| The surrounding influences which are now | | | | An environmental hazard where the pollution |
| included in the meaning of 'the environment' | | | | level puts organic life at risk of permanent |
| are the air that we breathe, the water we | | | | destruction is more serious. Environmental |
| drink or swim in, our homes, numbers of | | | | pollution where an organic life is destroyed |
| people, traffic, noise, streets, stores, | | | | temporarily in a certain area, such as an oil |
| parks, countryside, seashore, wildlife, | | | | spill, is more serious again but occurs more |
| factories, farming and mining. It has become | | | | frequently. Environmental disaster involving |
| the practice in geography to refer to the | | | | widespread and heavy loss of life is becoming |
| physical environment when referring to | | | | a menacing threat. The recognition of these |
| natural features, the human environment when | | | | dynamic environmental issues has led to the |
| referring to cultural and social conditions | | | | creation of many government agencies. The |
| and the built environment when referring to | | | | first UN conference on the environment in |
| urban and industrial issues. | | | | 1972 issued a 26-principle Declaration which |
| | | | declared the protection and enhancement of |
| Because it is now apparent that mankind its | | | | the environment to have become an imperative |
| their own environment by the decisions it | | | | goal for mankind. |
| makes regarding land use and industrial | | | | |
| growth, it is apparent that man has a choice | | | | As the world population continues to increase |
| in the type of environment he inhabits. There | | | | the, environmental management to control |
| are areas where action can be taken, such as | | | | pollution is becoming increasingly necessary. |
| in planning and rural uses, in conservation, | | | | Unless ecological principles, conservation, |
| flood control and in resources, all these | | | | resource management and population checks are |
| issues collectively referred to as | | | | widely adopted, the environment may degrade |
| environmental management. | | | | to the point of collapse, perhaps in the near |
| | | | future. Because the environment is a well |
| Government agencies, which seek to control | | | | structured system, with varying pathways and |
| pollution, are seen as the most widespread | | | | alternatives with great flexibility, any |
| type of environmental management bodies. All | | | | approach to instability will be difficult to |
| types of pollution can be seen as examples of | | | | detect and failure will appear suddenly. |
| environmental damage. Various levels of | | | | |
| environmental damage can be identified from | | | | Environmental determination is the belief |
| that which is seen as a local concern and | | | | that all human activity can be explained by |
| that which is a global concern. Environmental | | | | environmental laws and controls. It was |
| contamination, highlighted by such things as | | | | developed during the 19th century. |
| plastic bottles left on beaches to the | | | | Environmental determinism is seen as |
| occasional high levels of noise such as that | | | | deviation from the mainstream of geographical |
| from aircraft, are seen as the least harmful | | | | thought, which views geography as a |
| form of damage to the environment. | | | | scientific approach to the describing and |
| | | | mapping regions of the Earth. |