Systems are complicated. When you kill the rabbits, the cats start feasting on the seabirds. When you kill the cats, the rabbits start overpopulating. When you kill both, the invasive weeds run rampant. Upstream interventions tinker with complex systems, and as such, we should expect reactions and consequences beyond the immediate scope of our work. In “shaping the water,” we will create ripple effects. Always. How can we ensure that, in our quest to make the world better, we don’t unwittingly do harm?
