Digital Commons Network^™

An Integrated Ca–Markov Modeling Framework For Forecasting Land Use And Land Cover Dynamics In Arkansas, Usa, Rasool Vahid, Mohamed H. Aly

Environmental Dynamics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes significantly shape urban environments and directly impact ecological and socioeconomic systems. This study aims to explore these interconnections by employing the Cellular Automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model to assess and predict LULC dynamics in Arkansas. Historical LULC datasets from 2001 to 2021, obtained from the National Land Cover Database, were simplified from 11 into 5 classes to facilitate analysis and effectively map transitions. The model was validated by predicting LULC for 2016 and 2021 and comparing the predictions with the real maps, achieving an overall accuracy of approximately 91.9%, using model validation metrics, including precision, …

Culture Mediates Climate Opinion Change: A System Dynamics Model, Louis (Lou) Gross, Yoon Ah Shin, Sara M. Constantino, Ann Kinzig, Katherine Lacasse, Brian Beckage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Exploiting Chloride Conservative Tendencies As Contaminant Surrogates In Groundwater Transport Modeling In A Typical Hydrogeological Environment Of Northern New Jersey, Toritseju Oyen, Duke Ophori

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates the transport of chloride, a conservative tracer and surrogate for contaminants, in the fractured Brunswick aquifer of northern New Jersey using a dual-porosity MODFLOW-MT3DMS model. Focusing on the First Watchung Mountain region—a microcosm of northern New Jersey’s hydrogeological environment encompassing Montclair State University and adjoining communities, the numerical model simulates groundwater flow and solute transport in a hydrogeologically complex, urbanized setting. Results indicate that chloride migrates through the fractured aquifer via both local flow systems (e.g., Third River) and regional flow systems (Passaic River) within decades. Chloride concentrations exceeded the EPA’s 250 mg/L threshold much faster in …

Development Of Green Port Index : A Tool For Assessing Ports Based On Implementation Of Ghg Emission Reduction Measures, Mamadou Lamin Bajo

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Plastic Pollution In The Arctic Region And International Rules : Applicability And Limitations, Zhanfeng Lang

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Rewilding The Built Environment: Navigating Economic, Political, And Social Barriers To Urban Ecological Restoration, Carly E. Smith

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Urban rewilding offers a nature-based approach to restoring ecological processes in cities while advancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being. Unlike conventional green infrastructure, rewilding allows ecosystems to develop with minimal intervention, emphasizing succession, complexity, and long-term adaptability. This paper examines the political, economic, and social factors that frame how rewilding is understood and implemented in urban planning. Governmental frameworks often prioritize order, predictability, and short-term results, making it difficult to accommodate the uncertainty and ecological complexity that rewilding requires. Economic models struggle to capture its long-term value, frequently overlooking ecosystem services or reconciling competing land uses. Social perceptions of …

Decarbonization Is Happening In U.S. Higher Education, But Carbon Neutrality Goals Alone Are Not Delivering It, Alexander R. Barron, Nubraz F. Khan, Greta Anesko, Emma S. Larsen, Junwen Ding, Shey P. Sanges, Aaron L. Strong

Environmental Science and Policy: Faculty Publications

Carbon neutrality emerged as an overall framework for climate action several decades ago, with the assumption that institutions would follow a carbon management hierarchy - reducing their own emissions (i.e. decarbonization) and relying on high-quality offsets to address any residual emissions. In practice, offsets and other accounting-based emissions reductions have often dominated both discussion and action. However, sector-wide studies examining the balance between decarbonization and offsetting have been limited. Here, we examine 23 U.S. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that have declared carbon neutrality and contrast their direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts with a broader universe of U.S. …

U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs And Recent Policy Developments, Joseph Kane

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs and Recent Policy Developments" by Brookings fellow in Brookings Metro, Joseph Kane. Whether providing drinking water, treating wastewater, or managing stormwater, water infrastructure in the United States spans a wide range of human-made and natural systems. In turn, the enormous scale and variety of these systems is leading to an array of challenges: aging and vulnerable infrastructure; fragmented governance and siloed planning across different geographies; a lack of financial, technical, and managerial capacity; difficulties adapting to new industrial and …

Review Of How To Win Environmental Victories, By Richard S. Groover, Phd, Shalini Upadhyaya

Virginia Journal of Science

Book Review:

Groover, Richard S. 2025. How to Win Environmental Victories. Nighthawk Publication, 116 pp.

