Digital Commons Network^™

Controlling Pm2.5 In Chengdu: Analysis And Recommendations From The China, U.S. And California Experience, Weijia Li

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chengdu, China, is experiencing rapid economic growth and urbanization at a cost of serious air pollution problems. China has developed a series of policies to reduce PM2.5 emissions and to reform energy structure. However, problems exist which may prevent effectively implementation of the PM2.5 policies, include poor PM2.5 monitoring, isolated environmental management, lack of health improvement target, unclear consequence of non-compliance, and unequally distributed PM2.5 management.

This research reviews U.S. PM2.5 emission control technologies related to coal-fired boilers and iron and steel manufacturing industries, which represent major emission sources of Chengdu. Chengdu’s choice of PM2.5 control technology should always consider …

Remediation Options For Mercury-Contaminated Sediments Within The Yuba River Watershed, Tara Fitzgerald

Master's Projects and Capstones

Historical hydraulic mining activities in the Yuba River watershed have impacted the watershed and the San Francisco Bay. The research evaluates pathways for mercury entry into the watershed and potential remediation technologies to reduce the risk of future mercury contamination from hydraulic mining debris. Remediation technologies for the Yuba Goldfields and Englebright Reservoir are discussed and compared separately. The major pathway for mercury entry into surface water along Yuba Goldfields is within suspended sediment mobilized during flooding conditions. While multiple remediation options are available for the Yuba Goldfields, phytostabilization is the least costly and has the fewest environmental impacts. A …

The Future Of Direct Potable Reuse In California: Overcoming Public Acceptance Barriers, Allison Chan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Due to the water shortages, population growth, and competing demands for water in California, the possibility of incorporating direct potable reuse technology in the state’s water supply portfolio is being considered by various water resource providers. This paper focuses on public acceptance challenges that may be encountered. By evaluating best practices employed by six different potable water reuse case studies, recommendations for future direct potable reuse projects are developed. It is recommended that future project proponents plan early and conduct public opinion surveys regarding this type of technology, develop and implement public outreach and education plans that include best practices …

Does Thorium Have A Place In The Future U.S. Electricity Mix?, Danny West

Master's Projects and Capstones

Thorium is an alternative fuel source for nuclear energy. Coupled with its use in a new reactor design, called a Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor, the two have the ability to disrupt the nuclear industry and power sector. Nuclear energy is a clean and reliable source of energy; however, it generates hazardous waste that must be stored away for hundreds of thousands of years and power plants are at risk of a catastrophic incident that can lead to a wide scale release of radiation. These drawbacks to nuclear energy can be mitigated using thorium in a Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor. These …

Clean Up Techniques Used For Coastal Oil Spills: An Analysis Of Spills Occurring In Santa Barbara, California, Prince William Sound, Alaska, The Sea Of Japan, And The Gulf Coast, Henry R. Walther Iii

Master's Projects and Capstones

An analysis of four spills occurring within the last 50 years to see the progression in clean up techniques used for coastal oil spills. The Santa Barbara, California Oil Spill of 1969, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989 occurring in Prince William Sound, Alaska, the Nakhodka Oil Spill of 1997 occurring in the Sea of Japan, and the Deep Water Horizon Oil spill of 2010 occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, are analyzed. The different types of oil, the composition of oil, and the variables that effect spilled oil’s movement, are provided. Oil spill response planning and preparation are …

Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions During The Landing And Takeoff Cycle At Bay Area Airports, Travis M. Norton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The aviation industry is a growing industry and has global environmental impacts. Throughout all phases of air transit, pollutant emissions, including greenhouse gases (GHGs), are released. The goal of this study is to quantify and characterize these emissions produced from aircraft in the LTO cycle at Bay Area airports.

FAA data was used along with the Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS) to produce GHG emissions inventory for the LTO cycle at SFO, OAK, and SJC. These emissions inventories were compared to comparable sized airports both domestically and internationally.

Results indicate that CO₂ represents 99.5% of all aircraft LTO …

Watershed Protection As The Primary Tool To Achieve High Quality Drinking Water, Kate J. Gazzo

Master's Projects and Capstones

In this study, a cost-effectiveness analysis and multiple case studies of cities ranging from New York City, USA to Bogota, Columbia are discussed to show how watershed protection can reduce the associated costs and risks stemming from impaired water and usually eliminate the need for human engineered treatment. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed by comparing three municipalities that have obtained Filtration Avoidance Determinations through watershed protection (green infrastructure) compared with three municipalities that have installed human engineered filtration (gray infrastructure). Using turbidity and E. coli as indicators of effectiveness, the results of this analysis determined that human engineered infrastructure is …

