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Leverage Points Iceberg

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About This Visualization

This interactive iceberg diagram illustrates Donella Meadows' 12 Leverage Points—a framework for understanding where to intervene in complex systems to create meaningful change.

The Iceberg Metaphor

Just like a real iceberg, the most visible interventions (numbers, regulations, quick fixes) are above the waterline—easy to see and reach, but representing only a fraction of the system's dynamics.

The deeper you go:

  • Harder to reach — requires more effort, time, and persistence
  • More transformative — creates lasting, systemic change
  • Less visible — operates on structures, goals, and beliefs that most people never question

How to Use

  1. Hover over any layer of the iceberg to see detailed information about that leverage point
  2. Click any layer to navigate to its full explanation in Chapter 6: Looking for Leverage
  3. Notice how the iceberg widens as you go deeper—representing the expanding scope of impact

The Four Zones

Zone Levels Description
Shallow 12-10 Parameters, stocks, regulations—easy but limited impact
Structural 9-7 Feedback loops, information, rules—harder but lasting
Deep 6-5 Power structures, system goals—systemic transformation
Transformative 4-1 Paradigms and transcendence—revolutionary change

Embedding This MicroSim

You can include this visualization on your website using the following iframe:

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<iframe
  src="https://dmccreary.github.io/ethics-course/sims/leverage-iceberg/main.html"
  height="660"
  width="100%"
  scrolling="no"
  style="border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px;">
</iframe>

Educational Context

Learning Objectives

By interacting with this visualization, students will:

  • Understand the hierarchy of intervention effectiveness in complex systems
  • Recognize why surface-level interventions often fail to create lasting change
  • Identify which leverage level is appropriate for different change strategies
  • Connect each leverage point to real-world examples and actors

Bloom's Taxonomy Levels

  • Understand (L2): Grasp the hierarchy and why some interventions are more powerful
  • Apply (L3): Use the framework to analyze intervention strategies
  • Analyze (L4): Evaluate which leverage points apply to specific problems

Source

Based on Donella Meadows' seminal essay "Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System" (1999), later expanded in her book Thinking in Systems: A Primer (2008).

Technical Notes

  • Built with p5.js 1.11.10
  • Width-responsive design
  • Animated waterline and deep-layer glow effects
  • Click navigation to chapter anchors