Human Environment Interaction in Europe

Coach Reed

Essential Questions How have European industrialization and

technological innovations impacted the human and physical environment?

How has Europe’s physical geography affected its development?

You will answer one of these questions on a sheet of paper at the end of this lesson for points, please be prepared!

The North Atlantic Drift The N. Atlantic Drift is a current of warm

water from the tropics. It flows near Europe’s west coast.

It has two effects: The westerlies (wind flowing west to east)

pick up warmth and carry it over Europe The westerlies also carry moisture.

Human Environment Interaction How have Europeans affected their

environment? In today’s lesson we will learn both the positive and negative ways Europeans have interacted with their environment

Human Environment Interaction The Dutch (people of

the Netherlands) reclaim land from the sea. Polders are lands that are reclaimed by diking and draining.

Please turn to page 282 and look at the graph

Can you summarize the process of making a polder

Venice, Italy People settled in a lagoon (shallow

body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs)

Builders sunk wood into the ground to support structures. They needed so much wood they cut down oak forests in Slovenia and Italy.

Today, Venice is sinking due to rising sea levels, pumping too much groundwater, and the weight of the buildings.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands Venice of the North Amsterdam’s canals

are the result of city planning

Amsterdam is two meters below sea level

They served three purposes: Defense Water management Transportation

Maeslant Barrier

Storm surge barrier in The Netherlands

One of the largest moving structures in the world

Protects the city/port of Rotterdam from flooding and storm damage

Deforestation Wood has many uses- houses, ships,

fuel source Industry in 1700s and1800s required

wood to make charcoal for furnaces. Huge areas of native forest have now

been lost.

The Chunnel The Channel Tunnel

connects the British Isles with mainland Europe

A link had been proposed since 1800s

Over 18 million people used the service last year

Faster than ferry system and more convenient that air

Netherlands Cause: The Dutch needed more space

for themselves

Effect: They build polders, their land mass has gotten bigger, much of their land is below sea level.

Writing Assignment We have learned several ways

Europeans interact with their environment. On a separate sheet of paper, please tell me how European industrialization and technological innovations impact the human and physical environment?