Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Needs Assessment: A Report On Seven Focus Groups In Ohio, Kevin O'Brien, Daniel Baracskay, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Mcgoun, Claudette Robey, Michael Tevesz, Kirstin Toth

Michael J. Tevesz

A series of seven focus groups were conducted in various locations throughout northern Ohio to identify and assess coastal resources management training needs across the Ohio Great Lakes basin. The focus groups were comprised of a cross-section of professionals who make decisions affecting watershed areas or Lake Erie coastal areas. Six of the focus groups included decision-makers considered previous and potential users of coastal resources management training (non-providers). A seventh focus group included decision-makers who provide training in coastal resources management (providers).

Coastal Resources Management Training Needs Assessment: Strategies And Opportunities, Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC), Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Coastal Management Program (ODNRCMP), and Ohio Sea Grant College Program engaged the Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center (GLEFC) to aid them in developing a coastal resources management training initiative for Ohio coastal decision-makers. Coastal decision-maker professionals are expected to formulate effective strategies and apply interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems and policy issues that affect the environments of coastal regions. There are a number of professionals in a variety of occupations who make decisions regarding coastal and environmental policy issues. These individuals include those within the coastal resources …

Trends Analysis Of Coastal Training Programs In The National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Executive Summary, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Kirstin Toth, Dan Baracksay, Michael Mcgoun, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

No abstract provided.

Coastal Training Market Analysis: Final Report, Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, Daniel Barasckay, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

A market is emerging for policy makers in the area of coastal resources management. Individuals, as professionals or private citizens, are frequently called upon to make decisions regarding coastal environmental issues. The context in which they do so varies considerably; thus education and training in this topic area serves to heighten and expand the knowledge base of the coastal decision-maker.

Trends Analysis Of Coastal Training Programs In The National Estuarine Research Reserve System, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Kirstin Toth, Daniel Baracksay, Michael Mcgoun, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

The National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS) Coastal Training Program (CTP) is a system-wide training program that aims to increase informed decision-making related to coastal resource management at local and regional levels. The CTP serves as the NERRS flagship program for knowledge and information transfer, and provides an effective vehicle to ensure that science-based knowledge and skills get into the hands and minds of those individuals making decisions about the coast on a regular basis in a professional or volunteer capacity. At the local level, Reserve staff conducts intensive planning to develop targeted training programs that complement other training efforts within …

An Assessment Of The Coastal Training Program Needs Of The Anerr Region, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Kevin O'Brien, Michael Mcgoun, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

A series of focus groups were conducted throughout northwest Florida to obtain input from coastal decision-makers into the design and development of a coastal resources management training program for the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR). The focus groups were comprised of a cross section of coastal and environmental professionals who make decisions affecting coastal and watershed areas. The focus group decision-makers were primarily employed in the public sector (federal, state, local, governmental, nonprofit, or academic), with nearly half of the participants having between six and 15 years of professional experience.

An Analysis Of The Anerr Coastal Resources Management Training Market, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Daniel Baracskay, Michael Mcgoun, Michael Tevesz

Michael J. Tevesz

The market analysis for the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve revealed that there is a diverse body of coastal resources management training providers who offer training in the Florida Panhandle. These organizations are primarily either governmental agencies, or institutions of higher education. Most of them offer this training to various audiences as part of their missions, although a select few offer it as the sole purpose of their organizations.

Needs Assessment: A Report On Seven Focus Groups In Ohio: Report Summary, Kevin O'Brien, Daniel Baracskay, Wendy Kellogg, Michael Mcgoun, Claudette Robey, Michael Tevesz, Kirstin Toth

Michael J. Tevesz

Coastal decision-makers and training providers in the Ohio Lake Erie basin participated in seven focus groups to generate information on coastal resources knowledge and training needs. Six of the focus groups were comprised of a cross-section of professionals who make decisions affecting watershed areas or Lake Erie coastal areas (non-providers); the seventh was comprised of training providers (providers). Discussions centered on two main areas: core knowledge needs and training needs.

