World Geography 3200/3202 Human Activity and Climate

How Climate Affects Human Activity  The climatic conditions of our physical environment can have a tremendous influence on our work, our leisure, the meeting of our needs, the running of our economies, our psychological wellbeing, and sometimes our very survival.

Work and Climate  Some jobs are seasonal, meaning that they only take place certain times of the year.  Some entire industries are built around climate such as some aspects of tourism and recreation.  In Temperate and subarctic regions the school year is built around seasonal changes in climate. Classes are held during the winter and recess for the summer to accommodate warm temperatures and historical work patterns.

Snow Plow Operators Ski Instructors Tropical Resorts Summer Vacation

Leisure Activities and Climate  Certain sports are influenced by seasonal climate changes  Fashion is affected by climate. In general people dress according to their climate.  Diet, health and culture are greatly affected by climate as the crops, livestock, vegetation and wild life in a region vary because of climate.

Golf = Summer Outdoor Ice Hockey = Winter Sweaters = Winter T-Shirt & Shorts = Summer Coffee only grows in certain climates

Climate and Infrastructure  Climate affects housing standards. Countries that have cold climates have to be built to withstand the cold, be well insulated and able to withstand frost pressures. Countries that receive high amounts of snow have building codes to withstand the large amounts of snow on the roof. In warm countries houses have to be built to deal with the heat and rain. The possibilities of land slides from large amounts of precipitation also have to be taken into account when building.

House in a colder climate House in the Dominican Republic Roof of a ball room collapsed due to the weight of snow on the roof.

How Human Activity Affects Climate  Human activity is doing a lot to affect climate, especially people in the developed world.  Greenhouse gasses are being produced by factories, vehicles and refineries which are increasing the world’s ambient temperature.  An increase in the world’s temperature leads to larger and more powerful storms around the world.

 Cyclone – A large-scale, atmospheric wind- and-pressure system characterized by low pressure at its center and by circular wind motion, counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.  Hurricane – A violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the western North Atlantic, having wind speeds of or in excess of 72 mph.  Typhoon - A violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the western Pacific area and the China seas.  Tornado – a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Middle West United States, and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris.

What’s Going On?  Global warming is leading to higher atmospheric temperatures and higher ocean temperatures deeper in the water.  Higher atmospheric temperatures means that there will be more water vapour in the air leading to increased precipitation during storm systems. Scientists now say that there is 4% more water vapour in the air than there was 25 years ago.  Higher ocean temperatures means that storms such as hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons will have even more energy at their disposal. Researchers have found that hurricanes now intensify faster than they did 20 years ago.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane…