Diamond and Lopez on Environment, Civilization, and Nature

Introduction: Two Essays, One Environmental Message

This paper presents a comparative analysis of two environmental essays: The Last Americans: Environmental Collapse and the End of Civilization by Jared Diamond, and Children in the Woods by Barry Lopez. Though the essays differ in tone, method, and subject matter, they converge on a shared and urgent message about humanity's relationship with the natural world.

With a background in both the biological sciences and anthropology, Professor Diamond draws on his extensive fieldwork and research to examine what he finds most disturbing about the self-destruction of ancient civilizations, with particular focus on the Maya. Diamond opens his essay with Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias," using poetry to appeal to the reader's sensibilities. By creating a sad, hopeless atmosphere, he sets the tone in anticipation of what follows. His choice of a poem by an incurable romantic may seem odd for an essay about the environment; however, it strikes several chords and opens the reader's heart rather than merely the mind. This approach also signals Diamond's strong personal attachment to the topic, rather than the calm, detached attitude typically expected of a scientist. He is a scientist, but he uses his knowledge primarily to provide support for his ideas and conclusions. He further demonstrates his involvement by using the first-person pronoun — "our politicians" — and by using the plural, he makes the reader an accomplice in his endeavors.

Jared Diamond and the Fall of Ancient Civilizations

Diamond unequivocally attributes the decline of great ancient civilizations — among them the Anasazi, the Cahokia, the Greenland Norse, the statue builders of Easter Island, and the builders of Angkor Wat in Cambodia — to the depletion of their natural resources. He places the moment of a civilization's greatest achievement very close to the moment its fall begins. His tone is direct and dismissive of alternative interpretations; he leaves little room for ambiguity.

To ensure his message is received clearly, Diamond immediately draws a connection to contemporary society, pointing out that his exploration of history is intended as an alarm for the way the world is evolving today. In doing so, he pushes back against the resigned refrain that history is doomed to repeat itself. Unlike Diamond, who accuses politicians of indifference and criticizes ecologists for isolating themselves from the wider world, he is always careful to support his bold statements with sound arguments. He takes the example of the Maya civilization — a culture often romanticized as being close to nature — and reveals the contrary: their decline preceded European colonization of the Americas and resulted from environmental mismanagement rather than conquest. He likes to surprise and intrigue in order to get things moving.