Answer
See explanation
Work Step by Step
Energy, economics, and environment intersected because:
- Energy (wood and biomass) was needed for survival and economic activities.
- Economic choices (statue building, labor allocation) directly impacted resource use.
- Environmental limits (deforestation, soil depletion) constrained both energy availability and economic output.
The collapse or major societal stress on Easter Island is an example of how overexploitation of environmental resources, coupled with energy dependence and economic pressures, can lead to societal decline. In Economics this is known as Tragedy of the Commons, where a once renewable resource can no longer keep up with the demand of the growing population. Population growth resulted in rapid deforestation and the extinction of all tree species on the island.
