My June 11 commentary, "Losing Ground: The Fight to Save the Soil that Feeds Us," focused on the rapid depletion of arable soil, the foundation of our food security.
That’s just one of many environmental issues that have concerned me over the years and about which I’ve wanted to raise awareness through these pages.
But the story doesn’t end with dirt. I’ve also worried about the extinction of species and what that means for our human sustainability and the health of the planet.
I see the health of soil as bound to the insects that till it, the plants that root in it, the animals that feed on those plants and the humans who depend on it all. The extinction crisis is not an isolated phenomenon, but a collection of interconnected threads in a collapsing web of life.
Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →
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Commentator Herb Paine examines a crucial but under-explored dimension of the current moment: How the Jewish community responds ethically when Jewish continuity intersects with political power in Israel. -
One piece of Arizona's property politics puzzle involves middle housing (sometimes referred to as missing middle housing to highlight the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings). Commentator Herb Paine examines the concept and its practical implications. -
From Arizona to New York, it appears that a "new housing economy" is emerging, shaped by short-term rentals and backyard units. Commentator Herb Paine explores how this development is testing the balance between personal profit and the public need for homes and stable communities. -
Commentator Herb Paine reflects on what’s truly at stake in Arizona’s 2026 elections — not just who wins, but whether the system that makes winning possible can endure. The elections may be a bellwether for the nation: a test of civic trust, political integrity, and the resilience of democracy in an age of disruption and division. -
Commentator Herb Paine highlights his observations about an all-too-common and increasingly frequent intrusion of extremism into the halls of local governance — from Scottsdale to Tampa.