Assessment And Behaviour Of Secondary Iron(Iii) Minerals In Acid Sulphate Soil Materials, Chamindra Vithana

Chamindra Vithana

This study examined two aspects of acidity generating secondary Fe(III) minerals (i.e. schwertmannite and jarosite) in acid sulfate soils (ASS) environments: i) accurate identification and quantification, and ii) improving our understanding of their behaviour in ASS.The study showed that current assessment methods have a number of limitations and are not reliable for accurate estimation of both minerals in ASS environments. The study also showed that in natural environments, these minerals can behave in a manner different to current conceptual understanding. The broad implication of this study was identification of the need for development of improved management techniques for ASS.

2014-15 Central West State Of The Environment Report, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

Expert Systems Model For Kentucky Arrow Darter Habitat In The Upper Kentucky River Basin, Benjamin L. Blandford, Michael Shouse

Benjamin L. Blandford

No abstract provided.

Wildlife Of The Gold Coast Wetlands, Shelley Burgin, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: Water in the landscape of the Gold Coast is dominated by marine and marine-influenced systems. The most obvious are the in-shore waters abutting the Gold Coast's world-famous beaches and estuaries. Little more than a glance at a map of the city also reveals the extensive canal estates built to take advantage of the marine waters, and indeed expand them. The waters of the rivers mix with the ocean's waters in the estuaries. These ecosystems are valuable nursery areas for marine wildlife, particularly, but not restricted to, fishes of commercial and recreational value.

In Conclusion, Something To Chew On: Native Plant Foods Of The Gold Coast, Simon Grigalius, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: Ask most people what Gold Coast food is and you may hear answers like the ubiquitous prawn cocktail with avocado, a burger with ' fresh' pineapple available at the local surf club, or fish and chips (eaten on the beach to give it the seaside connection), with the fish often imported from New Zealand or Vietnam. None of this is the true food of the Gold Coast.

State Of The Environment, Tor Hundloe

Tor Hundloe

Extract: What have we done? What have we learned? In this chapter we turn our attention to the people of the Gold Coast and their environmental impacts, as experienced in the 21st century. The past is gone. The damage is done. Dramatic change in landforms and ecological relationships are inevitable in building cities. From this we can only learn and do things better in the future. This is why there will never be another Gold Coast like the one we describe in this book.

Geochemical Evidence For An Eolian Sand Dam Across The North And South Platte Rivers In Nebraska, Daniel R. Muhs, James B. Swinehart, David B. Loope, Josh Been, Shannon A. Mahan, Charles A. Bush

David B. Loope

Geochemical and geomorphic data from dune fields in southwestern Nebraska provide new evidence that the Nebraska Sand Hills once migrated across the North and South Platte rivers and dammed the largest tributary system to the Missouri River. The Lincoln County and Imperial dune fields, which lie downwind of the South Platte River, have compositions intermediate between the Nebraska Sand Hills (quartz-rich) and northeastern Colorado dunes (K-feldspar-rich). The most likely explanation for the intermediate composition is that the Lincoln County and Imperial dunes are derived in part from the Nebraska Sand Hills and in part from the South Platte River. The …

Deposition, Deflation And Diagenesis Of Upper Paleozoic Eolian Sediments Canyonlands National Park, Utah, David Loope

David B. Loope

No abstract provided.

Ignoring Nature: Why We Do It, The Dire Consequences, And The Need For A Paradigm Shift To Save Animals, Habitats, And Ourselves, Marc Bekoff, Sarah Bexell

Sarah M. Bexell, PhD

The article discusses the importance of biodiversity and on how people protect animals and habitats. It describes the conservation psychology and conservation social work. It suggests that there will be fewer people who will actually be able to make a positive difference in the relationships with animals and ecosystems.

Day 1: Wednesday, 17 August 2005: Biodiversity And Critical Habitat, Charles Bedford, Federico Cheever, Tim Sullivan

Tim Sullivan

6 pages (includes color illustration). Contains references.

