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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Sustainable Approaches To Managing Small-Scale Ecosystems: A Case Study Of Vernal Pool Protection In The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts, United States Of America, Chad J. Mcguire May 2010

Sustainable Approaches To Managing Small-Scale Ecosystems: A Case Study Of Vernal Pool Protection In The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts, United States Of America, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

This paper reviews the current management scheme used by Massachusetts to protect vernal pools, which represent small-scale ecosystems, and analyzes its relative strengths and weaknesses from an overall sustainability standpoint by looking at the frameworks developed for management. The frameworks are analyzed to determine if the objectives of vernal pool protection are being met. The initial impression is the outcomes are not meeting the objective of overall vernal pool protection, because there are failures in the drivers (mainly the certification requirement), which limits the number of verbal pools actually protected. An expansion of the current Massachusetts program is suggested to …


Sustainability Curriculum At Depaul University: A Strategic Value Analysis For A Catholic, Vincentian And Urban Institution, Marco Tavanti Apr 2010

Sustainability Curriculum At Depaul University: A Strategic Value Analysis For A Catholic, Vincentian And Urban Institution, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

DePaul University as institution and community is investing in sustainable values aligned with its mission. This requires a clear vision and collaborative efforts that go beyond disciplines and colleges. This presentation illustrates some of the challenges and opportunities for implementing sustainability across DePaul university, a Catholic, Vincentian and urban institution.


A Case Study Of Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Land Use Policies Favoring Re-Growth And Long-Term Protection Of Temperate Forests, Chad J. Mcguire Feb 2010

A Case Study Of Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Land Use Policies Favoring Re-Growth And Long-Term Protection Of Temperate Forests, Chad J. Mcguire

Chad J McGuire

There is a traditional view suggesting forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Pregitzer & Euskirchen, 2004), but they cease to serve as a carbon sink as they fully mature (Odum, 1969). Recent modeling of old-growth forest carbon sequestration indicate they continue to serve as a “net sink” of carbon even after maturity (Carey, Sala, Keane, & Callaway, 2001; Zhou et al., 2006) - sequestering an average of 2.4 +/- 0.8 tC ha-1 yr-1 (tC = metric tons of carbon; ha = hectare; yr =year), and yielding a ratio of heterotrophic respiration (Rh) to net primary production (NPP) of approximately …


Green Building In The Pacific Northwest: Next Steps For An Emerging Trend, Susan G. Mason, Anthony Marker, Rebecca Mirsky Jan 2010

Green Building In The Pacific Northwest: Next Steps For An Emerging Trend, Susan G. Mason, Anthony Marker, Rebecca Mirsky

Rebecca Mirsky

This report provides an understanding of why green building is important to our communities, a brief look at the emergence of green building standards, research evidence on the perceived pros and cons of green building, and original research on green building in the Pacific Northwest. The original research is an analysis of perspectives voiced in conversations, focus groups and surveys with both members of the construction industry and local government on the barriers and incentives to green building in their local communities. As nearly 500 construction industry members and just over 300 local governments participated in the research, this report …


Building Sustainable Societies: A Swedish Case Study On The Limits Of Reflexive Modernization., Cindy Isenhour Dec 2009

Building Sustainable Societies: A Swedish Case Study On The Limits Of Reflexive Modernization., Cindy Isenhour

Cindy Isenhour

No abstract provided.


The Sustainable Food Movement: The Local, Slow And Justice Food Solutions To The Global Food Crisis, Marco Tavanti Dec 2009

The Sustainable Food Movement: The Local, Slow And Justice Food Solutions To The Global Food Crisis, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

Food is more than a commodity. The economic aspect of food needs to be integrated and balanced with the environmental and societal aspects of a sustainable food system. The author argues that a new movement for sustainable food is emerging as exemplified in the growing local (locavore), slow food and food justice movements. Drawing on the concepts of sustainability and the observations of growing food trends, the paper offers a new analysis of social movements between the global and the local. The environmental, social and economic frameworks of sustainability give local, “slow” and sovereignty solutions to the current global food …


Sustainable Value Management: Leading Organizations For An Integrated Triple Bottom Line, Marco Tavanti Dec 2009

Sustainable Value Management: Leading Organizations For An Integrated Triple Bottom Line, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

An organization without an integrated bottom line approach is not designed to last. Value management is the organizational glue which makes it possible to integrate financial sustainability with social responsibility and environmental concerns. This paper suggests sustainable value management in the context of recent developments in corporate social responsibility, sustainability and the triple bottom line. The author argues that economic, social, and environmental sustainability needs to be integrated into value-centered management. Sustainable value creation with leaders and managers leads to sustainable growth for 21st century managerial practices aiming to benefit both shareholders and stakeholders.


On Conflicted Swedish Consumers, The Effort To “Stop Shopping” & Neoliberal Environmental Governance, Cindy Isenhour Dec 2009

On Conflicted Swedish Consumers, The Effort To “Stop Shopping” & Neoliberal Environmental Governance, Cindy Isenhour

Cindy Isenhour

No abstract provided.


Subsidiarity: Challenging The Top Down Bias, Scott Kelley Dec 2009

Subsidiarity: Challenging The Top Down Bias, Scott Kelley

Scott Kelley

Global poverty has received significant attention in the past decade, particularly after the adoption of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals in 2002. Commentators and ethicists like Peter Singer have long held that the wealthy of the world have an obligation to help the poor. While the sentiments may be positive, there are real harms that have come from this kind of top down thinking. Subsidiarity, to the contrary, is a much more realistic and morally tenable approach to global poverty.