Digital Commons Network^™

Pfas In News Media: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis, Madison Haley

University Honors Theses

News media analysis allows for a greater understanding of mainstream public concerns throughout time. The history of US news articles covering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of chemicals posing increasing threats to public health and the environment, demonstrates Americans' awareness and perceptions of these chemicals over time. Based on the quantitative and qualitative analyses of PFAS-related national news articles in 2012-2022, this study discusses media representations and public perceptions of PFAS during the stated period. Results indicate an over 5700% increase in PFAS-related news articles over the 10-year timespan. Further, thematic analysis reveals that PFAS-related news articles are …

The Parental Labor Gap: The Impact Of Daycare Access On The Parental Labor Force During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Acacia Wyckoff

Honors Theses

In the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the landscape for work has shifted dramatically. Many companies and employers switched to telework when the pandemic hit, and many still do not require workers to come into the office. Research suggests these COVID-induced changes have led to a closing of the gap in childcare duties between men and women in households. Comparing parents in positions with telework eligibility versus in-person positions, Heggeness and Suri (2022) found that while telework improved the labor participation rate of mothers slightly, there was still a major gap in labor force participation between mothers and …

Groundwater Governance And Agricultural Sustainability: Examining Farmer Interactions With California’S Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Zachary Matthew Goldstein

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change has exacerbated groundwater depletion globally, and policymakers have struggled to effectively manage groundwater resources. California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 to restore groundwater to sustainable levels.

The first paper of this thesis examines the drivers associated with uptake of groundwater conservation practices in agriculture. While a rich body of research has explored farmers’ conservation practice adoption, understanding of groundwater conservation practices is more limited. This study explores how information sources influence the actual and intended adoption of groundwater management practices in California. Using survey data from farmers (n = 553) in three largely agricultural …

An Assessment Of "Long-Thin" Airline Routes: Network Structure And Emissions Implications For Environmental Policy, Porter Burns

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to define, map, and quantify the network and environmental implications of “long-thin” routes (LTRs) – a route structure that has been discussed in the aviation industry but not formally studied in literature. LTRs were defined through the use of global OAG scheduling data from 1998 to 2018 to identify trends in air traffic growth and network dynamics. Flights were separated into seven aircraft class sizes (e.g., 75–150 seats, 150–225 seats) to measure LTRs at multiple scales. Routes were considered “long” if the stage length was at or above the 75^th percentile in each …

Societal Sustainability: Projects To Address The Three Dimensions Of A Sustainable Future, Braden K. Bateman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability is an important, commonly discussed societal goal regarding assurance of resources for the world to be able to enjoy a prosperous future. Three primary dimensions of sustainability include environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and objectives for various projects can be aimed at any of the three dimensions to pursue societal sustainability. Solar installations, which can be used to pursue environmental and economic sustainability, convert abundant sunlight to electricity, displacing fossil fuel use that contributes harmful greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The regulatory environment at the state level has a significant impact on the feasibility of solar projects. At present, …

Sewage And Pathogen Contamination In Urban Streams In Schenectady In The Lower Mohawk Watershed, Joanna Wright

Honors Theses

Urban streams are becoming increasingly polluted by anthropogenic activity, and in Schenectady (NY) two primary stressors include poor wastewater infrastructure and road salt use. Urban streams in Schenectady include Mill Creek and Cowhorn Creek that empty into the Binnekill (feeder to the Mohawk), and the Hans Groot Kill that empty directly into the Mohawk River. These streams were sampled to evaluate water quality and analyzed for pathogens. This study is primarily focused on fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Enterococcus, which is an EPA-approved method of determining surface water quality and it is an established indicator of sewage in waterways. The average …

Arsenic : Risk, Exposure, Policy And Management, Nadia Binte Jamil

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Arsenic (As) contamination in drinking water is a global concern. About 150 million people from 70 countries in the world are at risk to health hazards associated with As contamination. In this study, we compared four As mitigation approaches practiced in Bangladesh and their costs. Our results show that intervention that is associated with the lowest cost of exposure reduction is testing and switching ($3/person), followed by intermediate wells ($28/person), deep tube wells ($143/person), and piped water supply system ($158/person). We then prioritized affected villages to reduce exposure and facilitate mitigation using three criteria: weighted exposure (mean As concentration x …

