Transcript 11 ASPECTSx
WARM UP •What is Geography and how is its significance on your life? GEOGRAPHY • the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries. 11 ASPECTS OF GEOGRAPHY GLOBALIZATION • People across the world are interconnected in numerous ways.The displays of abundant goods for sale in local stores often reveal a network of global connections.Tropical fruits and the movement of products. GLOBALIZATION • The World Wide Web implies globalization: it enables companies and individuals to sell and purchase goods services from nearly any place on Earth.Those global Domestic political decisions and foreign policy decisions are made within a global connection. GLOBALIZATION • Businesses large and small respond to outlets in other countries. U.S. goods and services are sold in many countries, and brands representing other countries are available in the United States. Geography provides the information necessary for making successful consumer decisions in a spatially connected world. GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES • A wealth of geographically oriented information is emerging from aerial photography satellite remote sensing, image processing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and Geographic Information Systems. The expansion and evolution of geospatial technologies is permitting all layers of society, influencing everyone from the internet user to the advance scientist. GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES • Geospatial technologies enable people to understand the relationships among the many layers of data within a place. Decision-makers apply geospatial data to understand and address contemporary issues regarding the environment, business, defense, economics, planning a vacation and population GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES • Whether planning a vacation locating a new business, learning about another culture, or expanding trade, the use of geospatial technologies provide an innovative and powerful means for understanding and living in our community. LOCATION • Now more than ever, geographic tools, techniques, and technologies contribute to making choices about the best locations for factories, retail outlets, social service providers, government offices and various other economic activities. Many geographers work in fields that support locationbased decision-making, such as real estate appraisal, market research, business operations, statistical analysis and GIS development. LOCATION • Choosing the best site for an enterprise can reduce operating costs, improve access to products and services, enhance efficiency, and provide competitive advantages in the marketplace. LOCATION • Careful attention to the placement of facilities such as health clinics community centers daycares, and schools fosters equal access to and efficient delivery of public services. CULTURAL DIVERSITY • People Identify with each other through language, religion, ethnicity and their traditions and values. People with similar traditions share cultures that shape the characteristics of places including world regions, countries and neighborhoods. CULTURAL DIVERSITY • Cultural diversity has shaped the United States. Its diversity is the result of immigration, trade and tourism. The mosaic of many different cultures is a source of American strength. Sharing cultural perspectives with others makes life more interesting in our schools, workplaces and communities. Americans and our political, economic, educational diplomatic and military leaders recognize the importance of cultural diversity at local, national, and global scales. CULTURAL DIVERSITY • Understanding the benefits of cultural diversity is a personal and national goal. Geography offers pathways to so much understanding and improves our interactions with the rest of the world. EMPLOYMENT • Geographers engage in a broad range of careers within the social and environmental sciences, technology fields, and the humanities. Professional with educational backgrounds in geography work in hundreds of occupations in business, government, non profit organizations and educational institutions. EMPLOYMENT • Geographers acquire a variety of unique skills such as interpreting and representing spatial information and using geospatial technologies. A well rounded geography education starting with a strong foundation at K-12 level, equips students with the expertise to fill and retain the geospatial jobs that currently exist and those that emerge as technology advances. EMPLOYMENT • Geography students also develop general skills that diverse employers seek, including oral and written communication, project management, field research, and problem solving. Because geography integrates information from multiple sources at various scales, it helps meet the rapidly evolving demands of today’s industries. INFRASTRUCTURE • Infrastructure is the set of physical and organizational structures that enables society to operate. It includes the pipes that bring water to our homes, the bridges that span rivers, the highways that enable the movement of goods, and the communication networks that bind people together. Infrastructure allows economies to function, and services and facilities to run smoothly. INFRASTRUCTURE • Natural hazards such as tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes expose the vulnerability of infrastructure and amplify the critical role it plays in our lives. The planning, management, and maintenance of infrastructure provides thousands of jobs and our economic prosperity are also intimately tied to its development and modernization. INFRASTRUCTURE • Geography with a focus on the spatial interaction between people and places helps us to identify needed improvements and expansions of the national infrastructure and enables planning for the future. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Every day people weigh new environmental concerns against the path of material progress. Resource management involves an array of critical interests for our nation, such as the development of mineral, fuel and energy resources; and balancing various competing land uses. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Resource management is a growing field that addresses present needs while planning for the future and provides new jobs as demand for resources increases both locally and globally. Twenty-first century citizens need to be responsible and knowledgeable critical thinkers who understand the interdependent systems and processes involved with the daily human interchanges to avoid abuse and overuse of finite ecosystems. Their decisions will affect our nation’s ability to sustain and wisely use resources. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Geographers have developed a unique holistic approach to problem solving that considers multiple perspectives and understandings of resource use and sustainability. They are interested in sustaining resources, developing industries that prudently use resources, and planning for future development. CLIMATE CHANGE • Earth’s weather patterns change form from day to day, but climate patterns may persist for millennia. The theories explaining climate variability have their roots in geography, the first discipline to study climate scientifically. Geographers and other scientists investigate how green house gases delay energy from leaving the atmosphere, warming the oceans and land. CLIMATE CHANGE • Geographers also research the ways that variability in natural systems and human activity influence climate. For example, a large volcanic eruption may lower Earth’s temperature, but increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane may increase global temperatures. Geographers use geospatial data to map and compare and present climates, analyze changes, and investigate the probable causes for those changes. CLIMATE CHANGE • Geographic research informs work in agriculture, energy, water resources, emergency management, national security and economic planning that addresses current and future climate trends and their potential impacts. ENERGY • The energy that powers our world is unevenly distributed. Geographic knowledge helps us to understand patterns of energy production and consumption. As a result Western Europe and Japan rely heavily on oil from the Middle East, China is investing in energy exploration in Africa., and the United States continues to import a significant amount of the oil it consumes. These important resources linkages are sometimes strained when political and economic alliances shift. ENERGY • The search for environmentally safe, renewable sources of energy is a vital concern. Wind and solar power are on the rise, and more cropland is being used to grow corn for ethanol production. The expanding nuclear power is under discussion and scientist are exploring techniques for cleaner use of the worlds coal reserve. ENERGY • New methods for extracting oil and natural gas are also being introduced. All of these developments, combined with the conservation and increased energy efficiency, can lead toward a more safe and energy clean world. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS • Floods, droughts, hurricanes, high winds and tornadoes are related to weather extremes: tectonic forces cause earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions; winds spread wild fires; and unstable slopes cause landslides and avalanches. As populations increase more people experience the impacts of natural disasters. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS • Geographers study and explain complex human-environment interactions. The study of natural hazards helps mitigate the effects of natural disasters on populations at risk. Analyzing geographic information enhances planning and recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS • Geographers are also interested in reducing the risks of technological hazards. Modern technologies, industry, and urban areas create waste materials and air, water, and land pollution. NATIONAL SECURITY • In recent years, Americans have developed a heightened awareness of the geographical nature of international conflicts and how they affect U.S. national security. A strong national security requires understanding where and why conflicts occur, and how they might spread to other countries and regions. NATIONAL SECURITY • Geography provides a framework for examining the geospatial, political, economic, cultural, environmental, and behavioral factors that can ignite global conflict. Those same factors may also create opportunities for international cooperation and can lead to resolution of critical global issues. NATIONAL SECURITY • Geographic patterns and relationships, often reveal international tensions, criminal activity and changes in governments resulting from political instability. Geographic knowledge enables citizens to understand conflicts and potential threats to our national security.