Frameworks And Life Cycle Assessment For Reinforced Concrete Bridges For Sustainability In Transportation, Yu-Fu Ko, Jessica Gonzalez

Mineta Transportation Institute

Bridge structures are critical components of California’s transportation network, with reinforced concrete (RC) bridges being among the most widely used. Extending the lifespan of these structures can lead to significant reductions in environmental impacts. However, California’s frequent seismic activity has repeatedly exposed the vulnerability of existing RC bridges, highlighting the urgent need for seismic retrofitting and maintenance to improve infrastructure resilience against earthquakes and to increase sustainability. This research used detailed computer simulations known as nonlinear finite element models, which are highly detailed computer models, incorporating section damage indices to predict damage and assess structural deficiencies in RC bridges during …

Examining The City Of Philadelphia’S Proposition Bill #250768 “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” By Addressing Waste Management And Environmental Justice Challenges In Chester City, Pennsylvania And The Philadelphia Region, Dylan Wascavage

Student Publications

This paper offers a policy analysis of the City of Philadelphia’s "Stop Trashing Our Air Act" by summarizing the reasoning for the bill's call to action, its legislative background, identifying key players and their strategies, and how these strategies reflect philosophies of environmental governance and the policy cycle. It seeks to inform local community members and policymakers of the implications of this bill, to highlight the lack of state and federal intervention on this issue, and to address the environmental justice and pollution concerns of the Covanta waste incinerator in Chester City and its neighboring communities. It also aims to …

Wmu Maritime Affairs Conference 2025 : Transforming A Maritime Future : Digitalization And Decarbonization, World Maritime University

Books

No abstract provided.

"From Global Stocktake To Global Delivery: A Policy Roadmap For Cop30 Implementation" How Can We Hold Stakeholders Accountable And Foster Global Collaboration?, Joshua Underhill

COP30

The Earth is facing a climate catastrophe. According to NASA (2024), the Earth's average surface temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record. The same article outlines that the Earth is about 1.47 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period1. A core mechanism designed to address this challenge, and other key concerns, is the Global Stocktake GST, which is a process within the Paris Agreement assessing collective progress towards key goals.

This policy paper will primarily focus on the history of the global stocktake, before delving into the future of the GST, the NDC, and global mutirao, all with the …

From Dialogue To Delivery: Engaging Non-State Actors In Gst Follow-Up, Aya Mohamed

COP30

Climate action is falling short where it matters most, on the ground, because those doing the work are often excluded from the system's tracking progress. The Global Stocktake (GST), meant to assess global climate efforts, remains focused on national governments, leaving out non-state actors (NSAs) who lead much of the real-world delivery. This exclusion stems from structural gaps in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the lack of formal ways for NSAs to engage meaningfully. Existing tools, like voluntary platforms and consultations, are not enough, they lack enforcement and true integration. This paper proposes two practical solutions: AI-powered Nested Climate Accounting, …

Capacity Building And Action For Climate Empowerment (Ace): A Technical Review, Salman Almudawib

COP30

Capacity Building and Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is a core pillar for climate change mitigation through people’s participation, education, and empowerment (UNFCCC, n.d.; Action for Climate Empowerment, 2025). This article describes technological and digital resources that support ACE, particularly in the COP30 environment. It also identifies inventive methods and the stumbling blocks alongside the best digital instruments that facilitate local-level empowerment, targeting innovation centers, AI education, indigenous knowledge systems, and the integration of policies (IFLA, 2025; Mbuvha et al., 2024). One of the key anticipated outcomes is the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, aimed at mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually for climate action …

Understanding And Assessing Climate Change: Preparing For Nebraska’S Future, 2024 Climate Change Impact Assessment Report, Deborah J. Bathke, Eric Hunt, Heather Akin, Andrea D. Basche, Jesse E. Bell, Daniel R. Dileo, Ross Dixon, Martha Durr, Tonya Haigh, Francis John Hay, Kristina W. Kintziger, Nicholas A. Mcmillan, Hank Miller, Jerome Okojokwu-Idu, Crystal Powers, Tirthankar Roy, Zhenghong Tang, W. Ryan Wishart, Aaron R. Young, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Contents

Report Team

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Introduction

Climate Change Contexts: Global, National, and State

Observed Changes in Nebraska's Climate

Projections of Nebraska's Future Climate

Water Systems

Energy

Ecosystems

Agriculture

Human Health

Communities and the Built Environment

Indigenous Peoples

Climate Justice and Equity

The Response of Faith Communities

Nebraskans' Perceptions of Climate Change

Next Steps and Future Work

Supplemental Report: Adaptation, Risks, and Impacts

About the Authors

Faith-based Communities Survey

Evaluated Plans and Assessments

References

Warming Induces Unexpectedly High Soil Respiration In A Wet Tropical Forest, Tana E. Wood, Colin Tucker, Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez, M. Isabel Loza, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Molly A. Cavaleri, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha C. Reed

