How do we appreciate the good without letting it be the enemy of the perfect? How do we keep a step in the right direction from becoming a stopping point? How do we get beyond shades of insipid light green? Donella Meadows More Quotes by Donella Meadows More Quotes From Donella Meadows A system is a set of things people, cells, molecules, or whatever interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time... The system, to a large extent, causes its own behavior. Donella Meadows molecules cells people It is not OK in this culture to talk to friends about causes you believe in, much less to ask them to join in. It's OK to blast perfect strangers with crass messages every hour of the day, but it's a tinge embarrassing, it brings up some shyness, it seems an intrusion, it risks rejection to share real heartfelt commitments. It's easier to share our cynicism with strangers than our dreams with friends. Donella Meadows friends real dream Mesarovic and Pestel are critical of the Forrester-Meadows world view, which is that of a homogeneous system with a fully predetermined evolution in time once the initial conditions are specified. Donella Meadows evolution views world I spent my time trying to understand grand jury procedure - a topic about which I never before had the slightest interest. Donella Meadows topics procedures trying What Clinton did with Lewinsky was despicable but was no threat to the nation. That he lied about it repeatedly and to the public is a reason for us to cease to trust him and for him to resign. Donella Meadows lied trust reason Since the Earth is finite, and we will have to stop expanding sometime, should we do it before or after nature's diversity is gone? Donella Meadows diversity earth gone Why is our (US) government the only one in the civilized world with a stupid, short-term energy policy? Why do our elected officials consider a European or Japanese-type energy tax not only unpassable but undiscussable? Donella Meadows government energy stupid The European nations take climate change very seriously. Donella Meadows climate politics europe Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany have detailed plans to cut their greenhouse emissions by 20 to 50 percent. Donella Meadows netherlands germany cutting You should issue demerits for tree cutting or the destruction of humus. Donella Meadows issues cutting tree A grand jury hears only one side - that of the prosecutor Donella Meadows prosecutor jury sides Glaciers are almost gone from Glacier National Park Donella Meadows national-parks parks gone Everyone except the far right wing of the Republican Party realizes that oil, gas and coal burning are the main activities that have sent the climate into bigger floods, droughts, hurricanes, and El Ninos Donella Meadows oil party wings Any system, biological, economic, or social, that gets so encrusted that it cannot self-evolve, a system that systematically scorns experimentation and wipes out the raw material of innovation, is doomed over the long term on this highly variable planet. Donella Meadows innovation self long The climate continues to deteriorate. Donella Meadows aggravation climate There have been high crimes and misdemeanors, but they have been committed by the special prosecutor and the Congress, not the president. Donella Meadows hype president special In 1994 the U.S. Court of Appeals decided in the case of Oliver North to permit the release of grand jury evidence, because it had already been so thoroughly leaked Donella Meadows release permit court The grand jury's job is not to weigh the evidence from both sides; it is only to decide whether there is enough evidence on one side to bring a person to trial. Donella Meadows trials sides jobs Calculating how much carbon is absorbed by which forests and farms is a tricky task, especially when politicians do it. Donella Meadows politician tasks forests Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not distort, delay, or sequester information Donella Meadows commandments delay information
