Directions: 

You will not be able to see other posts until you have contributed your own first. This goes for both the initial discussion as well as the response. 

Initial post: READ BOTH PART 1 and PART 2 prior to answering the discussion. You are expected to contribute 2 – 4 paragraphs to the discussion questions below. The ideas that you present should have supporting evidence to back up the statement. As stated in the syllabus after you post you will be expected to respond in a paragraph to a peer’s post (see below for directions on that).

Response: In a paragraph or two respond to another student post stating whether you agree or disagree and why. Keep in mind you will need to support all statements. Points for this section will only be awarded if the response stays on topic. If the response deviates there will be no credit awarded. 

Discussion 1

Over the past two chapters you have learned about the Essentials of Geography (Chapter 1): such as the roles of geographers as scientists, the scientific method, and the idea of equilibrium. You have also learned about the beginning of The Energy – Atmosphere system (Chapter 2): Solar energy, Seasons and the role of the atmosphere as it pertains to the incoming solar energy.

In this first discussion we will talk about how the difference of Human Geography and Physical geography and how those lines are starting to be blurred along with the interaction of the solar energy and seasonality that we experience on the planet. 

Part 1

Think about population growth all over the world. Is the increase in population causing a change in the physical geography of the planet? If so, what aspects do we need to think about as it continuously grows? One such aspect would be the need for more food however, there are many more aspects that need to be discussed. With this change in population we can expect to see issues arise in many different places on earth ranging from population centers such as Tokyo to areas where people are scarcely found. Is this problem limited to a physical change, anthropogenic or both? Before we dive further into the book take what knowledge that you have at this point and think about what is being affected by this particular situation. Consider the geographic continuum (pg. 4) and the four spheres as you discuss this situation (pg. 12). 

Part 2

As you are discussing the conundrum of population growth consider what you learned about the atmosphere and the hole in the ozone as well as the “In the news” article that you read recently “First signs of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer”. As the article states we are seeing an actual positive change in the ozone (as in its healing). Tie the ramifications of the population change to the changing environment and the energy inputs and outputs. Include at least one positive aspect as well as one negative impact that this has on insolation.

Read the excerpt from The Hot Zone. There she met Lieutenant Colonel Trotter, a stocky, dark-haired man whom Nancy had worked with for many years. They put on their inner gloves and taped their cuffs. Nancy put a pair of hearing protectors over her ears. She had started wearing them a while back, when people had begun to suspect that the roar of air in your suit might be loud enough to damage your hearing. They hauled on their space suits and sealed the Ziploc zippers. They edged around each other as they fiddled with their suits. People wearing biohazard space suits tend to step around one another like two wrestlers at the beginning of a match, watching the other person’s every move, especially watching the hands to make sure they don’t hold a sharp object. This cringing becomes instinctive. Which details from this excerpt best show that the author’s purpose in including this paragraph is to illustrate how hazardous the scientists’ work is?