Jared Diamond’s book sets out to explain why civilizations developed and for what reasons. In a nutshell this review will help to explain why China was able to create a unified society early in history, and how they accomplished it. Being a professor in bio-geography, Diamond uses his background to explain how most early civilizations progressed from hunter gatherer societies into agriculture due to their location, and because of random developments. He argues how important the role of geography plays in the earth’s earliest inhabitants. Inevitably, those civilizations with larger land masses, larger domesticated animals and more fertile lands would have an edge on other civilizations and would later contribute to the power of today’s modern nations.
This book best serves an audience which appreciates taking a different viewpoint than most history accounts. By analyzing the environmental situation and geographical layout of the most primitive societies, it becomes perfectly clear why some progressed and gained technology, while others have only made minor adjustments in the previous centuries. I believe this book is useful to business students as it portrays a view of history from a scientific perspective which most readers normally would not recognize.
Some weaknesses in book include its explanations rely heavily on scientific thought. Some people who are highly religious and believe in creationism could have a great deal of problems dealing with this book’s central concepts. This is mainly due to the fact that the author uses evolution to explain why pivotal events occurred in history as oppose to creation by god. Additionally, Diamond goes out of his way to cover himself claiming he is not Eurocentric. Unfortunately, he does in some sense infer that Europeans were destined to rule the globe…by arguing that their germs, and domesticated animals helped Europe’s civilization grow faster than other civilizations. I could see how some would criticize this and may even find it offensive.
Focusing more on China, Diamond explains how China has been Chinese since the beginnings of the countries recorded history. Though most Americans view Chinese people as being genetically similar, the author points out how different areas of China are influenced by their neighboring societies such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Tibet and Nepal. It is interesting that China, due to it’s long history, has only eight main dialects, whereas regions relatively newer regions such as New Guinea has thousands of languages.
Diamond also focuses on how China is one of the birthplaces of plants and early domestication of animals. Weather patterns also play a role in the formation of civilizations. For example, in the dryer northern regions of China millet would flourish, while in the southern wetter region of China rice prevailed. Animals which were able to be domesticated including the water buffalo, pigs, dogs and chickens also allowed China’s population to progress. While these animals helped China develop an early civilization, they lacked larger domestic animals. Diamond also emphasized how Eurasia is located on a east-west axis which allowed pivotal crops to be traded between these two immense continents.
Interestingly enough, Diamond proposes that China’s size and diversity amongst its’ early animals may have been the origin of Europe’s bubonic plague. It will be interesting to see if history will repeat itself and we will see another epidemic in the next century with third world country populations booming. It would surprise me if we saw an event similar to the plague sooner than later. Diamond also suggests a reason for the unification of China so early on was due to its river system, and lack of mountainous terrain which allowed for political and cultural unification. It’s interesting to think about how something such as geography (ie Mountain ranges, rivers, etc) play such an important role in all of human history. We can use this knowledge to forecast growth, anticipate problems which can be a valuable asset in business.
Lastly, we can see how important writing was to the Chinese to spread power amongst its people. Transmitting knowledge thought the generations allows future generations to further develop and become more sophisticated. Additionally, travel through continents with this knowledge helped to spread civilization. Writing is known to exist in China nearly 3300 years ago and is thought to have evolved independently. While societies today recognize how important literacy can be, in ancient times there were restrictions of mass literacy amongst people, to prevent plots and organizations being formed to overthrow the government. Today, we can see similar restrictions with the proliferation of mass media, and the Internet. China hires thousands to patrol the Internet daily looking for citizens who have opposing views about the government.
I found it interesting how the author uses natural phenomenons such as location (on a north-south axis vs. a east-west axis) and native animals to derive conclusions about why things are the way they are today. Never before have I come across a book which overlooks dates and important people, and focuses on the reasoning why these events occurred. To me, Diamonds reasoning makes perfect sense, and makes me question why our education system is focused so much on memorizing facts rather than recognizing the science behind events. Therefore, I find this book to be a perfect complement to further anyone’s understanding of history through connecting how our earth’s ecology, evolution, and geography can play a critical role in understanding history.
