#Leverage

Harnessing Forces: Buckminster Fuller’s Art of Alignment

At larger scales, alignment means living off the interest of Earth’s energy budget. Wind, solar, and tidal systems convert ambient flux into work rather than extracting stored carbon. Policies can mirror this logic: London’s congestion pricing (2003) harnesses demand elasticity, reducing traffic by letting price signal scarcity; the EU Emissions Trading System (launched 2005) channels market competition to cut carbon where it’s cheapest. Instead of fighting behavior with bans alone, these designs pivot incentives so everyday choices accumulate into systemic change. Consequently, planetary forces become allies rather than adversaries. [...]

Archimedes and the Power of Leverage

Beyond physics, the lever becomes a metaphor for influence: small actions can have large effects when applied at the right point in a system. In politics, technology, or organizations, “leverage” often means identifying a bottleneck, incentive, or dependency where a modest intervention cascades into major change. Yet the metaphor keeps the original caution intact. Just as a physical lever needs a secure fulcrum, strategic leverage depends on stable assumptions—reliable information, institutional support, or trust. If the pivot shifts, the same force produces far less movement. [...]

Give Me a Place to Stand and I Will Move the Earth - Archimedes

Archimedes lived in ancient Greece and is widely considered one of the greatest mathematicians and engineers of all time. His contributions to physics, geometry, and mechanics continue to influence the modern world. This quote is often seen as a testament to his understanding of physical principles. [...]