Honors Environmental Geology is a course that refers particularly to geology as it relates directly to human activities.  Throughout this course the emphasis of study will be on the physical constraints imposed on human activities by the geologic processes that have shaped and are still shaping our natural environment.  Because geology does not exist in a vacuum, this course will introduce related considerations from outside geology to clarify various ramifications of the topics discussed throughout this course.  Topics to be covered by this course will include Earth materials and structures, the effects of human population on the environment, environmental hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods, energy resources and their exploitation, natural resources, land-use planning and resource law.  Each of the above topics will be studied from a global perspective, paying particular attention to their importance in Pennsylvania.