Overall, I thought Diamond did an excellent job getting the point across and explaining a detailed template for answering Yali’s question…of why certain groups of people are why they are.
Providing health care to over 1.3 billion people is a feat that doctors, hospitals and the Chinese government deal with daily. It seems that any single person able to make a significance difference in improving the health of thousands in any population should be lauded. While this is the case for a Chinese doctor, Hu Weimin, he is also being shunned by hospitals for interfering with their profits. Dr. Hu is harmful to the hospital businesses in China because he provides widespread free advice on the most common treatable illnesses in his home region of the Hunan province. In a country where citizens pay more out-of-pocket for health care than any other nation in the world, it is seems appalling that hospitals discourage preventative medicine.
Currently it seems that some Chinese hospital management have a primary focus of commercial profit rather than public service. While hospitals recognize that they need reform, it is unfortunate that financial incentives bring corruption into these environments of healing. Bonuses are given to doctors who prescribe laser surgeries and certain Chinese & imported drugs. Doctors profit directly from this reward system, which provides a substantial part of their salary. A fateful byproduct of the greed stemming from doctors trying to make a better living includes the mis-prescription of drugs. Though this probably occurs from time to time in the US, it is a scary thought to think a doctor could be misusing their medical expertise to profit…I hope I don't need to go to a Chinese hospital for fear I might receive incorrect medication. While any business has a necessity to prosper, hospitals are organizations which have moral obligations to put the people first.
Since millions of Chinese can not afford health care it is critical that preventative medicine be more widespread. While Dr. Hu is hero leading the way, saving lives and substantial amounts of revenue, he is also causing major headaches for hospitals. Perhaps hospitals should help Dr. Hu’s cause and create preventative programs to teach the masses easy ways to alleviate commonly treatable sicknesses. When do businesses go too far to make a buck? Should the government be policing these hospitals to minimize corruption?
China, the oldest civilization on earth, is in the midst of an awe-inspiring period of rebirth. The nation is currently the scene of the most extraordinary economic, social and political transformation of our time. But such rapid progress has a downside, and China is presently faced with an enormous population, a strained environment, and an unequal distribution of wealth and poverty.
Combining the finest documentary talent of CBC, the New York Times and other broadcast partners, CHINA RISING is a special CBC co-production which takes viewers inside this vibrant, fascinating nation during what may prove to be the most important period in its history. Airing over two nights, China Rises explores four themes, each of them featuring compelling first-hand accounts of the triumphs and disappointments of the people who make up China's diverse population. - source: canadian broadcasting corporation
The following two questions are in relation to CBC's China Rises Video
3. What character/person in the show would you most like to meet and have dinner with in China, and why?
I would enjoy having dinner with Ai Weiwei, the Artist who is building the stadium for the 2008 Olympics. This man seemed very intriguing the way he was expressing himself, both with his company (recall the 4 letter acronym), and through his creative artwork. He seems to be very powerful, but in a reserved and entrepreneuring way. I feel a connection with him, and believe the way he is showing his skepticism towards authority is constructive, conducting himself it in an expressive way (which seems to be unlike most Chinese). Due to the fact that his father was a leader, you could feel his tension and aggression towards leading a reform. I was impressed with the fact that he was able to stand out and be imaginative in a society that has condemned such individualistic characteristics for a long time. I believe it will be individuals like Ai Weiwei, which will help provide some power back to the people, and let China rise to their full potential. 5. When you see poor uneducated people in Chinese factories create the things you and I buy on the cheap at Wal-Mart, Ride Aid or Target, it may make you feel sad and/or angry and/or disillusioned. If so, how do or will you reconcile those feelings with your purchases of such products? What plans do you have to change your purchasing habits, if any? Do you help or hurt these workers by purchasing such prodcuts?
