2008 Woodie Awards
Diamond shines with somber view of extinct civilizations
Globalization key
Steven Cabana
Issue date: 2/26/07 Section: News
Taking examples from his research
on the extinction of past
civilizations, award-winning author
Jared Diamond painted a
somber picture for the audience
on the first of three nights of Celebrity
Forum series on Feb. 22.
Diamond, a professor of geology
from the University of California,
Los Angeles, was the sixth
of seven speakers invited to the
Flint Center of Performing Arts
for the monthly series.
Citing his most recent book
"Collapse: How Societies Choose
to Fail or Succeed," Diamond
explained how the deforestation
of Easter Island lead to the extinction
of Polynesian tribes that
settled there.
Diamond also only touched on
cultures including the Anasazi Indians
and Norwegian Vikings.
Whimsically reciting responses
from his students to the question
"What was said as the last
tree was cut down," Diamond paralleled
current responses to environmental
issues. "I'm sure there
is another tree over that hill," he
said. "It's my tree. I should be
free to do what I want with it."
As for globalization's effect
on the increased consumption of
natural resources, Diamond laid
out a bleak view of the future of
modern civilization.
"Globalization threatens a
global collapse," said Diamond,
citing increasing population and
modernization of former third
world regions including rapidly
dwindling oil reserves and an increase
in global warming.
But Diamond said the expansion
of worldwide and instant
information may be useful in responding
to modern environmental
challenges.
"We're the first society in
history to learn from the global
past," said Diamond.
Diamond is the author of six
books, including the Pulitzer
prize-winning "Guns, Germs, and
Steel," which examined the effect
of modernization of early-modern
civilizations on simpler cultures.
The Celebrity Forum series is
a monthly speaker series sponsored
by the Foothill-De Anza
College district.
Since its creation in 1968, the
series brings noted individuals in
the fields of science, politics and
academia to speak at the Flint
Center.
Wesley Clark is slated to appear
on April 4-7, 2007.
For more information visit
the Celebrity Forum Web site at
http://www.celebrityforum.net.
on the extinction of past
civilizations, award-winning author
Jared Diamond painted a
somber picture for the audience
on the first of three nights of Celebrity
Forum series on Feb. 22.
Diamond, a professor of geology
from the University of California,
Los Angeles, was the sixth
of seven speakers invited to the
Flint Center of Performing Arts
for the monthly series.
Citing his most recent book
"Collapse: How Societies Choose
to Fail or Succeed," Diamond
explained how the deforestation
of Easter Island lead to the extinction
of Polynesian tribes that
settled there.
Diamond also only touched on
cultures including the Anasazi Indians
and Norwegian Vikings.
Whimsically reciting responses
from his students to the question
"What was said as the last
tree was cut down," Diamond paralleled
current responses to environmental
issues. "I'm sure there
is another tree over that hill," he
said. "It's my tree. I should be
free to do what I want with it."
As for globalization's effect
on the increased consumption of
natural resources, Diamond laid
out a bleak view of the future of
modern civilization.
"Globalization threatens a
global collapse," said Diamond,
citing increasing population and
modernization of former third
world regions including rapidly
dwindling oil reserves and an increase
in global warming.
But Diamond said the expansion
of worldwide and instant
information may be useful in responding
to modern environmental
challenges.
"We're the first society in
history to learn from the global
past," said Diamond.
Diamond is the author of six
books, including the Pulitzer
prize-winning "Guns, Germs, and
Steel," which examined the effect
of modernization of early-modern
civilizations on simpler cultures.
The Celebrity Forum series is
a monthly speaker series sponsored
by the Foothill-De Anza
College district.
Since its creation in 1968, the
series brings noted individuals in
the fields of science, politics and
academia to speak at the Flint
Center.
Wesley Clark is slated to appear
on April 4-7, 2007.
For more information visit
the Celebrity Forum Web site at
http://www.celebrityforum.net.
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