Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Winds Of Change: The Political Ecology Of Renewable Energy Transition In Vermont, Jill Mcnulty Clegg

Theses

This research presents a case study of renewable energy transition (RET) in Vermont, illustrated by a recently completed commercial wind project in the Lowell Mountains. Preliminary analysis maps out the current political landscape of Vermont’s RET – its stakeholders, political climate, and important policy advances. Subsequent analysis focuses on the relationship between RET and the unique aspects of Vermont’s institutions, culture, and communities. Important elements of this analysis include the ways that community groups form a vital link between citizens and the State, the unique opportunities and challenges presented by Vermont’s pastoral land perception and activist heritage, and the way …

Innovations In State-Level Solar Energy Policy : Motivating Community Investment In Resiliency, Sarah Katheryn Gentile

Theses

Community-level resilience in the face of climate change is critical for New Jersey. Through a review of current literature, evidence is provided that a majority of work being done with respect to climate-change planning is taking place at the local level. On the basis of case-study analyses, three community renewable energy projects are examined as well as two policy tools that are helping to facilitate development of local capacity to generate renewable energy. The best elements of these initiatives are extracted and form the basis of a policy discussion intended to encourage local level generation of renewable energy, thereby increasing …

New Economy : Assessment Of The Institutionalization Of An Emerging Paradigm And Academic Field Through Inquiry Into Prominent Boundary Organizations, Jeanine Cava Rodgers

Theses

It is increasingly acknowledged that in order to reach global and regional sustai nabi l ity goals, economic growth and consumption levels in wealthy developed nations will need to stabilize or reverse. Organizations and projects of a wide variety have emerged and expanded to take on this challenge, and shape the so-called, "new economy". The purpose of this research is to gain a clearer picture of the impacts of efforts to develop a shared new-economy knowledge framework on the broader sustai nabi l ity conversation, and to assess the intellectual institutionalization of same. This thesis focuses in on the influence …

Sustainable Site Remediation : A Life Cycle Assessment Approach, Harnoor Dhaliwal

Theses

Remediation of contaminated areas is often a resource-intensive activity that itself can create environmental burdens. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used as a tool to examine the environmental impacts associated with remediation activities. A hypothetical contaminated site with five remediation alternatives was developed for this analysis. The results of Life cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) indicated that greater site activity in terms of transportation, material and equipment use translated into higher environmental impacts.

A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the environmental impacts further in different time horizons. The results showed that choice of time horizon can have a significant effect …

Environmental Policy In Jordan : Analysis, Gap Identification, And Strategies For Improvement, Diana Saed

Theses

Jordan is a country with a tremendously fragile environment. It faces substantial environmental challenges due to its delicate environmental resources and its limited financial assets. These challenges are aggravated by the scarcity of available water, deterioration of the water resources, land contamination, desertification, mismanagement of land use, and air pollution. Attempting to describe the “State of the Environment” and to provide an informed analysis of the threats to the nation’s environment is a Herculean task. This analysis examines the efforts made by Jordan in regard to protection and management of the environment. This thesis provides a snapshot of the major …

Short-Term Effects Of Bulkheads On The Bayshore Of Fire Island, New York, Dipanjali Chavan

Theses

Construction of bulkheads as a method of shore protection is common on the bay shoreline of Fire Island, New York but there are few studies that assess the effects of these structures on beach change in estuarine and lagoon environments. A short-term field study was conducted at Cherry Grove on Fire Island to assess the effect of a bulkhead on the fronting profile and to the adjacent beaches on the east side of the bulkhead. Data on winds, waves, and currents were gathered daily at high water. Data on profile change and depth of sediment activation were gathered at low …

The Role Of University Participation In Integrated Coastal Zone Management : A Case Study Of The Ria De Aviero, Amie Barbosa Figueiredo

Theses

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the efforts of the Universidade de Aveiro to create a public participation process and provide information for the management of the Ria de Aveiro, a lagoon system, in Portugal. This thesis examines whether universities are effective as coordinators and facilitators of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The Universidade de Aveiro, through the European Union-ICZM Demonstration Programme, spearheaded two projects, MARIA and ESGIRA-Maria, in efforts towards moving forward with ICZM in the area. A framework was created and then applied through a series of pilot-projects. Examination of the results of these pilot projects …

The Rise And Fall Of Open Market Emissions Trading In New Jersey, Devin Peter Demarco

Theses

On August 2, 1996, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) promulgated rules governing its Open Market Emissions Trading (OMET) program. With a goal to provide industry with a greater degree of flexibility in meeting federal air compliance directives and simultaneously move the state towards the attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), this program is now slated for termination following scrutiny from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), environmental groups and a new NJDEP administration.