The Potential For Marine Protected Areas In The San Francisco Bay, Samantha P. Delapena

Master's Projects and Capstones

The San Francisco Bay (the Bay) is the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast. This makes it one of country's greatest natural resources. Historical and current impacts from mining, pollution, and dredging have reduced the size of the Bay’s shallow, productive environment, which provides vital habitat for many important species. The seven and a half million people that inhabit the shores and hills surrounding the Bay, and economic activities such as commercial fishing and development continue to degrade ecosystems. Although conservation efforts have led to improvement of water quality and some habitat restoration over the past few decades, very little …

Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge With Modern Day Ecosystem Management And Restoration Practices, Leialani O. Hufana

Master's Projects and Capstones

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a fairly new area of research that can supplement science research and modern day ecosystem management practices. Indigenous cultures and local communities have been using and passing on TEK in forestry, agricultural, and aquaculture/marine ecosystem management. Through a review of literature, TEK in Hawaiʻi was compared to TEK in other countries. TEK was also compared to modern day ecosystem management practices to determine if TEK could be integrated. In Hawaiʻi an ahupuaʻa, a land transect that cuts the islands in sections from mountain to sea, was an integrated watershed based management system. TEK in ahupuaʻa …

Evaluation Of Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration Success In Southeast Asia, Penluck Laulikitnont

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many restoration efforts have been implemented recently to offset the rapid degradation of mangrove ecosystem worldwide, especially in Southeast Asia where the largest area of mangrove ecosystem can be found. Two primary approaches used for mangrove ecosystem restoration include the plantation approach and the ecological mangrove restoration (EMR) approach. Monoculture plantation is the most common technique used in plantation approach, which usually results in low species diversity. The EMR approach on the other hand, focuses on correcting the hydrology of restoration sites first. Planting can be used as part of the adaptive management process if mangrove seedlings and propagules do …

Economic And Environmental Impacts Of Plug-In Hybrids And Battery Electric Vehicles: A Comparative Analysis, Trideep Ghosh

Master's Projects and Capstones

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from anthropogenic sources are the leading contributors to global climate change. Over the past century, GHG emissions have increased tremendously due to causes such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. In the US, about 28% of these GHG emissions come from the transportation sector. By replacing conventional gasoline powered vehicles with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric (BEV) vehicles, the amount of GHG emissions released can be reduced significantly.

In order to make the transition to alternative fueled vehicle, consumers must be informed on the economic and environmental consequences of purchasing one. This paper …

What Role Can Ceqa Play In Reaching Ghg Emissions Reductions Goals Set Forth In Ab 32 – An Analysis Of Ceqa, Ab 32, And Recommendations For Ceqa Reform, Eleanor Gilbert

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) intends to reduce the effects of climate change through several mechanisms, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. AB 32 established a statewide GHG emissions goal, which requires California to decrease its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is an environmental assessment law adopted in 1970 that requires lead agencies (private developers, public agencies, etc.) to consider and disclose the potential significant environmental impacts of new development projects the lead agency is planning. CEQA has attracted much controversy since adoption and continues to be the …

An Assessment Of The Potential For Urban Rooftop Agriculture In West Oakland, California, Nicole M. Reese

Master's Projects and Capstones

Throughout the world, all forms of urban agriculture are growing in popularity with the desire to grow and eat locally sourced food. Barriers such as access to vacant land and contaminated soil make it difficult to implement urban agriculture projects on the ground (i.e. at grade). Rooftop farming is a feasible solution to such barriers of forms of urban agriculture at grade.

The small Business Mix Zone in West Oakland, California has over one million square feet of untapped rooftop space available for urban rooftop farming. Revenue of up to $4 million can be earned from the sale of produce …

Risky Business: Recommendations For The Insurance Industry To Contribute To Greater Disaster Risk Reduction And Climate Change Adaptation, Jessie G. Rountree

Master's Projects and Capstones

The private insurance industry is susceptible to increasing risk from climate change and can serve as a catalyst to change behavior to minimize loss. The research examined the current impact and future potential of the insurance industry to reduce both physical and financial risk. The insurance industry currently raises awareness, assigns an economic value to risk, advocates for climate change action, and takes measures to reduce physical risk through mitigation. As well, the industry has proven to be a critical influencer to encourage risk-adverse behavior and regulation. Recommendations to the industry to have a greater impact include: 1) pursue more …

Utility Right Of Way Management: Potential For Expanded Integrated Vegetation Managment In California, Kayla Paschal

