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Sustainability

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Shellfish Corner: Sustainability And The Precautionary Principle, Michael A. Rice Jul 2019

The Shellfish Corner: Sustainability And The Precautionary Principle, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

The precautionary principle in environmental protection often comes into conflict with the principle of sustainable development. The history of the development of the Precautionary Principle and the Principle of Sustainability as articulated by the Brundtland Commission in 1987 is explored in the context of shellfish farming in public trust waters.


Biobased Products And The Leed® Rating System, Meredith Chambers, Mikesch Muecke Nov 2017

Biobased Products And The Leed® Rating System, Meredith Chambers, Mikesch Muecke

Mikesch Muecke

At the beginning of the 20th century, over 40% by weight of all the materials consumed through the production of goods within the United States were comprised of renewable resources (Matos and Wagner 1998). In contrast, by the end of the 20th century renewable material usage had dropped to less than 8% by weight (Matos and Wagner 1998). Combined with both an increase in the overall rate at which we consume resources as well as growing awareness of the inherently finite availability of nonrenewable resources, the early decades of the 21st century may mark the beginning of a shift back …


Challenges And Opportunities For Development Of Sustainable Tourism In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Clifford J. Shultz, Almir Peštek, Eve Geroulis Sep 2017

Challenges And Opportunities For Development Of Sustainable Tourism In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Clifford J. Shultz, Almir Peštek, Eve Geroulis

Clifford J Shultz

An examination of the challenges of sustainable tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Organizing For Environmental Justice: From Bridges To Taro Patches, Amy Krings, Michael S. Spencer, Kelcie Jimenez Sep 2017

Organizing For Environmental Justice: From Bridges To Taro Patches, Amy Krings, Michael S. Spencer, Kelcie Jimenez

Amy Krings

No abstract provided.


The Need For Better Measurement And Employee Engagement To Advance A Circular Economy: Lessons From Biogen Zero Waste Journey, Vesela R. Veleva, Gavin Bodkin, Svetlana Todorova Feb 2017

The Need For Better Measurement And Employee Engagement To Advance A Circular Economy: Lessons From Biogen Zero Waste Journey, Vesela R. Veleva, Gavin Bodkin, Svetlana Todorova

Vesela Veleva

The movement toward “zero waste” and circular economy has recently gained traction as an alternative to the dominant “take-make-waste” model of production and as a viable approach for addressing climate change. Business plays a key role in this transition and a growing number of companies are establishing waste reduction goals, such as “zero waste to landfill” as part of their sustainability commitments. This study however, suggests that companies’ efforts presently are inadequate to support such a transition; companies lack effective sustainability indicators to measure progress, identify opportunities, and engage employees. While the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines provide standardized indicators …


Tough Economic Times Call For More Library Cooperation: Report On A Wyoming And Colorado Alliance Conference, Jeffrey Bullington, Janet Lee Feb 2017

Tough Economic Times Call For More Library Cooperation: Report On A Wyoming And Colorado Alliance Conference, Jeffrey Bullington, Janet Lee

Janet Lee

On April 10, 2009, the Alliance, a consortium of academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming, convened a conference on “Cooperation: How to Thrive Despite Reduced Funding.” Drawing on the expertise of national and state leaders in the fields of education and economics, conference participants heard from two keynote speakers about the changing environment of libraries and educational institutions. Referencing these changes, then, various local librarians explored ways collaboratively to advance library resources and services. An overview of these conference presentations perhaps may help libraries and their partners in other regions of the United States and elsewhere gain …


Aom Aat Law Symposium Proposal (Final).Pdf, Adam J. Sulkowski, Constance E. Bagley, J.S. Nelson, Waddock S., Paul Shrivastava, Inara K. Scott Dec 2016

Aom Aat Law Symposium Proposal (Final).Pdf, Adam J. Sulkowski, Constance E. Bagley, J.S. Nelson, Waddock S., Paul Shrivastava, Inara K. Scott

