1. Human Environmental Interaction Focuses on understanding the processes and patterns associated with Humans and the Environment interacting upon each other.

2. Human - Cultural Characteristics  Technological Level  Organizational level  Political ideology  Religious ideology  Popular culture  Folkways  Linguistic traditions  Food-ways  Clothing traditions  Personal hygiene  Others

3. Environmental Characteristics  Elevation  Amount of sunshine  Temperature  Precipitation  Latitude: Seasons  Wind  Soils  Drainage & Drainage features (Rivers)  Slope  Vegetation  Rocks and Minerals  Other

4. Questions  Will different religious groups interact with similar environments in the same way?  Will groups with different technological levels interact with the same environment in the same way?  What will happen when a human group enters a new environment?  What impacts might this new environment have upon the group’s culture?  What impacts might this group’s culture have upon the environment?

5. The U.S.: Culture Impacting The Environment  Mechanistic vs. Organic  Mechanistic: Humans are over the Earth  A willingness to modify the Earth  Organic: Humans are part of the Earth  Less willing to modify the Earth  The United States: A mechanistic society  Bureau of Reclamation: Damming Rivers and Irrigating the Desert  Removal of forests for agriculture  Draining of swamps  Building levees  Creation of artificial environments

6. U.S.: Environmental Impacts on Culture  The Eastern Woodsmen entered the Plains and tried to grow Humid Crops  Massive failures in the 1800  The Mennonites farmers introduced hard winter wheat and the Eastern Woodsmen changed their crop patterns  Growing of Blue Grass in Hays  Blue grass takes large amounts of water  Shortage of water in the 1980’s forced the reduction of Bluegrass yards  Today Buffalo or Fescue the primary preference for grasses

7. U.S. Questions  Will global warming change Americans’ habits about the uses of cars?  Will global warming change Americans’ habits about the size of their homes?  Will the end of abundant low cost energy change the spatial aspects of cities?