Although Greenland and Australia are thousands of miles apart and very different in geography, they also have many similarities. In his book “Collapse”, Jared Diamond shows that both countries have the five factors that can contribute to a society’s collapse. Greenland’s Norse society already collapsed a long time ago, while Australia is still a First World country going strong. If some things there don’t change, the country’s living standard will go down and there could be major problems.
The first factor in Diamond’s five-point framework is environmental damage. In Greenland, the Norse destroyed the natural vegetation, caused soil erosion and cut turn (Diamond, 248). They burned or cut down trees to clear land for farming and pastures. The plants would often not grow back because of overgrazing and trampling, and the top soil would just slide into rivers or was blown away by the wind. The Norse cut turf ?????
The resulting deforestation led to a shortage of lumber for building and fire wood. The Norse also could not extract iron anymore, because they needed charcoal for hot fires. Life got more difficult because they did not have iron, because they had to use more inefficient tools for cutting hay and butchering, and it was also harder to fight off or to attack the Inuit without swords and other iron weapons. The environment in Greenland is very fragile with a short and cool growing season, which means plants grow back too slowly. Australia also has a very fragile environment, probably the most fragile of any country in the First World (Diamond, 370). The soil is very old and not very fertile, so plants and trees do not grow without being fertilized. There are no nutrients left to run off into the rivers and ...
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...an do what I want” is slowly changing. There are more environmental groups and volunteers and more information about how to save the environment.
In conclusion, a comparison of the two societies shows many similarities, but also important differences. In both countries, settlers were met with conditions that were not the norm. In Greenland, they came during a mild time and in Australia, they came during a string of wet years. Things then changed and both societies were caught by surprise. Added to that were hostile natives and the loss of an important trading partner. With all that, the Norse still did not adapt and their society collapsed in the end. Australia is also faced with the five factors, which can lead to a society’s collapse. The country has been making changes though, and will therefore probably not have the same fate as Greenland.
After the Bomb written by Gloria Miklowitz is a thrilling novel that takes place before, during, and after a bomb which supposedly was sent from Russia by accident. L.A. and surrounding cities are all altered by the disastrous happening.
The main character is a boy named Ledge. In the book when someone turns 13 they will receive a special power called a Savvy. When Ledge received his Savvy, he was hoping he could impress his father by gaining the power to run really fast. Later he found out he gained the power to build and destroy objects. He was really disappointed and only thought of his father. Later he learned that running isn’t what he wanted to do, and learned that he can use his Savvy for good. He found he is a great sculptor and he can create great works of art. Ledge didn’t discover he could build at first. He thought he could only break things. He discovered he could fix things when Ledge and his cousin took his cousin’s car
A long, long time ago, God decided to punish the wicked people, but before he did that, he instructed Noah to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal he can find along with his family. Animals and humans. The book I would like to use throughout this essay is “ Crossing ,” by Gary Paulsen. This book took place in Juarez, Mexico, where a bridge could mean so much. Each character in this book was being compared to an animal, to make us more understand about each of them. Each of them are also different. From the shape of their eyes, the way they react to something, and those are what made each of them different and special. Paulson compares animals and humans by their simliar characteristics and their behaviors.
a. Miles Roby: Dynamic, main character in the story and operator of the Empire Grill. While Miles spends the duration of the book trying to flee Empire Falls- his dream is nearly achieved as a teenager when he attends a small Catholic college in New York. But his dreams are cut short when his mother becomes ill and he needs to return to the town to work to provide for his mother's medical expenses. Everything seems to be holding Miles in Empire Falls until Mrs. Whiting (a very influential and controlling figure in Mile’s life) dies in a struggle for control.
The Aboriginal people of Australia were here thousands of years before European settlement and we forced them to adapt to the changes of environment around them. This change might be for better or worse, but we will never find out. But with the European settlement came the birth of industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacture, electricity, gas and water just to name a few.
