How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
By Jared Diamond (Penguin Books, 2005)
This week we began to dig deep within this book. What are your thoughts about what you read and what we discussed in class about the Rwanda Genocide of 1994 and the links to the agricultural and land crisis the country was experiencing?
The Dominican Republic and Haiti?
China the "lurching giant"? and
The literal and non-literal mining of Australia?
These are very emotionally charged, real and difficult topics to discuss. You continue to inspire me with your dedication to the material and your personal abilities to speak your mind about these topics. Keep up the great work and have a wonderful Fall break.
4 comments:
I re-read the chapters on the Rwandan Genocide, and even still the words are potent. Much of my reading was an attempt to more fully understand Diamond's connection between the genocide and Malthusian theory, as well as why this occurred without foreign intervention.
Malthus, according to Diamond, reasoned that a population will expand to consume all available food and never leave a surplus, unless growth itself is halted by famine, war or disease. In this case, Rwanda's increase in growth (due to broadening of agricultural bases, improved hygiene and medicine, and fixing of national boundaries to expand settlement) could not keep up with the population growth, and a worst possible outcome ensued. I realize now that this was not by any means a genocide as a result of ethnic hatred; Diamond points out that there is far more underlying cultural disputes, mainly the universal theme of land disputes generated from the lack of availability between larger families.
Although the Rwanda Genocide was relatively brief, only about 100 days, (from Habyarimana's death in a plane crash April 6th to the RPF victory July 18th) the mass destruction committed was devastating. What's more horrible is that this civil war of sorts, between the Hutu and Tutsi, was all internal. Hutu extremists killing Tutsi, organized by Hutu government and carried out by Hutu civilians. Diamond looks to Prunier to question the possible motive of Rwanda's people to commit such acts of violence:
"[civilians] felt that there were too many people on too little land, and ith reduction in numbers, there would be more for survivors."
More frustrating still is the lack of any intervention from the UN, or France, or the United States. The United States wouldn't even acknowledge it as a genocide--and why? Because the government wasn't explicitly doing the killing? Because it could be excused as a "tribal conflict?"
According to wikipedia, the United Nations mandate "forbids intervening in the internal politics of any country unless the crime of genocide is being committed," and it's shocking that this could have passed as anything but genocide.
SUMMARY FOR CH 15 IN COLLAPSE
Reading citation (Author(s)/editor(s), Title, Year)
Diamond, Jared. Collapse. New York: Penguin Books, 2005
Reading Selection (Overview /Abstract )
This chapter focuses on the role of modern businesses, some of which are extremely environmentally destructive, while others provide some of the most effective environmental protection. Diamond examines why businesses find it in their best interests to be more environmentally protective, and what changes would be necessary before other businesses follow in their lead.
Core Points and/or Arguments
• Oil Industry (comparing two oil fields in the New Guinea region at opposite ends of the spectrum)
• Hardrock Mining Industry (examines how unstable the mining industry is compared to the oil industry; confronting metal buyers instead of metal miners themselves; Stillwater Mining Industry as positive example of mining company)
• Logging Industry (important role in ecosystem compared to metal and oil; Forest Stewardship Council)
• Seafood Industry (increasing demand for decreasing supplies; collapsing commercial marine fisheries; Marine Stewardship Council)
• Change in public attitudes are essential for changes in businesses’ environmental practices
Key Tensions/Questions (Addressed or Generated by this reading (4-8))
• Do you think environmentalists and big businesses can reach a compromise while still reaching their own goals?
• Landowners at the Kutubu oil fields rely directly on their local resources for food and other materials. This makes them more aware of environmental damage to their region. Do you think the average American is as connected to their land? How does being distanced from oil fields and mines change our view of oil and mining companies and the destruction of the land? What would make Americans care more?
• Do you think that people are willing to pay more for FSC certified products or are they buying the cheaper alternative because it’s easier for them to afford? Does the average American care about supporting better logging practices or saving money for themselves by buying cheaper wood?
