Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of Participatory Process Mapping To Evaluate Environmental Decision-Making And Implementation, Karissa Courtney, Emily Rabung, Jennifer Brousseau, Antony S. Cheng, A. Paige Fischer, Harrison Fried, Matthew Hamilton, Federico Holm, Jordan Inskeep, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental governance outcomes hinge on the design and implementation of management decisions. Yet, available research methodologies can be limited in their ability to capture the complexity of decision-making and implementation processes and in turn predict and explain environmental governance outcomes. We present participatory process mapping as a method for examining the pathways that emerge and evolve over time that result in natural resource management decisions and on-the-ground outcomes, as perceived by participants in collaborative processes. The approach leverages a large-N comparative design, participatory diagraming within semi-structured interviews, and mental modeling toward a method that can fit into both quantitative and …

Processing Of Impulse Noise In Magnetotelluric Data Based On Bidirectional Recurrent Imputation, Yang Kai, Liu Cheng, Li Han, He Jinglong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Magnetotelluric sounding is an exploration method to obtain the underground electrical structure by observing the natural electromagnetic field, which is easily disturbed by noise. Impulse noise, frequently occurring in magnetotelluric sounding, generally exhibits high amplitude and wide frequency bands, producing significant impacts on the data quality. Methods To suppress such noise, this study proposed a method based on a bidirectional recurrent imputation for time series (BRITS) model. First, the data segments with noise interference were deleted. Second, for the magnetotelluric time series with missing data to be imputed, training sets were constructed for imputation training of the BRITS model. …

Ozone Gardens: Impacts Of Air Quality On Native Plants In Chicago, Elene Drosos

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Air quality impacts are hard for the public to understand where air pollution is not visible. Visual indications of plant damage like stipples can help residents in cities with understanding how poor air quality impacts both plants and humans. This is particularly important since the effects of climate change and air pollution are difficult to observe at small temporal and spatial scales. Ozone gardens with ozone-sensitive plants are a space to visualize ozone damage on leaves of plants. They are a practical way to express these complicated scientific topics to the public, especially in heavily polluted areas like Chicago. Some …

Developing Green Design, Leading Green And Low-Carbon Society, Yongxiang Lu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Green design refers to a design principle and method that comprehensively considers energy and resource conservation, emission reduction, and environmental impact during the product manufacturing and operation process in the product design stage. It strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire product lifecycle. In the era of information networks, green design is supported by big data, AI network collaborative design, network detection and monitoring, etc. It involves selecting energy-saving processes, green and low-carbon materials, and optimizing product geometry design and surface treatment to achieve efficient resource utilization and minimize waste. For example, selecting environmentally friendly materials through networked …

Research And Implications Of The Us Clean Energy Strategy, Lanchun Li, Qing Liu, Wei Chen, Yun Tang, Jun Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the world enters a new period of carbon neutrality, the US government is actively building a clean energy innovation ecosystem through both internal and external measures. Systematically tracking and in-depth analysis of the intent, structure, approach, and other characteristics of the new phase of the US clean energy strategy is of practical significance to Chinese energy revolution. The US focuses on the strategic objectives of science and technology innovation, energy security, and infrastructure, and has constructed an innovation ecology characterized by technology lists, planning blueprints, full-chain research, and innovative subjects from the perspective of whole-government coordination, cross-institutional decision-making, deep …

Effective Carbon Cost Constraints: Unity Of Environmental Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, And Incentive Effectiveness, Yongping Sun, Jingning Jiang, Xinyu Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The carbon market serves as a crucial policy tool in the pursuit of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. It holds significant importance in driving the innovation of green and low-carbon technologies in China, facilitating the realization of nationally determined contributions, and bolstering China’s global leadership in climate action. The core function of the carbon market is carbon pricing, which can only be effective and achieve various objectives like carbon emissions reduction and sustainable development when carbon costs are reasonably constrained. Environmental effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and incentive effectiveness are three important dimensions to evaluate the effectiveness of the carbon market, …

Natural Resource Factors Promoting Urban And Rural Integrated Development In The New Era: Target Selection And Policy Design, Zhimin Zhang, Guohua Yuan, Ruilin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Reconstructing the reverse flood of natural resource elements in rural and urban regional systems is the basic form of requirement for realizing urban-rural integration. Taking target selection-realistic obstacles-institutional demand-system construction as the logical main line, starting from the current situation of natural resource element allocation under the framework of urban-rural integrated development, it sorted out the problems existing in the urban-rural integrated development of natural resources such as asymmetrical property rights design, inconsistent bearing plans of various types, lack of natural resource revenue sharing mechanism, and poor asset flow channels and trading systems, with unified layout, power return, paid use, …

