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Environmental Educators’ Perceptions Of Inaugural Louisiana State Department Of Education Environmental Education Standards And Accompanying Environmental Education Endorsement Plan: A Multiple Case Study Approach, Abigail Greer

LSU Master's Theses

Increasing environmental literacy through environmental education is an integral approach to fighting many of the environmental challenges facing Louisiana. The State Department of Education in Louisiana has released two initiatives to increase environmental literacy in the state while incorporating nonformal environmental education into formalized k-12 education. The first initiative is a set of Key Principles and Concepts (KPCs) in environmental education, which is aimed at providing standards to nonformal environmental educators in Louisiana. The second initiative, the Louisiana Environmental Education Advancement Plan (LEEAP), accompanies the KPCs and provides an opportunity for nonformal environmental education organizations to achieve endorsement through partnership …

Winding Down River Road, Gillian Harper

LSU Master's Theses

As a mechanism to explore my temporary home in Louisiana, Winding Down River Road is a collection of artworks that integrates natural materials collected from landscapes in southern Louisiana with steel and petroleum-based products. My interest in researching environmental issues, ecology, and industry has shaped my vehicles for observation and how I generate data. Through a variety of methodologies, I am considering how climate change is forcing many of us to re-contextualize how our home can be affected by the very industries we rely on. Personal engagement with residents living in the dystopian atmosphere of southern Louisiana’s industrial corridor and …

Acknowledgement, Education, Memory: Reframing The Cemetery Landscapes Of The Enslaved, Aubrey L. Phillips

LSU Master's Theses

The landscape holds onto the nearly imperceivable cemeteries of the formerly enslaved population that have been erased through time, development, and censure of historical narratives in Louisiana. Immediate action is necessary to retie censured chronicles of enslavement to the landscape, educating the public on deep-rooted systemic racism in the contemporary environment. This thesis aims to provide reparations to the Black and descendant communities of southern Louisiana. This work acknowledges the remaining cemetery fragments, reframing and knitting them together as a network of spaces that uphold a more holistic memory of the past.

The role of landscape architecture extends beyond site …

Celebrating Wetland Foodways: Joining Ecosystems & Cultures On The Louisiana Gulf Coast, Deborah La Rue

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal Louisiana is bountiful in cultural and ecological diversity. Spotted with thriving estuaries, meandering bayous and swamps, and rippling grasses of coastal marshes, these wetland ecosystems sequester carbon, purify floodwaters, and buffer against storm surge. Historically, southern wetland landscapes have offered refuge to people of many folk and ethnic traditions escaping violence and oppression. Until the mid-twentieth century, the people living in present-day Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes enjoyed relative isolation from the rest of America, constructing cultural practices that emphasized attachment to wetland plants, animals, and ecosystem dynamics.

Today, changing environmental conditions and high rates of relative sea level rise …

Water, Waste, And Race: Designing For Change On The Shelby County Landfill, Elizabeth Peterson

LSU Master's Theses

Historically, landfills have been viewed through an environmental lens as sites for technical remediation, employing scientific or engineering strategies for testing, mitigation and capping. They are more rarely viewed as cultural landscapes, places with histories of habitation and use, or as potential sites for design. This thesis investigation examines the Shelby County Landfill in Memphis, Tennessee from a cultural landscape perspective, opening up a dialog and opportunity to think about this site and other waste sites in a more layered and culturally rich way.

This research contributes to discussions within the field of landscape architecture that present waste landscapes as …

The Siltcatcher: A Sediment-Capture System For Wetland Creation And Coastal Protection In Western Lake Pontchartrain, Andrew M. Wright

LSU Master's Theses

The West Lake Pontchartrain region faces a number of long-term environmental challenges due to anthropogenic climate disturbance and landscape modification, including sea level rise, increased storm surge risk, shoreline erosion, and wetland degradation. In response, this thesis applies recent research in the fields of landscape architecture and civil engineering to propose a dynamic, natural-systems solution for wetland creation and shoreline protection. The project envisions a series of breakwater-like structures in western Lake Pontchartrain positioned to slow water released from the nearby Bonnet Carré Spillway, causing suspended sediment to settle and create self-building and self-sustaining wetlands capable of keeping pace with …

Investing In Local Communities: Examining The Community Relations Practices Of Louisiana’S Chemical Industry, Jillian Washington

LSU Master's Theses

In today’s society, businesses are tasked with fulfilling their corporate objectives while acting responsibly on behalf of the communities where they operate. This is often achieved through the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, which includes community relations. This qualitative study examines the extent that the chemical industry in south Louisiana executes community relations among the residents living in the shadows of its facilities. Perspectives from area residents of the chemical industry and its community relations practices are also analyzed to provide insight from the stakeholder view. Specific focus is given to companies found within Louisiana’s industrial corridor, also …

