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Pathways of Understanding: the Interactions of Humanity and Global Environmental ChangeHow humans, interacting within social systems, affect and are affected by global change is explored. Recognizing the impact human activities have on the environment and responding to the need to document the interactions among human activities, the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) commissioned a group of 12 scientists to develop a framework illustrating the key human systems that contribute to global change. This framework, called the Social Process Diagram, will help natural and social scientists, educators, resource managers and policy makers envision and analyze how human systems interact among themselves and with the natural system. The Social Process Diagram consists of the following blocks that constitute the Diagram's structural framework: (1) fund of knowledge and experience; (2) preferences and expectations; (3) factors of production and technology; (4) population and social structure; (5) economic systems; (6) political systems and institutions; and (7) global scale environmental processes. To demonstrate potential ways the Diagram can be used, this document includes 3 hypothetical scenarios of global change issues: global warming and sea level rise; the environmental impact of human population migration; and energy and the environment. These scenarios demonstrate the Diagram's usefulness for visualizing specific processes that might be studied to evaluate a particular global change issues. The scenario also shows that interesting and unanticipated questions may emerge as links are explored between categories on the Diagram.
Document ID
19920024814
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Jacobson, Harold K. (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Katzenberger, John (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Lousma, Jack (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Mooney, Harold A. (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Moss, Richard H. (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Kuhn, William (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Luterbacher, Urs (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Wiegandt, Ellen (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network University Center, MI, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-190678
NAS 1.26:190678
Accession Number
92N34058
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2901
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2010
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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