I am looking forward to viewing the Chinese factories as it will be a realization to all of us how well off we are in the US, even if you’re in the lower class. At first, I think about not purchasing these products as it only creates a higher demand for poor uneducated workers in China. At the same time the movie claimed that these people would otherwise be struggling, eating noodles in the hills of Loess Plateau if these workers had not migrated to work at the factories. Still, does this really justify us buying these products?
Personally, I do not believe it is fully justified nor do I believe that we fully understand the full facts on this matter. This is why it will be an eye-opener to view a factory in person. I believe if the living conditions were improved and these factory workers were fed, and fully compensated than I would not think twice about purchasing their products. I thought it was great that Zhang Yue, the CEO of Broad Air Conditioning was able to create a business that was more sustainable, which grew healthy organic food for their workers, and helped the employees live a healthier life. After all, what is the point of having wealth, if you are not healthy or happy with your life?
In contrast, looking at a business like Zongshan’s motorcycle factory, the workers seemed unhappy as the company was run like a military installment. Some people flourish under this structured environment, yet this organization style provides little room for individuality or inventiveness within a company, which is imperative for a business’s growth. Repressing rights and originality will lead to unhappy, less productive workers and over time anarchy. Additionally, it seemed that many of these factories are forgetting about their environment in their rush to build a middle class and become a more wealthy China.
As the past may give China confidence in the future, perhaps factories and the government should take a step back and recognize if precautions are not taken now regarding their environmental degradation, it will probably have devastating consequences for the next billion Chinese. As the movie pointed out, is it ethical that your country cares more about having economic success and wealth than protecting the health and lifestyles of the majority of its people?
Pulitzer prize winning author, Jared Diamond examines how great civilizations in the past have collapsed, offering insight to how modern society can benefit from their failures. While Diamond focus on several civilizations in his book, in this blog I will focus my discussion only on one…China, and their developing modern problems~
Diamond highlights China’s environmental problems in the following categories. Air, water, soil, habitat destruction, biodiversity losses, and mega-projects. He explains how air pollution in China is the worst in the world, with acid rain falling in ¼of their cities (over half of their rainy days annually). To top that off, water quality in China is some of the worst in the world, with severe water shortages in over a hundred cities annually. Additionally, some business suffers halts in industrial production due to lack of water. Perhaps if businesses were more efficient about their use of water, or they reclaimed more of it, they would not need to shut down entire factories due to the lack of H20.
Soil problems such as desertification are affecting China, and since the country does not have many recycling programs according to Diamond, many of the cities are surrounded by trash. I am interested to see how bad their environment is as I have studied solutions to such problems, and soon China will need to step up to the plate and do a better job taking care of their environment. Also, since fish consumption is a large part of the Chinese diet, overfishing has resulted in massive depletions of Chinese fishery stocks. Many species of fish which once flourished in the rivers and coastal waters must now be imported, while Chinese rivers have recently been closed down to overfishing. Diamond explains how China and the rest of the world falls into the Tragedy of the Commons…where there is a conflict for resources between individual interests and the common good. Fortunately, new standards are being taken practicing sustainable fishing.
Additionally, China’s bio-diversity is at risk with over 10 percent of the world’s plant and terrestrial vertebrate species living in China. Unfortunately many of these species, such as the Panda, are endangered due to China’s bulging population. The author blames China’s escalating habitat destruction is mostly from the fact that their nation is consuming wood faster than they can renew it. Diamond points out that Big business often maximized its profits in the short term by harming the environment and people. Though, some businesses are becoming sustainable with the help of government, Diamond argues that these environmental business will need public support in order to survive. He suggests that the only way that business can be successfully eco-friendly is for the public to prefer to buy eco-friendly products, thereby increasing demand for these goods, driving away competitors who can often produce the same product more inexpensively by using environmentally harmful methods. Diamond points out that without government intervention and support from consumers it will be difficult for environmentally friendly business to prosper.
