Happy New Year!
This January 1st Op-ed article in NY Times by Jared Diamond, "The Ends of the World as We Know Them" gives a fascinating background on ancient societies which failed or adapted and survived. I always wondered why 90% of the Mayans disappeared around 900AD. [I know... I'm weird, but I have visited there.] He also sheds light on the collapse of the Polynesian society on Easter Island three centuries ago, and the disappearance of the medieval Norse colonies on Greenland.
"When it comes to historical collapses, five groups of interacting factors have been especially important: the damage that people have inflicted on their environment; climate change; enemies; changes in friendly trading partners; and the society's political, economic and social responses to these shifts."
One of the key social responses for failure or success is insulation vs acknowledging the problem and modifying behavior.
Can we apply these lessons to our current situation? The author is hopeful.
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