Digital Commons Network^™

Drone-Based Topographic Monitoring Of The Doheny Beach Replenishment Project As An Alternative To Land-Based Monitoring, Miller Mccraw

CMC Senior Theses

The rising threat of coastal erosion to California’s beach ecosystems and economy has fueled a rise in coastal stabilization projects, including beach replenishment. This process’s potentially adverse impact on a beach’s topography and ecosystem makes post-replenishment monitoring essential for long-term coastline management. Drone-based monitoring presents itself as a faster, cheaper, and safer alternative to traditional post-replenishment monitoring but has little proof of concept as a practical substitute. This study used drone-based photogrammetry coupled with publicly available wave data to track elevation changes at Doheny and San Capistrano Beach after a beach replenishment project to both determine the beach’s resilience to …

Climate And Cognitive Performance: Examining The Relationship Between Extreme Temperatures And Students’ Academic Achievement In The United States, Sophia Kestell

CMC Senior Theses

This study explores how exposure to high temperatures throughout the school year affects students' academic performance in the United States, focusing on third- and eighth-graders and economically disadvantaged students. This paper uses math and reading assessment data for students from the Standard Education Data Archive (SEDA) and temperature data from the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State. Using a fixed-effects ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model specification, this analysis investigates the relationship between temperature threshold and academic achievement in 333 US counties from 2010 through 2019. Additionally, county air conditioning coverage data are used to explore the relationship between temperatures …

The Impact Of The Use Of Mercury In Mining In Colombia, Johan Martinez

CMC Senior Theses

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a practice that is common all around the world, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It is also one of the leading consumers of mercury and leading sources of emissions. Governments have banned the use of mercury completely, including Colombia, but it continues to be used and emitted into the environment. This issue is exacerbated because there is a lack of standards, a lack of research done regarding mercury use in mining, and a complex socio-political history in Colombia. For this reason, this paper seeks to provide a proposed pathway for research to …

Strategy Overview For Cema, Lucas Bernicker, Sarah Biedron, Marcus Ding, Elianna Filivaa, Alister Paul, Rosie Swidler

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Revitalization Plan: West Florissant Ave, Jordan Ederer, Sophie Keyser, Lily Smith, Elizabeth Swords, Jalen Walker, Cate Young

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Names Of Trees And Mental Health Spaces In The Washu Arboretum, Cameryn Berryhill, Odessa Buell, Landon Highbloom, Ally Foster, Shelby Negosian

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Waste Service Inequities: Dutchtown And Central West End Case Study, Aiden Warner, Jacob Cummings, Sophie Barteau, Casey Mccollom, Jordan Cascade, Sean Hwang

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Half Of Atlantic Reef-Building Corals At Elevated Risk Of Extinction Due To Climate Change And Other Threats, Luis Gutierrez, Beth Polidoro, David Obura, Francoise Cabada-Blanco, Christi Linardich, Emma Pettersson, Paul Pearce-Kelly, Krista Kemppinen, Juan Jose Alvarado, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, Anastazia Banaszak, Pilar Casado De Amezua, James Crabbe, Aldo Croquer, Joshua Feingold, Elizabeth Goergen, Stefano Goffredo, Bert Hoeksema, Danwei Huang, Emma Kennedy, Diego Kersting, Marcelo Kitahara, Petar Kružić, Margaret Miller, Flavia Nunes, Juan Pablo Quimbayo, Andrea Rivera-Sosa, Rosa Rodríguez-Martínez, Nadia Santodomingo, Michael Sweet, Mark Vermeij, Estrella Villamizar, Greta Aeby, Khatija Alliji, Daniel Bayley, Elena Couce, Benjamin Cowburn, C. Isabel Nuñez Lendo, Sean Porter, Kaveh Samimi-Namin, Tom Shlesinger, Bryan Wilson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Atlantic reef-building corals and coral reefs continue to experience extensive decline due to increased stressors related to climate change, disease, pollution, and numerous anthropogenic threats. To understand the impact of ocean warming and reef loss on the estimated extinction risk of shallow water Atlantic reef-building scleractinians and milleporids, all 85 valid species were reassessed under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, updating the previous Red List assessment of Atlantic corals published in 2008. For the present assessment, individual species declines were estimated based on the modeled coral cover loss (1989–2019) and projected onset of annual severe bleaching events (2020–2050) …

