Sustainability Commons^™

Land Education And Young People Working Toward Salamander: Collective Well-Being In Response To Bioindicators Of Socioenvironmental Justice, Rachael Arens, Ricardo Martinez

Democracy and Education

Our planet is facing many environmental challenges, including climate change, loss of biodiversity and habitat, and pollution, while many of our populations are also experiencing marginalization due to poverty, race, gender, language, ability, and environmental injustices. Environmental hazards and policies often impact those in society who are most at-risk, creating a need for an environmental education (EE) movement that encourages students to challenge and regain control of a system that impacts them. Teachers can implement a reflection tool known as the SALAMANDER Collective Well-Being in Response to Bioindicators of Socioenvironmental Justice Framework to prompt students and other educators to place …

Complex Impacts Of Wars On Global Sustainable Development In A Metacoupled World, Qutu Jiang, Zhenci Xu, Yuanzheng Cui, Jianguo Liu

I-GUIDE Forum

Wars and armed conflicts have had profound impacts on local and global sustainable development in an interconnected world. However, evidence on the impacts of wars is fragmented and little attention has been paid to the impacts on the 17 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a unifying framework for achieving global sustainable development. This perspective synthesizes the scattered information to provide a holistic analysis and highlight the applications of remote sensing in assessing the impacts of wars on global sustainable development in a metacoupling world. Wars have complex impacts on all 17 SDGs, which cascade beyond conflict zones and spillover to …

Water Wise Landscape Practices: A Case Study For The City Of Gering, Christina E. Land

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

This professional project is founded on my education, experiences, and networks. I have had the opportunity to use what I have learned thus far and be challenged to look at public planning from a different perspective. In partnership with the City of Gering I was able to get knee deep in the facility planning of the city owned property which is home to the Community Ever Green House. The project reviews how the property is integrated into the community and the impact it has. Then, identifies opportunities to improve overall functionality with a closer look at addressing hazard mitigation using …

Portugal To New Mexico: Investigating The Applicability Of Syntropic Agriculture To A Semi-Arid Continental Climate, Arielle Nathan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Conventional industrial agriculture has numerous detrimental effects on the environment including high carbon emissions, pollution and overconsumption of water, soil degradation, and reduction of biodiversity (FAO, 2018). Large-scale alternatives are needed to combat these negative consequences and provide climate solutions. Syntropic Agriculture is a promising farming alternative especially in arid systems subject to degraded soils and desertification. New Mexico is a semi-arid continental climate in a prolonged period of drought and predicted to experience worsening agricultural conditions due to desertification, wildfire intensification, and exacerbated water scarcity. In an area with similar agricultural challenges, a project in Mértola, Portugal (Terra Sintrópica) …

Oscars Vs. Ozone: The Motion Picture Industry’S Impact On Climate Change And What They Are Doing About It, Alexis J. Simpson

Senior Theses

This thesis focuses on demonstrating that the motion picture industry, which includes film and television production (and thus will also be called ‘the film and television industry’), has notably contributed to the global effects of climate change. Such contributions can stem from the industry’s emissions and waste, with examples including travel for cast and crew, energy use for production equipment (some of which run on diesel), and disposable physical sets and costumes. The intention here is to give an accurate picture of current production practices and share examples of progress in the industry that are combating the negative impacts of …

A Case Study Of Sustainable Development At The Penonomé Wind Farms, A Cdm Registered Project In Coclé, John Matuszewski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Penonomé wind projects fit into a long history of previous internationally financed development projects in Panama, including those from the Clean Development Mechanism. A moderate level of research has been conducted on other Clean Development Mechanism projects, but despite contributing to 5% of Panama’s energy needs and constituting the largest wind park in Central America, the Penonomé wind farms remain little researched. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with relevant people associated with the project or with relevant information to gain more information about the case study. Using the information processed from these reviews and information from publicly available resources, the …

Assessing The Performance Of Agricultural Systems In The Inland And Coastal Regions Of Northern Portugal Using Indicators: Establishing The Foundation Towards Better Agricultural Practices, Genevieve Gehlken

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study conducts a comprehensive evaluation of agricultural systems in the distinct coastal and inland regions of Northern Portugal. Employing key indicators, including soil erosion, nitrogen surplus, irrigation practices, Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and crop yield, the analysis reveals statistically significant disparities and unique challenges in each region. The coastal areas, marked by higher agricultural GDP, exhibit distinct economic dependencies on agriculture, while the inland regions face challenges related to water scarcity, soil erosion, and rural isolation. The looming threat of climate change adds complexity to these dynamics, further highlighting the need for region-specific, sustainable agricultural practices. In the …

Challenges Of Embedding Sustainability In Organizational Culture, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

