Sustainability Commons^™

Exploiting Synchrotron “Light” To Study Chemistry Of Trace Elements In Soils And Plants, Ryan Tappero

Sustainability Seminar Series

Biogeochemical studies often require characterization of elemental abundances and speciation in samples that are chemically and physically heterogeneous at the micrometer scale. Synchrotron radiation sources are ideal for developing high intensity, highly-focused X-ray probes for interrogating the speciation, transport, and reactions of trace elements in heterogeneous earth and biological materials with detection sensitivities in the attogram range and spatial resolutions less than 1 micrometer.

X-ray Fluorescence Microprobe (XFM) is a new, multi-modal X-ray fluorescence microscope recently installed at the National Synchrotron Light Source-II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. XFM has capabilities for X- ray micro-fluorescence (μ-XRF) imaging and tomography, X-ray …

Development, Energy, And Climate Change Policy: Enabling Sustainable Development Through Access To Energy, Robert J. Brecha

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Human rights, human development, and climate change clearly overlap in many ways. Development, as quantified by the Human Development Index (HDI), for example, has historically been strongly correlated with energy consumption. This fact is recognized in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” Currently the world is in the midst of a large wave of human migration, much of it involuntary and due to stymied development opportunities as well as political upheaval. Climate change will become, or already is, an exacerbating factor in migration dynamics.

A pertinent question is how …

Sustainability For Whom? Place-Makers Of Detroit, Dominica, Ecuador, And Mexico, Emma Gaalaas Mullaney

Sponsored Events -- List

Drawing from more than a decade of work with farmers in rural and urban areas across the Americas, Professor Gaalaas Mullaney highlights some key findings about how small-scale farmers have a big influence on the conservation of cultural and ecological richness in their region. In each of these diverse places, innovative farmers work at the margins of dominant political and economic institutions with only occasional recognition of the value that they produce. What can these farmers teach us about how to cultivate place-based sustainability? How is sustainability related to social and economic justice?

Morphodynamics Of Atolls, Reef Flats, And The Islands Atop Them, Andrew Ashton

Sustainability Seminar Series

The atolls that dot the tropical oceans of (primarily) the Pacific and Indian Oceans contain shallow and emergent coastal environments that often comprise the only subaerial, inhabitable land of many island chains and island nations. Created foremost by calcifying organisms, and composed of both biogenic rocky substrate and detrital sediment, these shallow environments are shaped by waves, currents, and tides. The low-lying, geomorphically active reef islands sitting atop of atolls face considerable hazards from climate change. I will present a series of recent and ongoing research projects addressing the formation mechanisms and potential climate change response of coastal atoll environments, …

Using Bayesian Networks To Forecast Barrier Island Geomorphology And Impacts To Piping Plover Habitat Due To Sea-Level Rise, Ben Gutierrez

Sustainability Seminar Series

The ability to evaluate the impact of sea-level rise (SLR) on coastal landforms and habitats is important for informing management and policy decisions. A particular area of concern exists along the east coast of the United States, where the evolution of barrier islands over the remainder of the 21st century and beyond will require management and policy decisions in order to effectively balance human development demands and the protection of habitat quality. We developed methods to evaluate the evolution of barrier islands and associated habitat changes for piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), a threatened species that relies on beach and barrier …

Applied Research At American Water – Turning Ideas Into Applications, Orren D. Schneider

Sustainability Seminar Series

Dr. Schneider will present an overview of American Water’s Research and Development program. American Water is the largest investor-owned utility in the US and its research program has been investigating issues critical to the water industry for over 30 years. The R&D team, based in New Jersey, is comprised of more than 15 engineers, chemists, and microbiologists and is currently involved with research related to such diverse topics as biofiltration, management of Legionella, advanced oxidation of trace organic compounds, remote sensing for algae detection as part of multi- layer early warning systems for mitigation of harmful algae blooms, remote sensing …

Offshore Wind Power: Can New Jersey Find A Place At The Table?, Jeremy Firestone

Sustainability Seminar Series

NJ enacted an offshore renewable energy certificate (OREC) law in 2010. It was thought that the OREC law would usher in a new era for New Jersey, with it enjoying clean, carbon-free renewable offshore wind energy. Offshore wind development, however, has so far been stalled in New Jersey. This presentation looks beyond past and existing conflicts with elected officials and regulators that has resulted in the OREC law effectively being sidelined to consider research that sheds light on public perceptions and de-conflicting uses with an emphasis on New Jersey, but as enlightened by broader research findings and trends.

