by Amy Szkorla
We sometimes take for granted that everyone understands the purpose and significance of the concept "sustainability." Sustainability relates to every aspect of daily life; while here at Compass, we tend to focus on food and agriculture, equally important are transportation, foresting, energy, manufacturing, and more. The practices that take place in each sector all play a part in bettering or worsening environmental, ecological, human, and economic conditions.
Throughout history, we have seen the catastrophic results of a lack of sustainability. Take for example, the Mayan ruins. To many, they are seen as a pillar of cultural significance and the highlight of touristic attraction. To recent environmentalists and anthropologists, however, they illustrate the dangers of a lack of sustainability.
The Maya were a remarkably sophisticated civilization of more than 19 million people spanning the entire Yucatán peninsula and portions of what is now Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. How then, did their society come to such a sudden collapse? Well, studies have found that their demise is the result of a serious oversight: the Maya critically underestimated the long term needs of their people.
Researchers at Arizona State University found some staggering information about the environmental conditions of the time. It seems the Maya burned and chopped down acres of forest in order to build structures and further agriculture; this massive deforestation then exacerbated an already severe drought. In combination with the climbing population, these affects were disastrous. Crops failed, trade routes shifted, and residents were forced to abandon the beautiful structures we now deem "the ruins." In the blind of an eye, a once economically and culturally powerful society was left starving and broken.
While the Maya did not have climate data and modeling to warn them of their impending fate, our 21st century selves cannot say the same. There are plenty of experts who understand the severity of our human impact, and work to find ways in which we can reduce it. All the knowledge in the world, however, only matters if we care about sustainability. It's sometimes hard to see the big picture, but looking at the history of many archaic cities can help us understand how important it is that we keep progressing towards a sustainable future.
Reference:
Stromberg, Joseph. “Why Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse? A New Study Points to Deforestation and Climate Change.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 23 Aug. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-did-the-mayan-civilization-collapse-a-new-study-points-to-deforestation-and-climate-change-30863026/.