Collin Chapman

9/3/14
APES

Easter Island and The Lorax
The story of Easter Island, an island inhabited by Polynesians between A.D. 800 and
1200 only to be deforested and ecologically devastated within a few centuries, resonates loudly
upon the ever resource hungry world. Similarly, Dr. Seuss The Lorax, warns people of todays
industrialistic world that over expansion and neglect of our natural resources could have
disastrous results. These two stories both assist to voice the same warning of changing our ways
and turning more strongly toward conservation while also featuring their own unique
characteristics.
In both stories deforestation is a key issue along with depletion of overall resources. However,
while Easter Island represent the mishaps of natives centuries ago The Lorax offers a modern
scenario of how humans can destroy our beloved planet. Big business and pollution are two of
the biggest threats to todays fragile environment evident with disasters like the BP Oil Spill or
mass production of consumer goods throughout China.
The key environmental issues of Easter Island focus primarily upon overexpansion and
deforestation. As an island isolated nearly 2,300 miles from the next closest body of land, Easter
Island featured some unique challenges. Polynesian settlers lived a life of paradise in the first
century of settlement surrounded by lush forests, the abundance of crops and food sources, and
building supplies. The settler population began to slowly rise and resources such as wood began
to slowly fall. As time progressed, necessities such as building materials, wood for hunting
canoes, and rope materials began to vanish. As resources ran short opposing clans began to
stockpile resources and erect large statues over 60 tons in an effort to display prestige and
wealth. By the year 1722 as European explorers first discovered the island, Easters surface lay
Collin Chapman
9/3/14
APES

barren, its animals and plants killed off, and its population shrunken down to almost nothing.
Years of fighting and the effects of overpopulation had destroyed the island.
The fictional tale of The Lorax shares similar traits with the events of Easter Island along
with a more modern twist. When the Onceler, a traveling entrepreneur in search of the perfect
material for his big idea discovers the land of the Truffula trees, his searching comes to an end.
The Truffula tree of the area produce tufts softer than anything he has yet to come across and as
a result begins to start is production of the Thneed. After the cutting down of his first tree, the
Lorax, whom speaks for the trees emerges from the stump to confront the ignorant Once-ler.
After waving him off time and time again, the Once-ler begins to rapidly expand his Thneed
selling business destroying forest after forest in his wake. His factories keep expanding with his
success and a city is produced in his glory. Eventually after failing to heed the Loraxs
continuous warnings, the last of the Truffula trees are cut down, deforestation, water, and air
pollution force out all wildlife in the area, and workers are forced to leave with no material left to
work with, the Once-ler realizes the mistakes of his terrible ways.
Though the stories of Easter Island and The Lorax are not exactly identical they offer
todays world with a clear message: take care of what you have. Steps must be taken to prevent
harmful human growth such as deforestation and pollution. People of today must learn from the
Once-lers mistakes and take note of truths of our impact on this small planet before it is too late.