J.S. Nelson

Law undergirds the capitalist system and is “at the interface” of business and social relationships
but remains largely walled off from many traditional approaches to management education,
scholarship, and practice. Although a simple definition of law is “enforceable rules between
individuals and individuals and society,” law is also amedium bywhich relationships among and
obligations between management and internal and external stakeholders are negotiated and
formalized. Law can also drive (or impede) innovation by creating new rights (or burdening new
business models with undue regulation) and promote (or prevent) social change by setting the
boundaries for acceptable corporate actions. Legal rules …


Powering Sustainability: Municipal Utilities And Local Government Policymaking, George C. Homsy Nov 2016

Powering Sustainability: Municipal Utilities And Local Government Policymaking, George C. Homsy

George Homsy

Sustainability policymaking presents numerous challenges to local governments. Municipal leaders, especially in smaller cities and towns, report that they lack the fiscal capacity and/or technical expertise to adopt many environmental protection policies. This paper investigates whether the more than 2,000 municipally-owned utilities have the potential to mitigate those problems. Data from two surveys of local governments in the United States (n=861), modeled in a pair of negative binomial regressions, finds a positive correlation between those cities with municipal power companies and those with an increased number of community-wide sustainable energy policies. Follow-up interviews with officials reveal the potential mechanisms driving …


Cities And Sustainability: Polycentric Action And Multilevel Governance, George C. Homsy, Mildred E. Warner Nov 2016

Cities And Sustainability: Polycentric Action And Multilevel Governance, George C. Homsy, Mildred E. Warner

George Homsy

Polycentric theory, as applied to sustainability policy adoption, contends that municipalities will act independently to provide public services that protect the environment. Our multilevel regression analysis of survey responses from 1,497 municipalities across the United States challenges that notion. We find that internal drivers of municipal action are insufficient. Lower policy adoption is explained by capacity constraints. More policymaking occurs in states with a multilevel governance framework supportive of local sustainability action. Contrary to Fischel’s homevoter hypothesis, we find large cities and rural areas show higher levels of adoption than suburbs (possibly due to free riding within a metropolitan region).


Incentive Zoning: Understanding A Market-Based Planning Tool, George C. Homsy, Gina Abrams, Valerie Monastra Nov 2016

Incentive Zoning: Understanding A Market-Based Planning Tool, George C. Homsy, Gina Abrams, Valerie Monastra

George Homsy

No abstract provided.


Environmental Efficiency Of Automobile Energy Choices, Peter V. Schwartz, Chiweng Kam, John Ross Dr Aug 2016

Environmental Efficiency Of Automobile Energy Choices, Peter V. Schwartz, Chiweng Kam, John Ross Dr

Peter V. Schwartz

We introduce three efficiency metrics to compare two alternative transportation energy technologies: internal combustion engines (ICE) using bioethanol versus battery electric vehicles (BEV) charged from solar thermal electric (STE) generation. Both technologies require the use of the land surface area, consume water, and emit CO2. Travel efficiencies are measured in km per square meter of land used annually, km/L of water used, and km/kg of emitted CO2. Solar-electrical transportation utilizes land more than 200 times as efficiently, water more than 100 times as efficiently (when dry cooling of turbines is used), and emits less than 1/60 …


Sustainable Reuse Strategies For Vacant And Abandoned Properties, Kathryn Hexter, Cathryn Greenwald, Mary Petrus Dec 2015

Sustainable Reuse Strategies For Vacant And Abandoned Properties, Kathryn Hexter, Cathryn Greenwald, Mary Petrus

Kathryn W. Hexter

No abstract provided.


Book Review Of Sustainable Knowledge: A Theory Of Interdisciplinarity. December 2015. Journal Of Higher Education Outreach And Engagement 19(4): 219-222., Danielle Lake Nov 2015

Book Review Of Sustainable Knowledge: A Theory Of Interdisciplinarity. December 2015. Journal Of Higher Education Outreach And Engagement 19(4): 219-222., Danielle Lake

Danielle L Lake

Sustainable Knowledge: A Theory of Interdisciplinarity is a valuable, compelling, and quick read for current and future academics and administrators committed to engaged scholarship and outreach as well as those still in need of convincing. A succinct and—at times—radical take on the core problems facing the academy today, Sustainable Knowledge calls academics to take on the task of challenging the barriers posed towards genuinely sustainable and ameliorative knowledge production. Academics begin to do this work by stepping into the fray of modern life: as co-producers of knowledge and field practitioners, facilitators and advisors, experts and lay-citizens.


