Digital Commons Network^™

Red Wolf Multispecies Justice Publication 2023, Eskar, Elizabeth Bennett, Finley Schad, Alex Baldwin, Oluwaseyifunmi Adejugbe, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Maisie Schad, Sadie Braddock, Azra Soyer, Melih Soyer, Anne-Laure Blanche, Zubair Barkat, Amol K, Sarah Ann Woodbury, Kirsten Vinyeta

Publications

Our understanding of multispecies justice is still solidifying. In spring 2023, a group of Utah State University undergraduate and graduate students attended a course by Dr.Kirsten Vinyeta on Multispecies Justice and Indigenous Approaches to the Environment. Throughout this course, we studied the works of scholars and writers from a variety of social locations and identities who challenge Western theoretical frameworks in social science.

This publication celebrates our intellectual struggle with this emerging field and opens a forum for conversations about justice for humans and additional species. This issue features various writings, reflections, and photos from students taking the Multispecies Justice …

The Role Of Non-Climate Data In Equitable Climate Adaptation Planning: Lessons From Small French And American Cities, Elena Lioubimtseva, Charlotte Da Cunha

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

There is a growing consensus that to effectively adapt to climate change, cities need userfriendly tools and reliable high-resolution biophysical and socio-economic data for analysis, mapping, modeling, and visualization. This study examines the availability of various types of information used in climate adaptation plans of 40 municipalities with a population of less than 300,000 people in the United States and France, probing into the choice and usage of relevant information by small municipalities. We argue that non-climatic spatial data, such as population demographic and socioeconomic patterns, urban infrastructure, and environmental data must be integrated with climate tools and datasets to …

Criminal Justice System And The Environmental Views Of Ex-Offenders In Mauritius, Jean Laurent Stephen Lyajoon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals aims to promote environmentally friendly development across every aspect of life to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the criminal justice system, despite bringing a significant contribution, is often overlooked when talking about this specific topic. Ex-offenders, upon their release from the prison system, are valuable assets who can contribute significantly to sustainable development which sometime are hindered due to harbored stigmas and perceptions from society. Therefore, this study aims to explore the factors, such as environmental, social and organizational, affecting the environmental attitude of ex-offenders in Mauritius and how it has been shaped …

Negotiating Infrastructural Citizenship Beyond The State: Philanthropy, Non-Profit Organizations, And The Flint Water Crisis, Melissa Heil

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

The urban infrastructure literature has explored how infrastructure is tied to the politics of citizenship: states’ use of infrastructure to include/exclude populations and marginalized populations’ use of infrastructure to claim fuller citizenship. Often, this literature focuses on the relationship between governments and city dwellers, neglecting the role of other actors, like NGOs and philanthropic organizations, that influence infrastructural citizenship. A hallmark of neoliberalism in the Global North has been the transfer of responsibilities from the state to the non-profit sector, increasing these organizations’ power to shape urban citizenship. This paper examines how non-profit organizations participate in the politics of infrastructural …

Expanding Current Definitions Of Environmental Stewardship Through Organizational Mission Statement Analysis, Alyssa S. Thomas, Michele Romolini

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

In recent years, environmental stewardship has been emphasized as one solution to social-ecological sustainability concerns, especially at the local scale. The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) is a national research program developed by the USDA Forest Service that has been implemented at numerous locations in the United States and internationally. This study compared the mission statements of environmental stewardship groups in the Los Angeles River Watershed to previously proposed definitions and frameworks of organizational environmental stewardship to see how well they were reflected. A thematic analysis of the mission statements was also carried out to identify locally important themes …

Examining The Role Of Place Attachment In Climate Justice Engagement And Jewish Relationships To The Environment, Madeline Medina

Environmental Studies Honors Projects

It is critical that environmental justice and marginalized identities are the focus of climate-related discussions and research. Solutions must support the long-term wellbeing of people, especially and importantly those who are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Psychological research suggests that place attachment–the meaningful bonds that occur between people and their environment (Scannell & Gifford, 2010)–is a key factor in motivating environmental behavior, but little research has examined its connection to environmental justice oriented behavior. This two-part exploration first evaluated the role of place attachment on engagement with both a typical climate change centered message and a climate …

Methods For Investigating Geo-Stem Learning Ecosystems: A Case-Study Of Illinois Earth Science Teachers, Cheryl L.B. Manning