Assessment Of Mercury Content In Louisiana's Freshwater Fish And Its Association To Se Concentrations, Alexander David Reyes-Avila

LSU Master's Theses

Ample evidence has demonstrated the neurotoxic properties of organic Hg to humans. However, recent studies have proposed the protective effects of Se against organic Hg detected in marine fish. Louisiana’s freshwater bodies are exploited by recreational anglers that enjoy fishing as recreational activity and food source. Thus, testing of Hg in Louisiana was resumed in 2017 to update the state advisories. However, before drawing conclusions based solely on organic Hg, it might be useful to see how much Se is present in freshwater fish. The main objective of this study was to determine the Se:Hg molar ratio in Louisiana’s freshwater …

Creating Sustainable Future Of A Degraded Urban Canal: Mae Kha, In Chiang Mai, Thailand, Sunantana Nuanla-Or

LSU Master's Theses

Chiang Mai is the largest and the most significant city in the Northern region of Thailand. It was established in 1296 as the capital of Lanna Kingdom. Since then, the city is famous for its exquisite authentic Northern culture, essential trading routes, an abundance of natural places, and agriculture derived along the Ping River as well as a functional canal system in the city. In the past few decade, uncontrolled and unplanned urban development, deforestation, and the lack of public awareness have caused landscape degradation in the city. Consequently, Chiang Mai has faced several serious environmental problems such as congestion, …

Fresh Flow: Where The City Meets The Sea, Wanqin Su

LSU Master's Theses

The significance of this site lies in its location. It is three miles away from French Quarter, the heart and origin of the city, and eight miles away from Lake Borgne, as well as the Gulf. Regardless of the size, it distinguishes itself on the map as a wedge of green space inserted sharply into densely developed urban space. The site was prosperous cypress swamp six decades ago, too dense to identify lands and water underneath. However, after the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was dug in the 1960s, it took less than 30 years for it to transformed into brackish …

Toxic Landscapes, Environmental Justice, And The Community: An Assessment Of Citizen Participation In Superfund Site Remediation Across Vulnerable Populations, Simone Justine Domingue

LSU Master's Theses

The environmental justice movement has made progress toward unveiling environmental inequalities and addressing these inequalities through the empowerment of low-income and minority communities. Federal agencies like the EPA have incorporated environmental justice principles into their operating frameworks, with the goals of ensuring every community is treated similarly when it comes to the implementation of environmental statutes, and ensuring community members are active participants in environmental activities that affect community well-being. Community involvement at federal Superfund sites is rarely conceptualized as an event related to environmental justice despite the role it has in shaping decisions at hazardous waste sites. This study …

The Adoption Of State Wetland Policies: How Do Wetlands Fit Within The Theoretical Framework Of Environmental Policy Determinants?, Rachel Bogart Krech

LSU Master's Theses

Wetlands are an extremely important natural resource in the United States. They offer storm surge protection, sediment stabilization, groundwater recharging, carbon sequestration, and habitat for many species. Despite their values, wetlands have a long history of being misunderstood. It was not until the mid-1970s that scientific understanding helped transform policy from that of rapid conversion to that of conservation. By this time, the lower 48 states had already lost 53 percent of its total wetlands. The nature of wetlands and federal limitations make the management of this natural resource a primarily state-based responsibility. However, the way that states construct their …

Disparities In Accessibility To Pharmacies: A Case Study In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Samina Zahid Ikram

LSU Master's Theses

Accessibility is a term used to define the relative ease by which activities or services, such as work, recreation, shopping, education or healthcare, can be accessed from a given location. It is an important locational amenity for residents. This study examines accessibility to over 100 pharmacies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2010. Accessibility to a pharmacy is critical for a community as it is the prime source to get medication and other health services. First, two Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based methods, namely the proximal area method and the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, are used to measure the …

Critical Ee At Osbg: A Case Study In Addressing Environmental Action Through Critical Education, Donovon Keith Ceaser

LSU Master's Theses

Within environmental education the promotion of environmental activism is still considered contentious despite being a major goal since its inception. While some argue on simply raising awareness a growing number believe an action component is necessary to produce citizens capable of addressing environmental issues. Critical environmental education (Critical EE) is one method of integrating action into an educational program that teaches students to better understand the social and natural environment through an integrative participatory teaching-learning culture which allows students to construct contextual value-laden knowledge. This study uses data gathered from six months of participant observation at Our School at Blair …

A City And Its River: An Urban Political Ecology Of The Loop And Bridgeport In Chicago, Garrett Charles Wolf

