Hunger and Surplus Rise and Fall Together
By Donella Meadows
–May 7, 1987–
The simultaneous occurrence of hunger and of mountains of surplus food is obscene. It’s also expensive. And it’s persistent, in spite of hunger-reduction and surplus-reduction policies of many governments the world over.
Last year the United States, Japan, and Europe spent $100 billion to protect their farmers against low prices caused by agricultural overproduction. Half that amount [...]
Home, Home on the Loam
By Donella Meadows
–April 30, 1987–
It’s Earth Day 1987 at the University of Wisconsin, where Earth Day is alive and well. A retired professor of Soil Science, with the appropriate name of Francis D. Hole, comes to visit the Environmental Conservation class. He is a white-haired pixie who exudes more energy than all 120 laid-back students combined. He is carrying a [...]
A Billion-Dollar Primer
By Donella Meadows
–April 23, 1987–
The President is requesting $6 billion for Star Wars. U.S. farmers received $23 billion in subsidies last year. Congress overrode the veto on the $88 billion highway plan.
All these billions of dollars whizzing about in the news are vitally important, I’m sure. As taxpayers and citizens we ought to keep our eyes on them. But personally, [...]
Dear Folks: April 20, 1987
Dear Folks,
It’s changed a lot around here since the last time I wrote. The transformation from March to April is hard to believe in this North Country. One month ago everything was white and frozen. Now the snow is gone, the grass is beginning to green up, and the forests have taken on the subtle pinky-brown color of the maple [...]
Land Protection Is More than Champagne and Quiche
By Donella Meadows
–April 16, 1987–
Some people here in New England say that land protection is a “champagne and quiche” issue. They clearly doesn’t understand land economics. Land protection is an issue for hunters, fishermen, hikers, snowmobilers, anyone who is a tourist or has a tourism-related job, anyone who has a groundwater well, anyone who uses paper or lumber, drinks milk [...]
