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13c Composition In Bryophyte Primary Sugars As An Indicator Of Water Availability, Olivia Hope Williamson
13c Composition In Bryophyte Primary Sugars As An Indicator Of Water Availability, Olivia Hope Williamson
Honors Theses
Bryophytes (mosses and their relatives) are a major carbon sink, and their productivity, is expected to be affected by climate change. Changes in plant productivity caused by changes in the climate can be tracked through stable carbon isotopes. This research aims to find a connection between stable carbon isotope signatures and water availability in bryophytes by examining the composition of 13C in soluble sugars and bulk tissue. Similar to trees, which leave rings of growth every year, mosses build up peat deposits, which can be used to gain information about the weather and water availability of a region. Information on …
Kinetic Modeling Of Catalytic Aerogels, Yi Cao
Kinetic Modeling Of Catalytic Aerogels, Yi Cao
Honors Theses
As pollution becomes an increasing concern globally, strict regulations have been set on vehicle pollutant emissions. The three-way catalytic converter is capable of converting toxic emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides to less hazardous waste such as carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen. Current catalysts employ platinum group metals, which are expensive and environmentally damaging to mine. Catalytically-active aerogels such as Co-Al, Cu-Al and V-Al aerogels have shown promise as alternatives to these metals. The work presented here adapts and extends a global kinetic model which predicts the conversion of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide on platinum catalyst …
Controlling Carbon: A Study Of National And Regional Emissions Trading Systems, Jordan Pulling
Controlling Carbon: A Study Of National And Regional Emissions Trading Systems, Jordan Pulling
Honors Theses
The release of carbon and other chemicals into the atmosphere is a growing environmental problem. The use of carbon-based processes is at an all-time high with the continued growth in carbon-fueled transportation, electric power generation and other carbon-intensive industrial processes. With climate change increasingly threatening the daily lives of Earth's population, many countries are beginning to take steps to reduce their impact on the Earth and its climate. Over the last decade, carbon markets have been established in 18 countries worldwide. While all of these emissions trading systems have similarities, each also has some unique traits, including differences in allowance …
Using Green Building To Mitigate Climate Change In The Twenty-First Century, Lisa Battiste
Using Green Building To Mitigate Climate Change In The Twenty-First Century, Lisa Battiste
Honors Theses
The need for green buildings are rapidly becoming more important as the nation faces impending energy crises and the world heats up from the overabundance of greenhouse gases. Buildings in America are one of the largest consumers of energy and one of the greatest contributors to CO2 emissions; more than the total emissions from all the transportation vehicles used every day. By making the construction and use of buildings more resource efficient, this can help alleviate the environmental strain of climate change. Neutralizing or eliminating carbon emissions from building use will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the …
The Effect Of Canopy Organization On The Photosynthesis Of Sphagnum, Brian Solinsky
The Effect Of Canopy Organization On The Photosynthesis Of Sphagnum, Brian Solinsky
Honors Theses
With climate change becoming a greater problem the ability of plants to photosynthesize and sequester carbon becomes more important for us to understand. Sphagnum moss stores more than a third of the world’s soil carbon. Much is understood about the physiology of Sphagnum, but what is generally not understood is the effect of variation in canopy organization in Sphagnum: why are they both rough and smooth? This study examined whether different canopy structures influenced how the canopy uses different angles of light for photosynthesis. The first step was modeling photosynthesis in two simulated structures (rough and smooth) as the angle …
The State Of Sustainable Transportation At Union College: A Transportation Audit Of Union College Students And Faculty, Benjamin Engle
The State Of Sustainable Transportation At Union College: A Transportation Audit Of Union College Students And Faculty, Benjamin Engle
Honors Theses
Union College has established a Climate Action Plan with the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 as part of its commitment to sustainability. A significant component of Union’s carbon footprint, however, is student and faculty transportation. The purpose of this research was to analyze the transportation behavior of students and faculty to determine the carbon emissions that result from the use of various transportation methods. Two campus‐wide surveys were conducted; one was distributed to students and the other targeted faculty. For comparison purposes, survey questions were designed to be compatible with, but more focused than, those of a survey conducted …
Putting The Wind At Our Backs: Assessing U.S. Potential For 20% Wind Energy By 2030, Kevin T. Harnett
Putting The Wind At Our Backs: Assessing U.S. Potential For 20% Wind Energy By 2030, Kevin T. Harnett
Honors Theses
The discussion surrounding the future of energy, particularly in the United States, has gained significant momentum in recent years for an obvious reason — it’s daunting. Our dependence on fossil fuels has positioned our nation in an undesirable predicament with a questionable future. With the associated consequences, principally Climate Change, it is essential that energy be addressed as a primary national concern. Renewables need to flip the switch.
Modeling Biofuel Production In Southern Pine Forests: The Effects On Soil Properties, Brittany L. Oakes
Modeling Biofuel Production In Southern Pine Forests: The Effects On Soil Properties, Brittany L. Oakes
Honors Theses
From consuming energy alone in 2009, the United States ranked second as a carbon emitter at 5,425 million metric tons annually; China was the leader at 7,706 million metric tons and India placed third at 1,591 million metric tons (EIA, 2010). Yet in 2009, the U.S. consumed more electricity than both China and India and was the leading importer of electricity (EIA, 2010). Incorporating more domestic sources of renewable energy can simultaneously alleviate two issues: mitigating climate change catastrophes and significantly reduce our dependence on foreign markets for electricity and other forms of energy. Additionally, evidence of dwindling international oil …
Reactions Of Atomic Carbon With Acid Chlorides, Daniel B. Herrick
Reactions Of Atomic Carbon With Acid Chlorides, Daniel B. Herrick
Honors Theses
This thesis is the first report of reactions of atomic carbon with acid chlorides. Carbon is known to react with phosgene to afford dichlorocarbene. We report a similar reaction with carbon and acid chlorides, generating alkylchlorocarbenes. We examine both the nature of the carbene products generated through deoxygenation and the general reactivity of carbon with the acid chlorides. We report two ways in which carbon reacts with acid chlorides. First, as expected from prior work with phosgene, carbon deoxygenates the carbonyl group yielding alkylchlorcarbenes, which rearrange as expected. Second, carbon abstracts the chlorine, and generates the acyl radical, which, in …