Digital Commons Network^™

River Water Regulation In India: The Challenges Of The Entangled State, Mia M. Rahim, Guy C. Charlton, Abhay Kanwar

University of Pennsylvania Asian Law Review

The inland river water regulations in India have become complicated by debates over river ownership, environmental sustainability, native aspirations, and industrial growth. This Article argues that such complexities surrounding the river water regulations inform a “state of entanglement” which cannot be addressed without invoking the unique way the Indian state is embedded within Indian society. This Article suggests that public interest litigation and increased participation for stakeholders and the common people may offer an effective mechanism to overcome the obstacles of the entanglement of state and society in India.

Hawaii’S Future Is Kānaka Maoli: Reconciling The Colonization Of Hawai’I To Promote A Greener Future, William Johnston

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper will focus on the social and environmental degradation of the Kānaka Maoli people and the Hawaiian Islands and will show how Kānaka Maoli philosophy, culture, and knowledge will not only help combat climate change but how they are necessary for the continuation of life through and after this climate crisis. The destruction of our planet and the destruction of indigenous life have gone hand in hand in the United States, and throughout history, the decisions that have affected the environment affected Native Americans and vice versa. As the United States moves towards a greener and more sustainable way …

Not Just A Walk In The Park: Environmental Injustice In New York City’S Green Spaces, Greta Laine Mclaughlin

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper examines inequities in New York City’s green spaces, and it discusses the discrepancies in the quality and sizes of parks in lower- versus higher-income and white versus non-white areas. Although organizations herald the city’s parks as some of the best and most accessible in the country, marginalized residents face unsafe and insufficient surroundings. Chapter One considers the state of NYC’s green spaces. The chapter uses quantitative data collected by city agencies and non-profits to illustrate the disparities in the conditions of parks among various communities. By framing the issue using ecosystem services, the paper emphasizes the importance of …

U.S. International Climate Finance: An Analysis Of Historical Shortfalls And A Proposal For More Equitable Distribution, Maria-Cristina Kealey

Master's Projects and Capstones

Least-developed countries experienced 69% of deaths from climate disasters over the past 50 years despite comprising only 13% of the world’s population. Low-income and climate vulnerable nations around the world are suffering disproportionately as wealthy, high-emitting countries, such as the U.S., profit from the climate crisis. This research provides a comprehensive overview of past U.S. contributions to international climate finance efforts, assesses the climate finance deficit globally and specifically for developing countries, and proposes a more equitable share of U.S. funding from a quantitative and restorative climate justice approach. The primary analyses included quantifying the U.S. share of global greenhouse …

“We Have To Fight For Change”: Intersecting And Ongoing Crises Amongst Farmworker Families Along The Monterey Bay Central Coast, Mikayla S. Feliciano

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study examines the crises farmworkers are experiencing along the Monterey Bay Central Coast. It analyzes and reviews housing insecurity, deficit to basic needs, and the environmental impact of storms and pesticides exposure. In January of 2023, the central coast experienced an immense amount of rain, atmospheric rivers, and a levee break that the Salinas and Pajaro Valley communities' infrastructure could not handle. These storms caused even more financial and economic peril for the already struggling farmworkers and their children. This research aims to highlight the importance of farmworking families in the community and what social barriers they face. Information …

Beyond The Tap: The Flint, Michigan Water Crisis As An Issue Of Environmental Racism, Vincent J. Vitanza

Student Theses 2015-Present

The following paper provides insight into the Flint, Michigan water crisis of 2014 through the lens of environmental racism. The Flint, Michigan water crisis saw the contamination of the municipal water supply of the town of Flint as a result of the decision to switch the main water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a temporary measure as the town of Flint switched to the Karegnondi Water Authority contract to supply their municipal water. Flint is a majority minority community, and the facets of race and socioeconomic status played a significant role in how the crisis was …

Confessions Of A Contemporary Consumer: Environmental And Humanitarian Impacts Of Fast Fashion, Maria Jose Salume

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the impacts fast fashion has on the environment and people, drawing from the reality in South Asia and the Shein factory located there, while also addressing global consequences. Today’s consumer culture has incited a behavior of purchasing clothing at a rate that has never been seen before. Trends go in and out, and along with them, the clothing items that are created to fit the current styles. Fast fashion has become an environmental issue due to the amount of fabrics that are being incinerated and discarded daily that pollute the oceans and land. Additionally, it is a …

Climate Change And Environmental Crises In Coastal Cities: Charleston Vs New York City, Nolan Rodriguez

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the increasing vulnerability that coastal communities face regarding climate crises and rising sea levels. Specifically, this paper investigates the environmental crises facing Charleston, South Carolina, and New York City. The geographical location of these cities places a more severe threat upon their environment, as opposed to urban collectives removed from the immediate effect of rising sea levels. A cross-examination of politics and economics is discussed in order to determine the causal relationship of each city’s engagement with its surrounding environment. This paper examines how each city is affected by climate change, what measures are in place to …

An Anthropogenic Mass Extinction: Speculation About The Future Of Humanity And Other Species, Grace M. Nelson

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis will address the possibility of a sixth mass extinction at the hands of humanity and the adaptations ecosystems may undertake in recovery. Today, the world is witnessing incredibly fast changes in climate conditions that are causing severe biodiversity loss. Haiti is a region that encompasses the impacts of both environmental degradation and humanity’s social influences on the environment. Haiti will be examined throughout this thesis to provide an understanding of how climate change impacts people and the natural world today. Non-anthropogenic rapid climate change is the root of most past mass extinctions. However, after these events, ecosystems have …

Breaches In The Levee: Increasing Sea Level Rise And Hurricane Activity In New Orleans, Ian A. Gere

Student Theses 2015-Present

No abstract provided.

Urban Agriculture: Sowing Seeds Of Sustainability In New York City, Taylor K. Takahashi

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper critically examines urban agriculture as a vital strategy for addressing the interconnected challenges of food insecurity and climate resilience in New York City. Chapter 1 employs quantitative data to illuminate the complex interplay between climate change and food injustice in New York City, highlighting reciprocal impacts and underscoring the urgency of intervention. Chapter 2 traces the historical trajectory of urban agriculture in New York City, emphasizing its anticipated contributions to the city's food security and climate resilience. This section also explores the diverse forms urban agriculture takes and assesses their suitability for the contexts of New York City. …

Sustainable Urban Design In New York City: The Case Study Of Manhattan’S Chinatown, Tiffany Wu

Student Theses 2015-Present

How should urban cities like New York City adapt with climate change? Can sustainability and cities co-exist? This paper addresses the environmental challenges New York City faces due to its geographical location and design plans of sustainable urban cities with a case study of Manhattan’s Chinatown. While there is existing discourse on ways to develop sustainably amid a grim environmental outlook, analyzing similar issues through racial and social perspectives are extremely critical particularly in a multi-culturally diverse city like NYC. This city offers rich architectural histories that intertwine with burgeoning immigrant communities during the 20th century. Chinatown, located in the …

Revitalizing New York City Food Deserts: On Addressing, Examining, And Solving Food Insecurity In New York City, Eleanor Ann Rodde

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to expose the food deserts of New York City and present ways that the government and non-governmental organizations can combat food insecurity in the urban environment. Food deserts are the product of insufficient access, availability, utilization, and stability of food in a particular area due to environmental racism. Food insecurity in New York City will rise with the increased impacts of climate change on our agricultural system. To that end, disadvantaged neighborhoods will bear the burden of environmental costs. The first chapter of this paper considers the failing agricultural system to prove that massive reform to protect …

An Environmental Justice Framework For Transportation Equity, Alex Kay Depinho

Student Theses 2015-Present

In 2021, transportation accounted for 29% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, making it the largest contributor by sector, and 58% of these emissions came from the use of passenger cars and light-duty trucks. Electrification of personal vehicles and promotion of sustainable transit options is often centered in environmental discourse and policymaking, but many discussions neglect pertinent issues of social inequity at play. The transit-reliant urban poor, isolated in city centers by suburban sprawl, live in communities with not only a reduced access to jobs, healthcare, education and public resources, but an increased exposure to pollution, especially …

