Diamond

Diamonds approach to the evolution of cities was very interesting to read about.  He shares with us several reasons why a city, like the Gardar farm, can collapse while farms next to it can prosper, like the Huls Farm. Diamonds shows us his five point frame work and explains why certain cities dissolve. These frames are environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, friendly trade partners, and the society's responses to its environment.  I enjoyed how Diamond shows us other reasons besides environmental causes to how a city could be destroyed. Even though Diamond stayed optimistic throughout his book, it is still a little sad to think that it is possible that any city can be destroyed. These five points are great and could be very helpful on how to prevent future city destruction. One part of the book stood out to me and it was the way Diamond showed both sides of an environmental opinion.  The “environmentalist” or “pro-environment” urged the government to take action to obtain a sustainable lifestyle. Clearly he states that “our current environmental problems are serious and in urgent need of addressing, and that current rates of economic and population growth cannot be sustained.” On the other hand we see the “non-environmentalist” or “pro-business” think that the importance of the environment is exaggerated and that a country can grow without the help of environment. It was weird to read that Diamond seemed to be scolded by both environmentalist and non-environmentalist. The non-environmentalist claim “Diamond preaches gloom and doom,” “favors endangered purple louseworts over the need of people,” and on the other hand the environmentalist says “diamond has sold out to big business,” “He’s in bed with big business.” After reading this section it made me question where I stand on the environmental spectrum. Before FGCU and this class I don’t think I was clear on what actually has to happen for an area to be preserved, how a city could be destroyed, or how to rebuild the land back to its old glory days. Now I can see how big of a part the environment plays in this world.  I see every day of how FGCU isn’t leaving a carbon footprint and how I am going to be one of those students who help out with it.  

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-i-am-environmentalist-/

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