Digital Commons Network^™

Governance And Innovation In Plastic Waste Management: The Case Of Japan, Minoo Tehrani, Yu Cui

Business Faculty Publications

This study investigates plastic waste management, focusing on Japan. The volume of plastic waste in Japan is more than eight million tons, and less than a quarter of the plastic waste is subjected to recycling. Considering that Japan is an archipelago consisting of a combination of four large islands and numerous smaller ones, plastic waste that enters the ocean poses significant threats to marine life, birds, other living beings, and beach pollution. This research explores the underlying factors that have made Japan one of the highest users of plastic. In addition, this study evaluates different strategies that are utilized in …

Green Cities Conference 2025--Program Booklet, Minoo Tehrani

Business Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The City Of Sunbury Cemetery Mapping & 1936 Flood Research, Sophia M. Martinez, Fehr A. Gillett, Ben J. Faxon, Sarah M. Sanfield

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

The City of Sunbury Cemetery Mapping & 1936 Flood Research Project was a community-driven effort to restore lost historical records of the Sunbury cemetery and to understand the context of how these records were originally lost. This project was completed as a partnership between the City of Sunbury government and four undergraduate environmental studies/sciences students in Bucknell University's ENST 411 Environmental Community Projects course. In this project, we used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology, historical research, and volunteer engagement to create a comprehensive digital record of the cemetery. The goal of this project was to preserve Sunbury’s rich history …

Energy Equity In India’S Renewable Energy Transition: A Policy Design Agenda, Aritra Chakrabarty

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

India’s transition to renewable energy has prioritized large-scale, grid-based electrification, often overlooking energy equity, particularly in rural communities. Many households would benefit more from decentralized solutions than from grid extension, yet current policies neither guarantee equitable access nor address pre-existing social and economic inequalities in energy distribution. This dissertation examines the sensitivity of India’s renewable energy policies to energy equity, with a specific focus on gender equity in rural last-mile connectivity. The study is guided by the fundamental question: How can implementation of solar energy program alleviate the lives of rural communities? Using a mixed-method approach that combines policy …

Food Deserts: How To Make Them Green, Minoo Tehrani, Andreas Rathgeber, Lawrence Fulton, Bryan Schmutz

Business Faculty Publications

Despite tremendous progress in addressing food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are still widespread across the globe. Different factors, such as low levels of income and education, lack of access to food markets and transportation, high unemployment and population rates, and abandoned homes in a neighborhood, are among the factors that have been attributed to the creation of food deserts in emerging and developed countries. Some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart attack, obesity, and diabetes. These major causes of death have a higher rate among the Black, Latin, and Hispanic populations. Access to healthy and …

The Philosophies Of Swedish Mushroom Hunting, Kelly Zreloff

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This lesson invites students to explore Swedish mushroom hunting as both a cultural and environmental philosophy. Through a mix of mini lectures, storytelling, and outdoor experiential learning, students first learn about Allemansrätten (Sweden’s Right of Public Access) and how mushroom hunting evolved from post-war necessity to modern well-being practice. Students then reconstruct “a day in the forest” to reinforce the lecture’s key points about stewardship, secrecy, and serenity before participating in a quiet “hunt” activity in Pine Park.

By engaging curiosity first and empathy second, students come to understand that mushroom hunting is not only about harvesting food but about …

Coastal Perspectives: An Analysis Of Resident And Visitor Attitudes And Motivations Of Coastal Resilience Measures In Rhode Island, Jamie-Lynn Ward

Open Access Master's Theses

Anthropogenic impacts of climate change negatively affect the geographic structure, economic stability, and environmental conservation of coastal communities at exhaustive rates. Coastal resiliency planning and frameworks have been widely credited and criticized for their ability to mitigate climate risks in vulnerable communities. Yet, the rapid impacts of climate on communities' socioeconomic and environmental sectors have led to outcries from researchers and users for integrated and holistic coastal resilience approaches. Approaches highlighting stakeholders’ views of risks, coastal resilience measures, and place values to form localized adaptation and politically supported management strategies directly involving and benefiting communities. This mixed-method study was designed …

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (Wash) Education: Activity Booklet, Noor Ul Ain, Fozia Parveen

Books

This booklet has been designed as both of informative and interactive resource. it offers practical knowledge about clean water access, safe sanitation, and hygiene practices, along with hands on activities that can be used in classrooms, community meetings, or family discussions. Whether, you are a teacher, student, health worker, or community leader, this booklet aims to empowers you with the tools and knowledge to become a WASH ambassador in your home and neighborhood.
We believe that real change begins with education and collective actions. By creating awareness and encouraging simple, everyday practices, we hope this resource contributes to a cleaner, …

