Heeding Lessons Of The Past

Art by Rob Arnold, "A Lesson From History." Created for splashtrash.org

This piece of art, created by environmentalist Rob Arnold (Cornwall, United Kingdom) is a representation of the famous Easter Island heads, created from a piece of syrofoam that had washed ashore of the bay Arnold calls home. It is "decorated" in micro plastics that he collected on that same beach. The irony? If you're not familiar with the history of Rapa Nui, just look around at the environmental issues of today, or perhaps watch the news. Though there is still some debate on the particulars, research shows that the advanced civilization that once inhabited Rapa Nui neglected their environment in a narrow minded vision of progress without acknowledging how important a healthy land is to the success of every species.

Are we so hell bent on pushing ahead for more materialistic success that we forget the lessons of the past? If we as a species do not heed the lessons of the past, a collapse far greater than that of Easter Island is imminent.

Simply put, we are out of balance with Nature, and as population increases, resources dwindle, and environmental issues escalate, we'll continue down the same path as that of Rapa Nui's long ago residents. We need to change our attitudes about our place on this Earth, and the way our lifestyles reflect our relation to the environments which we depend.

A dark image, but sometimes the only way to change the attitudes and actions of people.

We'll be showcasing this particular piece along with a few others at Assateague Island National Seashore's visitor center next month as we collaborate with the international Splash Trash organization. Date, time, and additional details about the Splash Trash Art Expo Assateague Coastal Trust will be hosting are available on the Trash Free Assateague calendar page HERE!