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Praying for Wouter — and for Us All
By Donella Meadows
–October 9, 1997–
My Dutch friend Wouter Biesiot (pronounced “Vowter Beesio”) was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 1993. He was operated upon, he endured a year of chemotherapy, and for two years thereafter we hoped for the best. Then last spring they found a tumor near his liver, and the doctors told him he is beyond medical help.
What [...]
Is There Anyone Out There Who Doesn’t Want to Live in a Democracy?
By Donella Meadows
–October 2, 1997–
In one of those strange juxtapositions of life, a sane little book arrived in my mail this week as if it were meant to be contrasted with the insane debate our senators were holding on campaign reform.
“The Technique of Consensus” the book is called, its author is Richard H. Graff, he published it himself. Graff puts [...]
Two Possible Futures for Farming and Food
By Donella Meadows
–September 18, 1997–
I have just visited two farms in Europe, both of which claim to demonstrate the future of agriculture — though they are about as different as two farms could be.
Babolna, in northwest Hungary, covers 60,000 acres in the flat, fertile Danube basin. Established in 1789 by Emperor Jozsef II, Babolna became famous for its Arabian horses, [...]
The Endangered Species Act Fails When It Is Needed Most
By Donella Meadows
–September 11, 1997–
The Endangered Species Act was supposed to be re-authorized in 1993, but no one has dared try it.
Congressional environmentalists, mostly Democrats and a few Eastern Republicans, have been afraid that bringing the subject up will give the rip-roaring right the chance to cripple the Act fatally. Anti-environmentalists, mostly Republicans and a few Western and Southern Democrats, [...]
Left and Right and Power
By Donella Meadows
–September 4, 1997–
Whenever opinionated folks in our still somewhat free-speech democracy get to sounding off, whatever issue they sound off about, they always line up on the same two sides.
One side wants to defend property rights, ban abortion, make the U.N. go away, keep health care out of the grip of government, fight crime with cops and prisons. [...]