This thesis discusses the basis for this scrutiny and other program flaws discovered through interviews with, and public comments from, NJDEP and …

Incineration And Environmental Justice : The Case Of Communities Around Connecticut Resource Recovery Facilities, Michael A. Bilheimer

Theses

The current depleting landfill capacity in Connecticut means that resource recovery facilities will be relied on heavily to meet the States' waste disposal needs. This heavy reliance on these facilities will place greater burdens on the host communities of these waste facilities. Therefore it is important to examine the citing of these facilities to determine if these sitings unfairly targeted a particular segment of the population.

To determine if siting has been unjust in Connecticut, this study uses a geographic information system (GIS) to analyze demographic data surrounding each facility in a comparison of demographic data from 1990 and 2000 …

Fresh Kills Dumped : A Policy Assessment For The Management Of New York City's Residential Solid Waste In The Twenty-First Century, Aaron William Comrov

Theses

New York City ceased disposing of its daily residential solid waste output within its municipal borders in March 2001 when the Department of Sanitation completed its phase-down of the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. The closure of this facility has, for the first time in history, stripped New York City of its waste management selfsufficiency, created a situation in which municipal officials are reliant on private firms and other governmental jurisdictions for disposal services, and contributed to deteriorating fiscal, environmental, political, economic, social and practical conditions.

Consequent and concurrent to this predicament, a multitude of alternative policies have been …

The Rationale For Preserving Neighborhood Open Space In Newark, New Jersey's North Ward, Stephen M. Wiessner

Theses

A study was conducted to determine the shifts in open space availability between 1950 and 2003 in four neighborhoods in the North Ward of Newark, New Jersey. Total open space in square feet and open spaces ten thousand square feet and less were quantified to determine the extent of usable open space for the creation of community gardens or vest pocket parks.

The study identified large reductions of open space recently in the two least affluent study areas. The two more affluent study areas have also lost open space recently, but not at the magnitude of the poorer study areas. …

Reconsidering Restoration, Brian Hoffner

Theses

What does the process of ecological restoration actually produce? For some restoring nature is a point of no contention. By replacing ecosystems that have been damaged by human interference, humans are taking proper responsibility for their actions. However, the environmental ethics community is all but in agreement over humans' obligations to damaged ecosystems. Some in the field claim that it is human's responsibility to perform "wild gardening", through restorations, to "our" environments. While other philosophers insist that these acts produce "faked nature".

This thesis offers a compromise vision of the meaning of restoration. The author uses the concept of Autonomous …

Agricultural Land Reform Policy In Western Ukraine : The Influence Of Environmental History And Ethics, Andrew B. Wowk

Theses

Agricultural land privatization is an important environmental and economic policy within Ukraine, which is transitioning to a market-based economy. This thesis studied the influence of bioregional environmental history and environmental ethics on land privatization in Western Ukraine, within Lviv oblast, through historical research and field research of private farmers.

Historical research showed that due to its environmental history, the study area was particularly receptive to land privatization after Ukraine's independence in 1991. Field research indicated that farmers in the study area generally see private ownership of land as better for humans and the environment than collective land ownership. The farmers …

Sustainable Agriculture : Pragmatism, Distinctions On Artifacts And The Role Of The Land Ethic, Dustin Mulvaney

Theses

This thesis will explore the ethical dimensions of global agriculture from the productionist paradigm to the land ethic in the context of the sustainable agriculture promoted in the fair trade, shade grown, and organic coffee movements. Much of the sustainable development debate in the environmental ethics literature has centered on justifications (from anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric worldviews) for preserving nature. Since agriculture is an artifact of human sedentary civilization, traditional nonanthropocentric arguments do not suffice because of the tendency to focus exclusively on natural systems. Building on the work of Katz's "Pragmatic ReConsideration" and Light's "methodological pragmatism," the role of anthropocentric …

Short-Term Community Based Dune Management Activities On A Highly Developed Coast In New Jersey, Stacy Mccormack

Theses

Recently, local governments have started to realize the effectiveness of dune building as a form of hazard mitigation and have engineered dunes for this purpose. This study evaluates dune management at the local level; specifically, short term management practices, physical constraints, dune management participants, and sources of guidance. A review of municipal regulations, topographic surveys, and interviews with local officials were conducted in four New Jersey communities: Belmar, Spring Lake, Sea Girt and Manasquan. The results of this study indicate that dunes were established as part of local hazard mitigation planning in response to the 1992 storm, and topographic surveys …

A Comparison Of Risks From New Jersey Chemical Facilities And The Benefits Of Risk Communication, Heather R. Dobbs

Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if the amount of toxic chemicals a facility stores on-site is a valid indicator for determining a facility's risk potential and need to communicate risk information to the public. This study analyzes New Jersey chemical facilities regulated under the CAA's Risk Management Plan (section 112(r)) and their toxic chemical releases and other risk factors to determine if there is a relationship between the amount of toxic chemicals stored on-site and the potential risk from a toxic release. The analysis of data suggests that no relationship exists; therefore, one could assume that all …

Factors And State Electric Utility Deregulation Policy Influences On Green Power Marketers, Richard Orlusky

Theses

The electric power industry has been restructuring over the last several years to allow market competition in purchasing electric power. Power generation that was traditionally provided by the local electric utility has been deregulated in order to introduce customer choice. The renewable energy sector of the power industry will have to compete with conventional fossil fuel power generators in this market. This research focused on factors and state deregulation policies that are of importance to Green Power Marketers in a retail power market. Green Power Marketers providing service in California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey retail power markets were surveyed to …

Early Public Participation And Support For A Brownfields Redevelopment Project : A Study On Perth Amboy, Leena A. Raut

Theses

Public participation is an important aspect of brownfields redevelopment. Because brownfields are a localized issue, those most affected by a site should have a say in its redevelopment. Both the process of redevelopment and the final outcome must measure the success of a brownfields project.

Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in conjunction with the Middlesex County Vocational School System, is in the process of preparing former brownfields land into a new vocational -technical high school. Residents were notified after the decision had been made, rather than be included from the start of the decision-making process. Residents within a 500-foot radius were …

An Examination Of Discourse Concerned With Pcb Remediation In The Hudson River, Jennifer M. Coffey

Theses

Remediation of PCB contamination in the Hudson River is an issue hotly contested within local communities, the media, and between government agencies and corporate entities. In recent years, the EPA has decided to revisit their 1984 no-action decision for the Hudson River and in December 2000, issued a Feasibility Study recommending partial dredging of the 200 miles of the Hudson floor deemed a Superfund site. The EPA's reevaluation of their 1984 decision has spurred an enormous amount of literature from corporate, non-profit volunteer, and government agencies.

The rhetorical theory of social constructionism and the ethical theory of environmental pragmatism are …

A Qualitative Study Of Technology Transfer In Sustainable Green Manufacturing, Susan Muldowney

Theses

The Sustainable Green Manufacturing Project is an initiative of the United States Army to develop environmentally-friendly technologies for Army-designated facilities. In pursuit of this goal, the Army has sought the research capabilities and expertise of outside organizations including the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Concurrent Technologies Corporation. The groups interact and exchange knowledge and tools with each other as well as with potential end users of the green technology. This exchange of knowledge and tools is known as technology transfer.

Researchers and Subject Matter Experts who are working on the SGM Project were interviewed in order to learn about …

A Comparison Of Field-Delineated Wetlands To The New Jersey Freshwater Wetland Maps, David P. Moskowitz

Theses

A comparison of the New Jersey Freshwater Wetland maps to field-delineated wetlands was undertaken to assess the accuracy of the Freshwater Wetland maps. The evaluation revealed substantial differences in the amount of wetland acreage on the Freshwater Wetland maps compared to field-verified wetlands. Forty study sites comprising 21,877 acres (8,854h) were evaluated. Of these, twenty-seven were overmapped (more wetland acreage than was field-verified), and thirteen were undermapped. Forty-three percent had mapping discrepancies at or above fifty percent; when modified land designations were included as wetlands, the number of sites at this threshold increased to fifty percent.

Paper copies of the …

To Who Or What Do We Owe Sustainable Development? A Search For An Ethical Framework For Sustainable Development, Mia Soderlund

Theses

This thesis focuses on the ethical dimension of sustainable development as described in the Bruntland report. According to this report, we do have certain moral obligations to future generations. This thesis asks whether traditional moral philosophy, such as utilitarian and contractarian theories, can justify moral obligations to future generations, and if they can serve as ethical frameworks for sustainable development.

The basic idea with sustainable development is to create a balance between society, the environment and the economy. If the environment is ascribed instrumental value, which is the case with traditional moral philosophy then there is no balance, because its …

Protection Of The New York City Water Supply Land Development Threats And The Programs To Control Them, Werner Mueller

Theses

The Surface Water Treatment Rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act requires that all surface water sources used for drinking water must be filtered, unless the purveyor can demonstrate that the water is of such high quality that filtration is not required. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) operates the New York City water supply system and is taking actions to ensure that the water supplied from the Catskill -- Delaware system remains of high enough quality to maintain an avoidance of filtration determination granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). New watershed rules and regulations have …

An Examination Of The Self-Perceptions Of The Physical Environment And Psychological Health Of Latina Women Living In The St. Columbia Neighborhood Of Newark, New Jersey, Veronica Maria Maya

Theses

A correlation between perceptions of environmental quality and psychological health has been established in a sample of Latina women. Three psychological scales exist to measure psychological constructs such as learned helplessness, hopelessness, and selfesteem. These three scales have been used in conjunction with an environmental survey designed to capture the perceptions of the sample to their physical environment.

