A Green History of the World by Clive Pointing

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A Green History of the World by Clive Pointing

A Green History of the World has been very educational reading and has given me a new prospective on the environment. While I do disagree with some of Clive Pointing’s views I have learned a lot from his work. A Green History of the World was a very in-depth look at the past and the future of our environment. Pointing raised my consciousness regarding the trials we face as inhabitants of this great planet and left me with some food for thought.

After reading Chapter One I found myself entranced by the mystery of Easter Island and excited about the information A Green History of the World had to offer. I had virtually no understanding of Easter Island nor could I remember every being exposed to it in school or any extracurricular reading. This chapter allowed me to become more open-minded to Pointing's writings without giving up my own personal ideology and gave me an understanding of Pointing’s ideas about the environment. I was also able to explore Easter Island in further detail.

Many thoughts ran through my mind speculating about the people of Easter Island, and this left me with several unanswered questions. What really happened there? What factual discoveries do we have to support the theories surrounding Easter Island? What other Easter Island theories exist? Do people still live there? Have they been able to reclaim any environmental nourishment for the land? Are plants and animals able to survive there today? What happened to the statues built by the native Easter Islanders? Where is Easter Island geographically located? How difficult is it to visit the island to day? I likely came up with more questions than answers, but I craved any knowledge I could...

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... the Collapse of Great Civilizations, I had many preconceived notions regarding its contents. The thought of being forced to read what I prejudged as the typical environmentalist’s argument regarding the state of the world, angered me. After I finished the book I found that I agreed with Pointing more than I ever would have expected. He make some very strong arguments and creates a vivid image of what might become of the world if we do not do something to prevent its destruction. I hope that as a society we can step back and take a look at these ongoing processes, and determine if we are doing everything within our power to leave earth with as few scars as possible.

Bibliography:

Easter Island Home Page @ www.netaxs.com (This Internet site contains the research of several authors regarding Easter Island along with other connections to Easter Island.

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