Another important aspect which Diamond confronts is how international trade has effected China’s environment. A 60 fold increases in international trade has resulted in invasive species becoming major problem in China. These pests effect agriculture, and as have been known to be a primary cause of food shortages. In a nation struggling to feed over a billion hungry mouths, the last thing they need is an invasive beetle eating their crops. The author also confronts a unique problem of exporting which we often overlook….Homosapien exportation.China is exporting humans at alarming rates. While studying abroad in New Zealand in 2004 I was privileged to witness first hand how dramatic of an effect China is having on an island nation such as New Zealand. With a population of just over a million people, the New Zealand and Australian governments are granting permanent visas to Chinese in order to boost their countries revenue. Unfortunately, this is becoming a controversial issue, and I was able to see it first hand. New Zealand is experiencing the effects of a growing foreign population as the cities are growing at rates higher than ever before.
Diamond continues to point out China’s worldwide effect on global air quality. The country has exponentially increasing Carbon Dioxide emissions & the world’s highest sulfur oxide emissions. China is nice enough to share these pollutants with parts of Asia and the south pacific as the particles are propelled eastward to Korea, Japan and eventually across the US, and Canada, due to their coal-burning economy. Ironically, the pollutants which are produced by American Industries in China are eventually blown back into the country. It’s kinda like pissing in the wind. Nobody wins.
More and more, the Chinese have the desire for the standards of living similar to first world consumers. This is an extremely frightening thought. While it is selfish of privileged Americans to want to keep our first world standards and not share, the implications of China’s standard of living, rising to first world standards could be horrific. In ‘Collapse’ Diamond explains if China’s one billion people were to increase their per capita consumption rate, this would nearly double the total resource use and environmental impact of China. In a country which already has extreme environmental problems, the effect of this rise in the Chinese standards would affect everyone. Diamond anticipates that China’s problems will becomes the rest of the world’s problem. There’s no way around it.
Since China’s joining the WTO, it has lowered the tariffs and increased imports and exports. Diamond suggests that one benefit which could result from China’s WTO involvement is that more strict environmental standards would be enacted in the country. Diamond elaborates on disturbing facts in ‘Collapse,’ but he does see light at the end of the tunnel. China has begun to recognize that environmental problems are arriving in China. With the Olympics arriving in 2008, China has begun to erect a Greenwall or treebelt is being built around Beijing to stop harmful dust and particles to reach the city. Additionally, China has enacted air pollution restrictions on cars mirroring those in Europe. Over 1,000 nature reserves have been created to help preserve its biodiversity. Other Chinese methods of environmental progress mentioned by Diamond include replanting projects, raising fish in rice fields and logging bans.While these environmental solutions alone will not solve the environmental problems produced by one billion Chinese, they are on the right track.
Diamond points that the ‘top down’ government style of China is beginning torecognize that population is no longer the largest problem to their bulging country, but rather it is the environmental problems resulting from its people. China’s interests will need to include the environment if it wants to sustain itself as the next world superpower.
Another interesting point Diamond presents is how pollution intensive firms move to China to do business. Some of these companies have left their countries of origin to set up shop in China as they are now illegal in China. One such industry which has affected me has been the surfboard industry. The once dominant Clark Foam, which produced nearly all the foam needed for surfboard production, was shut down in December of 2005, due to increasing pressure from stringent CaliforniaState and federal EPA standards. Now that Clark foam is no longer producing surfboard blanks, production in China will surely increase, as ‘cookie-cutter’ board are now being produced in mass quantities in China, and supplied by warehouse stores such as Costco.It seems unfortunate that pollution intensive industries of first world countries being sent to the China. Not only are American companies loosing revenue, but our country is often hit like a boomerang with the same environmental problems we originally tried to banish.
As a fellow geographer, Diamond explains the phenomenon of struggling civilizations in a way which I can truly appreciate.Using my MBA degree and undergraduate Environmental Science BS degree I am optimistic that I may be able to create a positive impact about the way China is currently doing business. While correcting environmental problems is sometimes costly and inconvenient, methods are available which increase efficiency which would in turn increase revenue and help conserve the countries environment for the next billion Chinese. Nobody wants to live in a world where you have to walk around with a gas mask on, and worry about picking up a disease when you walk outside. China seriously needs to confront these issues as they are heading down a dangerous road.
