HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

1. HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION Chapter 21, Section 3

2. Because of scarce water supplies, people in Southwest Asia use several methods to obtain fresh water for drinking and for agriculture.

3. DAMS AND PIPELINES TURKEY IS BUILDING A SERIES OF DAMS ON THE EUPHRATES RIVER Why would building a dam on this river be controversial? Look at the map on page 494. Countries downstream from the dam may lose access to enough water for their citizens’ needs.

4. ISRAEL THE NATIONAL CARRIER PROJECT IN ISRAEL WILL CARRY WATER FROM THE MOUNTAINS, SEA OF GALILEE, AND THE JORDAN RIVER. LOOK AT YOUR MAP OF ISRAEL. WHAT POLITICAL PROBLEMS WILL ISRAEL HAVE WHILE CONSTRUCTING AND USING THIS PIPELINE?

5. DESALINIZATION • SOME COUNTRIES HAVE DESALINIZATION PLANTS TO REMOVE SALT FROM SEAWATER THIS PLANT IN SAUDI ARABIA IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND OPERATE. WHERE DOES SAUDI ARABIA GET THE MONEY TO BUILD A PLANT LIKE THIS? DESALINATION IS ALSO DONE ON CRUISE SHIPS

6. IRRIGATION FOSSIL WATER FROM AQUIFERS WILL NOT BE REPLACED, DUE TO THE LACK OF ADEQUATE RAINFALL. EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT AT THE CURRENT RATE OF DEPLETION, THE AQUIFERS IN THIS REGION MAY DRY UP IN 25-30 YEARS. DRIP IRRIGATION THAT CONSERVES WATER AND DRIPS IT AT THE ROOTS OF PLANTS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD IN DRY CLIMATES.

7. OIL FROM SAND • OIL WAS DISCOVERED IN PERSIA, NOW KNOWN AS IRAN, IN 1908 • HOW WOULD THE DISCOVERY OF OIL CHANGE THE CULTURE OF A COUNTRY? • AFTER WORLD WAR II, ONE OF THE LARGEST OIL FIELDS WAS DISCOVERED IN SAUDI ARABIA • READ PAGE 497, “FORMING PETROLEUM.” WHY DOES THE OIL EXIST IN SUCH LARGE QUANTITIES HERE ?

8. LOOK AT THE DIAGRAM ON PAGE 498.DRAW A FLOW MAP TO SHOW WHERE THE PATH OF REFINING FROM CRUDE OIL TO GASOLINE.WRITE 3 RISKS OF TRANSPORTING OIL THROUGH PIPES, SHIPS, OR TRUCKS.