A Multi-Scalar Socio-Policy Analysis Of Resource Reallocation And Water Security In Twenty-First Century Utah, Usa, Clint P. Carney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As drought and a warming climate continue to impact the western United States, balancing the water needs of cities, agriculture, and natural systems is becoming increasingly more complex. One approach commonly promoted to address water supply issues is the transfer of water between users via markets. However, markets for water face multiple obstacles that can often be costly for participants due to constraints inherent in western U.S. water law. Coinciding with issues of cost, water markets must overcome disinterest among water rights holders in releasing their water rights for uses even if temporarily. Moreover, water transfers bring to light the …

Bottom-Up Understanding Of Informal Settlements: Perspectives Of Urban Slum Dwellers In Nima, Ghana., Bernard Apeku

Theses and Dissertations

More than a quarter of the world’s population lives in informal settlements which house a rapidly growing proportion of the inhabitants of cities in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Accra, Ghana, and in the Global South more generally. However, scholars have shown that the urban planning and urban redevelopment strategies that affect these settlements are top-down in character with minimal resident participation. These prevailing planning and redevelopment strategies are based on the outsiders’ perceptions of informal neighborhoods, rendering them quite inefficient. Therefore, to develop workable policies and strategies that will improve the living condition of informal urban settlers, it is important …

Institutional Changes In Western Michigan University For Incorporation Of Education For Sustainability, Saman Khan

Dissertations

Higher Education institutions (HEIs) have the potential to be significant contributors in the pursuit of a sustainable world through the incorporation of Education for Sustainability (EFS). However, HEIs are entrenched with structures and values that are often resistant to change. The literature reveals that instructors’ beliefs and institutional contexts are the two main factors that impact the implementation of institutional change for sustainability education. Western Michigan University (WMU) has created new required curriculum “WMU Essential Studies” (WES) for undergraduate students and they have targeted sustainability as an essential learning outcome, by integrating and applying it in content courses. Using a …

Scottish Marine Renewable Energy: U.S. Approaches For Development Of Wave And Tidal Technologies, Stella Kathryn Fairall

Honors Theses and Capstones

Marine renewable energy, energy harnessed from various ocean resources such as waves, tides, currents, thermal gradients, and marine streams, has incredible potential in the United States. Several European countries have realized the potential of the resource in the North Sea and Atlantic and have created incredibly successful industries already. The United Kingdom, particularly Scotland, is the world leader because of the comprehensive policy, labor force, and markets it has established in order to make MRE a competitive energy source. In the United States, the industry is immature, underfunded, and lacks policy support. In order to establish itself as a world …

Policy And Collaborative Governance: Case Studies Of Three Wildlife Crossings, Nicholas Maya

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last several decades, the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in North America has significantly increased, driving substantial loss of human life and wildlife and economic costs. The most effective wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation is wildlife crossing structures (undercrossings and overcrossings), with some studies suggesting they can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by 97% when paired with wildlife exclusion fencing. However, cost, funding, jurisdiction, land ownership, and local support are limiting factors in constructing these crossing structures. This paper presents case studies of three crossing projects in Snoqualmie, Washington, Teton County, Wyoming, and Summit County, Colorado, to illustrate the similarities and differences in …

Wildlife-Friendly Fence Policy On Federal Public Lands Managed By The U.S. Forest Service And Bureau Of Land Management, Joshua D. Elliott

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many wildlife species are negatively impacted by the presence of fences on the landscape. Climate change is only exacerbating the problem as home ranges shift and species face heightened levels of stress. In recent decades, wildlife biologists have studied these impacts and devised ways of constructing fences to increase habitat connectivity and significantly reduce fence-related injury and mortality rates. Conservationists attempting to address this issue on a landscape level face significant challenges resulting from complex land ownership patterns, specifically across the western United States.

The two largest landowners in the U.S. are the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the …

Challenges Of Electrifying Medium And Heavy Duty Vehicles In California And How These Challenges Can Be Overcome, Tracy Tilley

Master's Projects and Capstones

California is electrifying medium and heavy vehicles (vehicles weighing over 8,500 pounds) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide environmental justice for disadvantaged communities. These vehicles are used for delivery, construction, refuse collection or long haul trucking. The three main challenges of electrification are infrastructure, policy and funding. To address these challenges, policy analysis was used to review California’s policies already in place for electrification of medium and heavy duty vehicles. Comparative analysis was used to look at policies in other countries and environmental programs for strategies to help electrification efforts.

