Fall+of+Easter+Island+Essay

= media type="custom" key="3759359" Fall of Easter Island Essay= Back Fall of Easter Island Essay Evan C All civilizations need resources. Without them, neither a civilization nor a single individual can survive. When endowed with resources most use them without thinking; this was the mistake made by the people of Easter Island, they harvested and depleted all their trees. Instead of using wood productively, it was wasted on useless structures. The Rapanui didn’t consider what would happen when all the trees were gone. As their final trees were cut down, violence took control and shattered their remaining way of life. __We need to learn how to use our resources sustainably, from the plight of Easter Island’s Rapanui. __

Evan C To continue squandering our planet’s resources on consumer convenience and entertainment will lead to our planet’s demise. On Easter Island, most free time was spent carving rock and felling trees. The resources weren’t used to build new sturdy shelters, or weapons for hunting; they were for the creation of thirty-five foot tall eighty-ton statues (Wright, 61). By expending resources on frivolous things like giant statues, one reduces the amount of natural resources available later- when the community needs them to survive. Because, on Easter Island, and indeed the entire world, resources were and continue to be used up at an unsustainable rate. Do you really need a new iPod, cell phone, pair of shoes, or hat? So many of today’s most desirable goods are equivalent to Moai in the long run.

Evan C The best way to prevent ecological disaster is to recognize that it is coming and to devise a strategy that counters it. Deforestation on the island began in the eastern corner (due to denser population there); erosion followed, ruining farmland and burying dwellings (Fischer, 40) but the Rapanui failed to see the imminent danger and continued along that path throughout the island, until there was nothing left to cut down. The people of Earth are aware that too many forests are being cut down but we are not stopping. Cutting down ancient rain forests continues to endanger many species and ruin soil. If we don’t stop and reconsider our actions, we are going to end up like Easter Island.

Evan C As we edge closer to destroying our environment, to a point at which it is irreversible, it becomes even more essential that everyone work together to reduce demand resources. History has shown (exemplified by Easter Island) that when violence occurs during disastrous times, societies may succumb to the challenges and ultimately fail. Without forests, the Rapanui fought over the remaining scraps of wood. This initial struggle initiated the war that lasted for almost fifty years and is mostly responsible for their culture’s demise (Pointing, 6). Sharing the wood and other resources that remained would have prevented most of it. It is important that we start sharing and reusing resources instead of throwing them in the garbage. One final thing we can learn from Easter Island, is that communities need to collaborate; they didn’t on Easter Island, rather, they ended up attacking each other, communication is the key to conflict avoidance.

Evan C The people of Easter Island used their resources poorly, didn’t understand their exploitation and then fought instead of talking about the problems. Very similar things can still happen to the earth’s forests. The Rapanui were on an island in the ocean, we are on one in space. If we repeat the mistake of using all of our resources, we won’t survive for very long. We must learn from their failures and save our environment.