LSU Master's Theses

Today’s urban environment is produced, both physically and perceptually, by a myriad of factors. Through a comparative study of two Chicago neighborhoods along the Chicago River, the Loop and Bridgeport, I construct the network of political, social, and economic factors that create the urban environment of the Chicago River in and along these places. I explore residents’ perception of who controls the production of the urban environment as it relates to the Chicago River, and how the socio-environment is created. In this study, I utilize an urban political ecology approach that recognizes that environments produced simultaneously by social and physical …

Social Vulnerability In Louisiana's Upper Industrial Corridor: Spatial Distribution And Linkages With Cumulative Pollution - A Zip Code Level Analysis, María Belén Toscano

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s industrial corridor, the stretch of the lower Mississippi River from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, is one of the areas with the highest concentration of petrochemical facilities and chemical plants in the United States, as well as one of the most heavily polluted. In particular, the present study examined the associations of social vulnerability and potential exposure to environmental pollution in the upper section of the industrial corridor, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The study was based on the methodology developed by Cutter et al. (2003) to construct an empirically derived index to measure social vulnerability to …

La Ola Verde: Female, Hispanic Consumers And The Green Movement, Stefanie Ann Ramirez

LSU Master's Theses

Due to their impact on the environment, apparel companies have gradually begun to change manufacturing and production processes and provide consumers with environmentally responsible apparel product options. Among these consumers are Hispanics, a consumer group which research has shown to have a strong purchasing power and astounding population increase. Between 2000 and 2010, the total population in the United States increased by 23.7million people, with Hispanics accounting for over 50% of that total increase (Humes, Jones, & Ramirez, 2011). It is estimated that by 2125 Hispanics will account for 50% of the total U.S. population (Day, 1996). Additionally, between 1990 …

The Lower Ninth Ward: Resistance, Recovery, And Renewal, Alexandra Giancarlo

LSU Master's Theses

After Hurricane Katrina of 2005, New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward became an icon for the failure of recovery efforts and the persistence of inequality and poverty in American society. However, for as long as this community has been marginalized it has been creating advocacy organizations and counter-narratives that battled discrimination and imbued its cultural practices with meaning. Residents often speak of a profound sense of community attachment, a commitment to educational prospects, and a deep historic and cultural identity. Historically, this area has been home to various social and legal campaigns, mirroring the contemporary protests that arose when residents encountered …

The Black Press As A Political Institution: How The Chicago Defender Portrayed Jesse Jackson And Barack Obama's Historical Presidential Campaigns, Cristina Mislan

LSU Master's Theses

Since the inception of Freedom’s Journal in 1827, the black press has sought to elevate the black community as well as advocate for civil rights and justice. This thesis examines news coverage in the Chicago Defender, a prominent black newspaper that has created a public sphere for the black community. Specifically, this research reveals whether the newspaper framed Reverend Jesse Jackson’s 1988 campaign differently from President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Furthermore, this thesis sought to reveal how a well-known black newspaper provided meaning for its readers about two black presidential candidates who adopted disparate political messages in order to appeal …

Riding Out The Risks: An Ethnographic Study Of Risk Perceptions In A South Louisiana Bayou Community, Susan Camille Manning

LSU Master's Theses

This ethnographic study explores the risk perceptions of a small unincorporated coastal community in southeastern Louisiana. This community has experienced social and environmental change due to events including tropical storms and hurricanes, erosion, subsidence, oil and gas activities, development, and the impact of global seafood markets. Many global risk perception studies have focused on the perception of risk to human health and property connected with natural and technological disasters, but few have explored the issue of minorities and small at-risk communities. To explore this theoretical and methodological gap, this study uses a variety of qualitative ethnographic methods to examine a …

Solving A Locational Distribution Problem Of Non-Toxic Solid Waste On The Island Of Puerto Rico, Sandra A. Soto

LSU Master's Theses

The island of Puerto Rico is confronting a crisis in waste management due to inadequate management from the local government, the decreasing number of landfills available, high population density, and paucity of places for waste disposal. This research develops a least-cost model for the disposal and transportation of non-hazardous solid waste. Location-allocation (LA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software are used to analyze the efficiency of the present pattern of waste allocation and to identify a near-to-optimal assignment of waste for the landfills in operation today and the landfills that will be open by 2008. The “near-to-optimal” models obtained from …

Sustainable Development Principles For East Baton Rouge Parish, Xia Li

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines and analyzes the sustainable development indicator data and determines what improvements and recommendations are needed for East Baton Rouge Parish’s development. This thesis has identified methods and indicators for studying sustainable developments, studied patterns of sustainable developments in the East Baton Rouge Parish to identify trends and developed recommendations that would encourage sustainable development in the East Baton Rouge Parish. It forms fourteen sustainable principles that would encourage sustainable development in East Baton Rouge Parish and a framework for a sound development.