Summary
"Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond explores the intriguing question of why some societies thrive while others crumble. Diamond argues that environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of friendly trade partners, and a society's response to these challenges are crucial factors determining its fate. He uses a five-point framework to analyze the collapse of past societies like Easter Island, the Anasazi, the Maya, and Norse Greenland, comparing them with successful societies like Iceland, Tikopia, and Tokugawa Japan, to draw lessons for the modern world. Diamond examines the current environmental and population problems of modern Montana, a relatively pristine area in the U.S., as a microcosm of global issues. He then discusses the collapse of past societies, starting with Easter Island's deforestation-induced decline, followed by the demise of Pitcairn and Henderson Islands due to the collapse of their trade partner. The Anasazi's struggle with drought and environmental damage, the Maya's complex collapse involving warfare, drought, and resource depletion, and the Greenland Norse's inability to adapt to a changing climate and hostile neighbors are analyzed. Diamond highlights success stories like the Icelanders' triumph over environmental fragility, the Tikopians' careful resource management, and Tokugawa Japan's top-down approach to forest conservation. Returning to the modern world, Diamond discusses the Malthusian catastrophe of Rwanda's genocide, the divergent paths of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, China's struggle with its environmental challenges, and Australia's unique environmental problems. He emphasizes the role of big businesses in environmental destruction or protection, using examples from the oil, mining, logging, and fishing industries to show how different policies and public pressure can lead to different outcomes. Diamond concludes by emphasizing that the future depends on the choices that societies make today, stressing the need for long-term planning and a willingness to reexamine core values.
Diamond begins by examining the environmental problems of modern Montana, including toxic wastes, forest fires, soil erosion, water scarcity, and introduced species. He highlights the conflicts of interest between different groups in society, such as old-timers versus newcomers and environmentalists versus businesses, and how these conflicts influence environmental policies. Diamond then moves to past societies, exploring the collapse of Easter Island due to deforestation, the decline of Pitcairn and Henderson Islands because of trade partner issues, the Anasazi's struggle with drought and environmental damage, the Maya's complex collapse involving factors like overpopulation and deforestation, and the Greenland Norse's failure to adapt to a changing climate and interactions with the Inuit. Diamond emphasizes the importance of understanding the motives and values of people in past societies, drawing parallels with modern Montana.
He analyzes the success of Iceland in overcoming environmental challenges, Tikopia's careful resource management, and Tokugawa Japan's top-down forest conservation approach, suggesting that both bottom-up and top-down approaches are necessary for success. Diamond then examines the modern Rwanda genocide, linking it to population pressure, environmental problems, and political manipulation. He discusses the Dominican Republic and Haiti, highlighting the contrast between a growing Dominican Republic with a commitment to environmental protection, and Haiti's continuing decline. China's massive environmental problems and attempts to address them, and Australia's challenge of dealing with a fragile environment and unsustainable practices, provide lessons for other First World countries. Diamond discusses the role of big businesses in environmental issues, arguing that public pressure and government regulations are essential to balance economic gains with environmental safety.
He examines the oil, mining, logging, and fishing industries, providing examples of how different conditions and public pressure can lead to different environmental outcomes. The book emphasizes how modern businesses, while aiming to make money, can also play a vital role in environmental protection. Diamond uses the Forest Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council as examples of successful bottom-up approaches driven by the public, and stresses the importance of consumers considering environmental values in their purchasing decisions.
Diamond concludes by examining why societies make disastrous decisions about their environment, outlining factors like failure to anticipate or perceive problems, rational bad behavior due to conflicts of interest, clinging to disastrous values, and the role of distant managers. He argues that understanding these factors can help societies make better choices for the future. He encourages individuals to take action by voting, buying environmentally friendly products, and becoming involved in local environmental efforts. Diamond argues that modern globalization means that everyone shares the same interconnected world, and our present course is unsustainable. He emphasizes the need for long-term planning and a willingness to reconsider core values to achieve a more sustainable future.