1 Scale in Geography and Cartography
cartographic to problem scale
Scale is an essential geographic concept. Geographers study phenomena at various scales and often use the term scale to help define their research interests. Scale is integral to developing a scientific and policy-oriented understanding of our environment. Furthermore, scale can be a useful tool for examining the extent to which a single policy will have its intended impact on the environment. In terms of the scale of a particular environmental issue, an important question is whether the policy is intended to affect a local community or municipality or is it intended to impact a larger jurisdiction like a province, nation, or multinational region. Many policies surrounding environmental issues such as climate change and variability are designed to change the behaviour of local communities in ways that will positively impact a problem that occurs or functions at a much larger scale; in the case of global climate variability, the problem is global and will not be effectively addressed unless collective global action is taken. An example of government attempting to address a large scale environmental issue is the Act passed by the Saskatchewan government in December 2009 titled, An Act Respecting the Management and Reduction of Green House Gases and Adaptation to Climate Change. This Act addresses climate change issues that can be addressed by the province, while requiring that climate change and adaptation be addressed in concert with the federal government as well as partners around the world (other countries, multi-state organizations like the UN, G8, G20, and other influential bodies). It has been suggested that global climate variability is effectively mitigated through the harmonization and coordination of all levels of government (DeMarco, Routliffe, and Ladymore, 2004).
Similar, and tightly bound to Scale are Area of Study and Units of Analysis. The later, units of analysis, are the individual units used to study and explain phenomena that are occur in the are of study. Geographically, units of analysis are necessarily smaller than the area of study; there must be numerous units of analysis in order to establish a meaningful pattern in the area of study so the pattern can be used to explain, describe, or conclude something about the phenomena in question. In the USA we might use states (units of analysis) to explain a phenomena in the country (area of study). For instance, the election results of the Country can be displayed as the party earning the most votes by State and therefore we can map the pattern of results. In a city, we might use neighbourhoods, census tracts, or dissemination areas to explain social, political, or economic phenomena. So a pattern can be revealed, units of analysis need be smaller and more numerous than the area of study. At the other end of the continuum, there are fewer rules about the maximum number of units of analysis. Increasing the number of