UNIT 1 Geography in a Changing World1. The Big Questions in Geography, Susan L. Cutter, Reginald Golledge, and William L. Graf, The Professional Geographer, August 2002
The authors have taken the challenge of science correspondent John Noble Wilford to articulate the big questions in geography. Wilford’s concern is that research by geographers is not being reported and that geographers may be missing the important questions in their research. 2. Rediscovering the Importance of Geography, Alexander B. Murphy, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 30, 1998
Geography’s renaissance in U.S. education is the key theme of this piece. The author insists that geography be recognized not as an exercise in place names, but because it addresses physical and human processes and sheds light on the nature and meaning of changing spatial arrangements and landscapes. 3. The Four Traditions of Geography, William D. Pattison, Journal of Geography, September/October 1990
This key article, originally published in 1964, was reprinted with the author’s later comments, in the 75-year retrospective of the Journal of Geography. It is a classic in the history of geography. William Pattison discusses the four main themes that have been the focus of work in the discipline of geography for centuries—the spatial concept, area studies, land-human relationships, and earth science. 4. The Changing Landscape of Fear, Susan L. Cutter, Douglas B. Richardson, and Thomas J. Wilbanks, The Geographical Dimensions of Terrorism, 2003
Since the devastating events of September 11, 2001, the world has changed. An era of expanded global terrorism has emerged. The Changing Landscape of Fear, chapter one in the book, outlines the contributions that geography can make in this ensuing conflict. New! 5. Terror’s Next Target?, Stephen Flynn, U.S. News & World Report, February 19, 2007
The infrastructure of the United States (harbors, tunnels, transportation systems, power facilities) remain vulnerable to terrorist attack more than five years after 9/11. Especially at risk are the highly populated urban centers. New! 6. After Apartheid, Judith Fein, The Santa Fe New Mexican, June 13, 2005
Despite the dual problems of AIDS and unemployment, post-apartheid South Africa is an energized place. The economic sector is growing and a new sense of openness is prevalent. New! 7. Classic Map Revisited, Richard Morrill, The Professional Geographer, May 2006
The original 1961 map of Megalopolis, which first appeared in Jean Gottmann’s classic study, is updated to show the growth of this important urban region. The “main street of America” as Gottmann named it now reaches from Portsmouth, Maine south to Fredericksburg, Virginia. The population of Megalopolis exceeded 42 million in 2000. UNIT 2 Human-Environment Relations8. A Great Wall of Waste, The Economist, August 21, 2004
Polluted mines, toxic landfills, and carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants are resulting in extensive pollution in China. Negative effects on human health, the death of rivers, declining agricultural output highlight the country’s rapid push for economic development. 9. The New Coal Rush, Frank Jossi, Fedgazette, September 2004
In a region of the U.S. hungry for more energy, coal is again emerging to answer the demand. Every effort is being made to insure that clean burning coal is used in new power plants to reduce air pollution. It is noteworthy that small towns in remote rural areas are vying for the plants—something that large urban places do not want. New! 10. Environmental Enemy No. 1, The Economist, July 6, 2002
Coal is a widely used energy source and a prime contributor to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere—the major cause of global warming. Carbon sequestration is seen as a positive move to reduce carbon dioxide accumulations, an intermediate step toward the development of environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel cells. New! 11. In Niger, Trees and Crops Turn Back the Desert, Lydia Polgreen, The New York Times, February 11, 2007
Niger, a poor country in the Sahel with a population of 13 million, is seeing a resurgence of tree cover because of increased rainfall and a modified agricultural practice of not cutting out tree saplings at planting time. More trees will help to deter environmental damage. The long-term climatic prediction calls for drought due to continued global warming. New! 12. Whither the World’s Last Forest?, Mark London and Brian Kelly, U.S. News & World Report, February 12, 2007
A voluminous oil and gas extraction site in the Amazon rainforest will bring needed energy to expand economic development on Manaus. Brazil aims to continue economic development, improve accessibility within its vast interior, and sustain the rainforest, which has lost 20 percent of its tree cover since the 1970s. UNIT 3 The Region13. The Rise of India, Manjeet Kripalani and Pete Engardio, Business Week, December 8, 2003
Economic growth is soaring in India. Software production, information technology, computer chip design, and call center operations are only a few of the expanding sectors. India has become an important player in the global economy. There are positive implications for the U.S. Indian brainpower will fill the manpower gaps once the U.S. baby boom population begins to retire. India is the first developing country to use its brainpower rather than physical resources to expand its economy. 14. Between the Mountains, Isabel Hilton, The New Yorker, March 11, 2002
India and Pakistan are engaged in a struggle for control over Kashmir. Complicated by religious and cultural differences and the rise of an independence movement, the region is the center of geopolitical unrest. New! 15. Never Too Late to Scramble: China in Africa, The Economist, October 28, 2006
China’s explosive economic growth is being enhanced through procurement of raw materials and farm produce from countries in Africa. Trade with China is a plus for the countries involved. However, increased commodity costs become an economic issue for African countries without resources to trade. New! 16. Where Business Meets Geopolitics, The Economist, May 25, 2005
The region of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea is taking on geopolitical significance because of the transport of oil and natural gas. Western Europe, Russia, China, and the U.S. are all showing interest in these precious commodities which are so important to economic growth. 17. Deep Blue Thoughts, Sylvia A. Earle, The Aspen Idea, Winter 2004/2005
The region of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea is taking on geopolitical significance because of the transport of oil and natural gas. Western Europe, Russia, China, and the U.S. are all showing interest in these precious commodities which are so important to economic growth. New! 18. Tsunamis: How Safe Is the United States?, Thomas Aaron Green, Focus on Geography, Spring 2006