Large-Scale Experimental Platform For Dynamic Simulation Of Mountain Hazards (Leads), Gongdan Zhou, Peng Cui, Hongwei Wu, Yong You, Wei Zhong, Dongri Song, Chuiyi Zhou, Hongwei Shen, Mingsheng Shang, Xuerui Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Mountain hazards involve complex multiphase media composed of granular materials and fluids. The challenges related to scale effects and similarity issues in physical modelling of these hazards are key problems in both fundamental research on dynamics of granular materials and applied research in disaster prevention and mitigation. Supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ key scientific infrastructure construction project at the field station network, the National Dongchuan Debris Flow Observation and Research Station in Jiangjia Gully, Dongchuan District, Kunming City completed the construction of the large-scale experimental platform on dynamic simulation of mountain hazards (LEADS) in 2024. This platform is …

International Development Strategy And Analysis Of Science And Technology Trends In Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage (Ccus), Aning Qin, Yuling Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the context of carbon neutrality, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as a critical focus for policymakers worldwide. Recognized as a critical tool for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality, CCUS has gained widespread endorsement from major nations and international organizations. Through methods such as bibliometrics, text clustering, and comprehensive research involving foreign official institutions and authoritative websites, this study delves into the technology strategy and development trends of CCUS. It is found that various countries，including the United States, Europe, and Japan, have sequentially rolled out CCUS strategies, elevating CCUS to a pivotal national strategic …

Scientifically Improving Integrated Water Governance For Resilient Flow Of The Yellow River, Shuai Wang, Shuang Song, Yanxu Liu, Xutong Wu, Enhui Jiang, Bojie Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The severe soil erosion and river channel disconnection along the Yellow River have been curbed. Still, the fundamental situation of prominent contradictions in the relationship between humans and water has not changed. Scientifically enhancing comprehensive management capabilities has become an important demand for high-quality development in the Yellow River basin during this new era. This study summarizes the fundamental ecological and hydrological changes in the Yellow River basin, and identifies three main characteristics, namely, sediment transport has significantly decreased, water resource shortages have intensified, and the relationship between humans and water has changed significantly. The four key challenges for sustainable …

Analysis Of International Carbon Budget Management Systems And Their Applicability To China, Wenjun Wang, Huiquan Huang, Xujie Zhao, Pengcheng Xie, Chonghui Fu, Qiaqia Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China is establishing a carbon budget management system at both provincial and municipal levels. The carbon budget system, as a policy tool for integrating total carbon emission management and economic planning, has already been effective in developed countries. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the concept, core elements, and practical experiences of the carbon budget system, and compares international practices with China’s low-carbon management system in the context of national circumstances. It extracts elements from international experiences that provide empirical insights, exhibit reference value, and require localization and innovation. Based on the analysis, this study proposes the following policy …

Spatial Optimism And Cross-Over Effects In The Perceptions Of Interconnected Wildfire, Flood, And Mudslide Hazards, Douglas Houston, Omar Pérez Figueroa, Ariane Jong-Levinger, Brett F. Sanders

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Communities near the wildland urban interface (WUI) are exposed to a mix of three interconnected hazards (wildfire, flood, and mudslide), and understanding multi-hazard perceptions is critically important for emergency preparation and hazard mitigation—particularly given the WUI’s rapid expansion and intensifying environmental hazards. Based on a survey of residents living near recent burn scars in Southern California, we document cross-over effects in hazard perceptions, where resident experience with one hazard was associated with greater hazard rankings for other hazards. Additionally, for all three hazards analyzed we document perceptions of increasing hazard levels with increasing spatial scales (home, near-home, neighborhood, and community), …

Sustainable Transportation: Transforming Utah Through Community Action, Isabella Erwin, Kendall Becker, Patrick A. Singleton, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Transportation in the United States accounts for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Over half of these emissions come from on-road vehicles. Nationwide, Utah has the third highest rate of car ownership, and the resulting air pollution from on-road vehicles has significant implications for the climate and public health. This fact sheet provides information on how Utah’s government and other entities are working to expand modes of transport that minimize harm to communities and the environment.

Estimating Post-Fire Flood Infrastructure Clogging And Overtopping Hazards, Ariane Jong-Levinger, Douglas Houston, Brett F. Sanders

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Cycles of wildfire and rainfall produce sediment-laden floods that pose a hazard to development and may clog or overtop protective infrastructure, including debris basins and flood channels. The compound, post-fire flood hazards associated with infrastructure overtopping and clogging are challenging to estimate due to the need to account for interactions between sequences of wildfire and storm events and their impact on flood control infrastructure over time. Here we present data sources and calibration methods to estimate infrastructure clogging and channel overtopping hazards on a catchment-by-catchment basis using the Post-Fire Flood Hazard Model (PF2HazMo), a stochastic modeling approach that utilizes continuous …

Impact Of Shale Oil And Gas Exploration In The Permian Basin: Public Finances, House Prices, Migration, And Household Income, Bamadou Ouattara

Economics ETDs

This dissertation examines the impacts of shale oil and gas exploration in the Permian Basin, focusing on housing, socio-demographics, petroleum exploration, and environmental effects. It addresses three key research areas: New Mexico's public finances, inter-county migration and household income, and the influence on house prices.

The introductory chapter reviews the boomtown impact model and advocates for its adaptation to current social, economic, and financial landscapes. The second chapter analyzes New Mexico's public finances from 2010-2021, emphasizing oil and gas tax revenues and the need for financial prudence due to industry volatility.

The third chapter uses causal effect techniques to assess …

Butte Mine Flooding Site Cd, Cv 02-35 Bu-Rfc, 2024 Second Quarter Report, Mark Thompson, Dave Griffis

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Modeling Of The Ogallala Aquifer: Use Of Machine Learning For Model Parameterization And Sustainability Assessment, Tewodros Aboret Tilahun

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Addressing groundwater depletion problems in heterogeneous aquifer systems is a challenge. The heterogeneous Ogallala Aquifer, a critical source of groundwater in the central United States, has undergone decades of decline in water levels due to pumping. This project aims to build a robust groundwater model to evaluate optimal scenarios for sustainable use of the groundwater resource within a section of the Ogallala aquifer located in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD). This study follows a comprehensive approach involving parameterization, construction, and optimization. The model is parametrized using hydraulic conductivity and recharge values obtained from a random forest-based machine learning …

Association Between Residential Distance To Airport And Blood Lead Levels In Children Under 6 Living In North Carolina, 1992–2015, Abdul-Nasah Soale

Faculty Scholarship

Even with progress in lead poisoning prevention, research has consistently shown there is no safe blood lead level (BLL) for children.1 Behavioral and cognitive deficits are associated with lead exposure, even at low levels.2 Unfortunately, many piston-engine aircraft are still fueled by leaded aviation gas (avgas). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 5.2 million people live within 500m of an airport where avgas is used.3 Our past research in six North Carolina (NC) counties indicates that children living within 500m of airports where avgas is used have ∼4% higher BLLs than children who lived beyond 2,000m (reference group); …

Coffee In Brasil: Sustainability And The Role Of Intermediaries, Livia Petzinger

Capstone Collection

ABSTRACT

Coffee is traded in a highly complex global value chain where countless sustainability initiatives have emerged to address social, economic, and environmental issues, challenges which persist due to dominance of the market structure by largescale traders and roasters. Specialty coffee and direct trade have emerged as alternative trade arrangements that promote high-quality coffee through the use of sustainable practices, transparency, and a shortened supply chain. This research analyzes the role that intermediaries in the Brazilian specialty coffee supply chain play in the implementation of sustainability initiatives asking what kinds of sustainability practices they implement and why, and how this …

Solar Photovoltaics As Climate Change Adaptations For Farmers In West Bengal, India: Barriers Within A Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach, Emily Rochford

Capstone Collection

This capstone research project seeks to identify and address barriers to the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) as an adaptation method to climate change for farmers in West Bengal, India. These barriers are examined within the context of the food-water-energy nexus, particularly concerning the ability of many small holder farmers to produce their own food and sustain their livelihoods. Previous studies have examined both energy access and renewable energy development in West Bengal, and also the food-water-energy nexus in its application to climate change. However, there is minimal literature on how renewable energy development should be applied within the nexus …

Returning Power To The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe: Energy Policy And Tribal Autonomy, Nicolas Land-Kazlauskas

Capstone Collection

This policy brief addresses tribal autonomy, energy policy, and the resources of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts. Tribal sovereignty has been a difficult and often painful area of discussion for many tribal communities. For generations, tribes have had to carefully navigate their interactions with colonial forces and the residues of colonialist legacies, especially tied to resource wealth and decision-making. Even with the best of efforts by the tribe, their actions often have not impacted the basic legal or economic situations on-the-ground. Their on-going relationships with states and companies continue to undermine tribal autonomy and sovereignty oftentimes simply because they …

Approval Letter For The Request For Change (Rfc) To The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Request For Change (Rfc)-Brw-2023-03 To The Final Butte Reduction Works (Brw) Smelter Area Mine Waste Remediation And Contaminated Groundwater Hydraulic Control Site Phase Iii Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Phase Iii) (Dated June 29, 2023)., Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Conservation Decision Making And Agricultural Land Leasing - An Experimental Investigation Of The Role Of Gender, Diya Ganguly, Simanti Banerjee, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

