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A man name William Pattison is responsible for an article titled Journal of Geography in which he suggested that Modern Geography could be separated into four basic traditions of academic investigation namely: Spatial Geography; Area Studies; Human-Land Studies; and The Study of Earth Science. These fields of geographical investigation are still the dominant traditions in the world of academics. The problems of the environment and their magnitude are on the increase as well as mankind’s consumption of natural resources. Today, geographers are slowly moving away from theoretical research wanti ..read more

Once there was the environmental stability of what is called ‘ The Holocene Period’ ; a time that exisited as the natural mix of physical and biological elements surrounding us and which serve now as the natural background to the human-formed, human-managed civilized environment; an extended fortification of connected cities, towns, villages, farms, ranches, reserves. Soon there appeared organized agriculture along with domesticated animals, then were added the urban areas and irrigated plains. Pollution became a problem when the Romans introduced the environment to the uses of lead. The warm ..read more

Black ice on winter roads, especially roads on bridges and overpasses is directly responsible for car crashes that take the lives of over 550 people annually. The specific number of motor vehicle accidents where injuries and/or damages result is over 150,000. Those are just the statistics for Canada. When the danger of black ice presents itself the correct reaction is to remove your foot off the gas and proceed to coast the vehicle through the section, slowing down your responses to prevent any quick or jerky motions as you complete a successful and safe slide. Going slow allows the driver to ..read more

Air, water, fire and Earth, with interactions too numerous to list, bring us to the duty of rising into space. It is then the question of weather is asked and it is then that the answers demand a change of topic. To appreciate the vastness of planets and still maintain one’s rhythms, the mind must coax its’ self to accept more than what seems necessary. Why study let alone learn any of the lingo associated with Meteorology? For some, it awakens an avid listener who finds reasons to take out a new lease on life while for others it enlivens the interest in their daily tasks. For the already invo ..read more

The answer to the question ‘ what do we do about waste? ‘ infers that there are problems. There is, in fact, no where on this planet where waste materials are NOT being released into the environment which remains still to this day a major problem. The most important areas are those classified as: municipal solid waste;. toxic waste ( its’ management and cleanup ) ; and nuclear waste. Some of all the waste mankind produces is regularly and effectively handled such as certain types of water and air pollution found in the developed countries. Also there are wastes which are recycled such as orga ..read more

In July 1934, in the United States of America, the most devastating drought on record forced millions of desperate people to escape to safety in neighboring States. Sixty percent of the country experienced extreme damage. Present generations still read about this historical event known as the ‘ Dust Bowl Years ‘ while at school. Researchers believe it was caused by a high-pressure ridge over the West Coast that misdirected the water-heavy storms of 1934 resulting in the unexpected drought. This ridge reappeared with subsequent disastrous damage in 1976 and 2013 in the California area. It is n ..read more

In strictest geological terms, a volcano is a vent from which magma and other substances erupt to the surface or it is a landform composed of the volcanic debris and solidified lava found near the opening of a vent. These landforms have been in existence since the beginning of volcanic activity. One such volcano would be Mauna Loa. It is classified as a shield volcano; a landform that is usually huge with gentle slopes and many layers of what was once fluid lava. The opposite would be Mount Fuji. This volcano is a classic stratovolcano. It has steep slopes built of layer upon layer of lava an ..read more

Covering the Earth are seven belts of atmospheric pressure. The lowest can be found at the equator. They increase as they move towards the poles. The major wind systems lie between these zones of low and high pressure and are referred to as; the northeast and southeast trade winds, the westerlies which include the roaring forties and furious fifties, the polar easterlies and finally the monsoons. As air rises, the pressure lowers and the air around it moves in causing wind. The greater the degree of pressure over a given distance the faster the wind. This action is called pressure gradient fo ..read more

Air pollution is not just a local concern but a growing regional, national and international concern. It involves identifying levels of dangerous pollutants and where they originate. Emissions need to be controlled. Effective legislation must be drafted, debated and passed . With the creation of such agencies as the E.P.A. which was responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 improvements abounded. Air Quality Standards were established and strictly followed. Criteria for six pollutants were isolated and standards set. These were:. particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, car ..read more