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Tropical forests are a dominant regulator of the global carbon cycle, exchanging more carbon dioxide with the atmosphere than any other terrestrial biome. Climate models predict unprecedented climatic warming in tropical regions in the coming decades; however, in situ field warming studies are severely lacking in tropical forests. Here we present results from an in situ warming experiment in Puerto Rico, where soil respiration responses to ⁺4 ^oC warming were assessed half-hourly for a year. Soil respiration rates were 42-204% higher in warmed relative to ambient plots, representing some of the highest soil respiration rates reported for any …

The Weight Of Complicity: A Network Analysis Of Ecocide In Palestine, Marilyn Moy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper combines multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with a network graph visualization to examine corporate and institutional involvement in ecocide in Palestine from 1917 to the present. Using a weighted sum model based on UN human rights principles and UNEP guidelines, actors are evaluated across three criteria: directness, scale, and duration of harm. A dataset of 50+ entities, including Caterpillar, Elbit Systems, and the Jewish National Fund, reveals a dense network of responsibility, with major enablers in the construction, tech, and military sectors. Findings highlight the severe impacts of the 2023–present assault on Gaza and demonstrate that ecocide is a …

Morphology And Distribution Of Lakes Under The Laurentide Ice Sheet: Implications For Ice Flow Dynamics, Sarah M. Principato, Carissa Mobley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the distribution and morphology of lakes under the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) to investigate relationships with ice flow velocity, bedrock and basal thermal regime. Palaeo-ice streams and lobes were important components of the LIS, and properties of lakes in those regions are quantified at high resolution. Lake polygon shapefiles obtained from the HydroLAKES database contain data including water depth, volume and elevation. ArcGIS Pro is used to measure lake area, length, width, elongation, orientation, parallel conformity, density and packing. Approximately 982 282 natural lakes were identified in the region of North America covered by the maximum extent …

From Coastal Retreat To Seaward Growth: Emergent Behaviors From Paired Community Beach Nourishment Choices, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Arye Janoff, Oshane Thomas, Di Jin, Porter Hoagland, Andrew Ashton

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Coastal communities often address shoreline erosion through beach nourishment, adding externally sourced sand to widen beaches for recreation and property protection. While nourishment enhances beachfront property values, the need for periodic maintenance creates interdependencies where the actions of neighboring communities affect local shoreline dynamics. Using a coupled model of two neighboring communities, we examine the interplay between community nourishment decisions and the redistribution of nourishment sand. We find that the value a community places on wider beaches not only influences their propensity to nourish, but also their and their neighbors' nourishment efficiency and net benefits. Communities that nourish more frequently …

How Effective Is HawaiʻS'S Sunscreen Ban? Tourism Impact On The Health Of KauaʻI'S Coral Reefs, Meghan E. Parker

Capstone Collection

This study seeks to determine whether the level of human-impact, and in particular sunscreen use, influences the health of coral reefs on the island of Kauaʻi. Six paired sites in different regions of Kauaʻi were identified, each having a human-impacted site and an isolated counterpart site. By obtaining quantitative data on the coral reef at each site using 25-meter video transects, the overall health of the reef was assessed by measuring live coral cover, coral species abundance, prevalence of coral bleaching, and fish abundance. The level of human-impact in the form of number of people present and type of sunscreen …

Activation Or Deactivation? Rethinking Ferrate(Vi) Reactivity Within A Broader Modulation Framework, Zepei Tang, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Health And Weather In Unfavourable Environments: Exploring The Historical Dynamics Of Colonial Medical Meteorology In Nineteenth-Century Tropical Asia, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Medical meteorology had a long precedent in medical thought across Eastern and Western traditions. This article considers the tradition of medical meteorology that was favoured by Western doctors in the nineteenth century, which was often applied within colonial contexts to the understanding of new climates and how they might impact on human health. Looking at British-held tropical and sub-tropical colonies of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong respectively, medical meteorology was stimulated by the new pathological and atmospheric conditions that European explorers and settlers now inhabited in the name of the British Empire. They brought with them concepts of disease …

Sustainability: Buzz Word Or Future Of Fashion? Measuring The Feasibility Of Outright Sustainability Among Fast Fashion’S Biggest Agents, Ryan Miller