This research investigated the impact of landowner gender and of the different types of contract leases offered by them to a male tenant, on the conservation (or non-conservation) choice made by the tenant. Specifically, we investigate if a) female and male landowners offer different rental contracts and b) whether tenants choose different actions based on the landowner’s gender. For this purpose, we implemented a controlled, gender-context-loaded economic experiment with university students, in which we tested contract and land use choice under different treatments for three types of rental contracts – fixed rent, fixed rent with penalty, and fixed rent with …

Beat The Heat: Community Perspectives Around Extreme Heat In Spokane, Wa, Post-2021 Northwest Heat Dome, Jason J. Lau, Brian G. Henning, Kate Tokareva, Kaitlan Ducken, Faisal S. Malik, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Extreme heat events are the leading weather-related causes of death in the United States. Despite heat familiarity in eastern Washington, at least 19 heat-related deaths occurred in Spokane County during the 2021 “heat dome” in the Northwest. To assess heat concerns among vulnerable groups and identify cooling access barriers, surveys were conducted with Spokane County residents from July to November 2022. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression characterized perceptions of heat, access to home cooling, and interest in public cooling for vulnerable populations. A total of 1477 adults completed the survey. Demographics were comparable to the Spokane County US Census: …

Evaluation Of Mechanical Vapor Recompression And Easy Multi-Effect Desalination Systems In Different Climate Conditions-Sensitivity And 7e Analysis, Hamed Kariman, Mehdi Khiadani, Siamak Hoseinzadeh, Shahin Shoeibi, Abdellah Shafieian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evaporative desalination systems, such as Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) and Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR), play important roles in addressing this challenge. Although large-scale desalination systems possess limitations in catering to the water demands of remote regions and islands and entail the cost of water transportation to residential areas, it is imperative to concentrate on studying the feasibility of employing centralized evaporative water production systems. Firstly, in this study, the initial focus is on conducting energy and exergy analyses of MVR and Easy MED systems, with a goal of enhancing knowledge about the energy consumption, exergy destruction and exergetic efficiency of these …

Mapping Urban Tree Canopy Using Publicly Available Satellite Data, Rosemary Mcguinness

Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses the need for accessible, cost-effective tools for quantifying spatial and temporal changes in tree canopy cover in urban areas. Urban tree canopy provides a wide range of ecosystem services, including lowering air temperatures, reducing pollution, and mitigating stormwater runoff. Cities around the world have placed the expansion of their urban forests at the center of their sustainability goals. Consistent and timely data on urban tree canopy is essential for urban greening initiatives to succeed. Existing methods of accessing information about urban tree canopy are highly technical, costly, and labor-intensive, while the freely available source of tree canopy …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

Aerialformer: Multi-Resolution Transformer For Aerial Image Segmentation, Taisei Hanyu, Kashu Yamazaki, Minh Tran, Roy A. Mccann, Haitao Liao, Chase Rainwater, Meredith Adkins, Jackson Cothren, Hoang Le

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

When performing remote sensing image segmentation, practitioners often encounter various challenges, such as a strong imbalance in the foreground–background, the presence of tiny objects, high object density, intra-class heterogeneity, and inter-class homogeneity. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces AerialFormer, a hybrid model that strategically combines the strengths of Transformers and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). AerialFormer features a CNN Stem module integrated to preserve low-level and high-resolution features, enhancing the model’s capability to process details of aerial imagery. The proposed AerialFormer is designed with a hierarchical structure, in which a Transformer encoder generates multi-scale features and a multi-dilated CNN (MDC) …

Renewable Energy Perception And Policy Implementation In Rural Communities: Case Studies In The Ohio And Tennessee River Valleys, Madeline Petty

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Utility-scale renewable energy development allows clean energy production to fulfill energy demand and mitigate climate change. Development of utility-scale renewable energies such as wind and solar energy requires expansive tracts of land, typically found in rural areas. Rural center communities in the United States (U.S.) exhibit unique characteristics and ideologies that influence individuals’ perceptions of renewable energy about climate change. This research aimed to understand rural residents’ perception of renewable energy by surveying six rural center communities with varying levels of renewable energy. Surveys were distributed electronically to residents in these communities via mailers, digital ads, flyers, press releases, and …

Evaluating Stormwater Erosion Prevention And Sediment Control Best Management Practices Using High-Resolution Rainfall Monitoring And Field-Based Assessment Tools, Brittany Pekara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Advancing stormwater management methods and technology is critical as runoff from impermeable surfaces increases with urbanization and development. Stormwater runoff is highly susceptible to contamination from non-point source pollution and causing flood impacts following rain events, which varies spatially and temporally in an urban landscape. To counteract the impacts of contamination and drainage issues, Best Management Practices (BMPs) are implemented to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff; however, the unpredictable nature of storm events can make methods for effectively monitoring impacts difficult in trying to capture first flush inputs, flood threats, and sedimentation sources. This research utilizes a highresolution rainfall …