The writer discloses the actions taken by the Easter Island people a couple of centuries ago. The details indicate destruction of forests, vegetation and animals through the chaotic and cannibalism behaviours.
According to Diamond (1995), the end of Easter Island is visible from the abandoned buildings and the mystery of isolation evident from the lack of vegetation and the gigantic stone statues and skyscrapers that seems to outgrow everything else such as the temples at Angkor. The writer indicates the story of Easter Island is not only a historical tale but also an imperative warning to current civilization.
As indicated in the writing by Diamond (1995), the view of the Island is a land without habitual vegetation such as trees lacks animal life and particularly comprises of a low populace of approximately 2000 people. The stone structures that appears gigantic on stone platforms shows devastation from which the writer proposes an inhibition by Polynesians.
On the analysis of the natural resources, the writer shows the richness that existed before the reforestation stopped. Deforestation is the cause of death of animal life and the devastating effects eventually destroys the crops. The deforestation was as a result for the need to erect strong stone statues in competition over power among the local clans. The fight for power was probably one of the causes of the land’s demise.
The writer indicates and emphasizes on the aspect of brutal misuse/abuse of nature as the root cause of the destruction. The leaders or those who were in authority never had the will and ability to prevent the destruction. The final indication of the writer is that, the historical destruction of the Island is a prospect for the future of the whole world.
From a personal point of view, the author’s initial argument regarding destruction of nature that causes devastation is very logical and authentic. From the beginning, the writer tries to raise the subject relating to the importance of civilization. However, from a defensive point of view, some indications of the theory such as the approximation of the population and the prediction over probability to have enough basis resources seem hypothetical.
It is not easy to judge the economical life of Easter Island population as well as the effects on the natural resources by considering a single aspect. The evidence may lack sufficient basis over the economical life. Economic status is the main influence over other human activities such as political eminences, people’s attitudes and social existence.
The damages on Easter Island were catastrophic but the writer only focuses on the human negative activities. Various factors would have catalyzed people to obliterate the forests or other ecologically related aspects to cause the destruction. Natural catastrophes can equally damage a country’s civilization.
Even if people destroyed the Island as the writer claims, there is a high probability that they never realized the consequences because their low level of development, considering the time possibly influenced the activities as opposed to their conscious mind.
The social-political or economical system in existence then is not accurate or definite; therefore, they might have reacted as part of nature. Does it mean that implications over existence of dry land or desert where it used to be a sea or a tropical forest always befall the people who live nearby? It is not possible to predict the future or analyze the past base on one important economical factor.
There is a wide difference in the level of development; therefore, the prediction of a similar future regarding the fall of civilization is not eminent or logical.
There is a close connection of countries today and thus the characteristic or growth of civilization. Advancement in technology can allow destruction of the world in a couple of days but civilization does not permit. People need to learn from the history of such civilization as the writer specifies but the probability of the fall is almost zero.
References
Diamond, J. (1995) Easter Island’s End. Discover Magazine. Retrieved from
Http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html