Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
the frequency of debris fl ows following the thawing of the
underlying permafrost, and concern for the long-term viability
of the hydro-electric power installations that utilize summer
meltwater. In the Arctic, additional implications include the
extent of pack ice, polar bear survival, and the future of cold-water
fi sheries.
Finally, a one-fi ts-all solution is unlikely to apply to mitigation
of the effects of global warming on people. Societies differ in
their vulnerabilities, and human geographers are well placed to
investigate these. Some societies are more able than others to
adapt to changing environmental conditions or will choose to
respond differently. In general, people in the poorest countries
are more vulnerable than those in rich countries and are also less
able to adopt expensive technological solutions. This is a different
aspect of mitigation from seeking to reduce the rate of global
warming or taking global action to prevent the rise in global
temperatures exceeding an upper limit, both of which may require
different policies for developed and developing countries.
A manifesto for future geography
Geography, at the beginning of the 21st century, has indeed spread
its net wide. On the one hand, there are the core unifying concepts
and skills that remain important to the discipline as a whole;
on the other, there are the tensions between the subdisciplines
within which specialities have multiplied apace. The contrast with
geography as it was practised from the later 19th to mid-20th
centuries is very clear and leads to the question: Where does
geography stand now as a unifi ed discipline?
Present geography's strengths
The discipline has a signifi cant number of strengths and
opportunities that in many ways are increasing. There has
never been a greater need for geographical knowledge and
understanding. Whether it is in relation to local or global
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