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Onset And Persistence Of Biogenic Meromixis In A Filling Pit Lake-A Limnological Perspective , Oscar Flite

All Dissertations

Open pit mining usually results in a void that, over time, fills with water and becomes a pit lake. The goal for pit lakes is to create sustainable systems that positively contribute to local and regional watersheds. One long-standing hypothesis for attaining the goal of sustainability has been to create and maintain meromictic lakes (lakes that do not completely mix on a yearly cycle). It is believed that meromixis minimizes atmospheric oxygen exposure to pit walls and concomitant acid generation and minimizes reentrainment of metals to the upper waters during seasonal mixes. This seems to be a reasonable goal but …

Financial Analysis And Fiscal Viability Of Secondary Schools In Mukono District, Uganda, Janet Jeffery Tanner

Theses and Dissertations

Within the worldwide business community, many analysis tools and techniques have evolved to assist in the evaluation and encouragement of financial health and fiscal viability. However, in the educational community, such analysis is uncommon. It has long been argued that educational institutions bear little resemblance to, and should not be treated like, businesses. This research identifies an educational environment where educational institutions are, indeed, businesses, and may greatly benefit from the use of business analyses. The worldwide effort of Education for All (EFA) has focused on primary education, particularly in less developed countries (LDCs). In Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda increased its …

Sustainable Cotton Production By Using Cattle To Graze Harvest Residues In Mexico, H. Rubio Arias, M. A. Flores, M. K. Wood, Melida Gutierrez

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Twenty crossbred beef steers and twenty crossbred beef heifers were randomly allotted to two treatments to evaluate the effect of supplementation on animal performance in animals grazing cotton plant residues: (1) 10 steers and 10 heifers were allowed to graze ad libitum in an 8 ha cotton field after harvest, and (2) 10 steers and 10 heifers grazed in a similar field but received 1kg day1 of supplement. Water intake and mineral consumption were measured daily. Cotton plant residues were obtained from an adjacent 10 ha field by collecting 12 representative samples using a 1m2 frame, and separating leaves and …

Autoethnographical Inquiry Into Joyful Teaching: Explorations With National Teachers Of The Year, Camille Lowe Shirah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presently, schools in the United States are held within the tight grip of No Child Left Behind, signed into law in 2001. Since accountability is high, some teachers experience burnout and succumb to disenchantment with the profession (Palmer, 1998). Others find their commitments to education so diminished that they abuse their position and fail terribly in their charge to educate our youth. There are some, however, who find ways to continually affirm and sustain their commitments to education. Within the following autoethnographical inquiry, the lives of three National Teachers of the Year are examined with the hope of finding out …

Umm At First-Ever Northland Bioneers Conference, University Relations

Campus News Archive

UMM will be a partner, sponsor and exhibitor and interactive workshop presenter at the first annual Northland Bioneers Conference October 20-22 on the Minneapolis Community & Technical College campus. The “earth-honoring conference” is hosted by Northland Sustainable Solutions.

Building A Sustainable Housing Environment, Shanna Telesco

Architecture Thesis Prep

"There are three major factors being studied throughout this exploration: sustainability, housing, and the environment. Each factor can be carefully examined separately under its own terms, but ultimately, the goal of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of their possible integration within the processes of architecture.

My housing project seeks to integrate and improve the existing methods of sustainability that have evolved in architecture by carefully considering renewable resources found in nature, especially the sun, air, and water."

A Sustainable Foundation, Mark K. Wizeman

Architecture Thesis Prep

"My intentions of this project are to investigate the potential of architecture to augment its efforts of sustainable strategies with aspirations of achieving a socially sustainable foundation in the urban setting. Within the context of Trenton, the understanding of the local communities, the capital and business districts, the education system, and the areas of renewal efforts can reveal solutions to the rebuilding of the city's community by way of reconnecting these now divided forces. What makes architecture critical in this application is its ability to effectively address the very tangible aspects of sustainable practice and the potential for it to …

Troy Goodnough Is First Sustainability Coordinator, University Relations

Campus News Archive

UMM has appointed Troy Goodnough as its first campus sustainability coordinator. The responsibilities of the newly established position include creating a campus sustainability plan, assisting faculty and students with research, projects, and curricula promoting green building, landscaping, and recycling policies and serving as a resource to the community and to the region.

Sustainability Of A School Reform Program As Measured By Title I Students Achievement, Behavior, And Attitudes, Sharra R. Smith

Student Work

The sustainability of a Different Ways of Knowing Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program, and the influence of the reform model on student achievement, behavior, and attitudes following a three-year implementation phase, was evaluated. The fourth-grade pretest compared to sixth-grade posttest gains made by students (n = 50) as they completed the Title I eligible Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration programs indicated that the sustainability plans in place at the conclusion of the implementation phase continued to result in positive student outcomes. Levels of performance for the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration programs' students were also found to be congruent with the posttest …

Interview With Ed Mays, Endura Wood Products, 2006 (Audio), Ed Mays

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Ed Mays by Damon Quint in Portland, Oregon on August 11th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Adam Olsen, Parr Lumber, 2006 (Audio), Adam Olsen

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Born in Portland, Adam Olsen worked for Parr Lumber for ten years as a contractor salesman.

