03-09-2008, 06:34 AM
While I appreciate the dialogue I do want to keep the forum operating by the rules. Even a broad topic like climate change can be discussed in Hawaiian terms.
On the subject I saw a PBS documentary years ago. It was called The Mystery of Easter Island, Solved I believe - maybe something else. I have been unable to find it again and would like a copy. It relates to Hawaii as an island existence and to a discussion of the effects of climate change in this way....
Easter Island - also named Rapa Nui - is a very, very remote location which when discovered by Capt. Cook was a mostly grassy isle barely supporting a couple hundred natives.
I my youth the term Easter Island was always accompanied by the preface The Mystery Of because the couple hundred stressed natives were sharing the place with hundreds of very large stone statues. The mystery was how could such a small and subsistence population account for the hundreds of stone statues.
The Solved part of the documentary explained why. And the explanation held a cautionary tale for Hawaii and the whole planet Earth.
Rapa Nui at it's prime was a lush as any known tropical island. At it's peak it had a population estimated at 200,000. Rapa Nui's population growth caused a rapid depletion of resources which led to warfare and starvation. When the last tree was cut down the ability to fish offshore or travel was ended. The struggle for resources depleted the environment to the point that, when discovered by Capt. Cook, the island could barely support 200 people.
You may take from this what you will. If anyone is able to locate the documentary let me know. A couple of my numbers given may be off.... it is my memory recounting this. So feel free to research and update the story. Do not confuse this documentary with the commercial film "Rapa Nui" which was interesting but not actually a scientific inquiry.
I cannot fail to see human kind's and Hawaii's future threatened by a similar fate. Are we sophisticated enough to avoid a repeat of Rapa Nui's history?
On the subject I saw a PBS documentary years ago. It was called The Mystery of Easter Island, Solved I believe - maybe something else. I have been unable to find it again and would like a copy. It relates to Hawaii as an island existence and to a discussion of the effects of climate change in this way....
Easter Island - also named Rapa Nui - is a very, very remote location which when discovered by Capt. Cook was a mostly grassy isle barely supporting a couple hundred natives.
I my youth the term Easter Island was always accompanied by the preface The Mystery Of because the couple hundred stressed natives were sharing the place with hundreds of very large stone statues. The mystery was how could such a small and subsistence population account for the hundreds of stone statues.
The Solved part of the documentary explained why. And the explanation held a cautionary tale for Hawaii and the whole planet Earth.
Rapa Nui at it's prime was a lush as any known tropical island. At it's peak it had a population estimated at 200,000. Rapa Nui's population growth caused a rapid depletion of resources which led to warfare and starvation. When the last tree was cut down the ability to fish offshore or travel was ended. The struggle for resources depleted the environment to the point that, when discovered by Capt. Cook, the island could barely support 200 people.
You may take from this what you will. If anyone is able to locate the documentary let me know. A couple of my numbers given may be off.... it is my memory recounting this. So feel free to research and update the story. Do not confuse this documentary with the commercial film "Rapa Nui" which was interesting but not actually a scientific inquiry.
I cannot fail to see human kind's and Hawaii's future threatened by a similar fate. Are we sophisticated enough to avoid a repeat of Rapa Nui's history?
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator