Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Moritz and I am studying at Penn State’s Main Campus. I grew up four hours away in Southampton, PA, which is about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Currently, I am a senior studying Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. I plan on going to graduate school next year for Occupational Therapy; my passion is helping people who need the extra support so I cannot wait to start this soon. My dad has always been a big traveler so I would tag along. His favorite places to take me were National Parks, so we saw places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and so much more. Since he was so interested in the earth and the surrounding environments, his knowledge and teachings sparked an interest in me. I decided to take this course to learn more about geography and maybe I will be able to teach my dad something he hasn’t already taught me!
After reading module 1, my attention was drawn to the human-environment interactions. Every action we take can either positively or negatively affect the world around us. The concept of sustainability is important, especially in our current century, because we all need to know what actions we can perform that will not affect the environment for future generations. We do not want the world to become in a drought crisis, like California, or pollute the air for the people who come after us. It is ethically important for our current population to keep the world as natural as possible without purposefully damaging the land around us. Geography can address sustainability, which will in return teach our people how to keep our world safe for years to come.
Hello Jessica, my name is Anthony and I also attend Main Campus. I just wanted to say that I strongly agree with your post. I was also drawn to the human interactions that affect the environment. The key to preserving this planet is properly understanding the concept of sustainability. If we can start impacting the environment in a beneficial way, we can make it a better place for all who inhabit it. If you would like to see what I posted about human interactions you can follow this link: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/18/anthony-russo-learning-activity-getting-to-know-you/
It must have been very cool to see those National Parks. I’ve been to Niagara Falls, but as a young child and don’t remember much. Similar to your post, I also discussed how the impact humans have on the environment is a mutual relationship, since the environment also impacts humans.
If you would like to read it, it can be found at http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/15/getting-to-know-you-5/