There are a number of theories and ideas about how this can be done. I draw many of my research ideas from discussion in the environmental ethics class and from class field trips. In my experience teaching and research often strengthen each other. Another area of research is the history of maps. I am keen on discovering how maps contain biases that shape the belief systems of viewer.
Maps often convey subtle prejudices about the superiority of nations and cultures.
The Hidden Geometry of a Famous Map. The Journal of the Dunlap Center for the History of Cartogtraphy. A Peircean Theory of Metaphor. Pierce's Doctrine of Signs , 1995. Points, Regions, Boundaries.