Advocating for robust, aggressive, and advanced sustainability is a direction that is ideal yet challenging. It means not only decreasing additional harm to the environment but, at the same time, objectively using renewable energy flow. Embedding sustainability as part of organizational culture appears to be a daunting task. Not all enterprise managers comprehensively understand the phenomenon, which entails proper awareness of its benefits and consequences. This qualitative study focuses on Philippine business enterprises' ability to embed a regenerative sustainable culture. It includes salient insights from five Philippine medium-sized enterprise owners who were also acting as managers. It shows that the …

Prioritization Of Scientific Sources Of Water Information: The Effect Knowledge, Beliefs, And Political Identity, Sadie Hundemer

Journal of Applied Communications

Scientists are reported to be more trusted than other information sources; yet, on essential water facts, people sometimes reject what they perceive water scientists to believe in favor of other belief determinants. This study examines the factors that affect the difference in people's stated willingness to reconsider their water beliefs in response to information provided by scientists relative to information provided by other sources. Regression analysis of responses provided by 806 Florida and Georgia residents found water science knowledge to be a consistently strong influencer of the gap in reliance on scientific information providers relative to other sources. This result …

Scientific And Technological Innovation And Cooperation Support High-Quality Development Of The Belt And Road Initiative, Chunli Bai

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Belt and Road Initiative has become a popular international public goods and international cooperation platform in the past decade since it was firstly proposed in 2013. China and the Belt and Road participating countries and regions have made considerable progress in scientific and technological cooperation, including carrying out scientific and technological cooperation actions and plans, building international scientific organizations and science and education cooperation centers, providing talent training platforms, etc. Nevertheless, in the new era, the Belt and Road faces many challenges such as the unpredictable external environment, the incomplete top-level design and mechanism, the insufficient depth of scientific …

Research On Science And Technology Cooperation Pattern Of The Belt And Road Initiative, Weidong Liu, Jing Li, Guohua Xiao, Zhouying Song, Jiansheng Qu, Yafeng Wang, Fahu Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Science and technology cooperation has become an important driving force for the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This study intends to explore how international science and technology cooperation can empower the highquality development of the BRI co-construction. By sorting out the practice of science and technology cooperation in boosting the development of the Belt and Road countries and regions since the raise of BRI, and analyzing the problems and challenges encountered, countermeasures and suggestions for the new era are finally proposed in this study.

S&T Innovation Study For The Digital Belt And Road, Huadong Guo, Fang Chen, Yu Chen, Guozhuang Shen, Chuansheng Liu, Yunwei Tang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Digital technology can promote the sustainable development of countries and regions along the route of Belt and Road Initiative and help enhance interconnectivity in technology, standards, rules, and digital infrastructure. Science and technology play a crucial role in the construction of the Digital Belt and Road. However, currently, some countries and regions along the route of Belt and Road Initiative lack sufficient digital infrastructure, and there is a shortage of critical core digital technology and challenges in its promotion. It is essential to build an innovative ecosystem for the Digital Belt and Road that includes facilities, technology, mechanisms, and capabilities …

Accelerating Construction Of New Development Pattern Of Dual Circulation By Building Belt And Road With High Quality, Xiong Ying, Zijian Shangguan, Ying Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This paper firstly reviews the achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since its raise 10 years ago in terms of policy communication, facility connectivity, trade exchanges, financial integration, and people-to-people bond, and explains the significance of BRI to the new development pattern of the dual circulation. Then, combined with the actual national conditions of China's new development stage, it analyzes the opportunities and challenges of the construction of the Belt and Road in the new situation of the global economy and trade. Finally, it puts forward policy suggestions for the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road in …

Case Study And Recommendations On Technological Collaboration In Supporting Development Of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Under The Belt And Road Initiative, Xiaowei Nie, Xiaoduo Pan, Zhuoying Zhang, Yang Yang, Yang Yang, Xinyu Gong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Belt and Road Initiative has played an important role in promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind and actively integrated into the global governance system over the past decade. At the same time, through scientific and technological cooperation, it has also significantly impacted domestic regional development. The Tibetan Plateau, known as the “Third Pole” of the Earth, is not only an important internationalized region but also a crucial component of the Belt and Road Initiative, offering opportunities to establish a South Asian land corridor. This study analyzes and summarizes the role of scientific and …

Key Areas For Scientific And Technological Cooperation In Ecological And Environmental Protection And Sustainable Development In The Belt And Road Initiative, Bojie Fu, Yanxu Liu, Wenwu Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Green is the foundation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This study examines the ecological and environmental risks faced by BRI and their impact on sustainable development. It identifies key research areas in ecological and environmental protection that support sustainable development, including water resource management and water-saving technologies, water environment governance and human health assurance, land degradation prevention and control technologies and demonstrations, biodiversity conservation and the utilization of biological resources, mechanisms and models for ecosystem restoration, and environmental governance for community sustainable development. It is hoped to enhancing scientific and technological cooperation in ecological and environmental governance among …

