Sustainability Commons^™

Soil Health And Remediation For Urban Gardens In Utah, Melissa Chilinski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports

Urban environments are at an increased risk of soil contamination and poor soil health due to anthropogenic causes. As healthy farmland is developed, new urban farmers and gardeners are often left growing food on unwanted land with unknown histories of previous use. Varied research and methods for obtaining healthy soils can cause new growers to make decisions that negatively impact soil health and fertility, or on the other hand, conflicting information can cause individuals to become unnecessarily fearful of common soil contaminants and their effect on human health. Common soil contaminants, like trace metals (often referred to as heavy metals) …

Subterraneans: A Regional Earth Dwelling For Comfort And Beauty, Isaak Benchoff

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Subterraneans is a study of an affordable, self-sufficient, sustainable, and dignified housing prototype for the region of Northwest Arkansas. It is a design process investigation based on the ideas of turning a local, sustainable material into affordable homes that can be built within a community of people sharing land and resources. The homes would utilize as many natural materials as possible to minimize the impact on the Earth and the cost to the owners.

Research looked at many different vernacular building precedents as well as the work done by contemporary design firms in the area of economical, low-impact, and passively …

National Development And The Sustainability Of Mining In The Atacama Desert, Chile, Dakota Soleil Osgood

Capstone Collection

As climate change continues to intensify on a global scale, efforts have been made to implement renewable energies and progressive technologies. These tools are critical in the shift towards a more sustainable practice, and yet analysis of localized impacts from the development of these mechanisms is inadequate. Chile has been and continues to be a leading country in mineral extraction, with an economic history founded in the mining industry. The establishment of mining in Chile as a progressive tool has aided the social and economic development of the nation. Consequences of mining extraction, however, include intensive environmental degradation, human rights …

Making Minnesota A Model For Energy Storage Policy

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgments Of Reviewers

Journal of Sustainable Mining

No abstract provided.

Hitting Two Birds With One Emissions-Based Maintenance Stone – A Literature Review On Improving Overall Productivity Of Underground Diesel Fleets, Johannes Deon Swanepoel, Jennifer Hines, Vinod Gopaldasani, Brian Davies

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Many industries regard occupational health and safety as a core value and an integral component to maintaining high productivity, and, thus, shareholder value. Diesel fleets’ engine maintenance is instrumental in ensuring affected workplaces meet production requirements while controlling health and safety hazards that these fleets introduce to the workplace. This systematic literature review focuses on production and occupational health and safety advantages associated with the implementation and adherence to an emissions-based maintenance (EBM) program. The literature review was conducted across eight databases relevant to workplace health and engineering. To be eligible for inclusion, the publication had to contain maintenance interventions …

Research On Vibration-Based Early Diagnostic System For Excavator Motor Bearing Using 1-D Cnn, Dorjsuren Yandagsuren, Tatsuki Kurauchi, Hisatoshi Toriya, Hajime Ikeda, Tsuyoshi Adachi, Youhei Kawamura

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In mining, super-large machines such as rope excavators are used to perform the main mining operations. A rope excavator is equipped with motors that drive mechanisms. Motors are easily damaged as a result of harsh mining conditions. Bearings are important parts in a motor; bearing failure accounts for approximately half of all motor failures. Failure reduces work efficiency and increases maintenance costs. In practice, reactive, preventive, and predictive maintenance are used to minimize failures. Predictive maintenance can prevent failures and is more effective than other maintenance. For effective predictive maintenance, a good diagnosis is required to accurately determine motor-bearing health. …

Dual Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Cellulosic Materials: Thermal, Mechanical And Conductive Properties, Elizabeth Mcgrew, Kevin M. Miller Phd

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Cellulose, an inexpensive and renewable biomacromolecule, represents an intriguing synthetic foundation for new materials with task-specific properties. Here, we wish to report a synthetic route for functionalizing cellulose with a side chain containing two ionic liquid functional groups using azide-alkyne ‘click’ cyclization strategy, followed by quaternization of the two resulting heterocycles (1,2,3-triazole and imidazole). Through this functionalization strategy, the resulting cellulosic materials exhibited significant softening, with several glass transition (T_g) values observed below room temperature, indicating the amorphous nature of the materials, with the T_g dependent on both the length of the side chain and the …

