Summary and Reader’s Response of Island Civilization by Roderick Frazier Nash Essay Example

thus wanting the earth to go back to its previous state. I personally believe that Nash’s plan for a paradise Earth sounds wonderful, but is not even close to reality. The main problem that would arise in order to fulfill it would be the reduction in population. He proposes to cut the current population to 1.

5 billion as he says ‘Humans increase and multiply at the rate of ten thousand per hour, a rate that wipes out any gains friends of wildlife and wilderness try to make today’ (Nash 377). With such a large number of population scattered all around the Earth it is difficult to take away the right of people to have a family or to apply rules and regulations for this. Secondly I think we are so used to of the technology we have today that all we can expect and actually deal with is the progression of it rather than going backwards.

The ease of living Science has given us in the present day is almost impossible to leave no matter how beautiful the vision of isolated island with fresh air and clean water seems. Even though I agree to Nash saying ‘Technology is essentially neutral; it is what we do with it that is the problem’ but taking the high tech road to minimal impact is not going to be easy on people who are used to of it in their daily routine. Thirdly the concept of isolating islands by Nash sounds appealing but this can result in the conflict over who would get to live where.

Because humans are never satisfied with what they have. They always aim for bigger and

what the other person has. Isolating islands could create a class warfare which would result in destruction of environment because those that were less fortunate might attach others which would be just history repeating itself as humans are fighting for land since the very beginning. I love the statement ‘The growth of civilization amounts to a cancer in the eco system.

Island Civilization makes the needed correction’ (Nash 379) But I am afraid the dream of Nash is far from the real world. However we can try to find a way which lies in between it. Instead of taking such drastic steps, individual efforts can be made on a small level which can eventually lead to a Earth somewhat better than the one we are living in now. Because after all as Nash says in his final page ‘We are the death star, but we are also capable of changing course’ (Nash 380).