If you have a conserved quantity (energy for instance), the final state would have to have the same energy as the initial state. I.e., it will have some dependence on the initial state. On page 131, third sentence of the second paragraph in the left column, Lorenz says "In seeking the ultimate behavior of a system the use of conservative equations is unsatisfactory....". I do not understand the reason he gives for this statement. What does he mean when he says the value of any conservative quantity would have to be equal to an arbitrarily chosen initial value?