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Overdue Thanks to the Soil Bugs
By Donella Meadows
–November 16, 1989–
With a Thanksgiving feast spread before you, it’s easy to be thankful — for the food, for those who produced it from the farmers to the cooks, for all the blessings of life, including the unexplainable gift of life itself.
I bet it has never occurred to you, though, to be thankful for the most invisible contributors [...]
Bad and Good Environmental Marks for McDonald’s
By Donella Meadows
–November 9, 1989–
McDonald’s, like all fast-food purveyors, is one of the great garbage producers of the world. McDonald’s is also working as hard at reducing its contribution to the garbage problem as any company I know. It’s coming up with all sorts of bright ideas. Some of them are really bright. Some are smokescreens and diversions.
There’s a handy [...]
When is “Recycling” not Recycling?
By Donella Meadows
–November 2, 1989–
Schoolkids from Vermont to Brooklyn are learning a new skill this fall — how to separate polystyrene plates, cups, and cutlery from the rest of their cafeteria garbage, so the plastic can be recycled. The same lesson is being taught to customers at McDonald’s restaurants in New England. Paper napkins and uneaten French fries go in [...]
101 Things you can do About the Greenhouse Effect
By Donella Meadows
–October 26, 1989–
By some stroke of providence, every step we need to take to reverse the greenhouse effect is worth doing anyway. Every step is technically possible. Most of them will even save money. Unfortunately for our sense of drama, preventing global climate change need not be a great, grim sacrifice. We are not called upon to save [...]
A Nation Hyped on New-Jazz
By Donella Meadows
–October 26, 1989–
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a place one could turn in this world of relentless, 24-hour, super-hyper news for quiet, useful information. That place was our local public radio station.
All morning long there was a slow-speaking, imperturbable host who read the news every hour, roughly on the hour, if he [...]