International Cooperation Mechanism Of Collaborated Disaster Risk Management For Belt And Road, Shaohong Wu, Yu Lei, Wei Xu, Saini Yang, Qunli Han, Fang Lian, Shengnan Wu, Peng Cui

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Belt and Road countries and regions have complicated geological environment and controlled by monsoon climate, which is easy to cause a variety of natural disasters and lead to serious harm. The natural disasters have become an important factor hindering the green development to the Belt and Road countries and regions. At the same time, most of the Belt and Road countries and regions are developing countries and regions, with lower capacity for disaster prevention and reduction. It is difficult for science and technology as well as institutional mechanisms to meet the needs of the implementation of the Belt and …

Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions In The Context Of Earth System Science, Nianzhi Jiao, Tingwei Luo, Jihua Liu, Quanrui Chen, Chenba Zhu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Comparing the records of geological events and the observations of the current climate, the debate on the main cause of global warming, which has lasted for more than 30 years, is now to an end. Along the global consensus, it is imperative to seek effective solutions to the mitigation of climate change for China and the countries along Belt and Road route, which are facing the unavoidable conflicts between development and protection. Based on these analyses, The study proposes that reasonable and legitimate transformative Ocean Negative Carbon Emission (ONCE) approach should be developed in the context of Earth system science …

Cultivation Of Scientific And Technological Innovation Talents For The Belt And Road Initiative: China’S Advantages, Challenges And Critical Paths, Jin Qin, Shixin Tan, Yizhu Shen, Liuzhu Gong, Jianxun Chu, Liangchen Fan, Xinhe Bao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Scientific and technological talents are critical resources to China and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Although China is the most favorable destination country for overseas students in Asia, it is facing increasing global competition for talents, especially from the developed countries that have introduced policies to attract international students and scientific and technological innovation talents, China highly needs to figure out how to attract more high-quality foreign students and talents, and how to cultivate more innovation talents to serve the Belt and Road development. This study first evaluates science and education rankings of the Belt and Road countries and …

Building The Health Silk Road Within The Belt And Road Initiative From A Systematic View, Shouyang Wang, Qin Bao, Qi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Life and health are common challenges faced by mankind, and the building of the Health Silk Road is the fundamental content of the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. There are great differences in the level of economic and social development of the countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Under the increasingly complex and severe global biosecurity situation, scientific guidance from a systematic perspective is required for comprehensively improving the medical and health conditions and life and health quality of different countries and regions. Aiming at the challenges faced by the building of the Health Silk …

Belt And Road Science & Technology Cooperation: Current Situation, Challenges And Development Directions, Hongyan He, Shuxian Wu, Jiayu Xin, Hui Zhao, Yanlei Wang, Dongxia Yan, Linglong Shan, Xin Wang, Yuliang Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward, China has actively engaged in innovation cooperation with coconstruction countries and regions, and has made gratifying achievements in basic scientific research, technology transfer and transformation, the cooperation network and platform base construction. At present, new changes and situations in the political and economic landscape worldwide have put forward higher requirements for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Therefore, high-quality joint construction of Belt and Road needs to sum up the experience and identify areas of cooperation. In this context, the study summarizes the current situation and main challenges of …

Climate Stories: South Carolina, Volume 1, Kaelyn Emon, Emily Arnold, Samantha Carter, Hayden Jones, Sarah Owens, Noel A. Tufts, Tiana White, Laura Barbas Rhoden, Christine S. Dinkins

Community Based Research

In this volume, you will hear from South Carolina residents about how they have been sensing climate change throughout their lifetimes. All stories have been anonymized with the use of pseudonyms, except where participants asked for their story to be associated with their name.

Self-Reported Consumption Of Bottled Water V. Tap Water In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Jason W. Marion

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Quantitative studies on drinking water perceptions in Appalachia are limited. High-profile water infrastructure failures in the U.S. and Eastern Kentucky, coupled with human-made and natural disasters in the Appalachian Region, have likely impacted opinions regarding tap water.

Purpose: To use existing unexplored data to describe baseline tap water v. bottled water consumption in Kentucky.