Deep in the remote western mountains of the Xinjiang province in China, local botanists search for miracle drugs to share with the world. Drug companies such as Swiss drug giant Novartis AG are looking at China for new drugs from ancient Chinese remedies that exist in plants and fungi native to the country. Due to the increasing costs of developing new drugs, companies such as Swiss drug maker Novartis are optimistic that traditional Chinese medicinal cures will lead them in the battle to fight modern diseases.
It is important to recognize there is a fundamental difference from the way China and the way the West discovers drugs. Over centuries, Chinese medicine men have tweaked concoctions with variable amounts of different substances until they achieve their desired medicinal purpose. This was mainly completed by trial and error, so Chinese doctors are not certain which parts of the body the medicine is targeting. Alternatively, western doctors take the reverse approach by finding the targeted area of the body, and working backwards to find the correct chemical compound to cure the problematic area. This is why collaboration between the East and West will probably not occur.
Fortunately, drug companies such as Novartis and French Drug maker Servier are working together with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), to isolate the active compounds in Chinese traditional medicine by testing the raw extracts from plants collected by Chinese biologists. Over the past three decades SIMM has been hunting for the rare plants and herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat ailments ranging from cancers to common aches and pains. The way Novartis sees it, ‘China has thousands of years’ experience of using plants in Chinese traditional medicines. The idea was, why not use the Chinese experience as a kind of filter.
Novartis has previously used traditional Chinese cure for fever to fight malaria with the plant with a native ‘sweetworm’ plant. The cure for this disease was found written on silk in a tomb which dates back during the West Han Dynasty which existed over 2200 years ago. In the 1970s scientists working for the Chinese military used this drug in Vietnam to combat malaria. Novartis later decided to make a deal with the Chinese to purchase rights to the sweetworm plant for several million dollars. Today, over 1,000 natural products have come to Novartis working with SIMM, resulting in cures for a number of diseases. As the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry progresses into the next generation it will become increasingly important for them to protect their future…and defend the world’s endangered environments.
Now you may be asking yourself…why should business worry about preserving the natural environment of China? There are several moral issues to this question. First, If China continues to grow westward as it currently is, many of the drugs which organizations such as SIMM are searching for will become extinct before they are obtained. It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of higher plant varieties in China are endangered (threatening the existence of 40,000 species of organisms related with them). Continued westward expansion of Chinese industry could threaten these species which may hold the answers for solving the world’s most crippling diseases.
Second, by preserving their environment the Chinese government can ensure the next generation of Chinese will have enough to eat, clean water to drink, and healthier people. China already has the worst air quality in the world. Fortunately, China is now awakening to these rising environmental issues and is taking action by building reserves, botanic gardens, protecting endangered endemic species and by building genetic banks for rare plants. Additionally, with the Olympics coming in 2008 their government is attempting to give China more eco-friendly by erecting a ‘greenwall’ or ‘treebelt’ around Beijing to stop harmful dust and particles from reaching the city.
Lastly, helping out the environment is an important ethical issue. Many businesses operating today maximizing profit in the short-term by harming their environment and their people. Take for example the logging industry in China. With forests being cleared in China, not only is the world loosing reserves potentially for future miracle drugs, but these trees no longer exist to filter out CO2 and other pollutants in the air which filter out other diseases such as bird flu or SARS. Does this mean they should stop cutting down trees? Of course not. At the same time, business’ must be aware and responsible for the actions they make and the consequences which result.
