Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Factors Determining Green Public Procurement Practices Among Local Governments In The United States, Ana Maria Dimand

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the wicked problems communities face worldwide is climate change. Among potential solutions and current efforts is green public procurement (GPP), an innovative policy approach to change business as usual in the governmental sector. Local governments in the U.S. annually spend approximately $1.72 trillion on purchasing goods and services. Given substantial purchasing power of municipalities, GPP practices at the local level can incite a transition toward a more sustainable society. This study is the first to delineate the levels and variations of existing GPP practices among U.S. localities and examine the factors that facilitate or hinder GPP engagement.

Collaborative …

Utilizing Multi-Criteria Analysis And Analytical Hierarchy Process To Facilitate Everglades Restoration Decision-Making, Chloe C. Vorseth

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Greater Everglades Ecosystem (GEE) restoration is a complex undertaking, with a variety of potential outcomes and trade-offs impacting numerous stakeholders. This study utilizes a strategy for facilitating GEE restoration that is based in social science principles and informed by stakeholder opinion, ecologists, and biological modeling techniques. Information in this study was gathered through the use of an online survey involving stakeholder preferences for GEE restoration outcomes. Results revealed that sample stakeholders weighed the outcome of improving seasonal flow of water highest, followed by reducing polluted discharges from Lake Okeechobee, then increasing water storage for human use, and lastly restoring the …

Facing The Rising Tide: How Local Governments In The United States Collaborate To Adapt To Sea Level Rise, Vaiva Kalesnikaite

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While communities in the United States are already experiencing the effects of climate change, scientists project that sea level rise, increased precipitation, and record-breaking extreme weather events will devastate vulnerable regions in the following decades. The absence of federal strategies for climate change adaptation leaves state and city governments with broad discretion to undertake climate change adaptation measures. Yet cities may be unable to adapt to climate change without external assistance, particularly in states where the state leadership has not recognized the need to provide political and financial support to local governments. Collaboration allows cities to pool resources and work …

Successes And Shortcomings In The Implementation Of National Sustainable Development Strategies: From The Greening Of Governance To The Governance Of Greening, Rachel Emas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interdependence between the economy and the environment necessitates integrated policymaking that recognizes the biological limits of our world and the scarcity of these natural resources. At the 1992 Earth Summit, countries agreed to adopt a National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) which should comprise the integration of economic, social, and environmental policies across sectors, territories, and generations; country ownership and commitment; broad participation and effective partnerships; development of the necessary capacity and enabling environment; and focus on outcomes and implementation. Working from these key factors and based on decades of international research and peer reviews of these policies, this study …

A Market Study Of Organic And Fair Trade Coffee In Bolivia, Christopher L. Estevez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to study the commercialization of Fairtrade and Organic coffee in the Bolivia. Fairtrade and Organic coffee are alternative trade systems designed to promote the equitable and environmentally sustainable production of coffee. However, these alternative trading systems often fail to meet these goals. The producers and environment these systems are intended to protect remain marginalized. These failures are due to a number of local institutions. In order to better understand these institutions, this research conducted interviews of various stakeholders including producers, cooperative leaders, organic/Fair Trade certifiers, government agencies and private buyers. All these stakeholders influence …