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If you had a time machine, what suggestion would you make to Rapa Nui to sustain their civilization?

A) Preserve their resources.
B) Control population growth.
C) Maintain sustainable agriculture.
D) Establish trade networks.

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

To sustain their civilization, Rapa Nui should have focused on preserving their resources, controlling population growth, and maintaining sustainable agriculture to manage environmental pressures and ensure a stable society.

Step-by-step explanation:

The civilization of Rapa Nui, known for its iconic moai statues, faced significant challenges due to resource depletion and environmental pressures. With the understanding that a time machine allows us to give historical advice, the suggestion I would make to sustain their civilization involves a combination of strategies. These strategies are:

  • Preserve their resources: This would include effective forest management and conserving wood, which was critical for building homes, fires, canoes, and ultimately for maintaining independence and self-sufficiency.
  • Control population growth: Techniques to keep the population within the carrying capacity of the island, similar to successful models like Tikopia, where cultural norms helped maintain a stable population size.
  • Maintain sustainable agriculture: By developing agricultural practices that do not exhaust the land, the Rapanui could have avoided soil depletion and ensured a consistent food supply.

Additionally, establishing trade networks could have been helpful, yet the isolation of the island made this challenging. Hence, the focus would be more on creating a sustainable and self-supporting society that balances its population with the available resources and develops resilient agriculture and resource management practices.

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