Predicting Young’S Modulus Of Indian Coal Measure Rock Using Multiple Regression And Artificial Neutral Network, Sayantan Chakraborty, Rohan Bisai, Rohit Roy, Sathish Kumar Palaniappan, Samir Kumar Pal, Karanam Uma Maheshwar Rao

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Accurate information on Young’s modulus (E) is required for simulating rock deformation in mines; on the other hand, it is very cumbersome to obtain in the laboratory and collecting drilled cores in sufficient amounts, especially in the case of soft rocks, is quite impossible. Empirical equations were deducted for E from easily determinable rock properties, and the final model was selected through different statistical strength parameter tests. The generalization of the equation was verified through the normal distribution tests of residues of the equation. R2 came to be 0.609 and was validated using an artificial neural network with an improved …

Gravity And Electrostatic Separation Of Unburned Coal From A Selected Fly Ash, Krzysztof Wierzchowski, Agnieszka Klupa, Barbara Białecka, Joanna Całus Moszko

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Unburned coal grains make it difficult to use fly ash economically, which causes energy losses in the fuel. The article presents the possibilities of separating unburned coal from selected fly ash. In order to assess the possibility of separation of unburned carbon, the analysis of grain density and ash composition was used. Unburned coal was separated by four methods – one wet gravity and three dry methods. It has been found that despite very fine ash grains, the quality and quantity of separation products are significantly dependent on the separation method used and the separated grains’ qualitative characteristics. The analysis …

Exploring The Characterization, Liberation And Flotation Response Of A Nigerian Low-Grade Copper Ore, Willie Nheta, Omoyemi O. Ola-Omole

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This study explores the characterization, liberation and flotation response of low-grade copper ore from Anka area, Zamfara state Nigeria. The ore was crushed, milled and sieved in accordance with BS 410 standard. It was characterized with XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS and AAS. Froth flotation was carried out with varying %solids, pH, retention time and collector dosages using SEX and sodium oleate. Particle size distribution of the ore shows its economic liberation between -150 and +106 µm while 80% passing corresponds to 175.7 µm using the Gaudin Schuhmann equation. However, according to metallurgical balance calculation, 63 µm proved to have the highest …

Production Management System In A Modern Coal And Coke Company Based On The Demand And Quality Of The Exploited Raw Material In The Aspect Of Building A Service-Oriented Architecture, Artur Dyczko

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper deals with the implementation of the JSW Capital Group’s (Poland) Demand and Quality Driven Production Management System (SPPJ – System Zarządzania Produkcją oparty na Popycie i Jakości) using a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The main components of the SPPJ architecture have been characterized, and the scope of their integration has been defined. The individual parts in the first area, i.e. quality management, have been described in detail. Due to the extensive nature of the issue, components in other areas, i.e. planning and scheduling, coal extraction and processing, coke production, as well as sales and logistics, have only been signalled. …

Coconut Shell Waste Treatment Technology For A Sustainable Waste Utilization: A Case Study Of The Smes In Bohol Village, Indonesia, Wahyu Anggo Rizal, Ria Suryani, Roni Maryana, Dwi Joko Prasetyo, Diah Pratiwi, Yuli Ary Ratnawati, Dini Ariani, Andri Suwanto

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This project focused on the introduction of liquid smoke and bio briquette manufacturing technology to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) located in Bohol Village, Gunungkidul, Indonesia through technology transfer, training, and mentoring. These SMEs are engaged in the food business with the main product jenang ketan, a traditional food from Gunungkidul, especially in Rongkop District, and very popular among communities around and outside Gunungkidul. The traditional preparation of jenang ketan produces several by-products in the form of waste, which is dominated by coconut shell biomass. The project’s technology transfer was carried out through the procurement of a series of pyrolysis …

Utilization Of Biopertalite For Fuel Efficiency And Reduction In Co And Co2 Gas Emissions In Four-Wheel Motor Vehicles, Ridwan Iskandar, Hadiyanto Hadiyanto, Suherman Suherman, Zainul Akmar Zakaria