Methods: Telephone-based cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2013 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) directed by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Among many items in KHIP, self-reported consumption of bottled water over tap water, reasons for bottled water use, and demographic data were obtained. …

Background Situation, Strategic Suggestions And Future Prospects Of Construction Of New Energy System, Ye Zhu, Shiming Xu, Xiaohua Ding, Haitao Yin, Donglan Zha, Hao Ding, Aimin Zhou, Shun Wan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“We will speed up the planning and development of a system for new energy sources” is a new formulation and new judgment of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which points out a new development direction for China's energy industry and has important strategic significance. Standing at a new starting point, how to accurately understand the core essence of the new energy system, what key construction tasks the new energy system contains, what key points standing at a new starting point, following issues, i.e., how to accurately understand the core essence of the new energy system, …

Pathways For Medium- And Long-Term Sustainable Supply Of Typical Strategic Metals In China In Context Of Carbon Neutrality, Xianlai Zeng, Jinhui Li, Yong Geng, Han Hao, Weirun Huang, Xin Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Mineral resources are fundamental materials for economic and social development. Irrational exploration, utilization and consumption not only undermine the security of industrial chain and supply chain, but also seriously damage ecosystem. A new round of technological revolution and carbon neutral strategy is reshaping the global innovation distribution and technical structure. As China's economic and social development advances into post-epidemic stage, the supply and demand structure of strategic metal resources has experienced profound changes. The security challenges extend from traditional security of access to resource to the entire chains, including extraction, processing, use and recycling. China's solid waste generation has grown …

Research On China’S Marine Protected Areas Policy Based On Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 Targets, Ke Duan, Xiulin Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the Conference of Parties (COP15) has set a series of targets, including protecting at least 30% of the oceans by 2030 worldwide. In China, how to build a marine ecological civilization in synergy with the targets has become an important issue. This study analyzes the necessity of accelerating the construction of marine protected areas in China from the perspectives of adapting to international trends, fulfilling the responsibilities of international conventions, safeguarding maritime rights and interests, and implementing the maritime power and strategy. The feasibility …

The Influence Of Framing And Recent Experience On Farmer Choices In Experimental Games Depicting Risk-Reducing Agricultural Technologies, Ana Maria Ospina Tobar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is a major threat to food security, particularly in low and middle-income countries that are highly dependent on staple crops for subsistence. The vulnerability of staple crops, like maize, in the face of climate change, is increasing due to the increasing frequency of droughts. This thesis aims to evaluate two mechanisms through which farmers may be more willing to adopt new technologies that increase their resilience to climate change: First, I evaluate the effectiveness of a new virtual maize farming game as a learning tool to teach farmers about the outcomes they could obtain under different weather events …

Collaborative And Engaged Research To Strengthen Equity And Adaptive Governance In Co-Managed Fisheries, Gabrielle V. Hillyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small-scale, co-managed fisheries are found throughout the world and often represent intertwining cultures, societies, communities, economies, institutions, and governments. They face complex issues, derived from ecological and social sources. Solving these issues requires diverse expertise, often developed through engaged methodologies which can facilitate collaborative solution creation between researchers, community members, and others. In this dissertation, I demonstrate the benefits of these engaged methodologies and review how they, when coupled with anticolonial approaches to research, can create more equitable solutions to complex issues. This dissertation focuses on multiple projects within the wild clam fishery in Maine including: (1) the creation of …

Scaling Up The Relevance Of Land-Sea Connections In Coastal Bacteria Pollution Vulnerability, Bea E. Van Dam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria pollution closures of Maine’s coastal shellfish harvest areas have substantial negative consequences for coastal businesses and communities. Sustainability solutions for Maine’s shellfish harvesting areas and businesses require new types of knowledge and information to protect water quality and public health while avoiding unnecessary fishery closures. Coastal management agencies have interests in tools to support science-based management decision-making related to pollution and sustainability solutions for businesses and communities.

Prior research into land-sea connections has demonstrated uses of geographic information and statistical methods to facilitate management and science communication. Research in Maine has focused on identification and comparison of attributes influencing …

Bring On The Heat, Renée Stoute

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

According to the World Economic Forum, in retaliation to European Union sanctions and embargoes, Russia cut EU gas flows by around 80% between May and October 2022 (WEF, 2022). The EU, in turn, has had to not only reduce energy consumption within the public and private sectors but has also scrambled to find energy alternatives to compensate for its energy shortcomings. However, due to the EU’s rejection of Russian oil and gas, there are now opportunities to embrace more sustainable energy alternatives quicker than previously expected. This could lead to a faster transition towards the use of cleaner and more …

Exerting The Think Tank Role Of Academic Divisions And Serving The Needs Of National Dual Carbon Strategy—Major Consultancy Project Of Carbon Neutrality By Cas Academic Divisions, Jianming Gong, Hejun Yu, Xiaonan Duan, Jiansheng Qu, Jingjing Zeng, Chen Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The main responsibility of the national strategic scientific and technological force is to focus on national strategic needs, refine key scientific problems in basic research, and gather resources to conduct original and leading scientific and technological research. The dual carbon goal is an internal requirement to implement the new development concept, construct a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development. It is a major strategic decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in current domestic and international situations. We take the carbon neutrality major consulting project, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as a specific case, …