Variable Renewable Energy In Modeling Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios, Falko Ueckerdt, Robert J. Brecha, Gunnar Luderer, Patrick Sullivan, Eva Schmid, Nico Bauer, Diana Böttger

Robert J. Brecha

This paper addresses the issue of how to account for short‐term temporal variability of renewable energy sources and power demand in long‐term climate change mitigation scenarios in energy‐economic models. An approach that captures in a stylized way the major challenges to the integration of variable renewable energy sources into power systems has been developed. As a first application this approach has been introduced to REMIND‐D, a hybrid energy‐economy model of Germany. An approximation of the residual load duration curve is implemented. The approximating function endogenously changes depending on the penetration and mix of variable renewable power. The approach can thus …

Establishing Building Recommissioning Priorities And Potential Energy Savings From Utility Energy Data, Kevin P. Hallinan, Philip Brodrick, Jessica Northridge, J. Kelly Kissock, Robert J. Brecha

Robert J. Brecha

An energy reduction program for commercial buildings is implemented for a SW Ohio natural gas utility. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that historical utility data for individual building customers, along with knowledge of pertinent building information (square footage, year built, number of floors, height of floors, wall construction type, and use type) available in county auditor databases, could be used to identify the best candidate buildings for recommissioning in terms of energy savings and simple payback. A study is completed for all natural gas customers of a utility in Montgomery and Clinton counties in Ohio. A total …

Rose: Roadmaps Towards Sustainable Energy Futures And Climate Protection: A Synthesis Of Results From The Rose Project, Elmar Kriegler, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Gunnar Luderer, Nico Bauer, Katherine Calvin, Enrica Decian, Robert J. Brecha, Wenying Chen, Aleh Cherp, Jae Edmonds, Kejun Jiang, Shonali Pachauri, Fabio Sferra, Massimo Tavoni, Ottmar Edenhofer

Robert J. Brecha

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Exploring energy demand and supply uncertainty: An exploration of uncertainty on drivers of energy demand and supply is indispensable for better understanding the prospects of long-tern climate stabilization. The RoSE study is the first of its kind to systematically explore the impact of economic growth, population and fossil fuel scarcity, in scenarios with and without climate policy, using a model ensemble. A feature of RoSE is the participation of five established integrated assessment modelling teams from three important regions in international climate policy negotiations: the EU, the USA and China. Economic growth: Neither slow nor rapid economic growth …

Economics Of Nuclear Power And Climate Change Mitigation Policies, Nico Bauer, Robert Brecha, Gunnar Luderer

Robert J. Brecha

The events of March 2011 at the nuclear power complex in Fukushima, Japan, raised questions about the safe operation of nuclear power plants, with early retirement of existing nuclear power plants being debated in the policy arena and considered by regulators. Also, the future of building new nuclear power plants is highly uncertain. Should nuclear power policies become more restrictive, one potential option for climate change mitigation will be less available. However, a systematic analysis of nuclear power policies, including early retirement, has been missing in the climate change mitigation literature. We apply an energy economy model framework to derive …

Renewable Energy In The Context Of Sustainable Development, Jayant Sathaye, Oswaldo Lucon, Atiq Rahman, John Christensen, Fatima Denton, Junichi Fujino, Garvin Heath, Monirul Mirza, Hugh Rudnick, August Schlaepfer, Andrey Shmakin, Gerhard Angerer, Christian Bauer, Morgan Bazilian, Robert J. Brecha, Peter Burgherr, Leon Clarke, Felix Creutzig, James Edmonds, Christian Hagelüken, Gerrit Hansen, Nathan Hultman, Michael Jakob, Susanne Kadner, Manfred Lenzen, Jordan Macknick, Eric Masanet, Yu Nagai, Anne Olhoff, Karen Olsen, Michael Pahle, Ari Rabl, Richard Richels, Joyashree Roy, Tormod Schei, Christoph Von Stechow, Jan Christoph Steckel, Ethan Warner, Tom Wilbanks, Yimin Zhang

Robert J. Brecha

Historically, economic development has been strongly correlated with increasing energy use and growth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Renewable energy (RE) can help decouple that correlation, contributing to sustainable development (SD). In addition, RE offers the opportunity to improve access to modern energy services for the poorest members of society, which is crucial for the achievement of any single of the eight Millennium Development Goals. Theoretical concepts of SD can provide useful frameworks to assess the interactions between SD and RE. SD addresses concerns about relationships between human society and nature. Traditionally, SD has been framed in the three-pillar model—Economy, …