The mean of scores for each psychological construct in the Latina sample were compared to the mean of scores for these constructs in independent samples of oncology, hemodialysis, and spinal cord injured patients being treated for depression. This comparison yields the following …

History Of Oxygenated Gasoline Use In New Jersey 1992-1998, Jean Niebuhr Borne

Theses

New Jersey has been required to use oxygenated gasoline from November 1 to March 30 since 1992 in order to reduce carbon monoxide from vehicles. This requirement was part of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. For the past six winters, New Jersey has utilized gasoline with methyl butyl tertiary ether, MTBE, as the oxygenate. In New Jersey, and in many states across the country, health complaints were reported after oxygenated fuel started flowing from gas pumps.

Oxybusters is a grassroots organization dedicated to the removal of oxygenated gasoline off the market. The group has pressured Governor Whitman to …

The Feasibility Of Transferring Clean Technology From The United States To China : A Case Study From The Paper Industry, He Ning

Theses

In their pursuit of economic development, many developing countries are causing pollution at an alarming rate. One solution to the problem is the use of clean technology. Some developed countries have created various manufacture technologies which result in pollution prevention. There is a need for the transfer of clean technology from the developed countries to developing countries. It is beneficial to study the feasibility of such transfer.

The manufacturing processes of the paper industry are selected for this study. An investigation and comparison was conducted in order to evaluate the feasibility of clean technology transfer from the United States to …

The Importance Of Liability For The Redevelopment Of Brownfields : The Developers View, Daniel F. Chachakis

Theses

The thousands of former industrial properties lying vacant in New Jersey are an economic challenge for all areas of government. If these properties are, or are perceived to be, contaminated then they are labeled Brownfields. An important question is whether the threat of liability for contamination by prior owners is a current cause behind the failure of developers to acquire and redevelop Brownfields in the State of New Jersey.

The goal of this work was to discover if there is a link between liability and the developer's decision making process. How important is the liability factor? Fifty-seven variables were examined …

Incentive Factors That Affect The Redevelopment Of Brownfield Sites In New Jersey, Edison L. Hammond

Theses

This thesis sought to addressthree main questions:

· Are brownfieldsa significant problem in New Jersey and its municipalities?

· What factors havecontributed to brownfields' continued existence?

· What factors aremost important for correcting brownfields in the state?

The study involved surveyingFederal and state agencies, NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) andmunicipalities that work with brownfields. It involved a survey questionnaire,followed by a detailed telephone interview to determine municipalities'satisfaction with actions and policies taken by state agencies on brownfieldredevelopment.

Eight Federal and state agenciesand NGOs participated, along with ten municipalities from around thestate. The major findings were: brownfields are a significant problemat all levels; …

Effects Of Shore-Parallel Structures On Meiofauna In The Intertidal Foreshore Of A Sandy Estuarine Beach, Raritan Bay, New Jersey, Usa, Valerie L. Spalding

Theses

Field investigations conducted at three sites on the intertidal sandy foreshore at Cliffwood Beach and Keyport Harbor, Raritan Bay, New Jersey reveal the relationship between meiofaunal density, wave and beach characteristics at sites where bulkheads and seawalls are present and at an adjacent site where they are not.

Wave characteristics were gathered at 2 hz over the tidal cycle with a pressure transducer. Three replicate core samples, to a depth of 0. 10 m, were gathered at four sampling stations across the foreshore at low tide to determine meiofaunal density. A fourth core sample was used to determine grain size, …

Assessment Of Recreation Space Along The Hudson River Waterfront In Jersey City, Nj, Darren M. Davidowich

Theses

For the past decade Jersey City, New Jersey has worked to redevelop its waterfront. The once highly industrialized waterfront is now the location of residential and commercial uses and more projects are slated for the future. Although many improvements to the physical and built environment occurred along the waterfront, many question whether enough emphasis was placed on outdoor recreation. Site assessments, field observations, and surveys of waterfront users in Jersey City, NJ were conducted to determine what uses are possible, and in the greatest demand on the waterfront. A total of (950) field observations were made of waterfront users. This …