As some of you may already know, I have moved again, back to Germany. So, why would I leave the lovely warm inviting climate of Washington DC to go to a winter that is not unlike Ontario’s? Hmmm…. I ask myself the same question almost daily. (At least they speak English in Ontario!) Foremost, of course, it was because of the fascinating work. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) is a cross-disciplinary mixing of conventional academics with a policy think-tank. I am in the “Global Contract for Sustainability” cluster, in the Oceans Group (of course).  I am here on a two-year fellowship that can be extended if all goes well. My research falls under the rather grand title of “Ocean Governance in the Anthropocene” –a topic that deserves a separate discussion in another newsletter perhaps. But for now, suffice to say that we human beings in our recent numbers and technologies have managed to affect this planet on a scale similar to a geological force. As Spiderman says, “with great power comes great responsibility.” And so it should be, though we have yet to see much of the latter in practice… So, if you are passing through Berlin (where I live) or Potsdam (where I work), let me know and we can discuss this further over a fine German pils. Bis dann! -Jeff