Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Trust, Collaboration, And Financial Return In Conservation/Development Partnerships, New England Environmental Finance Center

Economics and Finance

In early 2002 the New England Environmental Finance Center hosted a series of roundtable discussions among municipal officials, residential developers, land trust representatives, and others about "Innovative Approaches to Land Conservation and Smart Growth". Among our observations was that for many of the over 20 conservation/development partnerships we discussed in the series, creation and maintenance of trust was central to success or failure of various stages of the partnership. This suggested a link between creation of trust and financial return for traditionally opposed project partners.

To further examine this matter, we interviewed 11 round table participants and asked questions about …

Habitat Use Of Sympatrically Nesting Fish Crows And American Crows, Brook Lauro, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

We examined habitat use of sympatric Fish Crows (Corvus ossifragus) and American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos) nesting in the vicinity of waterbird breeding locations at the Rockaway Peninsula, New York City. Fish Crows nested significantly more often at natural habitats, including coastal dunes and salt marsh islands; American Crows nested significantly more often at residential and recreational areas. In regard to potential foraging areas, Fish Crows nested closer to waterbird colonies and to the water's edge while American Crows nested closer to a garbage source and to lawns. Fish Crows nested significantly more often in deciduous trees …

Plug Beebee Station Into Producing Hydrogen Power, Roman Press, Marianne A. Buehler

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reviews Of Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy Of Industrial Agriculture And The Fatal Harvest Reader: The Tragedy Of Industrial Agriculture, Edited By Andrew Kimbrell, Charles A. Francis

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

Fatal Harvest introduces and dispels key myths about industrial agriculture: greater efficiency; safe and nutritious food that is cheap to consumers; benefits to wildlife and environment; how biotechnology will save the world. In essays by leading proponents of a more equitable and sustainable food system, the book presents compelling evidence that alternative systems guided by an agrarian ethic will better address our food needs while protecting our natural environment and soil resources.

Wendell Berry cites the separation of people from their food supply and natural environment as a causal factor in our ready acceptance of today's industrial agriculture. When we …

Rangeland Rehabilitation: Tal Rimah Case Study, Raed Al-Tabini, H. Soub

Raed Al-Tabini

No abstract provided.

Model State Land Use Legislation For New England, New England Environmental Finance Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Legislation

Sprawl is neither the ordained nor the inevitable outcome upon the New England landscape. A coordinated response to sprawl by the public and private sectors is possible, and could dramatically improve land use patterns and reduce the cost of local government. For the New England states, such a response would include, among other elements, legislation to eliminate existing gaps in the land use laws of each state – gaps that presently encourage or sanction sprawling development. It would also include incentives for municipalities to think beyond their borders and to act with greater efficiency and effect. It is the purpose …

A System Dynamics Model Of The Pacific Coast Rockfish Fishery, Wayne Wakeland, Olgay Cangur, Guillermo Rueda, Astrid Scholz

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper presents a model of the dynamic behavior of the yellowtail rockfish of the Pacific Coast of the United States. The purpose of the model is to generate endogenously the historical data for fish population, fishing vessels, regulatory parameters, and fish harvest. The model was subjected to a variety of tests to determine its sensitivity to changes in key parameters and initial values, including extreme conditions. Model results indicate that acceptable biological catch and fleet capacity must be adjusted quickly in response to changing conditions, in order to improve fishery sustainability. Additional analysis reinforces the policy of setting the …

Progressing Towards Governance For Sustainability At Parkfield School: Making Connections Through Dialogical Design, Sandra Wooltorton, Alan Kidd

Sandra Wooltorton

No abstract provided.

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. …

A Waste Assessment Of The Unlv Dormitories, Colin Kaneda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis is the examine the waste stream of the UNLV dormitories to see if there is a significant amount of waste than can be diverted through a possible recycling program to lower disposal costs. Also with this data we can look at if the student monitored program in the Upper Classmen Complex dormitories is having any effect on the waste stream. This was done through a waste assessment which is where garbage is sorted and weighed by categories. This study found that 35% of the waste stream is recyclable. This data was compared to the national …

Greenhouse, Land Management And Carbon Sequestration In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Wa, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Forrest Products Commission, Department Of Environment, Water And Catchment Protection, Anne Bennett

Agriculture reports

This report examines options for greenhouse emissions abatement by changing land management practices and establishing terrestrial organic carbon sinks in Western Australia.

