1.4

human-environmental interaction

ecology

the science of the relationships between organisms and their environment

cultural ecology

the study of interactions between societies and their environments (2-way relationship)

ecosystem

territorially bounded system including humans and their environment

what factors make the human-environment relationship complex? (3)

* individual/political/social/economic impacts
* trade and migration
* use of land can cause negative effects that strip the area of natural features

environmental perception

mental images that make up humans’ view of nature (can be accurate or inaccurate)

natural hazards

physical dangers present in the environment (ex. floods, hurricanes, insect infestations, drought)

how can we be worsening natural hazards? (3)

* thinking of them as “acts of God” → masking our role
* we can forget about them if they’re far between
* human interested behaviours (deforestation, fires to clear land)

japan’s triple disaster

earthquake in 2011 → shaking caused a tsunami → waves destroyed nuclear power plants and caused a nuclear accident

how was japan’s government prepared for the triple disaster?

they had strict regulations in place because they knew it could happen

how was japan’s government not prepared for the triple disaster?

* they didn’t take previous generations’ warnings about not building at tsunami-risk elevations
* companies inadequately prepared the plants for such an extreme situation

how are we trying to limit the effects of disasters?

* geographers plan ways to make spaces safer and inform the public to improve environmental perspective using tech
* insurance companies increase rates in disaster-prone areas to get people to move away

natural resources

materials/resources occurring in nature that can be used for economic profit (minerals, forests, fertile land)

nonrenewable resources

resources available in finite quantities

examples of nonrenewable resources (3)

* natural gas: a popular, more environmentally friendly energy source
* coal and oil: heavily exploited energy sources

why is nuclear energy nonrenewable?

the resources used to produce nuclear energy are nonrenewable and it can lead to explosions/leakage

greenhouse gases

compounds from fossil fuel burning that trap heat in the atmosphere

greenhouse effect

global warming trend because of trapped greenhouse gases

environmental sustainability

practices that let us meet our needs while not compromising future generations

effect of increasing demand for natural resources

we need to use more renewable resources to protect the environment and the effects of global warming are worse in less developed places with government instability

environmental determinism

the (old) belief that environment is the main'/only force that shapes cultures and humanity is just a product of its surroundings

how was determinism used to justify racism?

colonizers thought that people from the tropics didn’t work hard to get their food so they were lazy → they’d benefit from the influence of more “industrial” europeans

consequences of determinism

it overemphasizes the environments role and overgeneralizes entire groups of people

possiblism

a view that acknowledges the environments limitations, but also knows that humans are smart and can develop ways to regulate/change their environment

what factors can lead to different outcomes with the same environment?

different cultures, political systems, and economies will lead to different choices about land use

does more technology always mean more control over the environment?

no, people might be able to adapt to some aspects but we’re never supreme (ex. japan’s triple disaster)

what happens when people think they’re forced to leave their homes?

they can come up with impressive solutions (ex. people living in flood-risk areas build houses on stilts)