Twelve leverage points: Difference between revisions

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{{Primary sources|date=April 2011}}

The '''twelve leverage points to intervene in a system''' were proposed by [[Donella Meadows]], a scientist and system analyst who studied environmental limits to economic growth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Meadows |first=Donella |date=2008 |title=Thinking in Systems: A Primer |publisher=[[Chelsea Green Publishing]] |pagepages=145–165 |isbn=978-1-60358-055-7 |author-link=Donella Meadows }}</ref>

== History ==

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She claimed we need to know about these shifts, where they are, and how to use them. She said most people know where these points are instinctively, but tend to adjust them in the wrong direction. A greater understanding would help solve global problems such as [[unemployment]], [[hunger]], [[economic stagnation]], [[pollution]], [[resources depletion]], and [[Conservation ethic|conservation]] issues.

Meadows started with a nine -point list of such places, and expanded it to a list of twelve leverage points with explanations and examples, for systems in general. She describes a [[system]] as being in a certain state, consisting of a [[stock and flow]], with inflows (amounts entering the system) and outflows (amounts leaving the system). At a given time, the system is in a certain perceived state. There may also be a [[goal]] for the system to be in a certain state. The difference between the current state and the goal is the discrepancy.

{{quote|For example, one might consider a [[lake]] or reservoir, which contains a certain amount of water. The inflows are the amount of water coming from rivers, rainfall, drainage from nearby soils, and waste water from a local industrial plant. The outflows might be the amount of water used up for irrigation of nearby cornfield, water taken by that local plant to operate as well as the local camping site, water [[evaporating]] in the [[atmosphere]], and trickling surplus water when the reservoir is full. Local inhabitants complain about the water level getting low, pollution getting higher, and the potential effect of hot water release in the lake on life (in particular, the fish). This is the difference between the perceived state (pollution or low water level) and the goal (a non-polluted lake).}}

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The following are in increasing order of effectiveness.

=== 12. Constants, parameters, numbers (such as subsidies, taxes, standards) ===

Parameters are points of lowest leverage effects. Though they are the most clearly perceived among all leverages, they rarely change behaviors and therefore have little long-term effect. {{quote|For example, climate parameters may not be changed easily (the amount of rain, the [[evapotranspiration]] rate, the temperature of the water), but they are the ones people think of first (they remember that in their youth, it was certainly raining more). These parameters are indeed very important. But even if changed (improvement of upper river stream to canalize incoming water), they will not change behavior much (the debit will probably not dramatically decrease).}}

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=== 6. Structure of information flow (who does and does not have access to what kinds of information)===

[[Information flow (disambiguation)|Information flow]] is neither a parameter, nor a reinforcing or slowing loop, but a loop that delivers new information. It is cheaper and easier to change information flows than it is to change structure. :{{quote|For example, a monthly public report of water pollution level, especially nearby the industrial release, could have a lot of effect on people's opinions regarding the industry, and lead to changes in the waste water level of pollution.}}

=== 5. Rules of the system (such as incentives, punishment, constraints)===

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=== 3. Goal of the system ===

Changing goals changes every item listed above: parameters, feedback loops, information and self-organization. {{quote|A city council decision might be to change the goal of the lake from making it a free facility for public and private use, to a more [[ecotourism|tourist]] oriented facility or a [[Conservation ethic|conservation]] area. That goal change will effectaffect several of the above leverage points: information on water quality will become mandatory and legal punishment will be set for any illegal effluent.}}

=== 2. Mindset or paradigm that the system &mdash; its goals, structure, rules, delays, parameters &mdash; arises from ===

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== See also ==

*''[[Complexity, Problem Solving, and Sustainable Societies]]'' &mdash; [[Joseph Tainter]]

* [[Conflict escalation]]

* [[Earth's atmosphere]]

* [[Focused improvement]]