Final answer:
The quote suggests that the environment, including elements like landforms and climate, shapes human actions and societies throughout history. This relationship also works the other way, with human activities influencing the environment. This interconnection is crucial for understanding the past and addresses contemporary issues like climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
The quote 'Landforms, waterways, climate, and natural resources have all helped and hindered human activities' best aligns with option A: The environment shapes and influences human actions. This quote acknowledges the fundamental relationship between humans and their environment, highlighting how geographic features such as landforms, waterways, and climate, as well as the availability of natural resources, have historically shaped human societies and their development. From the very beginning, elements like weather patterns and soil fertility have influenced whether societies became nomadic hunters or settled agriculturalists. The reciprocal relationship extends to how human actions, over time, have also influenced the environment through activities such as farming, fishing, and the construction of infrastructure like dams.
Further illustrating this point, climatic shifts have forced rapid biological and cultural adaptation, influencing everything from human biology to political systems, while disasters like volcanic eruptions and droughts have resulted in the collapse of civilizations. Consequently, geography is not just a backdrop but a crucial actor in the narrative of human history, continually interacting with human activities and inspiring diverse responses. This deep interconnection becomes increasingly relevant today as global challenges like climate change and environmental degradation profoundly affect governance, culture, economics, and daily life.