Wild Sun Bears (Helarctos Malayanus) Exhibit Aseasonality In Parturition, Zachary A. David, Brian Crudge, Matt Hunt, Kirsty Officer, Vuthy Choun, Barbara Durrant, Megan A. Owen, Morokot Long, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Seasonal reproduction can provide species with fitness advantages by allowing the birth of young to coincide with favorable environmental conditions, particularly in environments with high seasonal and intra-annual variation in these conditions. Seven of the eight species in the bear family (Ursidae) reproduce seasonally in both managed care and the wild; however, data for the eighth species, the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), is unclear. Sun bears have been observed to reproduce throughout the year in managed care, yet currently there are no clear data of birth timing for wild sun bear cubs. Here we investigate the seasonality of …

Factors Affecting Electrocoagulation Process For Different Water Types: A Review, Shahad Fadhil Abed Al-Rubaye, Naseer A. Alhaboubi, Aiman H. Al-Allaq

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Raw water must meet specific physical, chemical, and biological requirements to be suitable for drinking. There are various techniques available for treating wastewater, and aside from conventional methods that involve chemicals, electrocoagulation is an efficient and advanced approach. Electrocoagulation has proven effective in treating many pollutants, including bacteria, viruses, iron, fluoride, sulfate, boron, hardness, and turbidity. Total suspended solids, organic and inorganic materials, chemical oxygen demand COD, biochemical oxygen demand BOD, and color. It finds extensive application in treating different types of water and wastewater due to its exceptional ability to remove diverse contaminants. Recently, electrocoagulation has garnered significant attention …

The Legal Crisis Within The Climate Crisis, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

Climate change creates a difficult choice for property owners and governmental officials alike: Should they invest in costly climate adaptation measures or retreat from climate-exposed areas? Either decision is fraught with legal uncertainty, running headfirst into antiquated legal doctrines designed for a more stable world. Climate impacts to the coastline are forcing policymakers to consider four adaptation tools: (1) resisting climate impacts by building sea walls and armoring the shoreline; (2) accommodating those impacts by elevating existing structures; (3) managed retreat such as systematically and preemptively moving people out of harm’s way; and (4) reactively moving people to new locations …

Climate Risk, Insurance Retreat, And State Response, Mark P. Nevitt, Michael Pappas

Faculty Articles

Climate change is fundamentally destabilizing the private insurance industry, with many high-profile insurance companies exiting states in the face of catastrophic, climate-­induced risk. This rapid "insurance retreat" represents a major market signal in response to climate-exacerbated risks. Private businesses are making actuarial decisions, assessing that some locations are just too vulnerable to insure. At the same time, this insurance retreat also poses a policy challenge for states as they react to the mounting insurance gaps left by exiting private insurers.

This Article analyzes insurance retreat, its attendant policy challenges, and the lessons that can be drawn from state responses. It …

Climatizing National Security, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

Is climate change a national security issue? Human security? Ecological security? This Article addresses the growing nexus between climate change and various conceptions of security with a particular emphasis on climate change's national security impacts. This Article argues that there is a growing connection between national security and climate change and a corresponding need to address the normative implications of "climatizing national security." This connection can be observed through three lenses: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions from military and national security sources); adaptation (investing in climate resilient infrastructure in an effort to prepare for climate impacts), and response (addressing climate-exacerbated …

Environmental War, Climate Security, And The Russia-Ukraine Crisis, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

This Article addresses the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s broad implications for energy security, climate security, and environment protections during wartime. I assert that in the short-term the Russian-Ukraine war is poised to hinder much-needed international climate progress. It will stymie international decarbonization efforts and cause greater uncertainty in other climate-destabilized parts of the world, such as the Arctic. While Russia has become a pariah in the eyes of the United States and other Western nations, it has forged new partnerships and capitalized on new, lucrative energy markets outside the West and Global South. But in the long term, the global renewable energy …

Modified Air-Fenton (Maf) With Bimetallic Particles From Industrial Waste For Coolant Oil Treatment, Hathaichanok Suannuch

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research investigates the optimal conditions for treating synthetic coolant oil from the automotive parts manufacturing industry using bimetallic particles synthesized from industrial waste. Aluminum dross (AD) and shot blast (SB) waste were used to produce four types of bimetallic particles: ADSB1, ADSB2, AlCl3: SB, and AD: FeCl3. These particles were employed as catalysts in the modified air-Fenton (MAF) process to remove high levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), initially at approximately 80,000 mg/L and 40,000 mg/L, respectively. The experiments, designed using response surface methodology (RSM) through Minitab version 19, aimed to determine optimal conditions …

Health Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metals Exposure From Blood Cockles : A Case Study In Samut Sakhon, Thailand, Nuttinan Jitsai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study assessed the potential health risks from heavy metal exposure through the consumption of blood cockles (Anadara granosa) farmed in open-system aquaculture along the Tha Chin River, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand. Environmental samples—sediment, surface water, and blood cockles—were collected from five farms during the dry season in December 2024. Six heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Zn) were analyzed using ICP-MS techniques. The highest mean concentrations in blood cockles were Zn (9.71 ± 1.46 mg/kg), As (0.61 ± 0.10 mg/kg), Cd (0.47 ± 0.40 mg/kg), Pb (0.13 ± 0.02 mg/kg), Cr (0.08 ± 0.02 mg/kg), and Hg...

