The Human Condition

The Human Condition

Adaptive Failure: Easter's End

Jared Diamold, USA (1937-)

b. Write the four level of meaning to the text "Adaptive Failure: Easter's End"

Literal Comprehension:  This chapter has described about how Easter Island vanished with its heavenly state to barren land. With different researchers the Island was discovered and studies a lot. It was a little paradise discovered by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen in 1772 as sandy and wasteland. Easter Island has 64 square miles in the pacific Ocean 2,000 miles nearest from South America. It was found barren, free less and having no animals beside insects. The paradise like Island has been destroyed without any ancient civilization, plants and animals. The visitors in 18th and 19th centuries found the population of the Island could be 2,000. James Cook found few people with there or four canoes and no capture of the Island by the Polynesian people. People didn't have any contact with other worlds.

The famous features of Island were its huge stone statues more than 200 stood together. The statues were very huge up to 270 tons, up to 500 feet tall and 10 feet long. This characteristic raises a question how those inhabitants came and constructed such huge statues. How could  such statues be made without tools and resources? But by 1864 all the statues were fallen down. some guessed that those Islanders might have ultramodern tools and they were  more intelligent. After the experiments of skeleton the people were identified as Polynesian origin. Different analysis found that the island had been discovered at about 400 A.D. with population of 7,000 to 20,000. The Hauhau tree was used for making rope and paln trees were used for many works of supply.

Other discoveries have pointed out that the first settlers of Easter Island ate mostly Fish sea flightless geese etc. with the increase of population people started to use forest for fires, Building, gardens, canoes transporting goods, etc. The 15th century was the indication of forest in the Easter Island and all trees species were totally extinct. Gradually, the forest disappeared and destroyed that made life of Islanders more uncomfortable. With the shortage of food sea birds and animals were also finished.  The government and people paid more attention to social and political aspects. That slowly made extinction of all species. The population was increasing rapidly. Government and people did not take this Earth's problem seriously. The present situation shows that politicians and business leaders are heedless about this destruction without noticing gradually damaged history of Easter Island. Still we do have history that awareness us not to be more careless to destroy out world civilization like of Easter Island.

Interpretation: This essay might be raising a strong but very much serious question: Isn't it possible to have the soon extinction of our present civilization as that of golden civilization Easter's Island?  Still the main focus of the writer seems to make conscious to world people, countries and political leaders to learn the lesson from the doomed civilization, histories etc. with causes and consequences. We want to save out present civilization to coming generations. The writer's main focus is to maintain our history and civilization to coming generations being much conscious and learn much from books and by one histories. Easter's Island was a small paradise in past but now it has become an extinct , barren land. There are many more reasons behind the collapse of Easter Civilization.

Critical Thinking: We can easily accept that this essay has drawn out attention very much. It has talked about out life, history and coming generations and identities. Mostly the tone of this essay is pessimistic that we are going to face same doom as that of Easter's Island if we are coreless in our activities. We hardly rise any questions against the ideas presented. The main convincing idea is that people are less careful to ecological problems and matter of civilization. Still we are not so much careless people we don't care history and do according to our wishes. Rather we read history and past and see the way to future.

Assimilation:After going through this suggestive article I came to know that we modern people shouldn't be proud on our culture and civilization. We have to face the same fate as the vanished civilization did in past. Future must be judged and though at present. We have to learn a lot from the past. As looking to bygone history we can step how to go further. This chapter has made all the people how to lived with natural resources and what should do for the upcoming generations. All environmental problems, pollution and threats to human existence is due to lack of proper utilization of natural resources.

c. According to Diamond what is the single most important difference between Easter Island decline and the contemporary decline of the entire biosphere?

The population of the world is increasing rapidly and consumption of natural resources has been increasing in the same ratio. The writer has described about the fall or decline of Easter Island's civilization in this essay. Tougher he has warned the world people and countries to be careful whether they are calling the decline of modern civilization by their careless activities. But as the writer has pointed out in this essay, there is a single most important difference between Easter Island's decline and decline of modern entire biosphere. At present we do have books histories and past experiences of wrong deeds. We can study and learn the lesson that if we are careless in our activities and don't think for future generation we are sure to face some decline. But as Easter Island's people were careless and without past history and experiences so they made their civilization fall. But we are not so much careless, so that we demand the entire collapse of atmosphere. This awareness and consciousness is only the basic difference between them and the modern people regarding decline of civilization.

d. What is the central idea that Chaudhary presented in her essay 'How sane Are we?' itemizing the seven most significant bits of information describe it in detail.

The title of this essay itself is a question: How Sane Are We? to that Anuradha Chaudhary has given positive and negative answers. It is an expression of hopelessness due to environmental problems. It is negative attitude of human that has brought serious problem in environment that human are knowingly damaging it. Being irresponsible to nature, Ozone layer is damaged with polluted environment so that the ultraviolet radiation causes various diseases and dangers. CFCs (Chlorine, Flurine and Carbons) affects badly to the environment. Although in 1990 the world's nations did agree to stop the production of CFCS by 2000 the condition is more serious by now.

The essayist claims that how can human call themselves sane since they are careless in natural destruction and production of CFCs. If fundamental change are not brought in the thinking and the activities of people, it is sure to have very dark future. Again Anuradha Chaudhary has given her positive argument and rational aspects of human attitude. She is not helpless   yet. It is the positive step taken by USA, Canada, Norway etc. in controlling the production of CFCs. So some awareness must be adopted in protection of natural balance and beauty.

Seven most Significant bits of information:

1.      Most  people are irresponsible towards the decay of the environmental problems whereas politicians are more responsible for such situation.

2.      Scientists have discovered ozone layer that protects us from ultraviolet rays of the sun.

3.      Scientists are warning to people about the damage of ozone layer that will destroy the human race.

4.      The eco-system of nature is disturbed by the damage of ozone layer.

5.      CFCs (Chloro Fluro Carbons) is  used in less productive as well as in more destruction of ozone layer.

6.      People basically government, political leaders are more careful to immediate benefits being careless to the existence of living people in the  world and future long-term effects.

7.      To save ourselves, we should stop in producing CFCs and be much careful to environmental protection and balance otherwise we are digging our own grave and will sure to be drowned.

By such suggestions the essayist is trying to make aware the public about how to protect trying to make aware the public about how to protect environment and ourselves in this essay to "How Sane Are We?"