Agroecosystems Analysis From The Grass Roots: A Multidimensional Experiential Learning Course, Mary Wiedenhoeft, Steve Simmons, Ricardo Salvador, Gina Mcandrews, Charles A. Francis, James W. King, David Hole

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

An intensive, experiential travel course in Agroecosystems Analysis was conducted in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska (United States) during summers of 1998 and 1999. The intended student audience was advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. Pretravel readings and a week-long series of farm visits, which consisted of in-depth interviews with the farmers and their families, prepared student teams to analyze and evaluate the production, economic, environmental, and social sustainability of 10 farms. Students shared their analyses both orally and in written reports. Based on a multifaceted student evaluation process, we found that participants were highly motivated, strongly engaged with the course …

Urban Biosphere Reserves: Integrating Conservation, Community And Sustainability, Jennifer L. Eastman

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Crop Updates 2003 - Geraldton, David Stephens, James Fisher, Ian Edwards, Dennis Wise, Andrew Young, Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard, Greg Shea, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jettner, Kevin Young, Kevin Walden, Geoff Thomas, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn Mclean, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn, Peter Clarke, Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker, Murray Blyth, Peter Norris, Greg Lyle, Katheryn Steadman, Amanda Ellery, Sally C. Peltzer, Kari-Lee Falconer, Russell Speed, Terry Piper, Harmohinder Dhammu, Bindi Webb, Paul Blackwell, Phil Logue, Nigel Moffat, Rohan Ford, Miles Obst, Frances Hoyle, Leanne Schulz, Judith Devenish, Peter Newman, Grant Morrow, Ian Foster, Darshan Sharma, Marnie Thomas, Graham Walton, Hasan Zaheer, Paul Carmody, Mike Clarke, Paul Raper

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty eight papers from different authors

1. Seasonal Outlook: What is in store for 2003, David Stephens, Department of Agriculture

2. Examining The Management Options For Wheat Crops In The Coming Season, James Fisher, Department of Agriculture

3. GMO’s – what do they offer? Ian Edwards, Grain Bio Tech Australia Pty Ltd

4. The Big Gamble – Wheat prices for 2003, Dennis Wise, Profarmer

5. Market outlook for other grains, Andrew Young, General Manager Agricorp

6. Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard and Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture

7. Baudin …

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A Life Cycle Assessment And Economic Analysis Of Wind Turbines Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Edward J. Liberman

Theses and Dissertations

The United States depends heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels to generate electricity. Using renewable energy sources, such as wind, could reduce air emissions and fossil fuel dependency. Previous studies have examined the life cycle costs and environmental impacts of using wind to generate electricity, but results have varied due to inconsistent modeling assumptions. This research uses Monte Carlo simulation to conduct an economic payback analysis and life cycle assessment of 11 modern, utility-scale wind turbines. Hourly meteorological data was used to evaluate 239 U.S. locations. For each location, the wind turbine with the shortest median payback period was assumed to …

An Economic Evaluation Of Binary Cycle Geothermal Electricity Production, Crissie D. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce electricity. Geothermal energy, the heat in the earth's crust, can provide an alternative source of energy for electricity production as well as reduce fossil fuel consumption. The economic analysis presented in this study focuses on binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Variables such as well flow rate, geothermal gradient and electricity prices were varied to study their influence on the economic payback period for binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Payback periods represent the amount of time (in years) necessary to recover initial costs of plant construction.

Development Of A Simplified Sustainable Facilities Guide, David F. Hargy

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has adopted the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System as the preferred self-assessment metric for sustainable development. LEED™ is designed for new construction and major renovations, and, within the Air Force, is most applicable for Military Construction (MILCON) projects. The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence developed the Air Force Sustainable Facilities Guide to provide guidance and strategies to meet LEED™ requirements. The Air Force has not adopted a sustainable development guide or rating system that is most applicable for construction projects that are relatively low (compared …

Smart Growth And Land Acquisition Priorities: A Cursory Review, New England Environmental Finance Center

Smart Growth

It is well-known and generally accepted that all undeveloped land in New England cannot forever be protected from development; nor would this be a desirable goal, as continued economic development and population growth are near certainties. For these and other reasons, private land trusts and government agencies generally use explicit criteria to prioritize their land acquisition activities and prospects.

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 …

Book Review: Tourism In China: Exotic Land Revealed, Joan S. Remington

Hospitality Review

There is no better way to lean about tourism in China than from renowned expert in the field. Alan Lew. PhD. and professor at Northern Arizona University, Lawrence Yu, Ph.D. and associate professor in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at George Washington University. John Ap, Ph.D. and associate professor in tourism management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Zhang Guangrui, director of the Tourism Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, China, have contributed to and edited a collection of writings detailing the development of tourism in this fascinating and exotic land.

Maine's Salt Marshes: Their Functions, Values, And Restoration, Michele Dionne, Erno Bonebakker, Kristen Grant

Maine Sea Grant Publications

This illustrated resource booklet for Maine residents educates the reader about the properties and functions of salt marshes. It also facilitates leadership and participation in restoration efforts by providing information for further resources.