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The fashion industry is currently experiencing unsustainable rates of pollution within its supply chains. The rapid increase in demand for short lead times perpetrated by large-scale retailers has led to hazardous practices negatively affecting both the environmental conditions and working conditions of producing countries. With this increased pressure, relationships between brands and suppliers have become untenable. Limited transparency and imbalanced power dynamics at the hand of the industry’s leading retailers require restructuring in order to build more sustainable and equitable supply-chain practices. Further, governmental regulation is currently limited in its capacity to enforce sustainable business practices on a global …

Ocean-Ice Sheet Interactions During Super-Interglacial Mis 31: Comparison Of Rock Magnetic Records From The Scotia Sea (59.1°S) And Fram Strait (76.5°N), Olga Libman-Roshal

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) was a period spanning ~1.2-0.7 Ma when glacial-interglacial cyclicity changed from 41 kyr obliquity paced to 100 kyr eccentricity paced cycles with increased glacial-interglacial contrast post-MPT. Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 31 was a “super-interglacial” within the MPT and occurred in the recent geological past (1.08-1.06 Ma). During MIS 31, the tectonic configuration resembled the present day, but Earth’s orbital parameters were marked by maximum values of eccentricity and obliquity while atmospheric CO2 remained at pre-industrial levels (below 280 ppm). MIS 31 therefore offers a valuable baseline for testing the impacts of modern anthropogenic CO2 levels combined …

Highly Contaminated Sediments From The Gowanus Canal (New York) Superfund Site: An Environmental Forensic Approach, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Eric A Stern, Maria Mastalerz, Albert Permanyer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The 2.5 km long Gowanus Canal (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is a severely contaminated urban waterway dating from the mid-19th century, listed as a US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund site since 2010. Applying an environmental forensics approach to the extensive USEPA data set, we detect systematic variations in parent PAH ring number distributions in the canal sediments, as well as an extraordinary enrichment in organic carbon. We subjected a supplemental sample set to a more detailed analysis by quantitative pyrolysis-GC-MS, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and organic petrology. With these sensitive methods, we can confirm the alkyl-PAH fingerprint of coal tar (a legacy …

How Effective Are Engineered And Non-Engineered Riparian Forest Restoration Projects In Providing Salmonid-Quality Habitat In The San Francisco Bay Area?, Alexander Ivanov

Master's Theses

Streams and their riparian zones in the San Francisco Bay Area have been degraded, severely harming salmonid populations in the region. Ecological restoration is a common approach to return stream function. Such restoration projects vary widely in intensity, from low-impact vegetation removal/planting to highly engineered projects involving structures and grading. This research investigated the effectiveness of streams restored using engineered versus non-engineered solutions in supporting salmonid habitat viability in San Francisco Bay Area streams. Fourteen streams, seven from each of the two types of restoration, were sampled in the wet and dry season in 2024, three times each season. Data …

Life Cycle Assessment Of New Jersey Offshore Wind, Meghann Smith, Nawal Shoaib, Pankaj Lal

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

As offshore wind gains momentum within US (United States) renewable energy goals, New Jersey's ambitious targets for offshore wind development represent a significant opportunity to reduce emissions and transition towards cleaner energy sources. This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a planned offshore wind farm off of New Jersey's coast, emphasizing the implications of a domestic supply chain. Key findings suggest that the offshore wind farm is projected to produce 0.013 kg CO2 kWh−1 of electricity generated, reflecting a 98 % decrease in carbon emissions compared to natural-gas-derived electricity. Further, when compared to carbon emissions from other renewable …

The People's Rivers: Early Environmental Regulation And The Oregon State Sanitary Authority, Avery Morgan Fischer

Dissertations and Theses

The environmental movement in Oregon can trace its origins to the turn of the twentieth century, where citizen activism and initiative led to the creation of an early environmental regulatory agency, the Oregon State Sanitary Authority. This creation established that the State of Oregon had a duty to preserve, not just the navigability or usability of rivers and waterways, but the quality and purity of its water. The Oregon State Sanitary Authority played an active role in maintaining and protecting the environment as a mandate of the people, and throughout its thirty-year existence battling industrial polluters, reluctant municipalities, and disinterested …

Analyzing Environmental Health: Air Pollution And Human Health Using Geospatial Data Science, Yanhong Huang

Geography ETDs

Air pollution from industrial emissions and wildfire smoke poses growing threats to public health. This dissertation employs geospatial data science to examine these challenges through three interrelated studies. The first study investigates the relationship between maternal residential exposure to industrial pollutants and low birth weight, identifying five chemicals as significant risk factors. The second study assesses the impact of industrial air pollution on lung and bronchus cancer survival, finding that exposure to 1,1,1-trichloroethane and cobalt is associated with reduced survival. The third study explores disparities in wildfire smoke PM_2.5 exposure and its association with asthma exacerbations. Results show disparities …