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A New Society for a New Economics
By Donella Meadows
–November 3, 1994–
When economist Herman Daly convened the first meeting of the International Society for Ecological Economics in Washington in 1990, he expected 60 or so people to show up, few of them economists. Traditional economists thought of ecological economics, insofar as they thought of it at all, as distinctly daffy.
To Daly’s surprise, that first ISEE conference drew [...]
GATT Concentrates Too Much Power in the Wrong Hands
By Donella Meadows
–October 27, 1994–
There’s one huge, discussible reason why GATT (the world trade agreement that will come before Congress next month) should not be passed. There’s an even huger, undiscussible reason.
The discussible reason is that the new GATT will push down wages and environmental standards worldwide and destroy the ability of communities, states, and nations to make their own [...]
The Silence About GATT
By Donella Meadows
–October 20, 1994–
If NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) was controversial, GATT (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) should be inflammatory. NAFTA linked the economies of Canada, the United States, and Mexico in a “free trade” zone; GATT links the world. NAFTA had weak agreements to protect labor and the environment; GATT has none.
But the nation [...]
Late Frost–A Leading Indicator of Climate Change?
By Donella Meadows
–October 13, 1994–
The first skim of frost came to my garden ten days late this year, on October 2. The squash leaves shriveled, the tomato vines turned black — but only on top. Underneath the plants stayed green and alive. Up by the house the marigolds and petunias were untouched. We had another week of grace before the [...]
Plutocrats Don’t Know What’s Good for Them, Or Us
By Donella Meadows
–October 6, 1994–
The word “plutocracy” comes from the ancient Greek “ploutos,” wealth, and “kratein,” to rule. Rule by the wealthy.
That’s what we have in this nation where it takes a pile of money in the five or six zeros even to think of running for office. There’s nothing inherently wrong with plutocracy — wealthy people are made up [...]
