Humans have become desensitized to pollution and degradation of the environment. The use of non-recyclable materials and disposing of waste irresponsibly has become something that we see every day, and we do not acknowledge as something harmful, because it does not directly affect us. However, there are both fictional and nonfictional examples of excessive use of resources and the misuse of materials that we do have, that can bring to the attention the damage that we are really causing. Two examples of this are Dr. Suess’ The Lorax, and Easter Island. Although very different, both the inhabitants of the town in the Lorax and Easter Island both contributed to degradation of the environment.
Both situations had organized societies that contributed to the use of natural resources, but in different ways. The society in the Lorax was not directly involved in the use of the Truffula trees, but indirectly in their purchases of Thneeds. The people of the towns nearby were not at all concerned with the use of the trees, with the exception of the Lorax and the animals
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Both outcomes were nearly the same, and both locations ended up nearly in ruins, with no resources to speak of. However, the Lorax got to this point through a combination of pollution and waste going into the air and the water supply, and carelessness in the use of natural resources, especially Truffula trees. The people of Easter Island ended up destroyed because of their greediness and failure to organize society in a way that saved resources, and also their use of food supply and of trees. The two groups had different uses for resources, though. In the Lorax, the trees were used for the Onceler’s profit and for making Thneeds, and the people of Easter Island used trees to make canoes, make wooden ramps, sleds and rollers for transportation of materials, and for household uses like building homes and for