Expert Statements Worth Paying Attention To
By Donella Meadows
–July 10, 1997–
Lay the world’s economists end to end, goes an old joke, and they’ll still point in every direction. Ask the world’s scientists about the environment, goes a modern myth, and they’ll disagree.
But surprisingly large numbers of scientists and even economists have been agreeing lately and issuing stunning public statements — stunning because of the extent of [...]
Which Future?
By Donella Meadows
–Winter 1995/96–
The following scenarios were developed in detail and with care by an association of systems analysts and representatives of the Protestant church. Hartmut Bossel of the Environmental Systems Research Center at the University of Kassel in Germany, led the team, which considered both the actual dynamic processes going on in the world and their mutual interactions.
Scenario A: [...]
An Instrument Panel to Help Seattle Fly Sustainably
By Donella Meadows
–November 23, 1995–
When you fly a plane, you need an instrument panel in front of you, with lights and dials telling you how well the parts are working, what direction you’re headed, whether there are obstacles ahead, and how much fuel you have.
If you’re guiding a complex social mechanism like a city, you need even more lights and [...]
Politicians Have No Idea What People Really Want
By Donella Meadows
–October 5, 1995–
I should be writing about how the grinches in Congress are trying to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, or about their latest tricks for stomping on the poor while handing the nation’s resources to the rich, or about their lack of interest in hearing public comment on these depredations.
But I get tired of being outraged. No [...]
Dear Folks: February 24, 1995
Dear Folks,
It’s only February, but the first lambs are in the barn!
They were born yesterday. I found them out in the barnyard, wet and wobbly when I came out to do the morning chores. We had barely started watching for them. They’re the result of an accident. A kindly neighbor mistakenly let the errant ewes into the pasture with Wally [...]