The greatest danger of tsunami occurrence in the United State appears to be along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. One reason is the similarity of the geologic subduction zone along this coast to the one off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. UNIT 4 Spatial Interaction and Mapping19. The World is Spiky, Richard Florida, The Atlantic, October 2005
The author uses four maps to refute Thomas Friedman’s notion that the world is flat. Four “spike” maps show decided concentrations of population in urban areas, economic activity, innovation centers as measured by patent production, and the locations of the 1200 most cited scientists. New! 20. Hurricane Hot Spots, USA Today Newspaper, June 1, 2006
A series of maps and bar graphs identify the urban areas in the United States most vulnerable to severe hurricane damage. The map patterns, based on zip-code areas, indicate the potential losses in millions of dollars from a major hurricane. New! 21. American Red Cross Uses GIS for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Efforts, Healthy GIS, Winter 2006
This article explores how GIS was used by the American Red Cross in its hurricane emergency management strategy during the Katrina and Rita relief efforts. Maps and other information sources are used for pre-staging of resources and post event assessments and responses. 22. Mapping the Nature of Diversity, Ed Ayres, World Watch, March/April 2003
An important mapping project showed two primary forms of information: the distribution of cultural diversity in Middle America and the distribution of forest and marine resources in that region. The maps support the hypothesis that there is a strong correlation between cultural diversity and biological diversity. 23. Geospatial Asset Management Solutions, Damon D. Judd, EOM: Earth Observation Magazine, October 2003
GIS integrated with sound asset management systems can add greatly to the maintenance and repair of regional and national infrastructure components (highways, bridges, tunnels, dams, water and sewage facilities, airports, and transit systems). 24. Calling All Nations, Nathan Littlefield, The Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
Width of line is used in this map to represent the volume of telephone traffic between the U.S. and other countries globally. Cartographic products such as this one distill thousands of pieces of numerical information into a single graphic view. In this case the concept of accessibility is clearly illustrated. 25. Fortune Teller, Ann De Forest, Navigator, October-December 2002
The author looks back at an exciting episode in the history of map-making. Richard Harrison’s maps of World War II regions and the changing geopolitical outcomes of that conflict are novel and refreshing. New! 26. Teaching Note: The U.S. Ethanol Industry with Comments on the Great Plains, Sparks Company Inc. and Kansas State University, http://www.agmanager.info/agribus/energy/teaching, April 2002
The map in Figure 3 (p. 16) shows corn production by county and ethanol plants, an important energy source, by processing capacity. There is a striking spatial relationship between high levels of both corn production and ethanol processing. 27. A City of 2 Million Without a Map, Oakland Ross, World Press Review, July 2002
Managua, Nicaragua, an urban place of over two million people, was struck by an enormous earthquake in 1972 that significantly disrupted the grid network of the place. The old maps were no longer useful and the place has yet to be totally rebuilt. Novel ways of giving directions from place to place have emerged and accessibility within Managua has become difficult 28. AIDS Infects Education System in Africa, Bess Keller, Education Week, March 16, 2005
The incidence of AIDS and HIV in Africa continues to rise. The rates of infection are highest in the southern region of the continent as indicated on the choropleth map. UNIT 5 Population, Resources, and Socioeconomic DevelopmentNew! 29. Wonderful World?, James Traub, The New York Times Magazine, March 19, 2006
The article compares the era of the Cold War with the current Age of Terror. Globally, the incidence of armed conflict has diminished with the exception of international terrorism. Although the world is less war-torn, the perception, especially in the West, is that it is not less dangerous. New! 30. What Lies Beneath, Heidi Ridgley, National Parks, Spring 2006
With the aim of procuring oil and gas from places other than the Middle East, plans are in place to extract these resources near the borders of national parks. Although the amounts extracted would add very little to the country’s energy supplies, the environmental degradation in the form of air and groundwater pollution and disruption of wildlife habitats would be significant. 31. Dry Spell, Christopher Conte, Governing, March 2003
The annual cost of drought in the U.S. is $6 billion to $8 billion, exceeding both flooding and hurricanes. Georgia’s drought early warning system is proactive and four indicators are monitored—stream flows, groundwater levels, reservoir levels, and precipitation. Drops in any one of these triggers new restrictions on water use. 32. Turning Oceans Into Tap Water, Ted Levin, OnEarth, Summer 2004
Desalinization of ocean water, if economically feasible, would be a boon to growing world population and to agriculture and industrial activities globally. This article focuses on desalinization efforts in the U.S. Breakthroughs made here will have applications worldwide. 33. The Longest Journey, The Economist, November 2–8, 2002
Two of seven short articles in The Economist present varying perspectives on migration. The articles contend that liberalizing migration rules would result in enormous global economic growth. New! 34. In Remote Pakistan Province, a Civil War Festers, Carolotta Gall, The New York Times, April 2, 2006
Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province has significant reserves of oil and gas. The Pakistani government wants access to the region for 1) economic development, and 2) construction of a pipeline to bring the resources to a deep water port to further trade with China. The Baluchistan leaders, not against economic development, insist that the province is being suppressed and unfairly treated. Conflict was the result. New! 35. Global Response Required: Stopping the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, Jeffrey G. Martin and Matt Martin, Courier, Fall 2006
Since the end of the Cold War, the proliferation of nuclear weapons has become a global problem. The prospect of an open arms race coupled with the fear of international terrorism in the post-9/11 era is raising serious concern worldwide.
