Key Issue #4: Why Are Some Human Actions Not Sustainable?

Geographers observe two major ________ of resources: 
1. Human deplete ___________________.
2. Humans destroyed otherwise _______________ through ___________ of air, water, and soil.

Three Pillars of Sustainability
1. ______________ Pillar: Sustainable development can only exist if ___________ is embraced more fully than wasting resources or preservation of all resources.

2. _____________ Pillar: Efforts to set prices of commodities and goods based not only on ________________ but also on costs to the ________________.

3. _______________ Pillar: Modifying the wants of cultures in regards to shelter, food, and clothing to objects that are _________________.

Geographers classify natural resources as part of four interrelated symptoms.
  1. _________ system is one composed of nonliving or inorganic matter.
A. ___________: thin layer of gas surrounding Earth.
B. ___________: all water on and near Earth's surface.
C. ___________: Earth's crust and layer just below the crust.
   
   2. _________ sister is one composed of living organisms.
a. _____________: all living organisms on Earth

B. __________ are now the most important agents of change on Earth.

C. Human modification of the _________ has ongoing ramifications.

   1. Examples
a. Atmosphere contains ____________, humans have trouble breathing.
b. Without ____________, humans waste away and die.
c. Excessive extraction of ______________ from lithosphere limits availability of materials for ______________ and fuel for energy.
d. Excessive erosion or depletion of ____________ limits biosphere's ability to provide _________ for humans.

A. ___________________ is the belief that physical environment causes or guides social development.
   1. Determinism was used by ___________ to justify their domination of native peoples, who were 'savages' because of their environments.
a. English imperialists often recounted that _______________ produced people who were 'lazy, brutish, and uncivilized'.
   
   2. Today there has been a determinist "revival:" academics like Jared Diamond-author of Guns, Germs, and Steel- have written influential books arguing ________________ are the biggest factor guiding _________________.
 

B. ________________ is the theory that environment may affect social development, but that people can read to and master their surroundings regardless of the challenges.

A. Few ecosystems have been as thoroughly modified as those of the Netherlands and Florida.
    1. Netherlands 
a. Much of the Netherlands would be ____________, if it weren't for __________- a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area.
b. Dutch have become world leaders in reducing the causes of ________________ and _________________.
     
    2. Florida 
a. Unsustainable modification made to ecosystem, as a result of draining portions of the _______________ and water pollution from _________________.