Two Letters Across a Gulf
By Donella Meadows
–January 5, 1988–
“Dear Mrs. Meadows,
“Are you one of the people who really believe what you write, or are you one of those who are trying to dupe the public?
“Fortunately, it is no secret that the media IS biased and IS (to use the word) LIBERAL. Fortunately also, “grassroots” America hasn’t bought the bill of goods that you all [...]
Let’s Do the Environment Story Better This Time
By Donella Meadows
–December 15, 1988–
The media are buzzing with ecological consciousness. Garbage barges and the greenhouse effect are on Page One. PBS and CNN are making documentaries on the state of the planet. A researcher for “Entertainment Tonight” even called me the other day, asking whether I think television covers environmental issues adequately.
College environmental science enrollments have tripled this year. [...]
A Guide to American Campaign Language
By Donella Meadows
–October 13, 1988–
My European friends are watching our election with mystification. They see a young, powerful country with a massive deficit, a negative trade balance, a quarter of its children growing up in poverty, an eroding environment, an opportunity for a turnaround in nuclear arms — and its Presidential candidates are talking about the FLAG.
Is someone threatening your [...]
Drugs in the Bloodstream of Democracy
By Donella Meadows
–October 6, 1988–
The members of the International Olympics Committee pointed out clearly and calmly, after they stripped Ben Johnson of his gold medal, that if they don’t enforce fair competition, the whole game will fall into ruin. Referees have to be present at every match to call fouls. Candidates who soup up their performance with drugs must be [...]
The Greenhouse Effect Meets the Press
By Donella Meadows
–June 30, 1988–
Thanks to the Midwest drought, reporters have caught on to the greenhouse effect. The phones of climatologists and environmentalists have been ringing off the hook. Experts on long-term climate change are quoted on the front page of the paper, asked to testify before Congress, interviewed on the “Today” show. Is the drought the first sign of [...]
