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"The highest office in the land is that of citizen."
Harry Truman, 1884 - 1972

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Margaret Mead, 1901 - 1978

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Plato, 427 BC - 347 BC

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Front Page » About J.P. Michaud

J.P. Michaud

JP MichaudJ.P. Michaud is a research scientist, currently serving as an assistant professor of entomology researching new ways to protect agriculture from insect pests. In addition to his own widely lauded research, he reviews manuscripts and articles for numerous scientific publications and sits on the editorial boards of two international journals.

J.P.'s interests aren't limited to the scientific study of plants and insects. He is also a photographer and world traveler. Like many citizens, he closely observes and hopes to understand some of the challenges facing communities and society. We are fortunate indeed that he takes the time to share his personal insights and thoughts with us here. You can browse through and read entries from J.P.'s complete historical blog archives here.


July 11, 2008

Louisiana’s Assault on Science: Freedom of Ignorance

By J.P. Michaud on July 11, 2008

"Evolutionists use a variety of methods to silence alternate viewpoints. They say people are trying to 'inject religious views into science courses....'

"Many reputable scientists and scholars disagree with Darwin's theory of evolution and certainly challenge it. Evolutionists say they don't want biased religious views forced on students. Ironically, Darwin's evolutionary theory is based is atheistic naturalism, a religious belief." (Floyd and Mary Beth Brown)

I write this in response to that written by Floyd and Mary Beth Brown (here and above). They refer to a piece of legislation in Louisiana that was correctly described by the New York Times as a "Trojan Horse" that seeks to invite criticism of the established facts of science under the guise of "freedom of academic speech."

Global warming is poorly understood as yet, and eminently debatable from various scientific angles. Human cloning is an issue that must be addressed for its sociological and ethical implications, debates that are completely beyond the purview of science. However, evolutionary theory is not dogged by any such uncertainty or ethical dilemma, and the Times correctly identifies it as "the unchallenged central organizing principle for modern biology."

Read More ...

May 4, 2008

Renewable Energy Hypocrisy

By J.P. Michaud on May 4, 2008

It seems that politicians of every stripe have a new buzzword to abuse. Preface any project or technology with the word *renewable* and it is almost guaranteed to generate automatic public support and popularity – even though it is invariably linked to some handout for big corporate interests. Coincidence? I think not. It reflects the covert stranglehold that corporate interests have gained over our political process. Powerful lobby groups representing private interest sectors are the primary beneficiaries of such policy, rather than the public interest.

Read More ...

April 2, 2008

Below Media Radar: The Next American Civil War

By J.P. Michaud on April 2, 2008

It isn’t the south against the north. It isn’t Christians versus Muslims. It isn't even the rich versus the poor. It is a civil war arising from the land use conflicts inherent in alternative energy generation initiatives and it thrives on a certain disconnect between urban and rural elements of our society.

While rural communities possess the required land resources, large urban centers have the hunger for the power and the political influence needed to acquire it, along with little empathy for the pastoral quality of life that defines and motivates rural living.

Politicians of almost every stripe are currently stampeding over each other to masquerade as protectors of the environment by promoting and embracing 'renewable energy'...

Read More ...

December 31, 2007

Farm subsidies have many unintended effects

By J.P. Michaud on December 31, 2007

First, let me clarify a point from my earlier blog on biofuels and farm subsidies. Food should cost more than it does for two reasons: because the true costs of production are not factored in to the price, and because a large portion of the price is currently paid by government in the form of subsidies. What I failed to clarify adequately was my view that these costs should be borne by American consumers - not the farmers.

When I criticized farm subsidies I was not criticizing the farmers who have become dependent upon them, but rather an inefficient and undesirable way of funding agriculture.

We pride ourselves on being a democracy that thrives on a free market system. Subsidies distort free market forces, hide the true cost of food to consumers, and often encourage wasteful production practices.

For example, subsidizing diesel for agriculture encourages excessive tillage, a practice we are trying to discourage to improve soil and moisture conservation. It is generally agreed by economists in the World Trade Organization, including the American representatives, that agricultural subsidies are not a good thing, do not encourage sustainable and efficient agriculture, and should be ultimately abolished. But no country is willing to take the first step in eliminating subsidies because in doing so they put their own farmers at an immediate economic disadvantage. Only if all countries acted simultaneously would no single country be disadvantaged by acting first. Farmers would obtain the same profits, but consumers would pay more of their actual food bill at the supermarket and less of it through taxes.

