The surrounding influences which are now included in the meaning of 'the environment' are the air that we breathe, the water we drink or swim in, our homes, numbers of people, traffic, noise, streets, stores, parks, countryside, seashore, wildlife, factories, farming and mining. It has become the practice in geography to refer to the physical environment when referring to natural features, the human environment when referring to cultural and social conditions and the built environment when referring to urban and industrial issues.

Because it is now apparent that mankind its their own environment by the decisions it makes regarding land use and industrial growth, it is apparent that man has a choice in the type of environment he inhabits. There are areas where action can be taken, such as in planning and rural uses, in conservation, flood control and in resources, all these issues collectively referred to as environmental management.

Government agencies, which seek to control pollution, are seen as the most widespread type of environmental management bodies. All types of pollution can be seen as examples of environmental damage. Various levels of environmental damage can be identified from that which is seen as a local concern and that which is a global concern. Environmental contamination, highlighted by such things as plastic bottles left on beaches to the occasional high levels of noise such as that from aircraft, are seen as the least harmful form of damage to the environment.

An environmental hazard where the pollution level puts organic life at risk of permanent destruction is more serious. Environmental pollution where an organic life is destroyed temporarily in a certain area, such as an oil spill, is more serious again but occurs more frequently. Environmental disaster involving widespread and heavy loss of life is becoming a menacing threat. The recognition of these dynamic environmental issues has led to the creation of many government agencies. The first UN conference on the environment in 1972 issued a 26-principle Declaration which declared the protection and enhancement of the environment to have become an imperative goal for mankind.

As the world population continues to increase the, environmental management to control pollution is becoming increasingly necessary. Unless ecological principles, conservation, resource management and population checks are widely adopted, the environment may degrade to the point of collapse, perhaps in the near future. Because the environment is a well structured system, with varying pathways and alternatives with great flexibility, any approach to instability will be difficult to detect and failure will appear suddenly.

Environmental determination is the belief that all human activity can be explained by environmental laws and controls. It was developed during the 19th century. Environmental determinism is seen as deviation from the mainstream of geographical thought, which views geography as a scientific approach to the describing and mapping regions of the Earth.