Monthly Archives: October 2010

Science? More relevant every day. And also more political.

The Founding Fathers found science fascinating. Franklin was one of the foremost scientists of his day, renowned worldwide. In 1743, while the Americas were still the colonies, he and others founded the American Philosophical Society, “held at Philadelphia for the … Continue reading

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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways, and be wise!

This Biblical proverb warns against laziness, and exhorts each of us to higher levels of diligence and industry. A good idea! However, there’s more here. The ant also demonstrates the power of effective policy. Before turning to the ant, a … Continue reading

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Honesty. After all these years, still the best policy

Friday’s post introduced the notion of policy. A policy is a decision – but not a single decision. It’s a framework for helping individuals and institutions make multiple decisions! Chosen wisely, developed carefully, and expressed accurately, policies can help us … Continue reading

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The Real World? Might be broken. Where’s that toolkit?

Let’s take stock. We face five major challenges: –         (unfavorable) climate variability –         natural hazards –         unintended environmental consequences stemming from past success –         declining margins and pockets of scarcity –         ineffective top-down, command-and-control decisions Each of these challenges has … Continue reading

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