With nearly 10 million kilometers of land, holding over 10 percent of the world’s plants and terrestrial vertebrate species, China’s rich biodiversity is faced with a critical situation. With international trade increasing in China at increasing rates, exotic pests and invasive plants are creating additional stress for the already endangered varieties of medicinal plants, fungi and herbs.Who is responsible for saving the Chinese environment? While the government is playing an important role, I believe business’ need to play a stronger role in protecting these future resources.The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Imagine the economic difference between finding a fungus in the Chinese forest which holds a cure for Alzheimer’s vs. clear cutting a few acres of the same forest to sell as lumber. The answer should be obvious…
Pulitzer prize winning author, Jared Diamond examines how great civilizations in the past have collapsed, offering insight to how modern society can benefit from their failures. While Diamond focus on several civilizations in his book, in this blog I will focus my discussion only on one…China, and their developing modern problems~
Diamond highlights China’s environmental problems in the following categories. Air, water, soil, habitat destruction, biodiversity losses, and mega-projects. He explains how air pollution in China is the worst in the world, with acid rain falling in ¼of their cities (over half of their rainy days annually). To top that off, water quality in China is some of the worst in the world, with severe water shortages in over a hundred cities annually. Additionally, some business suffers halts in industrial production due to lack of water. Perhaps if businesses were more efficient about their use of water, or they reclaimed more of it, they would not need to shut down entire factories due to the lack of H20.
Soil problems such as desertification are affecting China, and since the country does not have many recycling programs according to Diamond, many of the cities are surrounded by trash. I am interested to see how bad their environment is as I have studied solutions to such problems, and soon China will need to step up to the plate and do a better job taking care of their environment. Also, since fish consumption is a large part of the Chinese diet, overfishing has resulted in massive depletions of Chinese fishery stocks. Many species of fish which once flourished in the rivers and coastal waters must now be imported, while Chinese rivers have recently been closed down to overfishing. Diamond explains how China and the rest of the world falls into the Tragedy of the Commons…where there is a conflict for resources between individual interests and the common good. Fortunately, new standards are being taken practicing sustainable fishing.
Additionally, China’s bio-diversity is at risk with over 10 percent of the world’s plant and terrestrial vertebrate species living in China. Unfortunately many of these species, such as the Panda, are endangered due to China’s bulging population. The author blames China’s escalating habitat destruction is mostly from the fact that their nation is consuming wood faster than they can renew it. Diamond points out that Big business often maximized its profits in the short term by harming the environment and people. Though, some businesses are becoming sustainable with the help of government, Diamond argues that these environmental business will need public support in order to survive. He suggests that the only way that business can be successfully eco-friendly is for the public to prefer to buy eco-friendly products, thereby increasing demand for these goods, driving away competitors who can often produce the same product more inexpensively by using environmentally harmful methods. Diamond points out that without government intervention and support from consumers it will be difficult for environmentally friendly business to prosper.
Another important aspect which Diamond confronts is how international trade has effected China’s environment. A 60 fold increases in international trade has resulted in invasive species becoming major problem in China. These pests effect agriculture, and as have been known to be a primary cause of food shortages. In a nation struggling to feed over a billion hungry mouths, the last thing they need is an invasive beetle eating their crops. The author also confronts a unique problem of exporting which we often overlook….Homosapien exportation.China is exporting humans at alarming rates. While studying abroad in New Zealand in 2004 I was privileged to witness first hand how dramatic of an effect China is having on an island nation such as New Zealand. With a population of just over a million people, the New Zealand and Australian governments are granting permanent visas to Chinese in order to boost their countries revenue. Unfortunately, this is becoming a controversial issue, and I was able to see it first hand. New Zealand is experiencing the effects of a growing foreign population as the cities are growing at rates higher than ever before.
Diamond continues to point out China’s worldwide effect on global air quality. The country has exponentially increasing Carbon Dioxide emissions & the world’s highest sulfur oxide emissions. China is nice enough to share these pollutants with parts of Asia and the south pacific as the particles are propelled eastward to Korea, Japan and eventually across the US, and Canada, due to their coal-burning economy. Ironically, the pollutants which are produced by American Industries in China are eventually blown back into the country. It’s kinda like pissing in the wind. Nobody wins.
More and more, the Chinese have the desire for the standards of living similar to first world consumers. This is an extremely frightening thought. While it is selfish of privileged Americans to want to keep our first world standards and not share, the implications of China’s standard of living, rising to first world standards could be horrific. In ‘Collapse’ Diamond explains if China’s one billion people were to increase their per capita consumption rate, this would nearly double the total resource use and environmental impact of China. In a country which already has extreme environmental problems, the effect of this rise in the Chinese standards would affect everyone. Diamond anticipates that China’s problems will becomes the rest of the world’s problem. There’s no way around it.