Law Of Thrive: Creating Sustainable Diverse & Inclusive Communities: Human Utility Business: Creating Sustainable Communities That Thrive, Robin Roberts Nov 2015

Law Of Thrive: Creating Sustainable Diverse & Inclusive Communities: Human Utility Business: Creating Sustainable Communities That Thrive, Robin Roberts

Robin A. Roberts

Business leaders around the globe are using smart technologies to help them understand how they are using and developing their organization's resources. Leaders are focusing in on increased efficiency and sustainability of systems, operations, and workers. Greater emphasis is being put on the long-term resiliency and vitality of workers as a key indicator of the sustainability of organizations now, through the 21st century, and beyond.


Peak Oil And Transition: The Making Of A Documentary Video, John A. Duvall Oct 2015

Peak Oil And Transition: The Making Of A Documentary Video, John A. Duvall

John Duvall

Many scientists and academics have raised serious concerns regarding the depletion of fossil fuels—especially the peaking of oil production—and its impact upon society. According to these researchers, oil for transportation and production will soon become expensive and scarce, and known alternative sources of energy will be insufficient to make up the difference within the required time frame. Therefore, world civilization (and the United States in particular) will soon undergo a crisis in energy supply that will have significant impacts on the structure of community life, economic wellbeing, political organization, and individual lifestyles. One response to these threats is to attempt …


Keynote: Justifying Uberveillance- The Internet Of Things And The Flawed Sustainability Premise, Katina Michael Oct 2015

Keynote: Justifying Uberveillance- The Internet Of Things And The Flawed Sustainability Premise, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

Imagine a world where everything was numbered. Not just homes with street addresses, or cars with number plates, or smart phones with telephone numbers, or email addresses with passwords, but absolutely everything you could see and touch and even that which you could not. Well, that world is here, right now. This vast expanse we call “Earth” is currently being quantified and photographed, inch by inch, by satellites, street cameras, drones and high altitude balloons. Longitude and latitude coordinates provide us with the precise degrees, minutes and seconds of the physical space, and unique time stamps tell us where a …


Nutritional Narratives: Cultural And Communications Perspectives On Plant-Based Diets, Julie S. Dare, Leesa N. Costello, Lelia R. Green Jul 2015

Nutritional Narratives: Cultural And Communications Perspectives On Plant-Based Diets, Julie S. Dare, Leesa N. Costello, Lelia R. Green

Julie Dare Dr

This paper responds to a range of popular materials circulating in the public sphere asserting a plant-based (PB) diet is of benefit to humans and a protection against many chronic diseases. Although directed at a lay audience, books such as The China Study (Campbell & Campbell) are based upon extensive academic research, and highlight multiple health, environmental and social advantages of PB diets over traditional western diets. Arguments advocating PB nutrition, however, generally struggle to achieve traction in the public sphere. Narratives around PB food choices, and difficulties in shifting mainstream eating patterns, reflect the cultural symbolism attached to food, …


Social And Economic Sustainability, Jason Sargent, Khanjan Mehta, Katina Michael Feb 2015

Social And Economic Sustainability, Jason Sargent, Khanjan Mehta, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

But what about long-term stability in developing nations? For example, as we strive to mainstream alternate energy sources and make them accessible in resource poor communities [ ], how do we think beyond the technological and economic dimensions and ensure respect for social, political and environmental imperatives? Computers, including the tiny but powerful ones on cell phones can be game-changers, but they will not save lives directly. They cannot be eaten by a starving population. And then, they need to be serviced and maintained. Jason, along with Katina’s husband Michael, visited and taught Karen refugee students in camps and remote …


Pronounced Particularity: A Comparison Of Governance Structures On Lord Howe Island And Fernando De Noronha, Arianne Reis, Philip Hayward Feb 2015

