Review - Collapse, by Jared Diamond
Source: National Geographic
Jared Diamond is now one of the most well-known writers of socio-economic woes plaguing this planet - and reasonably so. He's written several mega-popular books about the perilous advance of civilization and how geography has favoured certain races over others (Guns, Germs and Steel), about the emergence and conditions of humans themselves and their genetic history/uniqueness (The Third Chimpanzee), and about the factors contributing to the success or failure of past societies and how the interplay of environmental factors acted as warnings (Collapse).
Main Thesis / Main Idea:
Past civilizations have collapsed because they have overused their resources.
Main Thesis from Author:
The processes through which past societies have undermined themselves by damaging their environments fall into eight categories, whose relative importance differs from case to case: deforestation and habitat destruction, soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses), water management problems, overhunting, overfishing, effects of introduced species on native species, human population growth, and increased per-capita impact of people.
Ideas Addressed:
--Why have past civilizations collapsed?
--Is our civilization in danger of collapsing?
--What impacts do soil erosion, water scarcity, deforestation, overhunting/fishing and a runaway population increase have on society in general?
--Which factors actually contribute to the possibility of societal collapse – and for each, to what degree?
Diamond weaves compelling tales of civilizations past with parallels from our own to paint a truly moving picture of where our civilization is heading.
He’s got his facts straight.
Summarizes groups of information into a meaningful whole that illustrates contributing factors toward collapse.
Diamond’s research exposes the precipitating factors that any society will need to stave off to stay afloat.
Well-written and quite entertaining.
Occasionally comes off as a shill for big business.
Simply stating the limitations of public response to ecological dangers does not represent any less responsibility for those (industries) causing the problem.
Occasionally makes off-the-cuff remarks (like most people not wanting to spend money on environmental cleanup) that have no justification.
Can we turn it around?
The premise of Diamond's Collapse is simple: societies which have collapsed have chosen to remain tied to unsustainable practices. It's a simple thesis and while there are a dozen (probably more) other authors who have covered the subject-matter, the topic really was waiting for a readable writer like Diamond to bring these issues into the forefront of the public appreciation.
Diamond begins by stating the difference between a societal decline, aspects of which you can see in various nations around the globe at present - and a full-on collapse.
"Most people would consider the following past societies to have been famous victims of full-fledged collapses rather than of just minor declines: the Anasazi and Cahokia within the boundaries of the modern U.S., the Maya cities in Central America, Moche and Tiwanaku societies in South America, Mycenean Greece and Minoan Crete in Europe, Great Zimbabwe in Africa, Angkor Wat and the Harappan Indus Valley cities in Asia, and Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean" (p. 13)
There are some obvious flaws in Diamond's choices (all were basically ruined environmentally, so the book reads as something of a self-fulfilling prophecy), but one thing I like about this book is that he's thorough presenting each case and can relate them to current societies.
"The processes through which past societies have undermined themselves by damaging their environments fall into eight categories, whose relative importance differs from case to case: deforestation and habitat destruction, soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses), water management problems, overhunting, overfishing, effects of introduced species on native species, human population growth, and increased per-capita impact of people." (p. 16)
Given all these aspects of what could potentially run ruin and chaos roughshod over civilizations (then and now) we can start to identify the problems our species faces.
For better or worse, Diamond presents a 50/50 rationalism which attempts to let you see both sides of the arguments involved in environmental issues so you can make your own decision. He goes on to show the plight(s) of big business and local companies while keeping to the environmentalist lobby for context. I say for better or worse, because sometimes the answer is plainly obvious with Diamond playing either devil's advocate for big business, or alternatively presenting opposing arguments to offer hope amid the tales of ruin.
Diamond proposes a 4-pronged catalyst system for the factors leading to societal collapse:
1. Environmental Damage
2. Climate Change
3. Decrease in aid from friendly neighbours
4. Hostility of other neighbours
Whereas the fifth category, not to be ignored and is perhaps the reason for Diamond's book:
5. Our response to those 4 problems
...which is really at the heart of the matter.