From Pasture To Pavement: Urban Expansion And Its Environmental Consequences In Perth, Anastasia Charelishvili

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis addresses the pressing issue of ecological problems of urban sprawl and its intricate impacts on urban health, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities in Perth, Australia. Chapter 1 presents the city's historical background and emphasizes the depletion of ecosystem services, underscoring the need for environmental justice. It also introduces the causes and effects of the sprawl in Perth and draws upon a diverse range of environmental problems created by suburbia, such as air pollution, biodiversity loss, water pollution, and runoff. As these threats translate into urban health declines, such as respiratory problems and increased healthcare issues, Chapter …

The Air We Breathe: Understanding Individual Exposure To Air Pollution, Claire Culliton

Student Theses 2015-Present

Every day, people are exposed to air pollution. But not all people experience the same levels of exposure. Human exposure to ambient air pollution is commonly represented by the concentration of pollutants in the air outside, but this is not accurate in revealing the complex and individual experience that is pollution exposure. This paper reevaluates how we represent exposure to ambient pollution and presents data from an ongoing study to broaden our understanding of the role of indoor air quality. Chapter one uses quantitative data to describe the relationship between humans and ambient air pollution and explain why the current …

Addressing Air Quality Mitigation As A Key Factor In Asthma Management And Prevention, Julia Buckles, Jewel Radford

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Asthma is the most prevalent disease in childhood and disproportionately affects African American (AA) populations in terms of prevalence and frequency of exacerbations. Air quality and environmental factors are strongly associated with the diagnosis and management of asthma and AA children are more likely to live in areas with poor air quality. An air quality flag program was implemented in a daycare located in a county with a predominantly AA population with a high prevalence of asthma diagnoses. The goal of the intervention was to increase staff awareness of air quality and the impact it can have on asthma diagnosis …

Diverse Voices, Sticky Maps And Wicked Patterns. Using Creative Methods To Explore Environmental Justice, Clare Saunders, Daksha Patel

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Environmental justice is multi-faceted. It is distributional, procedural and context inter-dependent. Achieving environmental justice therefore requires transdisciplinary thinking and collaborative practice with participants holding a variety of experiences and knowledges. This paper explores the different meanings of environmental justice in theory, and through artistic practices. It introduces and evaluates a series of creative workshops designed to enhance understanding of environmental justice. The workshops consisted of 1) image-informed co-created cross-national Zoom conversations; 2) using colours and shapes to tease out meanings of environmental justice; and 3) mapping local environmental injustices while centring more-than-humans. It proposes that these creative methods are useful …

Community Science And Water-Based Advocacy Groups In Metro Atlanta, Zakia Riaz

Geosciences Theses

Community-based water advocacy groups in Atlanta have adopted E. coli testing methods and implemented water quality monitoring networks as a form of community science. This thesis employs a mixed methods approach that couples qualitative and quantitative data to explain the scope and effectiveness of community science in Atlanta’s watersheds. The thesis provides an empirical study of the community-based water advocacy groups based in metro Atlanta that work to better urban water quality. Then, two water quality data sets produced by the Neighborhood Water Watch and South River Watershed Alliance were analyzed to show that there are statistical differences between the …

Breathing Inequity: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Rubbertown's Air Quality Problem, Mikayla Pitmon

Undergraduate Theses

Louisville Metro Government has a multitude of quantitative data on demographics, health, and air quality in Rubbertown fenceline communities. This study explores how community-level research allows us to have a more robust understanding of the impact of environmental injustice. Spatial data was utilized to map various health variables, zoning, and community spaces relative to Rubbertown chemical facilities. A semi-structured interview was then conducted with a local environmental justice activist to gain a better understanding of their experience and the barriers to environmental justice for the residents of West Louisville. This study improves our understanding of community needs and adds a …

A War On Resistance: Police Repression And Criminalization Of Land Defense Movements, Lydia Macy

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Statement of Purpose:

