Adapted from jared diamond, easter s end, discover, august 1995, 168, pp. In the ecocide hypothesis popularised by the geographer jared diamond, rapa nui is. Diamond s examination of easter island once again demonstrates that culture cannot survive without nature. Environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise.
Central to diamond s easter island ecocide theory is the conclusion that the islanders deforested the island not just for agriculture, but to use the trees to help transport the moai. In just a few centuries, the people of easter island wiped out their forest, drove their plants and animals to extinction. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. How societies choose to fail or succeed and from an article in discover magazine. As no other phenomenon in living memory, the indian. No other site that i have visited made such a ghostly impression on me as did rano raraku, the quarry on easter island where its famous gigantic stone statues were carved. Rano raraku is the volcanic quarry on easter island. Among all such vanished civilizations, that of the former polynesian society on easter island remains unsurpassed in mystery and isolation. Among all such vanished civilizations that of the former polynesian society on easter island remain unsurpassed in mystery and isolation. Jared mason diamond born september 10, 1937 is an american geographer, historian, anthropologist, and author best known for his popular science books the third chimpanzee 1991. Scale complexity unintended consequences of human action.
His technical research focuses on biological membranes, ecology, and evolutionary biology, especially of bird faunas of new guinea and other southwest pacific islands. Jared diamond, who used the easter island story as the lead case study in his. Collapse how societies choose to fail or succeed jared. The pacific ocean, the pitcairn islands, and easter island 8485 the pitcairn islands 122 anasazi sites 142 maya sites 161 the viking expansion 182183 contemporary hispaniola 331 contemporary china 361 contemporary australia 386 political trouble spots of the modern world.
Originally trained in physiology, diamond is known for drawing from a variety of. In just a few centu ries, the people of easter island wiped out their forest, drove their plants and animals to extinction, and. Such a speculative exercise, given the limited information about. He also thinks that the people cut down the trees on the island. He began his scientific career in physiology and expanded into evolutionary biology and biogeography. Easter island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early rapa nui people. In just a few centuries, the people of easter island. Poor agricultural practices such as massive deforestation are the primary causes of resource depletion. With lessons from the norse of iron age greenland, deforested easter island and presentday montana, jared diamond talks about the signs that collapse is near, and how if we see it in time. These are the reasons why people see the collapse of easter island as a metaphor, a worst case scenario, for what may lie ahead of us in our own future. In just a few centuries, the people of easter island wiped out their forest, drove their plants and animals. The myths of easter island jared diamond responds mark lynas. Since then ive gotten to know jared diamond and mark lynas, so i wound up in the middle of their backandforth. How societies choose to fail or succeed by jared diamond in chm, doc, fb2 download ebook.
It lies in the pacific ocean more than 2,000 miles west of the nearest continent south america. Jared diamond reading is from a chapter in his 2005 book. The lessons of easter island western oregon university. An answer for an enduring question barzin pakandam abstract easter island is the most isolated inhabited spot on earth, devoid of heavy timber and most resources. How societies choose to fail or survive for the british edition is a 2005 book by academic and popular science author jared diamond, in which the author first defines collapse. Jared diamond has written a book to help us do the same. In the ecocide hypothesis popularised by the geographer jared diamond, rapa nui is used as. What happened on easter island a new even scarier scenario. Apr 10, 2018 consider humanitys astounding progress in science during the past three hundred years. Collapse 2005 in this book jared diamond tells about the collapse of easter island, but also about several other cases of historical and modern societies who seemingly deliberately destroy the ecosystem. How societies choose to fail or succeed, came out after i finished my degree. Answers for what destroyed the civilisation of easter island. Few historical tales of ecological collapse have achieved the cultural resonance of that of easter island. Diamond identifies five factors that contribute to collapse.
We no longer believe it was the polynesians the slash and burn farming that destroyed the environment, it was the rats that came with them and had no natural enemies. Easter island really does look and feel like an ecocatastrophe. Adapted from jared diamond, easters end, discover, august 1995, 168, pp. Now take a deep breath and project forward three billion years. This 77page guide for collapse by jared diamond includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Diamond is professor of physiology at the university of cal. Jo anne van tilburg is herself an archeologist who worked long years on easter island. How societies choose to fail or succeed titled collapse. In the conventional account, best popularised by jared diamond in his 2005 book collapse, the islanders brought doom upon themselves by overexploiting their limited.
Consider humanitys astounding progress in science during the past three hundred years. Another island, easter island, rapa nui, has 400 stone statues representing a legless human male torso, mostly 15 to 20 feet tall, with the largest. View homework help discussion questions jared diamond. Comparisons between easter island and earth are inevitable.