• Do you think that companies opposing FSC (like Sustainable Forestry Initiative) will last?
• Do you agree with Diamond’s belief that public attitudes need to change in order for businesses’ environmental practices to change? What is the role of the individual in these circumstances?
Key definitions (New Terminology)
• “Walkaway Restoration” – inexpensive way for company to clean up mine by doing as little as possible to restore mine, so they can walk away with no other obligations.
• “Rape-and-run” method – companies that deplete area of its resources and move to another location.
• “By-catch” – the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species.
-Caroline Aulis
ADP III – Technology & The Environment
Reviewer name: Karin Alpert
Section: 14
Date: October 28, 2008
SUMMARY
Reading citation (Author(s)/editor(s), Title, Year)
Diamond, Jared. Collapse. New York: Penguin Books, 2005.
Reading Selection (Overview /Abstract )
Chapter 14 in Collapse addresses the different theories of why and how things can and do go wrong in societies. Diamond speaks in great detail of his many theories as he takes the reader point by point through his roadmap he has created. Through each step or point on the roadmap of failing decision making, Diamond provides the reader with many different examples from many different past or present societies, however, he does not delve too deep into any one society or example. The purpose of this chapter is not to focus on one particular society or failure/collapse, but rather the many different ways a society may possibly collapse through bad decision-making.
Core Points and/or Arguments
• Failures of group decision making and how it differs from individual decision making
• Road-map and how it can become a preventative checklist for the future
• Road-map = different ways a group can fail
• Dangers of alien species
• Societies either have no records, record the wrong things, or forget after a long period of time
• Reasoning by false analogy: 1) no possible way to see a problem coming, 2) distant managers – too far away to see problems, 3) “creeping normalcy” – slow trend concealed by wide up and down fluctuations
• Not attempting to solve the problems at all
• Government or groups stepping in – enforcement of quotas
• Clash of interests
• Short term control of land
• Problems with rulers because of competition and prestige
• Feel secure in keeping with what we are familiar with, even if it may be harmful
• People focus on short term goals and not long term consequences
• People deny to preserve sanity
• Why things fail even after attempts to solve problems
Key Tensions/Questions (Addressed or Generated by this reading (4-8))
• “How often did people wreak ecological damage intentionally, or at least while aware of the likely consequences? How often did people instead do it without meaning to, or out of ignorance?” (p. 419)
• Will people far in the future be as astonished by our environmental decisions as we are of societies we study from the past?
• Argument between Diamond and Tainter – who do you think is correct? (p. 420)
• Is there a way to know beforehand if an alien species will be harmful?
• With this detailed roadmap created by Diamond, is it going to become easier in the future to find and fix these mistakes, or will it continue as it has throughout the past?
• Which solution do you think would work best and why? (p. 429) 1) Government or outside force stepping in, 2) privatize the resource, 3) consumers form a homogeneous group
• Companies controlling land for short term uses means that long-term problems don’t become their concern – how can this be prevented? Should there be a law prohibiting it? What about the case with China – was there a way to prevent it then?
• If rulers or the rich lived the same life styles as societies masses, would they be more inclined to solve environmental problems?
• Is it okay not to follow religious traditions if it is harmful to the environment? Which holds more importance? Is it an individual decision or communal decision?