Master's Projects and Capstones

Utility companies have the challenge of meeting vegetation clearance requirements within their right of ways and complying with various environmental laws and company goals. Vegetation management programs at the major utility companies cost millions of dollars a year. Reducing cost and increasing compliance are goals of right of way managers at utilities across the country. This paper looks at the possibility of increasing the utilization of integrated vegetation management on California’s utility right of ways. This paper will examine the current vegetation management strategy of California’s major utility companies and determine whether a more comprehensive integrated vegetation management program could …

Deep Energy Retrofits Using The Integrative Design Process: Are They Worth The Cost, Daniel S. Bertoldi

Master's Projects and Capstones

The McKinsey Global Initiative identified existing building retrofits as an integral component to achieve a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the United Sates by 2050 (Fluhrer, Maurer, & Deshmukh 2010). However, this will require energy efficiency retrofits for existing buildings to be deployed more frequently and achieve higher energy savings on average. Deep Energy Retrofits using the Integrative Design Process can result in 30-60%+ energy savings in office buildings. Because Deep Energy Retrofits require higher upfront capital costs, in an economy still recovering from the economic downturn, financial decision makers may not be inclined to invest more capital …

Lessons Learned From Urban River Restoration Projects: Application Of Restoration Treatments On The Los Angeles River., Nicole M. Tracy

Master's Projects and Capstones

Human development has altered many rivers around the world. In the past, urban rivers were condemned as flood hazards, and load-reducing treatments were the only treatments applied to protect the surrounding communities against flooding. These treatments aim to collect precipitation from the surrounding surfaces quickly and divert the water using the most direct and spatially conservative means as possible- most often using concrete. These treatments have left rivers in ecologically non-functioning states. The channelization of the Los Angeles River in 1938 is a prime example of load-reducing treatment application. This river is unique because it has many constraints of urbanization …

Evaluation Of The Development And Effectiveness Of Copper Total Maximum Daily Loads (Tmdls) To Achieve Marine Water Quality Criteria, Joanna Florer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Elevated concentrations of certain chemicals in surface water are known to be toxic to aquatic organisms (e.g., barnacles, algae, and fish). For a number of these chemicals (e.g., tributyltin [TBT], copper) federal and state water quality standards exist to protect aquatic organisms. As a means to comply with water quality standards, regulatory agencies establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to reduce concentrations of toxic chemicals from entering waterways. A TMDL determines the maximum amount of pollutant loading a water body can sustain and still achieve water quality standards; they are developed to ensure that surface water concentrations meet applicable criteria. …

Recovery Of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon (Onchorhynchus Kitsutch) Through Restoration Of Freshwater Habitats, Andrew P. Lutz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Pacific salmon populations are significantly lower than historic levels on the Western Coast of the United States. The Oregon Coast coho salmon Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in February 2008. The total number of adult coho salmon returning to Oregon Coast rivers today are between 5-20% of historic levels. Since the 1980s, restoration of freshwater habitat has become a common practice in the attempt to recover Pacific salmon populations. I used two databases, the Oregon Watershed Restoration Inventory, and the Salmon Recovery Tracker, to analyze habitat restoration and coho salmon population recovery …

Carbon Sequestration In Tidal Salt Marshes And Mangrove Ecosystems, Carlos Eduardo Quintana-Alcantara

Master's Projects and Capstones

Wetlands are dynamic systems that provide support to vital environmental functions and services. Wetlands take part in the global carbon cycle by holding organic carbon in biomass, soils and sediments. In recent years, the wetland carbon sequestration capacity has been researched worldwide due to the increase of the concentrations of greenhouse gasses implicated in global warming and climate change. Although coastal wetlands release the greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, these ecosystems maintain high performance in offsetting significant amounts of atmospheric carbon. This paper investigated the carbon sequestration capacity of coastal wetland ecosystems summarizing the environmental conditions and …

Refining Dendrochronology To Evaluate The Relationship Between Age And Diameter For Dominant Riparian Trees In The Redwood Creek Watershed, Devin Barry

Master's Projects and Capstones

Methods of dendrochronology by means of incremental coring

have been refined in this study for specific use in northern

California riparian floodplains. Little information is available

on riparian dendrochronology because of the challenges of

analyzing riparian tree species. Three dominant tree species

(Alnus rubra, Umbellularia californica, Acer macrophyllum)

in the floodplain of Redwood Creek were evaluated for the

relationship between age and diameter at breast height (DBH)

using a least squares linear regression analysis. Through this

study, complications with analysis for the riparian tree species

led to a more thorough investigation as to enhancing core

quality and annual growth ring …

Tapping The Apocalypse & Healing With Intention, Julianne E. Henderson Ms.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

When crisis strikes, practical skills and strategies are critical to one's survival. However, one's positive mentality, relationship with and knowledge of his or her environment, and capacity for compassion when faced with an apocalyptic landscape are just as likely to boost their morale. Maintaining an optimistic consciousness assists human beings with survival, regardless of what level of adversity we face. This research project combines an important skill, which is knowing how to heal oneself naturally with what Nature provides, with the power of our consciousness to determine our success, strength, and overall capacity for withstanding the hurricanes of change.

