REPLY Limits to Growth Plan B (SD7034)

[SDMAIL Jay Forrester]

Posted by  Jay Forrester <jforestr at MIT.EDU>


On May 11, 2008, at 10:26 PM, Owen Ambur wrote:
> Jay, your message prompted me to look for TNC's strategic plan.  I see their
> vision, mission, and values statements but I don't see a clear statement of
> their goals and objectives. .........
>
> However, the purpose of this message is to inquire whether you believe it is
> a waste of time for organizations to do what they believe is within their
> power to do in support of their missions and pursuit of their visions, even
> if their actions may fall far short of addressing the larger, systemic
> issues (which they perceive to be beyond their span of influence).
>

The danger here is that the environmental preservation organizations, in 
stressing efforts to withstand the destruction caused by rising 
population and increasing economic growth, will lull people into 
thinking these battles against symptoms are sufficient and will take 
attention away from the ultimate solutions.  

At the very least, if these organizations are to be honest and helpful 
in the long run, they should divide their efforts into two equal 
parts--one half devoted to their present efforts to fight symptoms and 
the other half to educate people that growing population and 
industrialization will overwhelm the short-term efforts if we do not 
restrain these forces that are exceening the carrying capacity of the earth.

I recomment the paper by Warren Hern:
http://www.drhern.com/fulltext/why/paper.html
who draws the parallels between the human population on the earth and 
cancer in the human body.  


Jay W. Forrester
Professor of Management
Sloan School, MIT
Posted by  Jay Forrester <jforestr at MIT.EDU>
posting date  Mon, 12 May 2008 21:16:47 -0400