Read More ...

December 12, 2007

Food prices will go up - for the wrong reasons

By J.P. Michaud on December 12, 2007

As a scientist involved in agricultural production for many years, I have long said that food is undervalued and under priced in our society. Now the price of our food is set to skyrocket -- but for all the wrong reasons.

There are two reasons the price of basic foods was held at artificially low levels for so many years in America. The first was taxpayer subsidies that stimulated excess production of corn, wheat and soybeans.

These are "key" commodities because they are converted into many other forms of food, including chicken, beef and dairy products. We have been fooling ourselves with low food prices at the supermarket because we have already a paid a large portion of the price with our tax dollars.

At the same time, by depressing the value of these commodities with our overproduction, we have pushed subsistence farmers into ever deeper poverty in poor countries where subsidies are not available.

Read More ...

July 21, 2007

Farmers Encouraged to Consider All Factors of Wind

By J.P. Michaud on July 21, 2007

Is wind energy compatible with agriculture?

This is a compelling question given the proliferation of wind farms. The wind might be free, but harvesting it comes at a hefty price, in terms of the technology required, and the large areas of agricultural land required to site turbines.

The net value of wind energy to society is a controversial and technical issue, but farmers might be concerned whether the land can remain a farm in the conventional sense, as most wind developers claim.

Read More ...

June 1, 2007

My Local Zoning Board: Conflicts of Interest

By J.P. Michaud on June 1, 2007

Corruption may have occurred in the zoning process that led up to the conditional use application for a wind energy development in my county - Ellis County, Kansas. If any of you have following the efforts of my group, the Ellis County Environmental Awareness Coalition, to stop the "wind farm" from being built in such close proximity to so many residences, you may be interested in these chronology of events.

Read More ...

May 4, 2007

When Outrage is Foisted on Unsuspecting Citizens

By J.P. Michaud on May 4, 2007

Regarding the industrial wind power project some would like to build next to my town and near my home, I belong to all three of the groups described by Paul Faber.

I feel the siting of this project is entirely inappropriate, I have little faith in the ability of wind power to make any meaningful contribution to renewable energy.

I am outraged by the devious and undemocratic process by which this project has been foisted on unsuspecting citizens.

Read More ...

April 28, 2007

Citizen Meeting at Fox Pavilion

By J.P. Michaud on April 28, 2007

If you live in Ellis County, Kansas, you are invited to attend an important citizen meeting on May 2nd, 2007!

Read More ...

April 10, 2007

Windfarm Madness - It's Nationwide

By J.P. Michaud on April 10, 2007

At first I thought we were the only rural community facing the threat of "forced industrialization by wind farm". I was wrong. All across America, indeed all across the world, associations are forming to protest the desecration of peaceful rural areas by wind farm developments. Despite virtually complete disregard for these stories by mainstream media outlets, community battles are raging in 20 states against the placement of these undesirable and environmentally destructive projects in inappropriate locations. Rural America is under attack on countless fronts and common citizens are having to organize themselves to stand up for their rights in the face of galloping corporate greed that seeks to siphon off massive government subsidies and tax incentives without regard for the rights of rural residents or any respect for local environmental preservation.

Read More ...

Want to browse more blogs? You might wish to go to our table of contents to find articles under specific topics or headings. You can also look for entries in our archives by a particular day, by a particular month and year.


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Democratic National Convention

Everyday Citizen has been selected as one of only 55 blogs nationwide to be "embedded" with convention delegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, August 25th to 29th. Plus, Everyday Citizen is among only 120 total blog sites credentialed in the nation.

Also thanks to wonderful hosts in Denver like ProgressNow and other orgs, many of our EC authors are looking forward to some great networking with other activists and grassroots organizers in the Big Tent in Denver. The Big Tent is a precious resource for our budget conscious and travel weary activists!

Our group of Everyday Citizen authors will be blogging from the Big Tent, blogging from the caucuses, and enjoying some unprecedented and unfettered access to the delegate floor, above and beyond the privileges provided to traditional media. We hope you stay tuned right here for your ongoing, close-up and ringside blog coverage of this historic convention!

Read our press release here >>