The interview index is available for download.

An Agent-Based Simulation Tool For Modelling Sustainable Logistics Systems, Nicolas Knaak, Sven Kruse, Bernd Page

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Courier services form an important sector of urban freight traffic; leading to a daily volume of traffic that isproblematic in economic and ecologic respects. New logistic concepts for reducing costs, distances and emissionscould improve this situation by increased application of bicycle couriers and bundling of consignments.In this paper we summarise our previous work on the multi-agent-based simulation of alternative logistic conceptsfor city courier services. We discuss models of different organisation forms as well as the tools appliedto their analysis. Since the logistic strategies analysed so far could not display the expected economic andecologic benefits, a new concept named Fixed Exchange …

A Dynamic Model For Sustainable River Basin Management., Paula A. Silva, Paula Antunes, Daniel Borrego, Jojo Rocha, Nuno Videira, Rui Santos

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) introduced an integrated perspective in water resources management, based on an approach where the river basin is the management unit and the active involvement of all affected parties by its river basin management plan is clearly encouraged. The integrated perspective is required to develop sustainable resource management strategies adapted to the institutional, cultural and legal tradition in a region, taking into account the human dimension of the problem. A dynamic model capable of integrating quantitative and qualitative data and relationships between technical, ecological, economic and social driving forces, typical of water resources management problems, …

Siat, A Sustainable Impact Assessment Tool For Understanding The Drivers In Integrated Impact Assessment, P. J. F. M. Verweij, Stefan Sieber, Jan-Erik J. F. Wien, Klaus Müller

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

SENSOR is an Integrated Project within the 6th Framework program of the EU. The major outcome is the modeling approach Sustainable Impact Assessment Tool (SIAT). The knowledge-based model SIAT enables end users to assess the impacts of land-use relevant EU-policy strategies. The results are presented for European administrative regions (NUTS), though for specific issues the grid resolution of 1x1 km will be used. The six sectors agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, nature conversation and tourism are considered. Analytically, SIAT focuses on cross-sectoral trade offs and side effects of the impacts of new introduced EU-policies. The model concept is based on a …

An Optimal Control And Options Theory Approach To Forecasting And Managing Sustainable Systems, Y. Shastri, U. Diwekar

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Sustainable management of the natural systems is essential in the presence of anthropogenic andnatural disasters. Fisher information based measure and hypothesis have been proposed to quantify the sustainabilityof natural systems, which are used in this work to formulate management objectives. Since uncertaintyis omnipresent in natural systems, its consideration is important. Real options theory deals extensively with therepresentation and forecasting of uncertainty. The options theory, with the Ito mean reverting process, is usedto represent uncertainty, and optimal control theory is used to derive time dependent decisions. The idea isimplemented on a three species predator-prey model. The results highlight the effect of …

An Agent-Based Simulation Tool For Modelling Sustainable Logistics Systems, Nicolas Knaak, Sven Kruse, Bernd Page

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Courier services form an important sector of urban freight traffic; leading to a daily volume of traffic that isproblematic in economic and ecologic respects. New logistic concepts for reducing costs, distances and emissionscould improve this situation by increased application of bicycle couriers and bundling of consignments.In this paper we summarise our previous work on the multi-agent-based simulation of alternative logistic conceptsfor city courier services. We discuss models of different organisation forms as well as the tools appliedto their analysis. Since the logistic strategies analysed so far could not display the expected economic andecologic benefits, a new concept named Fixed Exchange …

A Dynamic Model For Sustainable River Basin Management., Paula A. Silva, Paula Antunes, Daniel Borrego, Jojo Rocha, Nuno Videira, Rui Santos

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) introduced an integrated perspective in water resources management, based on an approach where the river basin is the management unit and the active involvement of all affected parties by its river basin management plan is clearly encouraged. The integrated perspective is required to develop sustainable resource management strategies adapted to the institutional, cultural and legal tradition in a region, taking into account the human dimension of the problem. A dynamic model capable of integrating quantitative and qualitative data and relationships between technical, ecological, economic and social driving forces, typical of water resources management problems, …

Siat, A Sustainable Impact Assessment Tool For Understanding The Drivers In Integrated Impact Assessment, P. J. F. M. Verweij, Stefan Sieber, Jan-Erik J. F. Wien, Klaus Müller

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

SENSOR is an Integrated Project within the 6th Framework program of the EU. The major outcome is the modeling approach Sustainable Impact Assessment Tool (SIAT). The knowledge-based model SIAT enables end users to assess the impacts of land-use relevant EU-policy strategies. The results are presented for European administrative regions (NUTS), though for specific issues the grid resolution of 1x1 km will be used. The six sectors agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, nature conversation and tourism are considered. Analytically, SIAT focuses on cross-sectoral trade offs and side effects of the impacts of new introduced EU-policies. The model concept is based on a …

An Optimal Control And Options Theory Approach To Forecasting And Managing Sustainable Systems, Y. Shastri, U. Diwekar