Bridging The Gap: Understanding Socio-Economic Determinants Of Climate-Smart Agricultural (Csa) Technologies Adoption Among Rice Farmers In Chachoengsao, Thailand, Stephen Maynard Manaoat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Agriculture both contributes to and suffers from climate change, while climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aims to create environmentally friendly and resilient agri-food systems through enhanced productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. This research, focusing on Chachoengsao province, analyzes the socio-economic factors influencing rice farmers' adoption of CSA technologies, evaluates the effectiveness of current technological solutions in mitigating climate change impacts on agriculture, and identifies strategies for promoting the adoption of CSA technology. By combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, this quantitative research collected surveys from 346 rice farmers across 11 districts in Chachoengsao province. Findings revealed …

Optimization Of Process Parameters For Carbon Dioxide Capture With K2co3/Al2o3 Solid Sorbent In Internally Circulating Fluidized Bed Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Kaung Sat Han -

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry totaled 37.15 billion metric tons in 2022. Therefore, it is a priority to consider a method or a solution for reducing CO2 emission while the global energy sector is still dependent on hydrocarbon fuels. Among carbon capturing concepts, there are a lot of recent studies on the application of reversible gas-solid adsorption of CO2 on K2CO3/Al2O3 with reliable efficiency and reusability. The adsorption and desorption capacities of the sorbent are influenced by the operation parameters such as temperature, pressure, water vapor and flow patterns. Computational fluid dynamics software (CFD), which is …

Effects Of An Electrokinetic Barrier To Inhibit Heavy Metal Absorption In Rhizophora Mucronata Seedlings, Ivan Deleon De La Grange

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Developing an electrokinetic (EK) barrier to hinder mangrove seedlings from heavy metal (HM) absorption is a novel technology for conducting mangrove reforestation within contaminated environments. The objectives of this study were (1) to investigate mangrove seedlings in a saltwater environment under the presence of a micro-electric field with HM exposure, and (2) Discover the effects of HM exposure on the morphological changes of the seedlings in accordance with time. The experiment consisted of Rhizophora mucronata plants grown in a brackish hydroponic solution (HS) and analyzed for HM absorption and morphological changes over a period of four days as young seedlings …

Assessing Low Carbon Practices Of Thai Sugarcane Cultivation, Sahajanee Thaisonthi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Thailand’s sugarcane farming sector through policy scenario planning. Using scenario analysis, the study evaluates potential developments and informs adaptive policy frameworks to enhance the sector's sustainability and resilience. It assesses GHG emissions across Thailand's agricultural sector using data from government reports, academic studies, and industry sources. A structured life cycle framework was applied, focusing on soil preparation, plantation, maintenance, and harvesting stages. Key findings identified the “Clear Sky” scenario as the most promising for emission reduction, proposing policies such as full financial support for low-carbon …

Environmental Impact Of Aluminium Industry Waste Management In Thailand Using Life Cycle Assessment (Lca), Pimchanok Kumnoonsate

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The aluminium industry plays a crucial role in Thailand's economy with numerous studies exploring its various facets. While the environmental impacts of aluminum production have been extensively researched, this study focuses on the industry's waste management practices, utilizing data from 2017 to 2020 that provided the most comprehensive dataset available for analyzing waste generation and disposal methods. Employing material flow analysis (MFA) through STAN, the study examined waste disposal options in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Industry of Thailand. Results indicated that 48.14% of waste from the aluminium industry was recycled (method 04), followed by sorting 41.71% and …

Effects Of Fertilizers Usage In Conventional And Organic Cocoa Plantation In Thailand, Rusali Agrawal

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This paper explores the effects of conventional and organic farming practices on crops with similar cultivation methods, focusing on cocoa plantations in Thailand. Through a comprehensive review of literature and life cycle assessment (LCA) studies, this research investigates the carbon emissions from different agricultural systems and provides insights into sustainable farming practices. The study aims to elucidate the environmental consequences of conventional farming methods, including the heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and benefits of transitioning to an organic heavy farming method.The analysis begins with an overview of conventional farming methods, highlighting their historical evolution and widespread adoption in …

Delayed Coastal Inundations Caused By Ocean Dynamics Post-Hurricane Matthew, Kyungmin Park, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Yinglong J. Zhang, Tal Ezer, Fei Yi