Fire Climate Interactions And Predicting Fire Season Severity In The Mediterranean Climate Areas Of California, Southern Oregon, And Western Nevada, Alan H. Taylor, Carl N. Skinner, Andrew M. Carleton, Scott L. Stephens, Valerie Trouet, Bernd Haupt, Andrew Pierce

JFSP Research Project Reports

• We identified annual area burned for 37 National Forests in Washington, Oregon, and California between 1929 and 2004 from annual fire reports. Variation in area burned each year on National Forest lands is strongly related (r2 = 0.87) to total area burned in California. This indicates area burned in National Forests is a good indicator of total area burned in a state. • Four large groups of National Forests were identified that had similar temporal patterns of fire extent. Three of these groups were spatially coherent and included mainly: 1) Washington and northern Oregon; 2) northern California and California …

Estimating Watershed Biodiversity: An Empirical Study Of The Chesapeake Bay In Maryland, Usa, Junko Morimoto, Helena Voinov, Matthew A. Wilson, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

There has been increasing demand for rigorous methods for evaluating biodiversity, one of the ecosystem services that sustains and fulfills human life. After carefully examining the literature, we found three key points that should be taken into account when we evaluate biodiversity. The first point is that any "indicator species" tends to be a leaky target of biodiversity. The second point is that "buffering" that is useful for representing the ecological concept of boundaries should have scientific meanings. The third point is that a "watershed" that integrates most natural processes is advantageous as the spatial range for evaluation. Based on …

Guiding Growth: A Survey Of Tax Incentives, New England Environmental Finance Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Legislation

Current development patterns and increased tax pressures in local municipalities combine to harm both Maine’s natural resources and its quality of life. Previous initiatives such as the implementation of zoning laws did not fully result in the desired outcomes. Zoning laws were often too flexible and often did not resist market and political pressures to change zoning regulations to allow development with possible economic growth. A sound taxation system or fee structure may be the solution to slow down development in natural areas and direct it towards areas appropriate for growth.

To protect Maine’s natural resources more successfully from future …

Water Quality Characterization And Mathematical Modeling Of Dissolved Oxygen In The East And West Ponds, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Krishnanand Maillacheruvu, D Roy, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The current study was undertaken to characterize the East and West Ponds and develop a mathematical model of the effects of nutrient and BOD loading on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in these ponds. The model predicted that both ponds will recover adequately given the average expected range of nutrient and BOD loading due to waste from surface runoff and migratory birds. The predicted dissolved oxygen levels in both ponds were greater than 5.0 mg/L, and were supported by DO levels in the field which were typically above 5.0 mg/L during the period of this study. The model predicted a steady-state …

Action Education In Land Use Decisions: Student Views On Urbanization And Farmland Loss, Mindi Schneider, Charles A. Francis, Dick Esseks

CARI Extension and Education Materials for Sustainable Agriculture

Loss of prime farmland is a serious concern in the United States and around the globe. With rapid urban population increases, the activities and perceived needs of concentrated groups of people result in the swallowing of some of the most fertile lands in this country. Today we have just under 2 acres of productive farmland per person in the United States. Given the current population growth rate due to births and immigration, plus the present rate of farmland loss, World Watch Institute estimates that we will have about 0.6 acres or one-third as much farmland available per person by 2055--a …

People In Nature: Environmental History Of The Kennebec River, Maine, Daniel J. Michor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The quality of a river affects the tributaries, lakes, and estuary it feeds; it affects the wildlife and vegetation that depend on the river for energy, nutrients, and habitat, and also affects the human community in the form of use, access, pride, and sustainability. In an age of mass consumerism and materialism, dwindling natural resources and wild spaces, and advanced technology, the ability to make a living and at the same time enjoy the benefits of rural living is increasingly difficult. Using the entire Kennebec River watershed as the scale of investigation with particular focus on the river corridor itself, …

Environmental Management Of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Weee) In Ireland, Simon Wilkinson

Theses

This thesis follows two previous studies by the Author on the calculation of theoretical WEEE arisings, and an assessment of ecodesign practices in Ireland. It has established collection trials in five different locations throughout Ireland in order to characterise and quantify WEEE arisings, and to examine outlets for collected WEEE. Overall, during the twelve months of collection at the project locations, more than 450 tonnes of WEEE was collected from the public and recycled. Within the catchments of each facility, collection rates of between 2.1 and 3.5 kg/person/year were achieved during the twelve-month trial period. With further public awareness raising …

The Chesapeake Bay : A Synopsis, William J. Hargis Jr.

Reports

No abstract provided.