Since China’s joining the WTO, it has lowered the tariffs and increased imports and exports. Diamond suggests that one benefit which could result from China’s WTO involvement is that more strict environmental standards would be enacted in the country. Diamond elaborates on disturbing facts in ‘Collapse,’ but he does see light at the end of the tunnel. China has begun to recognize that environmental problems are arriving in China. With the Olympics arriving in 2008, China has begun to erect a Greenwall or treebelt is being built around Beijing to stop harmful dust and particles to reach the city. Additionally, China has enacted air pollution restrictions on cars mirroring those in Europe. Over 1,000 nature reserves have been created to help preserve its biodiversity. Other Chinese methods of environmental progress mentioned by Diamond include replanting projects, raising fish in rice fields and logging bans.While these environmental solutions alone will not solve the environmental problems produced by one billion Chinese, they are on the right track.
Diamond points that the ‘top down’ government style of China is beginning torecognize that population is no longer the largest problem to their bulging country, but rather it is the environmental problems resulting from its people. China’s interests will need to include the environment if it wants to sustain itself as the next world superpower.
Another interesting point Diamond presents is how pollution intensive firms move to China to do business. Some of these companies have left their countries of origin to set up shop in China as they are now illegal in China. One such industry which has affected me has been the surfboard industry. The once dominant Clark Foam, which produced nearly all the foam needed for surfboard production, was shut down in December of 2005, due to increasing pressure from stringent CaliforniaState and federal EPA standards. Now that Clark foam is no longer producing surfboard blanks, production in China will surely increase, as ‘cookie-cutter’ board are now being produced in mass quantities in China, and supplied by warehouse stores such as Costco.It seems unfortunate that pollution intensive industries of first world countries being sent to the China. Not only are American companies loosing revenue, but our country is often hit like a boomerang with the same environmental problems we originally tried to banish.
As a fellow geographer, Diamond explains the phenomenon of struggling civilizations in a way which I can truly appreciate.Using my MBA degree and undergraduate Environmental Science BS degree I am optimistic that I may be able to create a positive impact about the way China is currently doing business. While correcting environmental problems is sometimes costly and inconvenient, methods are available which increase efficiency which would in turn increase revenue and help conserve the countries environment for the next billion Chinese. Nobody wants to live in a world where you have to walk around with a gas mask on, and worry about picking up a disease when you walk outside. China seriously needs to confront these issues as they are heading down a dangerous road.
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If there is a ramp set up near 'the wall', I'd love to try it :-)
animals. Weather patterns also play a role in the formation of civilizations. For example, in the dryer northern regions of China millet would flourish, while in the southern wetter region of China rice prevailed. Animals which were able to be domesticated including the water buffalo, pigs, dogs and chickens also allowed China’s population to progress. While these animals helped China develop an early civilization, they lacked larger domestic animals. Diamond also emphasized how Eurasia is located on a east-west axis which allowed pivotal crops to be traded between these two immense continents.
history will repeat itself and we will see another epidemic in the next century with third world country populations booming. It would surprise me if we saw an event similar to the plague sooner than later. Diamond also suggests a reason for the unification of China so early on was due to its river system, and lack of mountainous terrain which allowed for political and cultural unification. It’s interesting to think about how something such as geography (ie Mountain ranges, rivers, etc) play such an important role in all of human history. We can use this knowledge to forecast growth, anticipate problems which can be a valuable asset in business.
are the way they are today. Never before have I come across a book which overlooks dates and important people, and focuses on the reasoning why these events occurred. To me, Diamonds reasoning makes perfect sense, and makes me question why our education system is focused so much on memorizing facts rather than recognizing the science behind events. Therefore, I find this book to be a perfect complement to further anyone’s understanding of history through connecting how our earth’s ecology, evolution, and geography can play a critical role in understanding history.
