Name_____________________________Date______________Period_____Mood____________________________
Environmental Determinism or Possibilism?
Directions: Read through each statement and decide whether it’s describing environmental determinism or possibilism.
Statement
Tropical climates cause laziness and
relaxed attitudes.
The Green revolution, Invention of
fertilizers and pesticides, the modern
irrigation methods and the organic
farming methods have also contributed
to the high output of crops and other
products related to agriculture to meet
the high food demands across the
world.
Ellsworth Huntington developed a
theory stating that the economic
development in a country could be
predicted based on its distance from
the equator. He said temperate
climates with short growing seasons
stimulate achievement, economic
growth, and efficiency. The ease of
growing things in the tropics, on the
other hand, hindered their
advancement.
Modern means of communication such
as computers, internet, mobiles, cable
TV has changed the world into a
global village. Now within seconds,
you can see and talk to your loved
ones who are thousands of miles away
from you. These revolutions have
helped humans to make their lives easy
and comfortable.
Environmental Determinism or
Possibilism?
Explain
Civilizations in colder climates are
more successful due to the weather.
The industrial revolution began in the
18th century in Great Britain & it truly
changed the way people lived. It was
not an overnight phenomenon but
rather was the end result of series of
inventions. It originated in Great
Britain in 1750 and from there it
spread to North America and Europe
during the19th century. The invention
of the steam engine gave a boost to the
iron and textile industries.
Aristotle (350BC): People of relatively
cold climates have more energy than
those of mild climate.
Historically, societies developed
methods of dealing with their local
climates, and those tools and behaviors
became ingrained cultural customs. As
the world becomes more
interconnected, these customs are
changing, and so is the definition of
something as elemental as comfort.