Part Two describes past societies that have collapsed. Diamond uses a framework when considering the collapse of a society, consisting of five sets of factors that may affect what happens to a society: environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of trading partners, and the societys own responses to its environmental problems. The societies Diamond describes are: The Greenland Norse (climate change, environmental damage, loss of trading partners, irrational reluctance to eat fish, hostile neighbors and most unwillingness to adapt in the face of social collapse) Easter Island (a society that collapsed entirely due to environmental damage) The Polynesians of Pitcairn Island (environmental damage and loss of trading partners) The Anasazi of southwestern North America (environmental damage and climate change) The Maya of Central America (environmental damage, climate change, and hostile neighbours) Finally, Diamond discusses three past success stories: The tiny Pacific island of Tikopia The agricultural success of central New Guinea The Tokugawa-era forest management in Japan.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:59:27 +0000
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