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …

The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In January 2015, the then-governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton announced new legislation that would require 50-foot vegetation buffers along all waterways in Minnesota; this legislation would come to be known as the Minnesota buffer law, exact requirements being “perennial vegetative buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and buffers of 16.5 feet along ditches” (Albert, 2017; MN Board of Water and Soil Resources [MN BWSR] 4 ). A buffer in the context of vegetation and natural resource management is a strip of vegetation around a body of water “designed to intercept stormwater runoff and minimize soil …

The Lotus At Dawn: Rethinking Climate Resilience In An Archipelago, Marie Franchesca M. Borras

English Faculty Publications

Super Typhoon Rai, locally called Odette, hit the Philippines on December 16, 2021, devastating General Luna, a municipality in Surigao del Norte. Due to this natural disaster, this study—originally written as a pre-pandemic autoethnographic account via flâneuserie—endeavors to understand how the mobility of city dwellers contributes to the anthropogenic climate by exploring the ethics of care. Additionally, it seeks to posit inquiries on what it means to be climate-resilient in an archipelagic country such as the Philippines. Beyond economic methodologies, it is pivotal to examine issues of care that deal with our relationship with nature by understanding how, for example, …

Leaden Circles, Eternal Springs, And Rusty Pumps: Time, Nature, And Industry In Mrs. Dalloway, Katherine Evans

Anthós

This article explores often-overlooked ecocritical aspects in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, analyzing Woolf’s literary intersection of time, nature, and industry as a precursor to contemporary Anthropocene discourse. Acknowledging prevailing interpretations of Mrs. Dalloway through social lenses of trauma, class, and gender, Evans reveals how Woolf’s exploration of human-environment relationships is not only present but integral to interpreting the text fully. Drawing from textual close readings, scholarship on Woolf, and environmental humanities frameworks, Evans demonstrates how Woolf utilizes the Big Ben and a beggar woman to symbolize human-nature relationships. Evans’ ecocritical reading of Mrs. Dalloway repositions the 1925 novel within contemporary …

Consumption Pressure In Estuaries Peaks At Intermediate Salinities, Catherine E. De Rivera, Amy A. Larson, Benjamin G. Rubinoff, Luna R. Soto, Seth L. Wright, Edwin D. Grosholz, Gregory M. Ruiz, Andrew L. Chang

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The nature and strength of biotic interactions change along stress gradients, but the importance of these interactions across estuarine gradients is under studied. Here, we examined how consumption varies across estuarine salinity gradients by deploying standardized baits (‘squidpops’) to measure consumption pressure along the gradients of five estuaries in Oregon, USA. The relationship between consumption and stress was nonlinear: consumption pressure peaked slightly at mid salinity and decreased at low salinity, especially as temperature increased, in the five estuaries studied. This finding does not support either of two existing models for consumption across gradients, including the Consumer Stress Model and …

Climate Change And Parenthood: Impact On Family Size Decision-Making, Minha Hossain, Jennifer Lai, Mindy Engle-Friedman

Publications and Research

This study explores how parental status relates to childbearing decisions in the context of climate change and builds on prior research linking climate anxiety to reduced family size intentions. A survey of 114 participants revealed that non-parents were significantly more likely than parents to plan to have fewer children and to express concerns about climate change. These findings underscore differences in how parents and non-parents approach future reproductive decisions and highlight the role of climate-related concerns in shaping family planning intentions.

Three Essays On Sustainability Economics, Hélène Flore Nguemgaing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As global economies face increasing resource dependencies and supply chain challenges, it becomes essential to understand the vulnerabilities that threaten economic stability. This dissertation investigates three empirical issues in agribusiness and critical minerals using econometric models to estimate the following: 1) the impact of supply chain disruptions on stock market returns during COVID-19; 2) the extraction of rare earth elements from acid mine drainage treatment by investigating the impacts of ownership and legislation in West Virginia and Pennsylvania; 3) China-to�FOBb (Free-on-Board) price transmission in rare earth elements markets: a copula-based dynamic tail dependence analysis.