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The complex interactions between people and resources in communities that foster innovation can be thought of as ecosystems. These ecosystems have the potential to broaden participation in the geoscience community if we invest in collaborations that map out long-term solutions and career pathways for young community members. Geo-STEM learning ecosystems (GLE) engage local communities in sustainable programs that promote geoscience literacy and inspire people to learn the geosciences. A goal of GLE is to leverage existing social systems and accelerate geo-STEM solutions for society. Thus far, few studies in the geosciences have interrogated what is meant by a “learning ecosystem” …

Assessing The Knowledge On Sustainability And Barriers To Daily Sustainable Practices Among Faculty And Students In Higher Education: The Case Of Eastern Illinois University, Joel Edem Holison

Masters Theses

The concept of sustainable development gained prominence with the publication of the Brundtland Report, which emphasized economic progress without jeopardizing future generations' well-being. Following that, the Education for Sustainability (EfS) program was created by the United Nations to raise sustainability awareness. However, the transition to sustainable living is fraught with difficulties, including a lack of knowledge, financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, and political ideologies. This study focuses on sustainable practices among Eastern Illinois University (EIU) students and faculty, as well as the barriers to daily sustainable behaviors. As independent variables influencing sustainable practices, the study evaluates sustainability knowledge/awareness, personal financial situation, …

Grey To Green: The Impact Of Environmental Policy On Us Crime Rates, Kassandra Gonzalez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the social implications of climate change and environmental degradation on deviant and criminal behavior. This study employs general strain theory to examine the effectiveness of city-level climate change mitigation actions in reducing crime rates. Through a systematic approach, this study reviews literature on environmental harms and community strain and explores the impact of local pro-environmental policies on crime reduction. Focusing on the United States, UCR crime rate reports and UN-guided Sustainable Development Goal data are analyzed at the US county level. The findings suggest that sustainable practices, especially those related to local infrastructure and community engagement, could …

Public Participation In Georgia’S Environmental Permitting Process, Joyce A. Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is no meaningful way for Georgia residents to participate in the environmental decision-making process before environmental permits are approved. As a result, hazardous waste facilities are disproportionately placed in African American communities, exposing them to poor air quality and a higher prevalence of heart and respiratory diseases than Whites. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and better understand how African American residents living in Stonecrest, Georgia felt about the hazardous waste site being placed in their community without an opportunity to provide input into the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s (GEPD) decision-making process before a decision …

Environmental Health Justice Across The Globe., Arnita Gadson, Rochelle H. Holm

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mai Bhago And Amrita Devi Bishnoi: Women Of Strength, Sowmya Ayyar

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Mai Bhago (1670-1720), also known as Bhag Kaur, distinguished herself on the battlefield to defend the Sikh faith. Amrita Devi Bishnoi (d. 1730) is said to have sacrificed her life with 362 others to protect the Khejari trees in the Rajasthan desert. Both women continue to inspire social justice and ecological activism.

Strategies To Secure Water For Great Salt Lake, Lisa W. Welsh, Joanna Endter-Wada, Karin M. Kettenring

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere (Wilsey et al. 2017) and plays an important role in Utah’s economy, environment, and ecology (Baxter and Butler 2020; Great Salt Lake Advisory Committee 2021). It has a long history of commercial and recreational activities including mineral production, brine shrimp harvesting, waterfowl hunting, boating, and sightseeing (Utah Department of Natural Resources 2013a, 2013b). The Great Salt Lake ecosystem supports over 10 million birds representing 338 species and acts as an important stopover for migratory birds between North and South America (Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program; Wilsey et al. …

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - January 2023, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

The January 2023 Issue of the Sustainability Hub Newsletter shares sustainable New Year's Resolutions, additions to our documentary collection, a new environmental justice mapping tool, information on the Sustainability Hub Interest Group, and a student petition for EV Chargers on campus! Also read our announcements and upcoming events!

Children Tell Landscape-Lore Among Perceptions Of Place: Relating Ecocultural Digital Stories In A Conscientizing/Decolonizing Exploration, Meredith Jean Bird Miller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

We know that when children feel a sense-of-relation within local natural environments, they are more prone to feel concern for them, while nurturing well-being and resilience in themselves and in lands/waters they inhabit. Positive environmental behaviors often follow into adulthood. Our human capacities for creating sustainable solutions in response to growing repercussions of global warming and climate change may grow if more children feel a sense of belonging in the wild natural world. As educators, if we listen to and learn from students’ voices about how they engage in nature, we can create pedagogical experiences directly relevant to their lives. …

Understanding The Green Workforce, Gladys Torres Olivarria, Darbi Berry, Leaders 20/20, University Of San Diego

San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard

One initiative to improve environmental conditions is prioritizing the Green Workforce. The Green workforce is an economic approach to combating climate change. The Green Workforce refers to jobs that help us advance towards a more sustainable society and help us transition from the over-dependence on oil towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A Green workforce can bring in millions of new jobs and opportunities.

