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. He may be right. After all, as the schoolyard … Read More
Business Forum: When it comes to good energy planning, Xcel is in the way By David Morris Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 13, 2002 Recent revelations about Xcel’s corporate conduct have galvanized a flurry of activism by state agencies. The Attorney General’s office, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Department of Commerce … Read More
For Farmers, a Rare Exercise in Economic Democracy By David Morris September 29, 2002 Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune A few days ago the shareholders of a large Minnesota company approved the company’s sale to a much larger corporation headquartered in Illinois. In and of itself, this was no big news. Last year some … Read More