A few moments later, agreeing with the pleasant lady in regard to her ugly tempered
Revelation by Ruby Turpin There are three distinctive characteristics that Ruby Turpin showed in the essay "Revelation." Ruby was an extremely dominant woman who was judgmental, controlling, and blind to the true reality of life. She was definitely in need of a revelation in order to help her with a change in attitude. I suppose she was never introduced to the saying "the first shall be last and the last shall be first. " Claud and Ruby Turpin were a couple that had a little of everything.
who were there but learn them in such a way that we are allowed to
Once forests began to be viewed as beneficial, it opened up a whole new lifestyle. The forests and nature might have been an evil and scary place, but it was a place filled with resources and opportunity. Settlers began using trees and wood in a plethora of ways. Not only was it used for families own use, many began logging forests as a business; a very profitable business at that. Once wood started being used for beneficial purposes, a snowball effect occurred by the settlers to cut down every tree in sight and turn it into a profit.
The most destructive problem that occurred a hundred years ago and is still practiced is that of tavy. Tavy is a process of forest clearing, also known as slash and burn. Humans living on the island use this system to create farmland for harvesting their most precious crops. What they do is they cut down all trees and or shrubs then set fire to the area of land that they want to farm. They use the burnt materials as fertilizers and then plant their crop. Next season the farmer must move to another area and continue to burn more of the forest down. Due to this form of farming, humans have turned vast wetlands into deserts and luscious forests into tundra. In the...
In the essay “Everything Now” Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, author Steve McKevitt blames our unhappiness on having everything we need and want, given to us now. While his writing is compelling, he changes his main point as his conclusion doesn’t match his introduction. He uses “want versus need” (145) as a main point, but doesn’t agree what needs or wants are, and uses a psychological theory that is criticized for being simplistic and incomplete. McKevitt’s use of humor later in the essay doesn’t fit with the subject of the article and comes across almost satirical. Ultimately, this essay is ineffective because the author’s main point is inconsistent and poorly conveyed.
Immigration is an important feature of Australian society. Since 1945, over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers. Migrants have made a major contribution to shaping modern Australia. People born overseas make up almost one quarter of the total population. About its ethics distribution, aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people totaled 410 003 at the last census, nearly 2.2 per cent of the population. Two thirds of the indigenous people live in towns and cities. Many others live in rural and remote areas, and some still have a broadly traditional way of life.(Ning)
In conclusion Vikings were people which wanted to expand their territory. With the information that we have they expanded till Greenland and British isles. And with their struggle they did and at last they have found Newfoundland which was so good for them by resources and land. Yet they couldn’t stay there because of weather conditions and the distance between Greenland and Canada played a major role too. And these circumstances resulted on their abandoned. However Historians may certainly not know all the facts about why settlement did not last. With that in mind the evidence points to battles with the natives, the long distance from Greenland, the population lack and the natural environmental factors. In my last words the Vikings were here for an instant and, for numerous reasons abandoned their settlement, leaving their spot forever.
The novel Upside Down, by Eduardo Galeano depicts the injustices and unfairness of several branches of the global society. The differences between the colonized and the colonizer as Galeano writes is always growing and so is the gap between rich and poor. The author challenges western and eurocentric minds as to why on average, countries in the northern hemisphere have a higher standard of living than countries in the southern hemisphere. At first as a reader I thought the writer was whining about the unfairness of the world, but it is the social opiates such as the false idea of capitalism and choice that keeps us in check in this so called democracy. The author forces the reader to open their hearts to a concept that today's capitalist, power hungry society has almost forgotten
What should our goals be in life? Bill Strickland makes the point that no matter who you are you can do anything you put your mind too. In his book “Making the impossible possible” he explains his own struggle and how he made it through life to be able to help others. He explains his young childhood. He talks about how he had to live through riots and the racism. He talks about how he wanted to help people make their lives better. He explains his struggles with trying to maintain these buildings and how he made great connections. He tells about his love for pottery and his want to help others. His book was truly an inspiration and turned out to be more than I took his book for in the first few pages. His book made me think about my life and how I can relate to him.