The Ends of the World as we know them

Jared Diamond, author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel", writes an insightful op-ed article in the Jan 1st New York Times. Click on the link above to read it at the Times site.

To summarize, he discusses the decline and fall of various world civilizations - the Maya, Easter Island, the Khmer at Ankor Wat, and discusses the causes behind them. He also discusses several long-lived civilizations - the Germans and Scandinavians in Europe, the Japanese, among others, and what decisions these civilizations have made that have helped in their longevity. And, he presents some thoughts about what lessons we can learn from this.

Well worth reading, and perhaps a bit frightening given the environmental policies of the Bush administration.