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\centerline{MONT100N -- Environmental Mathematics}
\centerline{\it Study/Discussion Questions on {\it Collapse}, Prologue, Chapters 2,5}
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({\it Note}:  A few of these are adapted from some discussion questions on the publisher's
web site for the book -- {\tt http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/collapse.html}.)
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To consider in reading the Introduction:
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\item{1.}  Exactly what does Diamond mean by a ``collapse'' and 
what are the five factors that Diamond identifies as contributing to the
collapses he studies?  (He uses these factors as a framework for analyzing
each of the examples, so it will be helpful to have them in mind at all times.)
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For Chapter 2 -- Twilight at Easter
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\item{2.}   When was Easter Island apparently settled?  What evidence does
Diamond draw on for his conclusion?  What does Diamond say about the 
apparent largest human population that lived on Easter Island?  What do 
we know about how their society was organized and what people did?  How
did different subgroups of the society interact with each other?  
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\item{3.}  What did the early Easter Island inhabitants eat?  What does 
that show about resources available to them on the island?  What happened
to those resources over time?  What did the island look like in 1722 when
the first European visitors arrived?  
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\item{4.}  Some of the distinctive features of Easter Island are how small and
isolated it is in the Pacific Ocean.  Diamond makes an argument that that smallness
and isolation might be in effect a sort of model for Earth as a small, isolated planet in
the rest of the universe.  To what extent do you think it is valid to draw lessons for
humanity as a whole based on the experience of the people on Easter Island?
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For Chapter 5 -- The Maya Collapses
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\item{5.}  How and when were the remains of the Classic Maya cities discovered?
What does Diamond say about the geography, geology, and native plants of the 
Maya region in Central America?  
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\item{6.}  Outline the history of the Classic Maya period as Diamond describes it.
About how long a time are we talking about here?  How advanced was the ancient
Maya civilization?  For instance, how do we know about their history?  
What sorts of scientific or mathematical knowledge did they have?
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\item{7.}  What five strands does Diamond suggest were the main causes of the Maya 
collapse?  How did features of the geography, flora and fauna of this area contribute
to this?  To what extent were bad choices by the people involved? 
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\item{8.}  There are {\it still} people in southern Mexico and Guatemala who
identify themselves as ``Maya.''  So the people did not entirely disappear when the 
Classic Maya civilization collapsed.  What {\it did} collapse?  What can 
we learn from this about resilience of humans in these situations?
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Some general things to think about:  
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\item{9.}  There is a lot of talk these days (especially from the more conservative
end of the political spectrum) about how environmentalists have damaged 
their credibility by ``crying wolf'' -- for example, issuing warnings about unchecked growth
in human population and the effects of global warming that have not (yet) come true.  Do 
you think Diamond is vulnerable to the charge of ``crying wolf'' in {\it Collapse}? If so,
how would you dispute his analysis of the examples he cites?  If not, 
why not? 
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\item{10.} ``I am writing this book from a middle-of-the-road perspective,'' writes Diamond 
in the introduction, ``with experience of both environmental problems and of business 
realities'' (p. 17). The middle of the road is often a tough place to be, since it opens 
one to attacks from both sides.  How successful is Diamond in staking out this 
position?  How does he balance (or fail to balance) environmental concerns with the
needs of human societies?
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\item{4.} ``The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there,'' is the famous 
opening line of a novel called {\it The Go-Between} by L. P. Hartley.  How does 
Diamond's point of view in {\it Collapse} relate to that attitude about the
past?  (For instance, would he say the past is not really that foreign after all,
or would he argue that there is some key difference that sets us apart 
from previous civilizations and lessens the causes for concern about
our ultimate fate?)  What do {\it you} think about this question, after having
read {\it Collapse}?
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\item{5.} In Chapter 9, Diamond describes Tikopia as a kind of island paradise where 
natives saved their environment through eco-friendly gardening and devised a kind 
of rudimentary democratic 
system of government.  Yet Tikopians also practiced infanticide and abortion to limit 
population growth.  Were those practices immoral?  Were they justified by the results?  
What does this say about our ability to judge the morality of past societies?  
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\item{6.}  What view of human nature do you think underlies {\it Collapse}?  Where do you think 
Diamond would stand on the nature vs. nurture debate, i.e., the role of genetics versus 
culture in determining human behaviors and responses?
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\item{7.} How important are leaders in determining the success or failure (ecological or
otherwise) of a civilization? To what extent did bad leadership contribute to or 
cause the collapses Diamond talks about?  What about in our own culture?  
Do you think progress will come from enlightened leadership or rather from grassroots activism?
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\item{8.}  If the United States does collapse, how do you think it will happen?  Which of 
Diamond's five factors would play a role in the demise of American civilization as we 
know it?  Do you think our collapse will occur suddenly, like the crash of Easter Island 
or the Classic Maya civilization, or is it more likely that we will experience a gradual 
but stable decline, as Great Britain did after World War II?
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\item{9.}  Which example of civilizational collapse described in the book do you find most 
compelling and why?  Which best fits Diamond's thesis?  Diamond notes that ``no other site 
that I have visited made such a ghostly impression on me as Rano Raraku, the quarry 
on Easter Island'' (p. 79).  Which image or passage in the book made the most powerful 
impression on you?
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\item{10.} Diamond writes that our world ``cannot sustain China and other Third World countries 
and current First World countries all operating at First World levels'' (p. 376).  
(Comment -- even though the first edition of {\it Collapse} came out in 2005, 
this is already quite out of date, of course, since China is well on its
way to joining (leading?) the First World in 2011!)  
Can we ethically deny Third World countries the comforts and advantages that we in 
the First World enjoy?  In your opinion, what should we do to lessen or resolve 
looming conflicts over resources between First and Third World countries?  Or is
there ``enough to go around'' if it is allocated rationally (e.g. by market forces)?
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\item{11.}  Diamond reveals that while writing the book he found himself lurching between 
hope and despair. What emotions did {\it Collapse} inspire in you? Did you come away depressed, 
cautiously hopeful, or did you have an entirely different reaction? 
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\item{12.}  Part of the mission of Holy Cross is to foster a community which 
asks and discusses fundamental questions such as ``What are our obligations to one another?''
and ``What is our special responsibility to the world's poor and powerless?''
With that in mind, what personal obligation or responsibility, if any, do you 
have to address the challenges posed in Diamond’s work, particularly those raised 
in the final chapters?  Are there particular strengths, experiences, or
talents you possess that would be helpful in confronting some of these issues? Has this book
encouraged you to consider any changes in your future educational or vocational path? 
Are there any courses, service opportunities, or travel that 
you would like to pursue during your Holy Cross education related to these
issues?
\bye