CCPO Publications

Post Hurricane Abnormal Water Level (PHAWL) poses a persistent inundation threat to coastal communities, yet unresolved knowledge gaps exist regarding its spatiotemporal impacts and causal mechanisms. Using a high-resolution coastal model with a set of observations, we find that the PHAWLs are up to 50 cm higher than the normal water levels for several weeks and cause delayed inundations around residential areas of the U.S. Southeast Coast (USSC). Numerical experiments reveal that while atmospheric forcing modulates the coastal PHAWLs, ocean dynamics primarily driven by the Gulf Stream control the mean component and duration of the shelf-scale PHAWLs. Because of the …

Building A Coordinated Framework For Research And Monitoring In Large-Scale International Marine Protected Areas: The Ross Sea Region As A Model System, Cassandra Brooks, Sharon Stammerjohn, Grant Ballard, Alice K. Duvivier, Eileen Hofmann, Michelle Larue, Cara Nissen, Alexander J. Orona, B. Jack Pan, Annie E. Schmidt, Nathan Walker, George M. Watters, John Weller

CCPO Publications

To fulfill their conservation potential and provide safeguards for biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs) need coordinated research and monitoring for informed management through effective evaluation of ecosystem dynamics. However, coordination is challenging, often due to knowledge gaps caused by inadequate access to data and resources, compounded by insufficient communication between scientists and managers. We propose to use the world's largest MPA in the Ross Sea, Antarctica as a model system to create a comprehensive framework for an interdisciplinary network supporting research and monitoring that could be implemented in other remote large-scale international MPAs. Our proposed framework has three key components: …

Bmp Training Instructional Aid For Protection Of Edwards Aquifer Water Quality From Firefighting Runoff, Walter Den, Mark Black

Other Materials (Archived)

No abstract provided.

From Pollution To Resource: Advancing Swine Waste Treatment In The Usa, Viney P. Aneja, Ryke Longest, Matias B. Vanotti, Ariel A. Szogi, Gudigopuram B. Reddy

Faculty Scholarship

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have led to environmental challenges, specifically waste management. Swine CAFOs generate large amounts of waste, requiring proper treatment to avoid air and water pollution. Conventional waste management technologies, such as lagoon and spray field systems, do not prevent air and water pollution impacts. Research for the past few decades led to recommendations for waste treatment technologies superior to lagoons and spray fields. Private environmental sustainability initiatives focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the food supply chain have implemented biogas digester projects for capturing methane in covered swine lagoons to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, …

Transdisciplinary Doctoral Training To Address Global Sustainability Challenges, Zoie Taylor Diana, John Virdin, Michelle B. Nowlin, Nishad Jayasundara, Daniel Rittschof

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A “War” Over Lobster And Whales: The Issue-Attention Cycle, Media Discourse, And Political Ecology Of Right Whale Science And Conservation In Six Us Newspapers, Marcus Reamer, Catherine Macdonald, Julia Wester, Russell Fielding, Meryl Shriver-Rice

Honors College Faculty Publications

News organizations and journalists are important and influential actors in environmental politics. Their reporting on social and environmental issues often follows issue-attention cycles (IACs) that emphasize drama and problematization to maintain public interest. This study examined nearly 13 years of news coverage to understand the media discourse about the Critically Endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW) and its conservation. Content analysis and critical discourse analysis were used to analyze 356 texts published in six large US newspapers between January 1, 2010 and March 15, 2023. NARW conservation and management received increased public attention and an IAC began in 2017 after …

Exploring Women`S Perceptions Of Climate Change Impact On Agriculture, Health & Food Security In Upper Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan, Ambreen, Elina Nizar Ali, Taiba Yar Baig, Fozia Parveen

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, renowned for its towering mountains and major river basins, sustains nearly 1.4 billion people worldwide and is pivotal to global food production. Glacial melt from the HKH region nourishes agriculture, livestock, and horticulture, supporting the livelihoods of mountain communities. However, climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers, and shifts in wet seasons significantly impact food security in these communities. Sectors such as water resources, agricultural land, and human health, particularly women’s health, are significantly affected by these changes. For centuries, agriculture has been the backbone of Gilgit-Baltistan’s economy, with over 70% of livelihoods …

Rhetoric On Climate Change And The Effects On Public Perceptions, Hailey Mina Rose Dossey

Undergraduate Scholarship

One of the extraordinary challenges humans are facing today is climate change and over the past two decades, the majority of the world has moved from questioning its legitimacy to accepting it as fact. With most people having accepted climate change as a reality, the goal of climate communication has shifted from spreading awareness to motivating audiences to take action. Through this analytical discussion, we will look into effective and ineffective methods of rhetoric as it can help guide us to a better understanding of why certain rhetoric that has previously been successful in other fields may not be the …