Modeling Tidal Marsh Distribution With Sea-Level Rise: Evaluating The Role Of Vegetation, Sediment, And Upland Habitat In Marsh Resiliency, Lisa M. Schile, John Callaway, J T. Morris, Diana Stralberg, V Thomas Parker, Maggi Kelly

Environmental Science

Tidal marshes maintain elevation relative to sea level through accumulation of mineral and organic matter, yet this dynamic accumulation feedback mechanism has not been modeled widely in the context of accelerated sea-level rise. Uncertainties exist about tidal marsh resiliency to accelerated sea-level rise, reduced sediment supply, reduced plant productivity under increased inundation, and limited upland habitat for marsh migration. We examined marsh resiliency under these uncertainties using the Marsh Equilibrium Model, a mechanistic, elevation-based soil cohort model, using a rich data set of plant productivity and physical properties from sites across the estuarine salinity gradient. Four tidal marshes were chosen …

Using Field Data To Assess Model Predictions Of Surface And Ground Fuel Consumption By Wildfire In Coniferous Forests Of California, J M. Lydersen, B M. Collins, C M. Ewell, A L. Reiner, J A. Fites, C B. Dow, P Gonzalez, David Saah, J J. Battles

Environmental Science

Inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wildfire provide essential information to the state of California, USA, and other governments that have enacted emission reductions. Wildfires can release a substantial amount of GHGs and other compounds to the atmosphere, so recent increases in fire activity may be increasing GHG emissions. Quantifying wildfire emissions however can be difficult due to inherent variability in fuel loads and consumption and a lack of field data of fuel consumption by wildfire. We compare a unique set of fuel data collected immediately before and after six wildfires in coniferous forests of California to fuel consumption …

Comparison Of Upscaled Models For Multistage Mass Discharge From Dnapl Source Zones, Amalia Kokkinaki, C J. Werth, B E. Sleep

Environmental Science

Analytical upscaled models that can describe the depletion of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) and the associated mass discharge are a practical alternative to computationally demanding and data-intensive multiphase numerical simulators. A major shortcoming of most existing upscaled models is that they cannot reproduce the nonmonotonic, multistage effluent concentrations often observed in experiments and numerical simulations. Upscaled models that can produce multistage concentrations either require calibration, which increases the cost of applying them in the field, or use dual-domain conceptual models that may not apply for spatially complex source zones. In this study, a new upscaled model is presented that …

Energy-Efficiency And Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Policy Options: Assisting Chinese Cities In Prioritizing And Choosing Strategies, L Price, N Zhou, D Fridley, H Lu, L Hong, C Fino-Chen, J Ke, Stephanie Ohshita, Hu Min, Yong Zhou

Environmental Science

Myriad energy-efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation policy options are available for urban communities to reduce energy use and emissions from buildings, transportation systems, industries, utilities, public lighting, water and wastewater, and solid waste disposal. This paper describes a methodology to assist urban community planners and policymakers in China to prioritize and choose strategies to implement for their particular situation. The methodology was developed for use in a dynamic decision-making tool, the Benchmarking and Energy-Saving Tool for Low Carbon Cities (BEST-Cities), which was specifically designed for urban communities in China but which could be used internationally. The methodology builds on concepts …

Lack Of Quantitative Training Among Early-Career Ecologists: A Survey Of The Problem And Potential Solutions, F. Barraquand, T. G. Ezard, P. Søgaard Jørgensen, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, S. Chamberlain, R. Salguero-Gómez, T. J. Curran, T. Poisot

Biology Faculty Publications

Proficiency in mathematics and statistics is essential to modern ecological science, yet few studies have assessed the level of quantitative training received by ecologists. To do so, we conducted an online survey. The 937 respondents were mostly early-career scientists who studied biology as undergraduates. We found a clear self-perceived lack of quantitative training: 75% were not satisfied with their understanding of mathematical models; 75% felt that the level of mathematics was “too low” in their ecology classes; 90% wanted more mathematics classes for ecologists; and 95% more statistics classes. Respondents thought that 30% of classes in ecology-related degrees should be …