Diamond has both good and bad environmental experiences with oil companies. Easter island is one of the most fragile environments in the polynesian islands. Among the most riveting mysteries of human history are those posed by vanished civilizations. Jared diamond what is the far far future of humans in the. In jared diamond s followup to the pulitzerprize winning guns, germs and steel.
They also needed a lot of space without trees to grow food. Jared diamond what is the far far future of humans in. Diamond argues that the people of easter island essentially abused their environment. However, the existence of the huge stone statues on the island suggests that the human population on easter was once as high as 17,000. This assessment was first put forward in the 1992 book easter island, earth island 4. Perhaps there is no one story about easter island, no. Environmental trouble spots of the modern world 497. What are the main points of diamonds argument about the. Guns, germs, and steel 1997, awarded a pulitzer prize.
Jared diamond has asked the question, what were they thinking when they cut down the last palm tree. In jared diamonds followup to the pulitzerprize winning guns, germs and steel, the author explores how climate change, the population explosion and political discord create the conditions for the collapse of civilization. Oct 28, 2008 with lessons from the norse of iron age greenland, deforested easter island and presentday montana, jared diamond talks about the signs that collapse is near, and how if we see it in time. Ecological collapses of preindustrial societies the tanner. With lessons from the norse of iron age greenland, deforested easter island and presentday montana, jared diamond talks about the signs that collapse is near, and how if we see it in time we can prevent it. As jared diamond tells it in his bestselling book, collapse, easter island is the clearest example of a society that destroyed itself by. This study is devoted to answering this one remaining mystery. Opinion the ends of the world as we know them the new. How societies choose to fail or survive by jared diamond 400pp, allen lane. Easter island, a lesson for us all sustainable footprint.
Diamond, easter island s end, discover magazine, august 1995. Add to this the dramatic problem of overpopulation as in easter island and the result is impending disaster. Using a vast historical and geographical perspective ranging from easter island and the maya to viking greenland and modern montana, diamond traces a. Describe several factors that contributed to the extinction of trees on the island. Moving from the polynesian cultures on easter island to the flourishing american civilizations of the anasazi and the maya and finally to the doomed viking colony on greenland, diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. As jared diamond tells it in his bestselling book, collapse, easter island is the clearest example of a society that destroyed itself by overexploiting its own resources. How are jared diamonds theories about a pastenvironmental. Tragically, it was statue building that seems to have lead to easter island s collapse.
In his article, easter s end, jared diamond makes the following statement, by now the meaning of easter island for us should be chillingly obvious. Yet, the first european travellers to the island marvelled at large and delicately carved statues covering the whole of the island. Reading notes for jared diamonds collapse the book attempts to answer the question, what caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates. Pdf rethinking the fall of easter island terry hunt. New information about these themes has recently been flooding in from ongoing projects. The ends of the world as we know them jared diamond oped article contends that several once powerful societies like mayan and polynesian collapsed because they. Easter island s end by jared diamond, published in the discover magazine on august 1995, provides insight into how an increased population and rapid deforestation impair the sustainability of the environment. I was there a few years ago and felt devastated by what i saw. To begin with, the island is the worlds most remote habitable scrap.
Easter island most remote habitable island in the world. Theres no doubt that we inhabit in a much more robust and resilient system than the ancient polynesians. This is an intoxicating promise, one that if achieved, may allow us to solve the largest. Within its pages is a chapter titled twilight at easter. Easter island, with an area of only 64 square miles, is the worlds most isolated scrap of habitable land.
Jared diamond s argument about the society of easter island is laid out in chapter 2 of this book. Collapse 2005, the world until yesterday 2012, and upheaval 2019. Easter s end in just a few centuries, the people of easter island wiped out their forest, drove their plants and animals to extinction, and saw their complex society spiral into chaos and cannibalism. In jared diamond s followup to the pulitzerprize winning guns, germs and steel, the author explores how climate change, the population explosion and political discord create the conditions for the collapse of civilization. In his runaway bestseller guns, germs, and steel, jared diamond brilliantly examined the circumstances that allowed western civilizations to dominate much of the world. Pdf easter island the name is synonymous with mystery, intrigue of. The scientist and writer jared diamond thinks that many people moved the statues. In just a few centuries, the people of easter island wiped out their forest, drove. This study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of collapse. As no other phenomenon in living memory, the indian ocean earthquake and resulting tsunami have reminded.
Because they cut down the trees, there was an environmental disaster on the island. In his book collapse, jared diamond describes an ecological. Their movement from quarry to erection site required so many trees for logs and rope making that deforestation was complete by 1400 to 1600 ad. In total questions, 2 questions are multiple choice form, 7 questions are matching headings form, 4 questions are summary, form completion form. Others, such as the societies of easter island and new zealands south. The article describes the former abundance of trees and forests on easter island.
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