Around the Web [02.19.08]…

February 19, 2008 | 2:17 AM

Last year I read Collapse by Jared Diamond. (Post here.) It was all about how environmental abuse (in particular the overuse of resources) led to the downfall of society. He talked about cultures from Easter Island to Greenland to Rwanda. The other day, I ran across this article about Angkor Wat on MSNBC. It wasn’t written by Diamond. It’s a good reminder of the importance of sustainable development, and our role as Christians to help cultures avoid the collapse that can and often do lead to societal violence. Blessed are the peacemakers, right?
Stuff White People Like
Inhabitat: Plans for Foster’s Masdar Carbon Neutral City Debut
Gadling: Happy Birthday Aeroflot- I think it’s a rite of passage that all travelers to Russia have to fly on rickety 40 year old jets owned and operated by Aeroflot. I remember having the unique opportunity to eat a meal on the trip from Moscow to Irkutsk. The flight attendant asked us, “Chicken or meat?” in her thick accent. Out of sheer terror (knowing it was a choice between two incredibly sketchy evils), we all chose chicken, not knowing what exactly the meat was. Let’s face it, if chicken isn’t meat, then we’re not sure we want either. It came out drenched in some kind of terrible yellow sauce, and we were given the wonderful option to drown it all down with a small cup of carbonated water! Hazing. I think the Russians knew we were Americans and they hazed us. I love how their logo still includes the hammer and sickle.
Gadling: San Antonio Franciscan Missions in Texas- I loved visiting these in high school. It’s on the list of things to go see again when I move to Texas.
Treehugger: Under Water City Proposed for Amsterdam
How to Tie a Tie: The Pursuit of the Perfect Knot
New Scientist: New Mississippi delta would limit hurricane damage