Geography
Define sustainability: the ability of human communities around the world to
maintain their independence and have access to the resources required to meet
their needs
Threats to sustainability:
Population growth - more of limited resources required to feed a growing
population
Energy use - fossil fuels
Climate change - greenhouse gas effect killing natural life
Exploited oceans - food source, the overall food chain in jeopardy.
Pollution - food chain threatened (caused by industrial or farming waste
released into rivers)
Land degradation - less resources, foodchain threatened
Types of Environmental World Views
Life-centred (Stewardship) - assumes we have an ethical responsibility as
humans to be caring and responsible managers (stewards) of the earth.
earth-centred - we are dependent on and part of nature and the earth's support
system exists for all species.
Human-centred - sees the planet as a support system for human life and believes
that we can and should manage the world for our benefit.
What is climate change over a geological time?
the way the earth’s climate fluctuates over periods in history, and this can be seen
from rock strata which show evidence of weather, erosion, etc. The geological
time scale is the calendar of events in Earth’s history and the weather recording.
Geography 1
, Describe the current global climate change
The climate is gradually becoming more heated as a result of greenhouse gases
that are responsible for the melting of ice sheets in certain parts of the world.
From 1950 onwards there has been a swift increase in the degrees above average
temperature that the earth is reaching. In 2024, we have been reaching new heat
records in consecutive days, now reaching over 1 degree over the average.
Causes of climate change
overheating the planet and causing artificial fluctuations to the earth’s temperature
by overuse of energy → more burning of fossil fuels → heat and toxins such as
co2, methane, etc getting trapped in the environment → deforestation from mining
fossil fuels means fewer trees to recycle co2 → increased greenhouse gas effect
How does climate change alter the natural greenhouse effect?
The natural greenhouse gas effect: When the Sun's
energy reaches the Earth's atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to
space and some is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases
. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
Climate change has brought the greenhouse gas effect to a rapidly and
dangerously increasing level, where the earth is heating beyond the average
expectancy because of excess chemicals trapped in our atmosphere. For
example, the more factories’ CO2 emissions join the co2 naturally in the
atmosphere, the more reflected heat the earth will receive.
What is the anthropogenic greenhouse effect?
The fake CO2 effect - caused by humans
The CO2 released from the burning of fossil fuels is accumulating as an
insulating blanket around the Earth, trapping more of the Sun's heat in
our atmosphere.
Actions carried out by humans are called anthropogenic actions; the
Geography 2
Define sustainability: the ability of human communities around the world to
maintain their independence and have access to the resources required to meet
their needs
Threats to sustainability:
Population growth - more of limited resources required to feed a growing
population
Energy use - fossil fuels
Climate change - greenhouse gas effect killing natural life
Exploited oceans - food source, the overall food chain in jeopardy.
Pollution - food chain threatened (caused by industrial or farming waste
released into rivers)
Land degradation - less resources, foodchain threatened
Types of Environmental World Views
Life-centred (Stewardship) - assumes we have an ethical responsibility as
humans to be caring and responsible managers (stewards) of the earth.
earth-centred - we are dependent on and part of nature and the earth's support
system exists for all species.
Human-centred - sees the planet as a support system for human life and believes
that we can and should manage the world for our benefit.
What is climate change over a geological time?
the way the earth’s climate fluctuates over periods in history, and this can be seen
from rock strata which show evidence of weather, erosion, etc. The geological
time scale is the calendar of events in Earth’s history and the weather recording.
Geography 1
, Describe the current global climate change
The climate is gradually becoming more heated as a result of greenhouse gases
that are responsible for the melting of ice sheets in certain parts of the world.
From 1950 onwards there has been a swift increase in the degrees above average
temperature that the earth is reaching. In 2024, we have been reaching new heat
records in consecutive days, now reaching over 1 degree over the average.
Causes of climate change
overheating the planet and causing artificial fluctuations to the earth’s temperature
by overuse of energy → more burning of fossil fuels → heat and toxins such as
co2, methane, etc getting trapped in the environment → deforestation from mining
fossil fuels means fewer trees to recycle co2 → increased greenhouse gas effect
How does climate change alter the natural greenhouse effect?
The natural greenhouse gas effect: When the Sun's
energy reaches the Earth's atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to
space and some is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases
. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
Climate change has brought the greenhouse gas effect to a rapidly and
dangerously increasing level, where the earth is heating beyond the average
expectancy because of excess chemicals trapped in our atmosphere. For
example, the more factories’ CO2 emissions join the co2 naturally in the
atmosphere, the more reflected heat the earth will receive.
What is the anthropogenic greenhouse effect?
The fake CO2 effect - caused by humans
The CO2 released from the burning of fossil fuels is accumulating as an
insulating blanket around the Earth, trapping more of the Sun's heat in
our atmosphere.
Actions carried out by humans are called anthropogenic actions; the
Geography 2