Makara Journal of Technology

Emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) gases are the main problem that must be rectified as they are harmful and contribute to global warming through the greenhouse gas effect. In Indonesia, motor vehicles, especially four wheelers, are one of the biggest contributors with up to 71 million tons of CO2 emissions and energy consumption of 179 million barrel of oil equivalent. Bioethanol has octane rating >100, which is higher than that of gasoline; and emission contribution of only 0.02 kg/L, which is lower than that from gasoline (2.23 kg/L). Accordingly, a mixture of gasoline and bioethanol is …

Transaction Costs For Collaboration In The Watershed Management Of The Cuyahoga River Area Of Concern, Scott Daniel Hardy

Regional Sustainability

This study examines the transaction costs of collaborative watershed management in the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC)—one of the 43 geographic areas designated by the U.S. and Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), where significant impairment of beneficial uses has occurred as a result of human activities. The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio, the U.S. and flows through the City of Cleveland before draining into Lake Erie—one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The watershed is degraded due to municipal and agricultural discharges, streambank erosion, and contamination from urban and industrial sources. This research …

Any Alternatives To Rice? Ethnobotanical Insights Into The Dietary Use Of Edible Plants By The Higaonon Tribe In Bukidnon Province, The Philippines, Dave Paladin Buenavista, Eefke Maria Mollee, Morag Mcdonald

Regional Sustainability

Though considered an agricultural country, the Philippines is the world’s largest importer of rice. The persistent problem of insufficient rice supply, however, has been exacerbated by economic crises and natural calamities. Yet, for the Higaonon tribe in Bukidnon Province, the Philippines, the rich agrobiodiversity and wild edible plants are vital for food security and resilience since the mountainous terrain in this province presents a challenge for rice cultivation. To gain insight from the indigenous edible plant knowledge of the Higaonon tribe, we conducted an ethnobotanical research to document the diversity, utilization, and biocultural refugia of both cultivated and wild edible …

Sustainable Livelihood Security In Odisha, India: A District Level Analysis, Braja Sundar Pani, Diptimayee Mishra

Regional Sustainability

Sustainable livelihood security (SLS) is an integrating framework that encompasses current concerns and policy requirements for ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development. It carries particular importance for developing economies. This study intends to verify the relative status of SLS of the 30 districts in Odisha, which is a backward state in eastern India. In this study, a total of 22 relevant indicators relating to the three components of SLS—ecological security, social equity, and economic efficiency have been taken, based on various kinds of government reports. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to ascertain the indicators and the …

Spatial Validation Of Agent-Based Models, Kristoffer Wikstrom, Hal T. Nelson

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper adapts an existing techno–social agent-based model (ABM) in order to develop a new framework for spatially validating ABMs. The ABM simulates citizen opposition to locally unwanted land uses, using historical data from an energy infrastructure siting process in Southern California. Spatial theory, as well as the model’s design, suggest that adequate validation requires multiple tests rather than relying solely on a single test-statistic. A pattern-oriented modeling approach was employed that first mapped real and simulated citizen comments across the US Census tract. The suite of spatial tests included Global Moran’s I, complemented with bivariate correlations, as well as …

Eat Your Invasives: A Practical And Historical Analysis Of Foraging For Invasive Foods, Grace Hartman

Honors Projects

This paper discusses both the historical and modern role of foraging and why people may decide to forage, as well as barriers new foragers may face and how they can be overcome. Furthermore, the paper discusses how foraging for invasive species can be used as a method of conservation and how simple foraging can be encouraged for this reason.

Wrack Lines Volume 22, Number 2, Fall-Winter 2022-2023, Nancy C. Balcom, Juliana Barrett, Judy Benson, Ben Crnic, Sto Len

Wrack Lines

With the theme, "Looking Ahead: People and Projects Shaping the Future," the Fall-Winter 2022-2023 leads with the first in what will be a series of articles about offshore wind development impacting Connecticut. That is followed by the inspiring story of how a dying forest was replanted for climate resilience. Next, a profile of longtime marine educator Tim Visel tells about his lasting impact on Connecticut schools and students. Lastly, the complex challenge of dealing with Contaminants of Emerging Concern is examined, with descriptions of how Sea Grant is involved and the particularly troublesome group of substances called PFAS.