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Sustainable management of the natural systems is essential in the presence of anthropogenic andnatural disasters. Fisher information based measure and hypothesis have been proposed to quantify the sustainabilityof natural systems, which are used in this work to formulate management objectives. Since uncertaintyis omnipresent in natural systems, its consideration is important. Real options theory deals extensively with therepresentation and forecasting of uncertainty. The options theory, with the Ito mean reverting process, is usedto represent uncertainty, and optimal control theory is used to derive time dependent decisions. The idea isimplemented on a three species predator-prey model. The results highlight the effect of …

On The Economics Of Sustainability, Jeffrey Wagner

Articles

Journal Home Page: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/503305/description#description The purpose of this paper is to work toward reconciliation of the neoclassical consumer choice axiom that "more is better" and the ecological concern that "more is not sustainable." The key is to divide the desired "more" into its rival and nonrival components, for it is the consumption of rival goods (such as plastic) that strains the ecosystem. In contrast, the consumption of nonrival goods (such as bird-watching) leaves little to no footprint . While sustain ability can be enhanced through changing preferences, a menu of taxes, subsidies and/or vouchers can also motivate greater nonrival consumption …

Can Resilience Be Reconciled With Globalization And The Increasingly Complex Conditions Of Resource Degradation In Asian Coastal Regions?, Derek Armitage, Derek Johnson

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This paper explores the relationship between resilience and globalization. We are concerned, most importantly, with whether resilience is a suitable conceptual framework for natural resource management in the context of the rapid changes and disruptions that globalization causes in social-ecological systems. Although theoretical in scope, we ground this analysis using our experiences in two Asian coastal areas: Junagadh District in Gujarat State, India and Banawa Selatan, in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We present the histories of resource exploitation in the two areas, and we attempt to combine a resilience perspective with close attention to the impact of globalization. Our efforts serve …

Umm At Sustainability Conference, University Relations

Campus News Archive

Student and staff representatives from the University of Minnesota, Morris will attend the inaugural Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) Conference May 17-19.

Consultative Minutes 05/02/2006, Consultative Committee

Consultative Committee

No abstract provided.

Umm At The Living Green Expo, University Relations

Campus News Archive

UMM will be an exhibitor at the fifth annual Living Green Expo May 6 and 7 at the State Fairgrounds. The Expo is Minnesota’s largest environmental event.

The Mucilage Of Opuntia Ficus Indica: A Natural, Sustainable, And Viable Water Treatment Technology For Use In Rural Mexico For Reducing Turbidity And Arsenic Contamination In Drinking Water, Kevin Andrew Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of natural environmentally benign agents in the treatment of drinking water is rapidly gaining interest due to their inherently renewable character and low toxicity. We show that the common Mexican cactus produces a gum-like substance, cactus mucilage, which shows excellent flocculating abilities and is an economically viable alternative for low-income communities. Cactus mucilage is a neutral mixture of approximately 55 high-molecular weight sugar residues composed basically of arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, and galacturonic acid. We show how this natural product was characterized for its use as a flocculating agent. Our results show the mucilage efficiency for reducing arsenic …

Learning Sustainable Design Through Service, Karim Al-Khafaji, Margaret Catherine Morse

Higher Education

Environmental sustainability and sustainable development principles arc vital topics that engineering education has largely failed to address. Service-learning, which integrates social service into an academic setting, is an emerging tool that can be leveraged to teach sustainable design to future engineers. We present a model of using service-learning to teach sustainable design based on the experiences of the Stanford chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World. The model involves the identification of projects and partner organizations, a student led, project-based design course, and internships coordinated with partner organizations. The model has been very successful, although limitations and challenges exist. These …

Valley Free Radio Program Takes Things ‘Farm To Fork’, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

Written by Amanda Cather, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Valley Free Radio Program Takes Things ‘Farm To Fork’, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Written by Amanda Cather, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Globalization & Nationalism: A Recipe For Terror, Cari Bourette, Daniel Reader

Cari Bourette

Nationalism appears to be part of the human condition; it may well be related to the human tendency toward tribalism. Whatever the case, nationalism appears to be a permanent feature on the global landscape. Globalization, while not a new phenomenon by any means, seems to be having a tremendous dilutory effect on the sovereignty of states; it now appears to be carrying the assault to the cultural frontiers of nationalism. Unlike the Westphalian constructs, however, nations will not so easily succumb. There is a greater inherent resistance to change in nations; the only historically effective method has been outright eradication …

Knowledge Creation: Revisiting The 'Ba' Humbug: People And 'Latent' Knowledge In Organizational Learning, Donald Nordberg

Donald Nordberg

This paper is a draft of an article that appeared in the Icfai Journal of Knowledge Management in 2007. Knowledge management theory has struggled with the concept of knowledge creation. Since the seminal article of Nonaka in 1991, an industry has grown up seeking to capture the knowledge in the heads and hearts of individuals so as to leverage them for organizational learning and growth. But the SECI process of socialization, externalization, combination and internalization outlined by Nonaka and his colleagues has dealt essentially with knowledge transfer rather than creation. This paper looks at attempts to fill the gap in …