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Human Effects On The Environment, Jd Lewis

Sustainability Seminar Series

Every habitat and ecosystem on Earth has been affected by human activities. The three primary mechanisms through which humans affect the environment are climate change, the spread of invasive species, and habitat fragmentation. The rapid environmental changes associated with these factors have few parallels in Earth’s history, leading paradoxically to an extinction crisis and to the spread of a few dominant species. Because these effects are not uniformly distributed among locations or ecosystems, they are creating ecologic and economic winners and losers. These discrepancies, in turn, are a key factor driving global patterns of urbanization, and is projected to be …

Improving The Accuracy For The Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-Thia) Model, Anqi Zhang, Lawrence Theller, Bernard A. Engel

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Urbanization increases runoff by changing land use types from less impervious to impervious covers. Improving the accuracy of a runoff assessment model, the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) Model, can help us to better evaluate the potential uses of Low Impact Development (LID) practices aimed at reducing runoff, as well as to identify appropriate runoff and water quality mitigation methods. Several versions of the model have been built over time, and inconsistencies have been introduced between the models. To improve the accuracy and consistency of the model, the equations and parameters (primarily curve numbers in the case of this model) …

The Giving Trees: The (Un)Sustainability Of Palm Oil In Indonesia, Amber Rosche

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Palm oil is the main source of cooking oil for much of Africa, Asia and Brazil. Due to the increasingly high demand for palm oil, countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia have cleared millions of acres of tropical rainforests to create space for oil palm plantations. This deforestation has led to extreme environmental and social concerns such as the burning of peatlands, the endangerment of a number of species, including the Sumatran Tiger, rhinos and orangutans, and the displacement of native populations. Indonesia is the world’s largest consumer and producer of palm oil, producing almost half of the world’s supply …

Commercial Wind Propulsion Solutions: Putting The ‘Sail’ Back Into 'Sailing', Gavin Allwright

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

A Decision Support System For Energy Efficient Propulsion, Mustafa Insel

MARENER 2017

Energy efficiency measures for cargo ships can be categorized into design and operation. Most of the design measures are based on hull form optimization, propulsion system selection and speed optimization. Operational measures are mainly based on selecting the optimized speed, trim, propeller pitch and rpm for energy efficiency. These measures should be applied onboard according to the loading conditions and weather conditions, such as wave height, period and direction, wind speed and direction. The variety of alternatives requires an online decision support system as the alternatives cannot be placed in a simple guideline or booklet. Such operational decision support systems …

Fuel Saving In Coastal Areas, Karina Hjelmervik, Svend Nordby

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Will The World Be Better With The Exploitation Of Ocean Energy?, Latifa Martini

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Plenary Session 3. Recent Developments In Marine Anti-Fouling Coatings With An Emphasis On Energy Efficiency, Mehmet Atlar

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Plenary Session 3, Johan Röstin

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Assessment Of Marine Coatings Applied To Ship Hulls, Yigit Kemal Demirel

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Energy Efficiency Measures In Shipping From Operation And Maintenance Perspective, Manjurul Kabir

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Efficient Fuel Handling And Management In Port: Context Bangladesh, Razon Chandra Saha

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Real Time Awareness For Mrv Data, Nikitas Nikitakos

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Energy Efficient Port Operations In The Caribbean: Challenges And Possible Solutions, Deniece Aiken

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Operational Measures To Reverse The Negative Effects Of The 0.1% Sulphur Limit On Ro-Ro Shipping, Thalis Zis

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

A Conceptual Model For Oil Port Sustainability Policy Research – A Case Of Chinese Ports, Xuemuge Wang

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Approaches To Set Ghg Reduction Target In Anticipation Of Potential ‘Further Measures’ For International Shipping, Seijiro Morimoto

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Vessel Performance System For Environmental Compliance, Søren Hansen

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Measuring Port Berth Utilisation With Automatic Identification System Data - Studying The Berth Utilisation Of Oslo Fjord Container Ports, Karina Hjelmervik, Halvor Schøyen

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Malaysia’S Green Initiatives: Strengthening National Capacities Towards A Low Carbon Future, Yasmin Mohd Hasni

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Fuel Efficiency In High Speed Vessels By Using Interceptors, Baris Barlas, Aykut Ölcer

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Port And Energy Management Challenges, Fabio Ballini

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Energy Management Framework In A Zero Emissions Port, Nikitas Nikitakos

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.