Deeply Saddened by the State of the Union
By Donella Meadows
–January 29, 1998–
Like many Americans, I snapped this week. Snapped off the TV. And the radio, even venerable NPR. “Shut up!” I yelled. “I don’t want to hear this!”
I stomped around delivering my own gloomy state of the union address to myself. Then I realized that I was not the one who needed to hear it. This is [...]
Dear Folks: January 25, 1998
Dear Folks, What I should be doing is reading the great pile of student papers on my desk, but it’s more fun to write to you.
My annual teaching term at Dartmouth has begun, which always drops a full-time job right into the center of my already over
(Simon the cat walked across the keyboard here. I don’t usually let him leave his [...]
Veggie Libel Suits are Meant to Slapp Free Speech
By Donella Meadows
–January 22, 1998–
The label “veggie libel law” makes the whole affair sound silly. But Oprah Winfrey is being sued for insulting beef, not beans. And the case is not trivial. If Oprah loses, we all lose some free speech and food safety protections.
The proper term is “agricultural disparagement laws.” Thirteen states have already adopted such laws; 14 more, [...]
The Asian Meltdown and the Myth of Ascendant Capitalism
By Donella Meadows
–January 15, 1998–
The Washington Post quotes a portfolio manager for Asian mutual funds: “We do not get a very good grade for spotting Asia’s problem.” Michael Sivy, chief investment strategist at Money magazine, says, “Everyone is genuinely surprised by the decline.” He’s the one who wrote an article titled: “How to Cash in on the Asia Boom,” which [...]
Meeting the Kyoto Standards — Piece of Cake
By Donella Meadows
–January 8, 1998–
The Kyoto climate conference is over, the holidays are over, it’s the morning after. Our government, with other governments, has promised to cut back greenhouse gas emissions. The promises, ours and theirs, are far too weak to stabilize the atmosphere. But they do pledge us to a historic turnaround, from steady increases to slight decreases in [...]