Pronounced Particularity: A Comparison Of Governance Structures On Lord Howe Island And Fernando De Noronha, Arianne Reis, Philip Hayward

Professor Philip Hayward

This paper compares and contrasts the management systems and governance structures of two island sites with national and international World Heritage recognition: Lord Howe Island (off the mid-east coast of Australia) and Fernando de Noronha (off the north-east coast of Brazil). Using historical and contemporary references, the paper explores the manner in which two distinct approaches to governance are implicated in the daily living of community members, and considers their socioeconomic activities. We use the case of tourism and World Heritage management as examples of the complexities involved in the different forms of governance structures adopted by these two small …


What Economics Teaches Us About Environmental Protection, Chad J. Mcguire Jan 2015

What Economics Teaches Us About Environmental Protection, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

A basic premise in economics is that companies should pay all of the costs that are incurred in the process of producing their goods and services. The reason? By incurring all of the costs in production, the price charged by the company will reflect those costs. The price consumers pay, then, will also reflect all of the costs incurred in production. This leads to price efficiency, a major goal in free-market economic principles.
Unfortunately we don’t always include the costs to the environment in the production process. Take, for example, electricity generation, which can be accomplished using different inputs. Coal-burning …


Market Failures And Protecting The Environment, Chad J. Mcguire Jan 2015

Market Failures And Protecting The Environment, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

Whether you agree with government intervention, or with the specific form of gov- ernment intervention applied, it is a fact that government becomes involved in environ- mental issues because, to date, we have failed to fully inter- nalize the costs of our actions toward the environment in our market systems. So this is why government becomes involved in the first place, to correct existing and recurring market failures. Knowing this important fact helps us better understand, and judge, envi- ronmental laws and policies.


The Influence Of Unrelated And Related Diversification On Fraudulent Reporting, Subrata Chakrabarty Dec 2014

The Influence Of Unrelated And Related Diversification On Fraudulent Reporting, Subrata Chakrabarty

Subrata Chakrabarty

This study suggests that unrelated diversification has a positive influence on the probability of fraudulent reporting whereas related diversification has a negative influence on the probability of fraudulent reporting. The strength of the influence of these corporate level strategies is contingent on the moral character of the firm. Unrelated diversification provides opportunity for financial innovation within the firm's internal capital market, which can result in fraudulent reporting. This is more likely when the moral character of the firm is driven by a conscienceless financial self-interest motive, as implied by the firm's contempt toward the larger community (in terms of damage …


Comparing Virtue, Consequentialist, And Deontological Ethics-Based Corporate Social Responsibility: Mitigating Microfinance Risk In Institutional Voids, Subrata Chakrabarty, A E. Bass Dec 2014

Comparing Virtue, Consequentialist, And Deontological Ethics-Based Corporate Social Responsibility: Mitigating Microfinance Risk In Institutional Voids, Subrata Chakrabarty, A E. Bass

Subrata Chakrabarty

Due to the nature of lending practices and support services offered to the poor in developing countries, portfolio risk is a growing concern for the microfinance industry. Though previous research highlights the importance of risk for microfinance organizations, not much is known about how microfinance organizations can mitigate risks incurred from providing loans to the poor in developing countries. Further, though many microfinance organizations practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) to help create economic and social wealth in developing countries, the impact of such CSR practices remains an underdeveloped area of inquiry. We use a normative ethics lens to develop an …


Valuing Ecosystem Services In Coastal Management Policy: Looking Beyond The Here And Now, Chad J. Mcguire Dec 2014

Valuing Ecosystem Services In Coastal Management Policy: Looking Beyond The Here And Now, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

This article explores how the identification and account- ing of ecosystem services can aid coastal management policies, particularly as management looks to a future that includes the impacts of climate change. At the core of making better deci- sions is an understanding of the value of ecosystem services. The economic context of ecosystem services is explored in order to outline what may be considered a complete account- ing of costs. Once contextualized, ecosystem services will then be applied to current coastal management issues associ- ated with sea level rise. In particular, policy-relevant questions about mitigating and adapting to sea level …


The Role Of Risk Perception In Building Sustainable Policy Instruments: A Case Study Of Public Coastal Flood Insurance In The Usa, Chad J. Mcguire Dec 2014