Ten Reasons To Take Peak Oil Seriously, Robert Brecha

Robert J. Brecha

Forty years ago, the results of modeling, as presented in The Limits to Growth, reinvigorated a discussion about exponentially growing consumption of natural resources, ranging from metals to fossil fuels to atmospheric capacity, and how such consumption could not continue far into the future. Fifteen years earlier, M. King Hubbert had made the projection that petroleum production in the continental United States would likely reach a maximum around 1970, followed by a world production maximum a few decades later. The debate about “peak oil," as it has come to be called, is accompanied by some of the same vociferous denials, …

Annual Brome Biocontrol After Wildfire Using A Native Fungal Seed Pathogen, Susan E. Meyer, Phil S. Allen, Julie Beckstead, Michael Gregg, Heidi Newsome, Kathleen Harcksen, Gary Kidd, Glenn Paulsen, Karen Prentice, Dana Quinney, David Wilderman, Stephanie Carlson, Suzette Clement, Duane Smith, Thom Stewart, Katie Merrill, Keith Merrill, Kedra Foote, Stephen Harrison, Kelly Bergen, Brian Connelly, Trevor Davis, Sandra Dooley, Michael Huck, Laura Street, Lauren Miller

Benjamin L. Harwood

A major problem in post-fire restoration of semi-arid shrublands dominated by annual bromes is the presence of carryover seed banks that cannot be controlled using conventional methods. These seeds can provide significant competition for seeded species in the years following treatment. We investigated the feasibility of using a naturally occurring seed pathogen, the ascomycete Pyrenophora semeniperda, as a biocontrol organism for eliminating this carryover seed bank. We carried out the necessary technology development to create and apply field inoculum to cheatgrass- or red brome-infested areas (both burned and unburned) at six sites located in three states across two years of …

The Impacts Of Climate Change Mitigation Strategies On Animal Welfare, Sara Shields, Geoffrey Orme-Evans

Sara Shields, PhD

The objective of this review is to point out that the global dialog on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in animal agriculture has, thus far, not adequately considered animal welfare in proposed climate change mitigation strategies. Many suggested approaches for reducing emissions, most of which could generally be described as calls for the intensification of production, can have substantial effects on the animals. Given the growing world-wide awareness and concern for animal welfare, many of these approaches are not socially sustainable. This review identifies the main emission abatement strategies in the climate change literature that would negatively affect animal welfare and …

Review Of The Operations Of Bay Village, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd, Claudette Robey, James Wyles, Kevin E. O'Brien

James Wyles

No abstract provided.

Do Zoos And Aquariums Promote Attitude Change In Visitors? A Critical Evaluation Of The American Zoo And Aquarium Study, Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Randy Malamud, Nathan Nobis, Ron Broglio

Lori Marino, PhD

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos …

The Gold Coast Transformed : From Wilderness To Urban Ecosystem, Tor Hundloe, Bridgette Mcdougall, Craig Page

Tor Hundloe

Extract: This is the story of a unique city, Australia’s premier tourist city, a city cut out of coastal vegetation, including paperbark swamps, mangroves and rainforests of worldwide significance. The city has a relatively short history as until half a century ago (two human generations) it was but several relatively small villages, each with its own natural and social features. Two generations is a very short time for a city to grow to be the sixth-largest in population in Australia and to have global recognition as the country’s beach playground. The Gold Coast ranks with Honolulu in Hawaii, with Palm …

Attitudes And Perspectives Of Front-Line Workers In Environmental Policy: A Case Study Of Ohio Epa And Wisconsin Dnr, Sara Rinfret, Michelle Pautz

Michelle Pautz

This research is an effort to focus on frontline regulators with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. An online survey was conducted of frontline regulators in these agencies to explore their knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives on policy implementation. More specifically, we endeavor to answer how frontline workers implement environmental policy. To analyze these data, we use two categorizations of factors (knowledge and attitudes, and contextual factors) offered by May and Winter (2009) to examine what influences the decision making of frontline regulators in their regulatory interactions. We find that despite common presumptions of adversarialism in …