As Individuals We Learn, As Organizations We Resist
By Donella Meadows
–March 20, 1997–
Though we humans grandly call ourselves Homo sapiens, “man the wise,” we also carry on a constant debate about how smart we really are. The argument goes on, because the answer isn’t obvious. There’s plenty of evidence of our brilliance and of our enduring foolishness.
The ultimate intelligence test is coming from the environment. Are we smart [...]
The Secret Life of My Computer
By Donella Meadows
–March 13, 1997–
Usually, as I boot up my computer to write this column, I’m thinking about the column, not the computer. Today, though, I’ve just finished reading “Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things,” and I’m looking at my computer with awe.
“Stuff” tells how the things that fill our lives — coffee and newspapers, T-shirts and hamburgers — [...]
What’s Wrong With the Schools?
By Donella Meadows
–March 6, 1997–
Maybe it’s just that I was a kid, but I remember my public school in a middle-class Midwest town as the center of community life. Everyone seemed to show up for band concerts and basketball games and PTA meetings. Teachers were decently paid and honored in the community. Taxpayers, much poorer than the average today, took [...]
Dear Folks: February 23, 1997
Dear Folks, It’s still a month and a half till spring, but we got a delicious taste this week of what’s coming! A south wind blew in, and the temperature went ABOVE FREEZING for TWO WHOLE DAYS! Amazing!
After December and January, we kind of forget that temperatures can actually go above freezing. By habit we go out all bundled up, bracing [...]
Sludge By Any Other Name Can Still Be A Problem
By Donella Meadows
–February 20, 1997–
“Biosolids” is what they call it now. It used to be called “sludge.” By any name, it comes out of a sewage treatment plant, and here in the countryside it can cause raging battles.
Wastewater treatment managers, who have tons and tons of the stuff to get rid of, like to spread it on forests or fields. [...]