California faces a lack of infrastructure of medium and …

Confronting Wicked Crypto: Wicked Problems, Encryption Policy, And Exceptional Access Technology, Kevin Nicholas Kredit

Masters Theses

Public debate has resumed on the topic of exceptional access (EA), which refers to alternative means of decryption intended for law enforcement use. The resumption of this debate is not a renege on a resolute promise made at the end of the 1990s “crypto war”; rather, it represents a valid reassessment of optimal policy in light of changing circumstances. The imbalance between privacy, access, and security in the context of constantly changing society and technology is a wicked problem that has and will continue to evade a permanent solution. As policymakers consider next steps, it is necessary that the technical …

Examining The Northern Shrimp Fishery In A Changing Gulf Of Maine, Ashley N. Charleson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) once supported a key commercial fishery in the State of Maine. Since its closure in 2013, the stock has remained in a particularly vulnerable state following recruitment failure, overfishing, and rising water temperatures. Furthermore, without this source of supplemental income, local fishermen have also experienced financial stress following unstable fishing conditions in other fisheries. The collective goal of this research project was to assess factors impacting the feasibility of reopening and maintaining this vulnerable winter fishery. These goals are addressed over 4 chapters. Chapter two offers insight regarding what is most often omitted from the regulatory …

Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flooding is a severe threat to livelihoods and socioeconomic development in Ogbaru riverine communities of Anambra State, Nigeria. Limited success in the traditional approach of using predominantly structural measures, such as flood channels, to manage floods makes it imperative to explore nonstructural resilience initiatives that would potentially better protect vulnerable flood-prone communities. This study contributes to addressing the problems of ineffective flood management by developing vital social responsibility (SR) data and information that can enhance community flood resilience through individual and collective responsibilities for resilient action. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore SR perceptions of flood …

Facilitating Greenhouse Gas Reduction And Climate Change Adaptation Within The Coastal Zone: A Policy Analysis For The California Coastal Commission, Nicole Young

Master's Theses

California is already experiencing impacts to its coastline due to climate change, and more severe impacts are anticipated if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. These climate change impacts are especially strong within the California coastal zone, which falls under the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission. The Commission has a history of rigorous environmental protection and is committed to protecting California’s coast through proactive planning and regulation, however they will need to initiate coastal policies with ambitious targets to facilitate effective climate change adaptation and mitigation. This study analyzed existing California climate policies and Coastal Commission policies to identify …

Ethical Implications Of Population Growth And Reduction, Tiana Sepahpour

Student Theses 2015-Present

No abstract provided.

Exploring Strategies For Implementing Information Security Training And Employee Compliance Practices, Alan Robert Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humans are the weakest link in any information security (IS) environment. Research has shown that humans account for more than half of all security incidents in organizations. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies IS managers use to provide training and awareness programs that improve compliance with organizational security policies and reduce the number of security incidents. The population for this study was IS security managers from 2 organizations in Western New York. Information theory and institutional isomorphism were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data collection was performed using face-to-face interviews with IS managers …

Information Systems Security Leadership: An Empirical Study Of Behavioral Influences Of Leaders On Employees’ Security Compliance, Marcus Alan Winkfield

CCE Theses and Dissertations

This empirical study examined the behavioral influences of leaders on employees’ security compliance. Organizations can use leadership concepts in the field of Information Systems (IS) security. Despite the adoption of technical and managerial approaches, organizations still face issues motivating employee IS security compliance. This dissertation argued that organizations need strong leadership to encourage employees. Using the expectancy theory, this paper created a theoretical model to help understand the influence of task and relationship-oriented leadership behaviors on nontechnical controls IS security compliance. The conceptual underpinnings translated into perceived security effort, perceived security performance, and expected security outcomes. The theoretical model was …

Beyond The Paradise Tax: Assessing The Potential For Rental Vehicle Electrification In Kaua'i County, Hawai'i, Derek K. Ichien

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Rental car fleets have high potential to contribute to electric vehicle (EV) adoption within the Hawaiian Islands as part of the state’s efforts to fully decarbonize its ground transportation by 2045. Of the four main islands, Kauaʻi County’s small and simple road network, high penetration of renewable energy, and low speed limits make it an ideal candidate for a pilot EV rental program. This research seeks to accomplish three primary goals: a) quantify the relative economic and environmental benefits of rental electric vehicles over internal combustion rentals, b) identify crucial locations for additional charging infrastructure, and c) provide policy recommendations …