Key definitions (New Terminology)
• Creeping Normalcy: Term used by politicians to refer to slow trends concealed within noisy fluctuations or wide up and down fluctuations; slow changes hard to recognize as problems in short period of time
• Landscape Amnesia: Forgetting how different the surrounding landscape looked 50 years ago because the change from year to year has been so gradual
• Rational Behavior: Clashes of interest between people; some people may reason correctly that they can advance their own interests by behavior harmful to other people; employs correct reasoning even though it may be morally reprehensible
• Perverse Subsidies: Large sums of money that governments pay to support industries that might be uneconomic without the subsidies (i.e. fisheries, sugar-growing in the U.S., cotton-growing in Australia)
• Swing Power: Measures benefiting a small minority at the expense of a large majority
• Tragedy of the Commons/The Prisoner’s Dilemma/The Logic of Collective Action: When many consumers are harvesting a communally owned resource, and the rational behavior is to harvest before the next consumer can, even though the eventual result may be the destruction of the commons and thus harm for all consumers
• ISEP: “It’s not my problem, it’s someone else’s problem”
• Irrational Behavior/Persistence in Error/Wooden-headedness/Refusal to Draw Inference from Negative Signs/Mental Standstill or Stagnation: Behavior that is harmful for everybody which arises when each of us individually is torn by clashes of values: we may ignore a bad status quo because it is favored by some deeply held value to which we cling (i.e. religion)
• Sunk-cost Effect: We feel reluctant to abandon a policy (or to sell a stock) in which we have already invested heavily
• Crowd Psychology: Individuals who find themselves members of a large coherent group or crowd, especially one that is emotionally excited, may become swept along to support the group’s decision, even though the same individuals might have rejected the decision if allowed to reflect on it alone at leisure
• Groupthink: A calmer small-scale analog of crowd psychology that may emerge in groups of decision-makers
• Psychological Denial: Subconsciously suppressing a perception in order to avoid unbearable pain, even though the practical results of ignoring your perception may prove ultimately disastrous
• Environmental Determinism: Differences among environments rather than among societies: some environments pose much more difficult problems than do others
SUMMARY for chapters 12-13
Reading citation (Author(s)/editor(s), Title, Year)
Diamond, Jared. Collapse. New York; Penguin Books, 2005
Reading Selection (Overview /Abstract )
China and Australia both have accelerating environmental problems. China is the most populous country and is continuing to grow and a fast rate. All of the new advances in China are causing major issues. The air, soil and water are polluted, habitats are being destroyed, there are biodiversity losses and megaprojects being built. People cannot go outside and breathe clean air. This problem is also affecting neighboring countries. The pollution in the air is transferring to the rest of the world. There is no say in what will happen next because as the damage is accelerating, the protection of the environment is also accelerating. For Australia, Jared Diamond calls it an unproductive continent. The soil is eroded and most of the water goes to the major cities. Most people live in the larger cities and mostly everything is imported. The Australian environment is rarely used. There is more connection to the outside world, but the fact that it is isolated and an island is an issue, (using oil and fossil fuels to import goods to Australia). Another topic brought up is British settlers bringing non-native species to Australia, that both benefit and destroyed the land. However, there is still some hope for the continent.
Core Points and/or Arguments
•China: Growing rate, significance to/on the world, environmental issues (air, water, soil, habitat destruction, biodiversity losses and megaprojects), the future.
•Australia: Mining, Location (geography), Trade, relationship with other countries, Britain (it’s impact on the environment), environmental problems (specifically water and soil) and signs of hope.
Key Tensions/Questions (Addressed or Generated by this reading (4-8))
•Jared Diamond argues that China and Australia’s environmental problems are accelerating, do you think that these problems will start to decelerate?
•In some cases bringing in non-native species is a good thing. Is it okay to experiment and bring in non-native species hoping it will benefit the environment?
•What are the environmental damaging effects China and Australia are having on the world?
•Are Australia and China failing societies?
•What are the similarities in China and Australia’s environmental problems?
Key definitions (New Terminology)
•Eutrophication: (page 363) “growth of excessive algal concentrations as a result of all that nutrient runoff.”
•Lurching: (page 373) “..neutral strict sense of “swaying suddenly from side to side,” not in its pejorative sense of the gait of a dunk person.”
•water licenses: (page 409) “rights to extract water for irrigation.”
Other Notes or Interesting Applications our field or lectures
•In the book, Diamond brought up the fact of the first world trash transporting to China. Professor Trumpey brought this up in class, and I thought those pictures were interesting and shocking. I wondered about the kid using the used condom as if it were a balloon, and also about the person taking the picture, why didn’t they stop the kid?
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