Departments

Thank you for the amazing analysis of income disparity by Jonathan Thompson (“The wealth abyss,” December 2021). More unequal countries tend to have more teenage pregnancy, mental illness, drug use, obesity, prisoners, school dropouts, lower life expectancy and lower status for women. The more unequal a country is, the more likely the biodiversity of its […]

Jonathan Thompson’s graphic report on methane is excellent and should be widely shared (“What you can’t see can hurt,” November 2021). One subtext of his reporting is that cattle production produces more methane than the oil and gas industry — 36% (digestion plus manure) versus 30%. When you consider livestock industry methane pollution, along with […]

I read your article — “The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along” (November 2021) — and thought about a conversation I had with my 16-year-old daughter. She was livid and outraged about her American history class, because she wasn’t satisfied with what she’s being taught. She told me, “Native […]

“All my Relations” (December 2021) was an excellent story, full of facts and without “snarky” political overtones or condemnations of some sort. It was very thought-provoking, poignant and sad to read. Such governmental overlap and bureaucracy seem so frustrating. Jerry C. ReichCornelia, Georgia This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the […]

The December issue was the best I’ve seen in years of reading HCN. The topper was Lee van der Voo’s fabulous piece, “Betting the Ranch.” It was a complex and tremendously insightful story about the way big-shouldered meat distribution companies like Tyson Foods can outmuscle even giant ranchers and dominate the economics of the cattle-raising […]

I’ve read HCN frequently since moving to Montana in 2014 and have been a subscriber for the past few years. The December 2021 issue stands out to me as one of the best in recent years. The depth and breadth of topics, the engaging infographics, and the photographs and illustration brought life to the excellent […]

I just finished your article on changing racist place names (“Decolonizing Idaho’s road signs,” November 2021) and wanted to thank you for writing on this topic. I am a California-born Chinese-American, and I always feel a bit better about the suffering my people have undergone when I see things improving for others who have suffered even […]

Nick Bowlin’s article (“Teton troubles,” December 2021) singles out one particular instance of mountain town development but fails to mention the even larger issue we face in Teton Valley. Short-term rentals are eliminating the long-term rental market. Second homeowners and part-time residents see dollar signs and largely don’t care about the stresses it creates for […]

I was deeply moved by Brook Thompson’s article about the ongoing tragedy of the Klamath and her people (“The familial bond between the Klamath River and the Yurok people,” September 2021). I only wish that there could be a solution imminent, but I fear that the alienation of Western (European) “culture” from the natural world […]