The Security Layer, Mark Thomas O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a vital component to the security ecosystem and the most popular security protocol used on the Internet today. Despite the strengths of the protocol, numerous vulnerabilities result from its improper use in practice. Some of these vulnerabilities arise from weaknesses in authentication, from the rigidity of the trusted authority system to the complexities of client certificates. Others result from the misuse of TLS by developers, who misuse complicated TLS libraries, improperly validate server certificates, employ outdated cipher suites, or deploy other features insecurely. To make matters worse, system administrators and users are powerless to fix …

Secure Enforcement Of Isolation Policy On Multicore Platforms With Virtualization Techniques, Siqi Zhao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

A number of virtualization based systems have been proposed in the literature as an effective measure against the adversaries with the kernel privilege. However, under a systematic analysis, such systems exhibit vulnerabilities that can still be exploited by such an attacker with the kernel privilege. The fundamental reason is that there is an inherent incompatibility between the tamper-proof requirement and the complete mediation requirement of the reference monitor model. The incompatibility manifests in the virtualization based systems in the form of a discrepancy between the enforcement capability demanded by the high-level policy and the one achievable through the system design …

An Analysis Of International Agreements Over Cybersecurity, Lucas Ashbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research into the international agreements that increase cooperation over cybersecurity challenges is severely lacking. This is a necessary next step for bridging diplomatic challenges over cybersecurity. This work aspires to be push the bounds of research into these agreements and offer a tool that future researchers can rely on. For this research I created, and made publicly available, the International Cybersecurity Cooperation Dataset (ICCD), which contains over 350 international cybersecurity agreements and pertinent metadata. Each agreement is marked per which subtopics within cybersecurity related agreements it covers. These typologies are:

• Discussion and Dialogue

• Research

• Confidence Building Measures

• Incident Response

• Crime …

  ---

  Go to article

Large-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Implementation: Montanan Stakeholder Opportunities And Challenges, Erika Mickelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar projects were operationalized in the 1990s resulting in a plethora of studies focusing on environmental, economic, technological, and policy studies. Minimal research investigates the similarities and differences between conveners using PV solar technology. This case study evaluates stakeholder perceptions regarding project management, project design, and external factors influencing the success of large-scale PV solar projects convened by a qualifying facility, regional utility company, and electric co-operative in Montana. Respondents revealed concepts were similar across conveners; yet, emphasized unique implications for each convener. The results indicated the importance for all conveners to incorporate marketing strategies, local interests …

Low Income Housing Energy Efficiency Improvement Program For The Yurok Tribe Of Northern California, Keivan Branson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Housing on the Yurok reservation in California is a major concern for the local Tribal Government. This report details a study of the energy situation for housing of the Yurok Tribe to provide a framework for implementing housing energy efficiency to benefit low-income members of the Tribal community residing in substandard housing. The report briefly details the history of the reservation as it pertains to the current housing situation, as well as the authors personal context of living for 16 years in the reservation town of Klamath, CA. The analysis draws on information obtained from mixed methods, including information collected …

Policy Analysis: Alaska Salmon Hatcheries, Jessica Eller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Using an adapted Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) - Evaluation, this study analyzes policy regulating Alaska salmon hatcheries to evaluate its effectiveness at sustaining wild salmon runs.When Alaska became a state in 1959, its salmon industry was suffering from years of overfishing. Runs were at an all-time low, prompting constitutional drafters to mandate management of salmon via the sustained yield principle. The hatchery system that operates today and is responsible for a third of the commercial catch each year was put in place in the 1970s to help supplement depressed salmon runs. The effects of hatchery salmon on wild salmon populations …

Reconciling The Challenge Of Aphanic Species Within Marine Conservation, Kerri L. Bolow

HCNSO Student Capstones

Aphanic species are those within a taxonomic complex that may not be readily distinguishable from other sympatric species. The existence of these species is becoming apparent at an increasing rate through the use of technological tools like molecular genetic analyses. A lack of clarity on the definitions of terms used to describe similar species, how these species are identified, and how prevalent they are can confound identification, description, and management of these organisms. This review collects and defines the terms used to describe these hidden species and suggests the use of the term aphanic for situations where additional information (and …

Modeling The Economic And Environmental Performance Of Offshore Wind Energy, Alexana Cranmer

Doctoral Dissertations

Offshore wind is a growing source of energy globally. Like any energy technology, it has impacts on the environment. In the case of renewable energy, we need a way to consider the environmental benefits as well as the environmental costs. This dissertation develops a set of models to examine the economic and environmental costs and benefits and the trade-offs between them. We ask how much offshore wind energy should be sited, and where should that offshore wind energy be located? The first model estimates the economic impact of wake interactions between wind farms. Wind farm sites are chosen through a …