Scary:  an 860-billion-tonne chunk of Antarctica's Mertz glacier broke off and is staying put in a precarious spot, one that is likely to upset the delicate flows of global ocean currents.  Read the full story here.

Thanks to everyone who attended the guest lecture on Energy and Society: Factors Reshaping Our Way of Life at National University of Singapore.  Please find a PDF copy of the presentation here.

Additional links and useful resources include:

Here is the second series from Money as Debt.  The videos put the complexity (and unsustainability) of our financial system into a very clear light, and present some possible alternatives for the future.  [note: Series 1 available here].  It is incredibly easy to understand and runs about an hour in several parts.  A must see for anyone who would like to actually understand what goes on with the banking industry and how it affects us all.  Gloriously free from punditry and speculation that you'd see on the likes of major news networks-- it actually gets to the core of what's wrong.

This week, Ray Skinner at Sustainability Matters practically did the job for us.  Thanks for the great stuff mate.  What you need to know:

• Did China block Copenhagen progress to pave way for its own dominance of cleantech?  A scary but interesting thought, with some very interesting figures to back up the assertions this author is making.
• 50 Books to Change the World ... courtesy of Cambridge.  How many have you read?  I'm a bit miffed they left out permaculture.  This is a somewhat predictable list but still worthwhile for someone new to the space.
• Growth Isn't Possible: Why We Need a New Economic Direction From the NEF, really interesting reading for those keen on seeking new economic models for the future. 

Around the world, earth has traditionally been used as a durable, readily available, and low-carbon building material.  Check out this interesting documentary on the subject which explores earth building in the larger context of man-made environments worldwide.  First Earth Documentary Home Page

More background on it and more videos here.  Check out the outstanding dubwork in this video:

Davos Annual Meeting 2010 - ADM CEO Patricia Woertz from World Economic Forum on Vimeo.

On 25 Feb 2010 at 10 a.m., Chris Tobias, Lead Strategist at Forward, will deliver a guest lecture at National University of Singapore's School of Geography.  The lecture will cover Energy Production and Sustainable Societies.  If you are interested to attend, please contact him for more information.