The first essay evaluates how events …

Foraging Opportunists: Encouraging Reconnection With The Land, Madelyne Miller, Sylvia Blodorn, Aine Fannon, Ada Scott, Luke Pruitt

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Contextualizing the history of opportunist and native plant species opens options for land management and reconnection to cultural land practices. By recognizing that opportunist species often spread as a result of relocation for practical usage, we determine that reintroducing these uses can lead to an escalation in harvesting these plants. Uses of opportunist plants are diverse and include food sources, artistic practices, and medicine. Foraging also leads to improved human-land-connectedness as well as a deeper connection to ancestral and cultural traditions, which has been found to improve mental health. Focusing on this method of land management will limit the need …

Partisan Divides In Environmental Spending Attitudes: A Two-Level Hierarchical Analysis, 1973-2022, Jordan Lipner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Public attitudes toward environmental spending have become increasingly divided along party lines, with sharp shifts over the past five decades. This thesis updates and expands on Johnson and Schwadel’s 2019 study by applying a two-level hierarchical linear model to General Social Survey data updated to include data from 2015-2022, capturing how political affiliation, education, race, and economic context interact with broader political and economic contexts to shape environmental attitudes over time.
The results show that political affiliation remains the strongest and most reactive predictor of environmental spending attitudes. Republican respondents are significantly more likely to oppose environmental spending, especially under …

The Massachusetts Proactive Coastal Relocation Workshop: Summary Report & Proceedings, Kristin Uiterwyk, Kimberly Starbuck, Emma Gildsgame, Andrew Laquerre, Melissa Ocana, Elisa Rivero

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

On June 3rd, the project team held the “Massachusetts Coastal Relocation Workshop” which provided the first opportunity for the Coastal Relocation Network members to come together in-person. More than 70 people attended and, among other things, (1) made new connections through activities designed to encourage engagement; (2) learned about new and forthcoming plans, tools, and resources; and (3) were encouraged to think deeply about planning for retreat, engaging communities, and using data to inform decisions

Exploring Characteristics Of Indiana's Local Park And Recreation Leaders, Amy L. Gregg, James A. Jones, Halyn Ferris

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This was an exploratory study about the characteristics of Indiana’s local leaders in parks and recreation. Results of a statewide survey showed different roles of employees and volunteers in local agencies. In managing the supply side of recreation, they reported vast differences in scale of levels of populations served and natural resources managed, such as acres and trails. The Northern, Central and Southern regions were compared for types of local government, communities of different sizes, and nonprofit collaboration. Local leaders represented municipal, township and county providers collaborating with other local community organizations. Results showed that size of community served affected …

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

George C. Roberts Award Recipients

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial History

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The San Francisco Bay Area’S Vulnerability To Sea Level Rise: Integrating Community Engagement And Equity Into Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Planning, Isabella Marie Carreon

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis examines the San Francisco Bay Area’s vulnerability to sea-level rise (SLR), highlighting the importance of equity and community engagement in adaptation planning. The study integrates geospatial data and qualitative community input using a GIS Story Map to identify Points of Interest (POIs)—such as schools, hospitals, and public transportation routes—and assess SLR vulnerabilities across social, economic, geographic, and contamination dimensions. Case studies, such as the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan, demonstrate the limitations of large-scale policies in accommodating diverse communities and highlight the effectiveness of community-driven strategies. The thesis also explores innovative approaches to community engagement in educational settings and …

Studi Komparasi Kesiapan Indonesia Menerapkan Carbon Trade 2025, Muhammad Rayhan Ali Ferdiansyah, Hanif Rosyadah, Fikri Fajar Ramadhan

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study aims to assess Indonesia’s readiness to implement carbon trading in 2025 to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. The research uses a mixed-method approach, combining literature review, multivariate linear regression, and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The results indicate that the Human Development Index (HDI) has a negative and significant impact on CO2 emissions in the long term. This impact is greater than the results observed in Singapore and Thailand. With established policies and a demographic bonus in 2045, optimizing human resources is crucial for achieving net zero emissions by 2060.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Workshop 3 - Summary Report, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

FRED is focused on informing policy on food waste prevention using a total food system sustainability approach.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Workshop 2 - Summary Report, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

FRED is focused on informing policy on food waste prevention using a total food system sustainability approach.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Workshop 4 - Summary Report, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

FRED is focused on informing policy on food waste prevention using a total food system sustainability approach.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Food System Stakeholder Needs Identification, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

Understanding the needs of everyone in the food system is vital to solving the food waste problem. If interventions are misaligned with stakeholder needs, the resultant impact will be highly diminished and/or will result in unintended consequences. We there fore conducted significant stakeholder engagement to identify and prioritise stakeholder needs.