In this paper, I examine the roles and functions of policing in the United States in relation to environmental justice movements and protest. Building upon analyses of the history of policing and their role in enforcing and maintaining racial capitalism, I explore how the police enable and protect the destruction of land and environments. To demonstrate the intersections of policing, racial capitalism, and environmental crises I use three case studies: the protests at Standing Rock to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, the movement to Stop Line 3, and the movement to Stop Cop City. I found my …

Urban Farm, Not Toxic Harm: East Phillips Urban Farm And The Indigenous Right To The City, Oli Palmera Tierney

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

The East Phillips neighborhood in South Minneapolis has been planning to transform an abandoned warehouse into an indoor urban farm for nearly a decade. When the city of Minneapolis announced it would demolish the warehouse–releasing arsenic from the soil into the community–and use the land for a public works facility, a fierce battle over environmental justice and the right to produce space (a theory popularized by Henri Lefebvre) ensued. East Phillips is a geographically significant place: It has the largest urban concentration of Indigenous people in the country, and it is the birthplace of the American Indian Movement. Indigenous land …

Natural Resources In The Arctic: The Equal Distribution Of Uneven Resrouces, Ganeswar Matcha, Sudarsanan Sivakumar

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

This paper analyses the governance machine in place at the Arctic and examines the application of the principles of “common heritage of mankind” at the Arctic. This paper also offers some tentative propositions aimed at protecting Out Bound investment rights and how the World Trade Organization or other countries, like the U.S., can intercede in the Arctic investment sphere and attempt to regulate along with the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea.

Incentivizing Sustainability In American Enterprise: Lessons From Finnish Model, Vasa T. Dunham

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

The disparate climate performances of Finland and the United States, two of the wealthiest countries in the world, bring to light the question of how corporate responsibility has been inspired in each jurisdiction. Having established the urgency of the climate crisis and the importance of corporate behavior in optimizing a given country’s approach to protection of the global environment, an examination of each nation’s legal frameworks may shed light on features of the corporate regime that are effective in advancing sustainability goals and those that are not.22 Part I of this paper establishes a comparative framework by providing background on …

Book Discussion "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, And The Global Battle To Power Our Lives"

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How To Dismantle Systems Of Oppression To Protect People + Planet, Raymond Appiah

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Sabin Center For Climate Change Law Annual Report 2023, Sabin Center For Climate Change Law

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This year the Sabin Center for Climate Change introduces its first annual report, which highlights and synthesizes our cutting-edge research and innovative engagements in 2023.

Remediation For Pfas Contamination: The Role Of Cercla Enforcement In Environmental Justice, Amanda F. Watson

Georgia Law Review

PFAS are a family of manufactured chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment. Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFAS, but different groups of people may have higher exposure due to their environments. In recent years, peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that PFAS are linked to numerous adverse human health effects. As a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a variety of actions to address PFAS, including proposing to designate PFOS and PFOA, two chemicals in the PFAS family, as hazardous substances under CERCLA, or Superfund. CERCLA is the primary legal mechanism in …

Energy Justice And Renewable Rikers, Rebecca Bratspies

University of Miami Law Review

Unsustainable energy practices generate the lion’s share of global carbon emissions as well as staggering levels of deadly particulate pollution. Replacing the current dirty, fossil fuel-based system with affordable, clean energy is both a human rights imperative and a climate change necessity. This transition, which has already begun, creates the opportunity to do things differently. By confronting the structural racism embedded in existing energy structures, we can build a just transition rather than just a transition. This Article uses New York City’s Renewable Rikers project as a case study to explore how we might take advantage of the intersections between …

Seeding A Movement: Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Mariaelena Huambachano

University of Miami Law Review

For many Indigenous peoples, well-being is bound up with and inseparable from the natural world. But since colonialism, Indigenous traditions and access to traditional foods or foodways have been disrupted, imperiling their health and well-being. In this Article, I discuss the role of Indigenous cosmovision/worldview and Indigenous Food Sovereignty in achieving environmental justice. Specifically, in this Article, I discuss that despite, or perhaps because of, efforts to deny Indigenous peoples’ access to healthy and culturally appropriate foods, Indigenous Food Sovereignty took a rise of preciousness in informing natural regenerative food systems, and ultimately, “holistic/collective well-being.”