Geography 5 Week 1 Lecture 1 Introduction to Geography and Environmental Stories Syllabus Overview Midterm 40 05 03 12 Final Exam 40 06 07 12 Discussion 20 Different Types of Geography Physical Geography people Economic Geography Political Geography People Population Geography Philosophy Physical Geography encompasses Geomorphology Climate Biogeography distribution of life GIS Geographic Information System Remote Sensing 1 of all US workers work in agriculture The Environmental Dilemmas We Face Early Earth provided sufficient raw materials and energy for early life forms to develop and adapt 100 000 years ago modern humans lived in Africa Human Impacts on the Environment Problem Overpopulation and lack of resources 43 of the world s population is living in extreme poverty o Poverty a condition in which people are unable to meet their basic needs for adequate food clothing shelter education or health o Poverty is associated with low life expectancy illiteracy and inadequate access to health services safe water and balanced nutrition Fertility rate decreasing Population s level of consumption human use of material and energy which is connected to economic growth Economic growth the expansion in output of a nation s goods and services The Gap Between Rich and Poor Countries Highly developed countries twenty percent of world the US most of Europe Canada Japan o Complex industrialized bases low rates of population growth and high per capita incomes Moderately developed countries Turkey Mexico South Africa and Thailand o Medium level of industrialization and per capita incomes lower than those of HDC Less Developed countries Bangladesh Mali Ethiopia and Laos o agriculturally based cheap unskilled labor scarce capital o hunger illiteracy disease o low level of industrialization a very high fertility rate a very high infant mortality rate and a very low per capita income relate to a HDC Types of Resources Nonrenewable resources minerals aluminum tin and copper and fossil fuels coal oil and natural gas o Natural resources that are present in limited supplies and depleted as they are used Renewable resources trees fishes fertile agricultural soil and fresh water o Replaced by natural processes and that therefore can be used forever provided they are not overexploited in the short term Population size and resource consumption Resource issues and population size are interconnected Consumption is both an economic and social act Consumption overpopulation When each individual in a population consumes too large a share of resources o Pollution resource depletion and degradation of the environment People overpopulation Ecological footprint average amount of productive land and ocean needed to supply that person with food energy water housing transportation and waste disposal India Nigeria 1 hectare and the US 9 6 hectares Environmental Impact I P number of people x A number of resources person x T environmental effects o IPAT model environmental impacts and the forces that drive them Sustainability and Earth s Capacity to Support Humans Environmental sustainability o Individual communal regional and global o The ability to meet humanity s current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs Sustainability Environment can function indefinitely without going into a decline from the stresses that human society imposes on natural systems Overuse of renewable and nonrenewable resources pollution and overpopulation threaten environmental sustainability Environmental Science E S Combines information from may disciplines biology geography chemistry geology physics economics sociology cultural anthropology natural resource management agriculture engineering law politics and ethics o Studies human relationships with organisms and the non living physical environment Ecology Studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environment basic tool of environmental science Science as a Process Science a dynamic process a systematic way to investigate the natural world Data information with which science works Scientific method The way a scientist approaches problem by formulating a hypothesis and then testing it by means of an experiment o Question Hypothesis Experiment Analyze Share new knowledge The Importance of Prediction Hypothesis Importance Variable Each of the many factors that influence a process Experimental group Chosen variable is altered Control group The variable isn t altered Theory integrated explanation of numerous hypotheses How Can We Handle Environmental Problems How to address an environmental problem o Scientific assessment o Risk analysis o Public education and involvement o Political action o Evaluation Tropical Rain Forests Versus Agricultural Land Slash and burn agriculture Forest is cut down allowed to dry and burned for cropland Watersheds areas that river systems drain In a forest covered watershed the soil absorbs more water which filters out many contaminants