In the United States today we like things that get bigger. Bank accounts, our economy, understanding, improvement. These are all things that we think should always increase. But sustained increase--or sustained growth--this is exponential growth. The opposite of exponential growth is decay. That is why we always want growth--because if sustained growth fails us, we think we are going to die. But there is a different path--we don't have to continue on the exponential path--we can step off onto the linear path--the path of living on the Earth. When we are living and participating on the Earth, we can go in any direction we want--we don't even have to go anywhere--we can stay right where we are. There is the chance for freedom on the second path--the Earth path. Linda gives us some ideas for stepping off the exponentail path and stepping onto this new path.

Al Bartlett, of blessed memory, on exponential growth

Barbie--"Math class is hard!"