Colonization of New England
When the European colonists arrived in America, they disrupted the lifestyle of the natives. Through top-down policies implemented by the English government, natives’ values and actions, which used to be centered towards sustainability, were shifted through a combination of social, economic, and political factors. These shifts in beliefs, in turn, created heavy environmental impacts that eventually led to a crossing of the threshold, or the environmental point of no return.
This concept map portrays the causes and effects of European colonization on the environmental resilience, or ability to withstand harmful effects, of the land.
Consumption of Automobiles
Since Ford’s invention of the assembly line and effective production, automobiles have been increasingly prevalent in modern life. However, as they grew in popularity due to economic, social, and political reasons, they also changed the standards of life before cars. This dependance on such energy consuming commodities created environmental problems such as climate change and energy consumption that are still in the process of being reversed.
This concept map depicts the progress of automobiles over time, as they reach the environmental threshold. With increasing awareness, a combination of economic, social, and political changes are underway to increase resilience.