Chapter 4 - People and Nature

Europe

initiated expansion that changed the global political map and launched dramatic environmental change.

Western

Views of nature are dominated by the (Christian) tradition that understands human to be superior to nature Nature is seen as something to be tamed or dominated.

Industrialization

and urbanization have had the biggest impact on the natural world.

European colonization

ultimately helped to stimulate rapid industrialization and urbanization Global economic development and environmental transformation.

Geographers

use the term global change to describe the combination of political, economic, social, historical, and environmental problems we must contend with how human settlement accelerated nature transformations.

Climate change

and its effects are being felt widely with an increase in tropical storms and storm surges as well as ecosystem degradation.

Economic growth

and change should occur only when the impacts on the environment are benign or manageable and the impacts (costs and benefits) are fairly distributed across class and region.

Sustainable development

involves employing ecological, economic and social measures to prevent environmental degradation while promoting economic growth and social equality.

Nature

is not only an object but a reflection of philosophies, belief systems and ideologies

Society

is the sum of the invitations, institutions, and relationships created and reproduced by humans across particular places and times

Industrialization and urbanization

have had the biggest impact on the natural world