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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Complexities Of Community Consultation In Chile's Lithium Industry, Isabella R. Whelan
Complexities Of Community Consultation In Chile's Lithium Industry, Isabella R. Whelan
Honors Theses
Echoed by November’s COP27 in Egypt, the climate crisis has become an increasingly pressing and global issue, with the need to move away from fossil fuels more urgent than ever. In attempts to decarbonize the global economy, many countries and companies have turned to electrification –particularly within the transportation sector, one of today’s largest contributors of greenhouse gasses. A crucial component of energy storage and batteries is lithium, now considered a “critical mineral.” Demand for lithium has skyrocketed in recent years and is only expected to continue growing. More than fifty percent of the world’s lithium supply is found within …
Justice For Islands That Suffer Most: Stacy-Ann Robinson, Gerry Boyle
Justice For Islands That Suffer Most: Stacy-Ann Robinson, Gerry Boyle
Colby Magazine
Robinson grew up in Jamaica and has seen the destruction levied on the island by extreme storms. A human geographer and assistant professor of environmental studies at Colby, Robinson has also seen firsthand the challenges faced by Jamaica and places like it as they try to obtain resources needed to cope with the brunt of climate change.
First Person, Colby College, Lokesh Todi
Visualizing The Range Of Glaciers: Science, Art And Narrative, Claire E. Waichler
Visualizing The Range Of Glaciers: Science, Art And Narrative, Claire E. Waichler
Honors Theses
Glaciers are sensitive indicators and data keepers of climatic change. The glaciers of the North Cascades, Washington, also have significant economic and cultural value as they are enmeshed in hydroelectricity generation, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, and human communities. My project approaches the current climate crisis by examining the past, present and future of the glaciers of the North Cascades through the two lenses of art and science. I review and contextualize the last century of glacier research in the North Cascades to identify patterns of glacier change and how this affects ecological and human communities. Overlaid upon my literature review, …
Gail Carlson: Inspiring Students To Step Up, Gerry Boyle
Gail Carlson: Inspiring Students To Step Up, Gerry Boyle
Colby Magazine
"When you become a doomsday person, when you're really pessimistic, it's because you can't see that you can make a difference." -Gail Carlson, associate professor of environmental studies
Projecting Regions Of North Atlantic Right Whale, Eubalaena Glacialis, Habitat Suitability In The Gulf Of Maine In 2050, Camille Ross
Projecting Regions Of North Atlantic Right Whale, Eubalaena Glacialis, Habitat Suitability In The Gulf Of Maine In 2050, Camille Ross
Honors Theses
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are endangered. Understanding the role environmental conditions play in habitat suitability is key to determining the regions in need of protection for conservation of the species, particularly as climate change shifts suitable habitat. This thesis uses three species distribution modeling algorithms, together with historical data on whale abundance(1993 to 2009) and environmental covariates to build monthly ensemble models of past E. glacialis habitat suitability in the Gulf of Maine. Then, the models are projected onto the year 2050 for a range of climate scenarios. Specifically, the distribution of the species was modeled …
Renewable Energy Consumption: Initiatives In Colorado And Washington, Robin K. Doroff
Renewable Energy Consumption: Initiatives In Colorado And Washington, Robin K. Doroff
Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby
This paper examines the use of policy mechanisms to increase renewable energy consumption within the United States. In order to effectively measure the change of renewable energy consumption, I analyze two initiatives that promote energy consumption from renewable sources and overall increases in energy conservation. Colorado and Washington had approved initiatives in the years 2004 and 2006, respectively. Although the results are not entirely statistically significant, I find that the initiatives lead to increases in total renewable energy consumption and decreases in total energy use.
Converting Croplands To Grassland: A Spatial Analysis Of The Economic Feasibility Of Soil Greenhouse Gas Mitigation In Midwest, United States, Paco C. Defrancis
Converting Croplands To Grassland: A Spatial Analysis Of The Economic Feasibility Of Soil Greenhouse Gas Mitigation In Midwest, United States, Paco C. Defrancis
Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby
The global agriculture sector is responsible for close 20% of the aggregate anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted since the start of the industrial age. Much of these emissions are attributed to the degradation of soils due to land use change when native ecosystems were converted to agricultural fields. Soil organic carbon (SOC) has been found to decrease in temperate soils when the native (such as a forest or grassland) ecosystem is replace by croplands. The aggregate amount of organic carbon stored in soils globally is estimated be 3.3x the size of the atmospheric carbon pool. Further soil degradation and …
The Value Of Dune Width In Avalon, New Jersey: A Hedonic Pricing Analysis, Matt Mignon
The Value Of Dune Width In Avalon, New Jersey: A Hedonic Pricing Analysis, Matt Mignon
Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby
Previous research on the economics of coastal housing markets has proven that housing values along the east coast of the United States capitalize on the attributes of local beaches. These recent studies document two important findings: that beach width positively affects coastal property values and that there is a proximity effect, in which distance from the beach plays a significant role in the capitalization of local beach attributes. This paper builds upon these findings to explore the influence that dune width has on coastal property values in Avalon, New Jersey. I hypothesize that as dune width increases, local property values …
Assessing The Carbon Impacts Of Colby College’S Biomass Plant, Alice Hotopp
Assessing The Carbon Impacts Of Colby College’S Biomass Plant, Alice Hotopp
Honors Theses
Biomass energy plants are considered to be carbon neutral systems under some definitions. However, this concept of carbon neutrality needs to be rethought in order to understand the true carbon impact of biomass plants upon global climate change. A biomass plant’s wood source, the extent to which the biomass plant emits carbon dioxide, and the timescale over which the biomass plant emits carbon should all be taken into account. In this study, I consider the Colby College biomass plant’s role in carbon cycling. Colby’s Physical Plant Department provided me with information on how much carbon (tons of woodchips) is used …
From Pond To Pump: Microalgae As A Feedstock For Biodiesel, Anna H. Leavitt
From Pond To Pump: Microalgae As A Feedstock For Biodiesel, Anna H. Leavitt
Honors Theses
The global reliance on fossil fuels is an unsustainable practice that has led to the depletion of finite resources and the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to global climate change (Demirbas 2010). Transportation accounts for about a third of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States. Demand for oil continues to increase and resources are becoming more uncertain. Increased production of renewable fuels such as biofuels can help ease the dependence on fossil fuels. Although interest and production in biofuels has been increasing in the past decade, current feedstocks do not meet efficiency needs and some …