Hi, my name is Annaliese Long and I am a freshman here at Penn State University. So right now, I live in University Park, PA at Penn State, but I grew up in Pottstown, PA. Pottstown is a town in the suburbs about an hour outside of Philadelphia, near King of Prussia. I love my hometown because it is a great location and has great scenery of Pennsylvania. I am thinking of pursuing biomedical engineering with a possible minor in leadership development. I am taking this course because I have always been really interested in the environment and geography ever since I was younger, but more recently I have become interested in sustainability around the world. Some of my hobbies include all kinds of sports, whether I’m playing or I’m watching, traveling the world, hanging out with my friends, and trying new things.
An issue that I am very passionate about and that geography would be well suited to address is the topic of climate change and/or global warming. Geography, in the most basic sense, means the study of the earth, but it can also describe the human impacts on the environment. In recent years, the average temperature of the earth has increased which is causing major changes to the environment. It is important for people to understand what climate change is because it affects all of us. There is a significant amount of species that are going extinct because of the climate change. Not only are the animals being affected, but mostly all ecosystems are impacted as well. This is a huge, yet important, problem because the earth is our home and it won’t be able to sustain us if we do not take care of it.
Hi Annaliese, I am actually also from the suburbs of Philly, I live in Perkasie which is easiest described as in between quakertown and doylestown if you know where they are located. I agree with you completely on your view on global warming. I am an Environmental Engineering student so this topic is also of great interest to me. We take such an impact on the environment around us and we just continue to ignore the repercussions that come along with it. It is a serious issue in which we need to address before it is two late to do anything about it. In my blog I discussed the interactions of the environment and humanity. If you have time check it out http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/02/01/getting-to-know-you-madison-halbom/
Hi Annaliese. It’s nice to see someone from my area – I grew up in Downingtown, PA. I’m currently a senior biology major, but I have always thought that if I could go back and do it again I would choose biomed engineering because of how interesting and cutting edge it is. In my post, I wrote about the drought in California and how it compares to different droughts such as the one in Ethiopia, which you can read here: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/25/getting-to-know-you-james-sharer/. I agree with your stance on climate change and how it has a significant effect on all of our everyday lives. With 2015 being recently declared as the hottest year in recorded history, it is more important than ever to pay attention to this important issue.
Hi Annaliese. I agree with you that climate change is a major issue. Recently, Stephen Hawking discussed how humanities mission to improve technology and expand our existence will end up being our demise. We are always seeking the newest, best, biggest, and fastest to deal with our ever changing needs. In doing so, we are destroying and depleting the very resources that are critical for earths survival. Climate change should be made a bigger issue than it is at the moment. I wish you the best of luck this semester and beyond.