The Sportscar of Showerheads
By Donella Meadows
–August 31, 1989–
The best antidote to the greenhouse effect, to acid rain, to urban air pollution, nuclear wastes, and high energy bills is energy conservation. If we stopped throwing away most of the energy we use, we could get a lot more bang and a lot less blight for the buck.
Rocky Mountain Institute (known to its friends as [...]
Eco-Chic for the Eco-Freak
By Donella Meadows
–May 25, 1989–
A young environmentalist friend was telling me the other day that she can’t eat a tuna fish sandwich without being ragged by her compatriots. “Is that albacore?” they pry. “If not, why not?”
Eco-fashion has evolved. When I was a young activist, back around Earth Day 1970, we did not eat tuna at all. It was laced [...]
A Development Worth Watching
Costa Rica sets good example with its “Strategy for Sustainable Development”
By Donella Meadows
–Winter 1989–
After two years of research, Costa Rica has produced a remarkable national “Strategy for Sustainable Development.” Costa Rica already has a lot going for it – it is a fiercely democratic country, maintains no army, and spends the money that would go to the military on education and [...]
A Negabarrel Saved is a Barrel Earned
By Donella Meadows
–June 2, 1988–
Amory Lovins shuttles around the world carrying a small suitcase that contains, he says, the equivalent of 200 large power plants plus all the oil that runs through the trans-Alaska pipeline.
What it really contains is energy-saving lightbulbs, motors, showerheads, and other devices. They help Amory get across the most basic points about energy, namely:
1). No one [...]
Earth Care Paper — Doing Well and Doing Good
By Donella Meadows
–March 17, 1988–
I like to collect stories of planet-conscious businesses, companies that run their affairs in ways that sustain the earth’s resources. There are more such stories than you might think, and they are more than mere curiosities. They are glimpses into the future. They show that there are still products and profits to be made after we [...]
