The Subduction Crew

HOW CAN A SOCIETY JUST “COLLAPSE”?

by Homer Montgomery

0145 Z - R/V Melville, Northwest of Tinian

The phrase "Man's Impact On the Environment" is often bantered about. We are well aware that Texas is a leading polluter, that Houston has eclipsed Los Angeles as "America's Dirtiest City," at least as far as air pollution is concerned. The road to riches is frequently paved with a great big mess. Such is the case with the Micronesian island of Nauru.

Nauru is a speck just 18 km in circumference. Historically, Nauru society was composed of twelve tribes with children belonging to the tribe of their mother's. Each tribe had its own legends. Nauru had a queen. All of the land and all of the reefs were privately owned.

Then came the "discovery" of Nauru by whalers. You can probably tell where this story is headed. Whalers move in. Missionaries move in. Guns get spread around. Traditional Nauruan society collapses. Civil war follows. Within fifty years or so, Nauru had lost its culture, people had lost their private property, and 40% of the population was dead. All in all, meeting Europeans was probably not a good thing.

The story gets worse. A discovery was made that would further decimate Nauru. In a word - phosphate. Nauru calcium phosphate is the gift of many thousands of years of accumulating bird guano. Nauru phosphate is quite pure and quite valuable. As such, Nauru became a natural target of prospectors. The economic fiesta has been a sordid affair that included players from Germany, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Japan. Germany declared martial law on Nauru in WWI. Australia kicked them out later in the war. The island was shelled by Germany in WW II. Then Japan bombed the island and kicked out the Nauruans replacing them with Chinese and other laborers. Next the U.S. bombed Nauru. At the end of WWII Japan surrendered Nauru to Australia. Following complicated political machinations, Nauru finally achieved independence in 1968, returning to its original political status, albeit minus its original culture.

Although still producing phosphate, perhaps 20 more years of mining are possible, Nauru is an environmental disaster. In order to mine the phosphate all of the original vegetation was stripped off. Deforestation has exposed a vast expanse of bare white rock. White rock is highly reflective of sunlight. As such, clouds no longer form over Nauru. Rain comes less frequently. In addition, the phosphate is mined from between coral pinnacles. This produces a moonscape of sorts that is useless for all other purposes.

Perhaps all would not be lost if Nauru had invested its phosphate monies in vehicles other than into a failed London musical and unwise Melbourne real estate deals. Of late, the government is selling licenses to fish its waters. Unfortunately, it also seems to be laundering Russian Mafia money. Perhaps Nauru will get its economic house in order. Perhaps not. Nauru will never achieve a solid link with its pre-European past. Man's Impact On the Environment. Not a good thing for Nauru, I am afraid.

Communications | Humankind | Ecology | Geology