The massive stone faces that pepper Easter Island puzzled people for centuries. What happened to the civilization that erected these faces? A clue is that the island currently has no trees. Trees would have been necessary to roll the stones and to make boats to bring the stones to the island. Archeological digs have discovered that the island did have trees very long ago but it’s thought that the natives used up all the trees until they had no choice but to leave. Can you think of an explanation for why people would behave in this way? The following questions may suggest an answer.
a. Who bore the cost of planting new trees? Who benefited from planting new trees?
b. As the population of the island grew, what happened to the number of trees? Why?
c. Biologist Jared Diamond, writing on the subject of trees in Easter Island, asked, “What were they thinking when they cut down the last palm tree?” What do you think the person who cut down that last palm tree was thinking, if he acted like a person facing a tragedy of the commons?