Hello all! I am originally from Pittsburgh,PA. Currently, I am a junior majoring in Supply Chain and Information Systems with a minor in the Legal Environment of Business.  I attend Penn State University Park. However, this semester I am in Philadelphia participating in a co-op. I am on the path to pursuing a career in supply chain or procurement. However, I have begun to really enjoy my minor and some of the elective courses I have taken so a career in law could be in my future. I am interested in this course because I have always loved social science and natural science courses. I think this course will provide a hybrid of the two subjects. As an added bonus to studying a subject that I enjoy, this course satisfies my International Cultures requirement.

An important issue that came to mind when reading the lesson were changes to the natural environment that can affect entire industries. The example referenced in the lesson talks about the drought in California that has caused agriculture, tourism, and recreational industries to suffer. This made me think about the lack of snow we have received this winter (or at least in the area where I live). On a personal scale, the lack of snow and cold weather has been great. I don’t have to dig my car out of the snow or worry about slipping on ice. However, after reading the lesson I now see that this weather change could have a huge negative impact on businesses that require snow,such as ski lodges. This is an important issue because it will affect many people who have jobs that rely on cold weather. This will also affect people who enjoy participating in cold weather activities.