The Role Of Risk Perception In Building Sustainable Policy Instruments: A Case Study Of Public Coastal Flood Insurance In The Usa, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

Public planning for sustainability implies a forward-looking approach that often includes imagining future harm and taking steps to prevent that future harm before it occurs. A major challenge to implementing such forward looking, or precautionary, a policy instrument is managing the impacts such policies have on existing expectations. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of risk perception in the development of forward-looking policy instruments. A case study example focused on coastal flood insurance in the USA is presented to highlight the difficulty of implementing sustainable policy goals when current policies incentivise the discounting of risk. The …


Culture In Design, Technology, And Environment: Reflecting On Field Experiences, Kurt W. Seemann Dec 2014

Culture In Design, Technology, And Environment: Reflecting On Field Experiences, Kurt W. Seemann

Kurt W Seemann

Culture is a fuzzy kind of idea. We all point to it when we see it among others, but when asked to place a universal boundary around it to define it as framing much of what we do ourselves, we run into trouble. When we design and develop made worlds with, and for, other cultures, or when we think how we engage in the worlds made by others, the opportunity manifests itself to see how culture can be embedded not only in the choices made to create the artifacts, systems, or symbols but significantly in the socio-cultural and even natural …


Landmark Ruling On Whaling From The International Court Of Justice, Mark P. Simmonds Dec 2014

Landmark Ruling On Whaling From The International Court Of Justice, Mark P. Simmonds

Mark P. Simmonds, OBE

On 31 March 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Japan’s whaling activities in Antarctica did not comply with Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), which permits whaling for scientific purposes. Copious and confusing media commentary followed the decision. This included seemingly conflicting reports from within Japan, which initially indicated whole-hearted compliance with the ruling, which required this whaling to cease, but later suggested that implementation by Japan might be limited to a brief halt followed by a launch of a new Antarctic ‘research’ programme including lethal take.


Climate-Induced Sea Level Rise And Sustainable Coastal Management: The Influence Of Existing Policy Frameworks On Risk Perception, Chad J. Mcguire Nov 2014

Climate-Induced Sea Level Rise And Sustainable Coastal Management: The Influence Of Existing Policy Frameworks On Risk Perception, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

This article looks at the role of existing government policies on perceptions of risk and the impact they have on developing forward-looking sustainable policy instruments. Coastal flood insurance policy in the United States is examined as a way of exploring the relationship between policy instruments and risk perception. Insights include the importance of understanding the role of community risk perception in policy development, as well as the role of historical and existing policies in influencing community risk perception.


Losing The Message: Some Policy Implications Of Anthropocentric Indirect Arguments For Environmental Protection, Chad J. Mcguire Sep 2014

Losing The Message: Some Policy Implications Of Anthropocentric Indirect Arguments For Environmental Protection, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

The value of anthropocentric indirect arguments (AIAs), as stated by Elliott (2014), is to focus on non-environmental benefits that derive from actions or policies that also benefit the environment. The key difference with these indirect arguments—from more direct anthropocentric arguments—is they focus on human benefits unrelated to the environment. So, for example, less coal burning power plants means less respiratory illness and higher worker productivity. The air is cleaner, but rather than clean air being the goal in arguing for less coal burning power plants, healthier people is the goal. Or as Elliott notes, clean energy can create jobs, and …


Sustainability, Ambiguity And Aspiration In Teacher Education, Sandra Wooltorton Jun 2014

Sustainability, Ambiguity And Aspiration In Teacher Education, Sandra Wooltorton

Sandra Wooltorton

The second strategy of the Australian government’s National Action Plan (NAP) for sustainability education is to reorient education systems to sustainability (Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts [DEWHA], 2009). In this chapter, I put forward an activist-based socially critical viewpoint on the ambition to reorient education whilst uncovering a range of ambiguities, tensions and constraints which hinder meaningful change. I suggest that attention to these predicaments across curriculum, policy and accountability mechanisms will offer possibilities and hope. In this introductory section, I begin with the sustainability education NAP and provide a socio-ecological context before sketching out the …