Studied by 8 people
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)
Note 
Flashcard (93)