The ancient Peruvian Nazca civilisation has long been thought to have been wiped out by a flood as the result of the climatic phenomenon El Nino. However, new research suggests that the people’s attitude to logging left them exposed.
The Nazca had access to a tree known as the huarango tree which has the deepest root system on Earth. Unfortunately, the Nazca found the huarango too useful a resource and they cut the trees down for timber and fuel.
The extensive logging projects meant that the civilisation crossed a so-called tipping point in their ecosystem leaving them exposed to the devastating effects of the El Nino flood.
The news may come as a timely reminder of the duty people have towards the planet and the consequences of an ignorant environmental outlook.