Island

Island Civilization

           

            Roderick Frazier Nash claims that by the fourth millennium, which is nearly 1,000 years from now, the world will need to enter a different stage of civilization.  The rate at which the environment is being overtaken by humanity is rapid and destroying nature.  While environmental programs and national parks have been created, they have only helped to slow down what appears to be the inevitable.  Humans have defined nature as wild and sought to change that by “domesticating” animals and “civilizing” other people and nations in the past.  He states that humans seek to take frontier and mold it to what they view as civilized.  The only way to keep the world from losing nature and all its ecosystems is to become an island civilization.

            In early history, nature was full of wildlife and creatures while humans accommodated to it and hunted for food.  As time passed and humans developed further intelligence, their natural purpose evolved to encompass shelter, authority, to spread their genes, food, and water, which are the basic needs.  These needs became overpowering to the mind of man as they began a quest to find satisfaction.  In order to satiate these desires they had to go beyond mere caves and raw food.  They began to crave cooked food, more accommodating shelter, locations, and families.

            The first basic need is shelter.  As man began to make discoveries, they learned to create and wield tools. These tools were used to hunt and build shelter.  Shelter was needed to house the family and establish a place of authority.  Shelters began to be more immaculate and glamorous, requiring more resources.  Forests are shrinking due to the greater need for resources as the world population continues to increase.  This lead to the expansion of frontier and the “need” to “civilize” the populations found in the overtaken areas.

            The second need is authority.  Humans love to be in control.  It’s just a basic necessity that helps us to be secure.  People in a position of power are more comfortable because they know they, are pulling the strings and that they are needed for others to do what they need to do in order to succeed.  When one has authority, they know that the game is theirs to play and all the people are their pieces.

            The third need is food and water.  The human body is approximately 70% water, which makes water a necessity for survival.  A body with no water is essentially dead as is one with no food.  Water is needed to keep the body hydrated while food is required to provide energy and sustenance.  No energy means no bodily processes occurring, which means that no energy is being produced and no oxygen carried or consumed throughout the body. Lacking in this leads to starvation and death.  The lack of water leads to dehydration, which occurs in stages similar to starvation. This includes hallucinations.

            The final necessity is the need to spread the genes.  The human population populates through the exchange of genes.  In order for the family lines to continue, seeds must be spread for earth to survive.  This has led to the population increase and the greater need for resources.

            An island civilization might prove to be impractical because eventually a greater need for resources will come. At the rate at which humans consume, resources will not last long.  Soon the need to expand will rise.  Then the cycle will be repeated over the same scale just in different areas.