Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Wrack Lines Volume 22, Number 2, Fall-Winter 2022-2023, Nancy C. Balcom, Juliana Barrett, Judy Benson, Ben Crnic, Sto Len

Wrack Lines

With the theme, "Looking Ahead: People and Projects Shaping the Future," the Fall-Winter 2022-2023 leads with the first in what will be a series of articles about offshore wind development impacting Connecticut. That is followed by the inspiring story of how a dying forest was replanted for climate resilience. Next, a profile of longtime marine educator Tim Visel tells about his lasting impact on Connecticut schools and students. Lastly, the complex challenge of dealing with Contaminants of Emerging Concern is examined, with descriptions of how Sea Grant is involved and the particularly troublesome group of substances called PFAS.

Climate Change Preparedness In The Insurance Sector, Daniel Fischler

Honors Scholar Theses

Climate change is the inevitable consequence of human activity since the industrial revolution began centuries ago. Assuming humanity survives and adapts to this scenario, there will be significant impacts on the economy and business. Under these circumstances, the insurance sector in particular will face challenges as the frequency and severity of losses increase due to climate change related events. This paper aims to analyze various options for allowing insurance to maintain viability in this changing environment. The general issue for the future is premiums must be commensurate with climate change related risk in affected areas. As a result, certain coastal …

Evaluating Urban Parks Accessibility And Equity: A Case Study Of Hartford, Ct And New Haven, Ct, Natalie Roach, Mara Tu

Honors Scholar Theses

Public parks provide cities with environmental benefits, positive health effects, recreational opportunities, community building, educational spaces, and public amenities. However, certain populations have been systematically denied their fair share of these benefits because of unjust practices in the creation and maintenance of urban parks. With a lens of environmental justice, the goal of this research was to assess park quality and accessibility of two Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven, by gathering publicly available information as well as using GIS tools.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has an existing ParkScore rating system that evaluates the quality of a city’s …

Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case Of The Fashion Industry, Karina Zhao

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a focus on corporations within the fashion industry. First, I discuss the evolution of CSR from its origin in the 1930s until present day, along with global trends that have risen in respect to emerging economies, industry sectors, and regulatory change. Then, I summarize factors that motivate firms to prepare and provide CSR reports – i.e., the determinants of voluntary disclosure of CSR reports. In addition, I discuss to what extent these reports are regulated and assured across the globe, as an increasing number of corporations participate in disclosing …

An Assessment Of Renewable Energy Technology Implementation In Storrs, Connecticut: Emissions Reduction And Feasibility Of A Microgrid System At Uconn, Sophie Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this project is to design a clean energy-sourced microgrid for UConn’s main campus that would reduce the university’s energy emissions while remaining within the geographic boundaries of viable UConn-owned land. Economic cost was not considered in this analysis; instead, emissions and space constraints were the optimized measures of value and feasibility. Sources of energy that were considered include photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, hydrokinetic systems, and fuel cells. Energy storage capacity was included in the analysis as well. The overall system was optimized first by ignoring space constraints and for a minimum of 10% reduction from the current …

Reducing Pollen Dispersal Using Forest Windbreaks, Carol Auer, Thomas Meyer, Vernie Sagun

Plant Science Articles

The adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops has created a demand for practical methods to mitigate pollen dispersal and gene flow. The goal of this project was to measure the ability of a narrow forest windbreak to reduce downwind pollen fluxes from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a North American grass and model biofuels feedstock. Switchgrass fields were established in two identical plots where one had a forest windbreak and the other was in an open (control) site. Switchgrass reproduction, pollen dispersal, wind speed, and wind direction were measured over two years. Daily release of switchgrass pollen peaked at 11:00-13:30 …

Investment In Technology & Voluntary Simplicity: Exploring Opportunities For Energy-Efficiency In The Us Residential Sector, Elaine Charlebois

Honors Scholar Theses

This work examines alternative approaches for middle-class Americans to make lifestyle changes to promote energy efficiency. The US residential sector poses a significant opportunity for improvement in efficiency which will lead to electricity and carbon savings, further leading to long-term cost savings for each household.

A way to think about energy savings is by considering two radically different approaches: voluntary simplicity or investment in technology. Investments in technology include retrofits for existing homes and building new homes more efficiently, both focusing on aspects such as heating and cooling, insulation, water use and water heating, lighting, and appliances. Voluntary simplicity is …

"Buy Local" Consumer Behavior And Wood Products: A Case Study, Charlotte C. Rand

Master's Theses

Consumers in the United States are increasingly interested in buying locally grown/produced (LG/P) agricultural products (Connor et al. 2009). In comparison, consumer interest in buying local wood products is not evident. In the same way that the LG/P agriculture phenomenon has helped preserve farmland and foster awareness of where food originates, expanding local production of forest products may also create similar benefits for forestland both locally and globally. However, studies examining the “Buy Local” phenomenon and its potential to inform the local production of wood products are not apparent in the literature.

This study examined consumer attitudes and beliefs that …

Policy Suggestions For Emissions Trading In The U.S.A., Nathaniel Wallshein

Honors Scholar Theses

This honors thesis will examine current and theoretical "cap and trade" emissions trading schemes in an attempt to make recommendations on how to improve this regulated commodity market. The various control mechanisms available to regulators will be discussed: including allocation methodology, benchmarking, banking, variation in design frameworks, etc. To aid and support the proposed policy recommendations, this paper will investigate the design framework of the SOx emission trading scheme in the US, the Kyoto Protocol, and the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The political, social, and economic context of these schemes will be taken into account when considering the …