Donella (Dana) Meadows inspired countless individuals with her pioneering work in systems thinking, her strong voice in support of a just and sustainable world, and her undefeatable optimism. Her ideas and writing remain as influential today as ever. The Global Citizens blog is an ever-growing collection of reports, reflections, commentaries, thoughts, and stories by people striving to fulfill Dana's vision of a world that aligns environmental, social, and economic systems. Read on to learn more about this vision and what it means at all scales.

Can We Avoid the Perfect Storm?

Posted by Kindle Loomis, Published: September 10th, 2012

By David Orr

It is quite possible that by the year 2100 human life will have become extinct or will be confined to a few residential areas that have escaped the devastating effects of nuclear holocaust or global warming. —Brian Barry1 Evolution equipped us to deal with threats from dependably loathsome enemies and fearsome creatures, but not with the opaque and cumulative long-term consequences of [...]

Banking, Oil, and Us–A Troubled Trio

Posted by Kindle Loomis, Published: September 6th, 2012

By Sarah Parkinson

Reading the newspaper these days often feels like an onslaught of one crisis after another—storms causing severe flooding, droughts ruining crops and driving up food prices, wildfires destroying thousands of homes. In the midst of these immediate and dramatic stories, the global financial crisis of 2008 can feel like old news. But a new video animation by Doing It Ourselves [...]

Sustainability and Happiness: A Development Philosophy for Bhutan and the World

Posted by Kindle Loomis, Published: September 4th, 2012

By Jigmi Thinley

Thirty years ago, the fourth king of Bhutan famously proclaimed that “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product,” setting the country on a development path that seeks to integrate sustainable and equitable socioeconomic development with environmental conservation, cultural promotion, and good governance. This “happiness” has nothing to do with the common use of that word to denote an [...]

Growing Cities: Filmmaker Dan Susman Discusses Urban Agriculture

Posted by Kindle Loomis, Published: August 31st, 2012

By Sarah Parkinson

Dan Susman’s first experience with farming was growing giant pumpkins in his backyard as a kid. Since those early days, the Omaha, NE native has always known that growing food was something essential. Now, after graduating from Dartmouth College with degrees in Ecology and Environmental Studies, Dan has dedicated himself to tackling the problems of our national food system. With [...]

DMI is Hiring an Education and Outreach Director

Posted by Kindle Loomis, Published: August 29th, 2012

Note 11/26/12: This position has now been filled Director: Global Citizens Education and Outreach Program We are looking for a Director to develop and lead our Global Citizens Education and Outreach Program and to serve as a Co-Director of the Institute. The program includes a Global Citizens Leadership Academy, the creation of Global Citizens Guides, and the ongoing nurturing of the DMI [...]

About The Donella Meadows Project

The mission of the Donella Meadows Project is to preserve Donella (Dana) H. Meadows’s legacy as an inspiring leader, scholar, writer, and teacher; to manage the intellectual property rights related to Dana’s published work; to provide and maintain a comprehensive and easily accessible archive of her work online, including articles, columns, and letters; to develop new resources and programs that apply her ideas to current issues and make them available to an ever-larger network of students, practitioners, and leaders in social change.  Read More

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