Louisiana In Jared Diamond's Collapse

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Life is defined by choices that are made everyday. These choices may be insignificant or life altering. In the case of Louisiana choices made by society in the past have put the state in environmental unrest, but states fate is not sealed. Decisions can still be made to reverse the damage manipulating nature has caused. Society cannot be entirely blamed for the problems that the coast of Louisiana faces today. There are other factors involved. Jared Diamond in his book Collapse lists five main reasons that societies collapse. These reasons are environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, friendly trade-partners, and how people choose to respond to environmental problems. Louisiana does not specifically fit into every one of Diamond’s five-point structure, but we can evaluate Louisiana with most of them. Choosing to build levees once seemed like a good idea. The benefit of the levees would out way the costs. This is not true though. Everyday the environment is damaged because of these levees. The sediment that is carried by the Mississippi River now flows straight out into the ocean instead of being…show more content…
The islander’s primary sources of food were sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, and chicken. The island had large forests on the interior, which were useful for building houses, canoes, and transporting the large statue heads called Ahu. The use of trees exceeded the rate at which they grew. When the trees were deforested the topsoil was exposed to the rain and wind. Without the fertile topsoil the production of food could not support population, resulting in cannibalism and civil war. When examining Louisiana looking to the past is critical. Topsoil is not as crucial to the agriculture of Louisiana as it is to Easter Island, but it is still important. This is because Louisiana has friendly trade partners, which Easter Island

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