Socio-Economic Comparative Analysis Of Front-Of-The-Meter And Behind-The-Meter Microgrids For Panamnik, Olivia C. Amann Mcshea

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In Northern California, the Karuk Tribe is feeling the effects of climate change on inadequate energy infrastructures leading to unreliable power supply. Improving energy reliability in a way that also increases energy sovereignty is necessary. Renewable energy microgrids have emerged as a pathway forward.

Modeling ownership structures and cash flows for different microgrid configurations can support the Tribe’s implementation of a microgrid in Orleans, CA that maximizes community benefits. This thesis considers a front-of-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM) configuration, both approximately 2 MW solar PV and 3 MW/12 MWh battery energy storage. Cash flows including capital costs, operations and maintenance …

Assessing The Health Effects Of Climate Change, Social Vulnerability, And Environmental Justice In Camden County, New Jersey, Daniil Ivanov

Theses

Climate change negatively impacts health, while socially vulnerable and overburdened communities disproportionately experience climate change and negative health determinants. Camden County is used as a case study for analyzing environment, socioeconomics, and health. Environmental variables—PM2.5 and land cover of impervious surfaces, floodplains, and forests—were compared to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level, finding significant correlations between land cover, air quality, and the SVI. The overburdened communities defined by the NJ Environmental Justice Law experienced a significantly higher incidence of emergency department visitation for respiratory, circulatory, and mental illnesses than non-overburdened communities. Health outcomes were compared …

To Destroy Or Transform? Two Fossil Fuel Transitions Offer Glimpse Into Industry’S Future, Chloe Bennett, Sarah Kerson

Capstones

In 2019, the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery closed after a dangerous explosion. But for years before the accident, members of the local environmental justice organization Philly Thrive had been advocating for its closure. Neighborhood residents who live near the refinery site had been complaining for years of health problems, ranging from asthma to cancer. “Enough is enough,” says Sylvia Bennett, 79, who lives in the Grays Ferry neighborhood near where the refinery is located. Her two daughters have both been diagnosed with cancer.

What will become of the refinery site remains to be seen as conversations between Hilco and …

Evaluating Equity In Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies In Local Climate Action Planning In Oakland, California, Eliza J. Kane

Master's Projects and Capstones

Emissions from California’s transportation sector contribute to global climate change and impact local air quality and public health. Forty-one percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 were from transportation. Transportation emissions are also a source of many health-harming air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. Disadvantaged communities in California experience disproportionate impacts from transportation emissions and suffer worse health effects, including higher incidences of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Cities have led the way in policymaking to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including creating Climate Action Plans (CAPs) to propose strategies to …

Scientists And Activists Work To Save The Planet, Myriam G. Vidal Valero

Capstones

Climate change and human intervention in nature are affecting people, ecosystems and ways of living all over the world. This portfolio of environmental pieces showcases the dire consequences of not addressing these issues, how solutions can be reached and the challenges facing those who try to change things.

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 …

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.

Social Equity Is Key To Sustainable Ocean Governance, Katherine M. Crosman, Edward H. Allison, Yoshitaka Ota, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor, Gerald G. Singh, Wilf Swartz, Megan Bailey, Kate M. Barclay, Grant Blume, Mathieu Colléter, Michael Fabinyi, Elaine M. Faustman, Russell Fielding, P. Joshua Griffin, Quentin Hanich, Harriet Harden-Davies, Ryan P. Kelly, Tiff Annie Kenny, Terrie Klinger

Honors College Faculty Publications

Calls to address social equity in ocean governance are expanding. Yet ‘equity’ is seldom clearly defined. Here we present a framework to support contextually-informed assessment of equity in ocean governance. Guiding questions include: (1) Where and (2) Why is equity being examined? (3) Equity for or amongst Whom? (4) What is being distributed? (5) When is equity considered? And (6) How do governance structures impact equity? The framework supports consistent operationalization of equity, challenges oversimplification, and allows evaluation of progress. It is a step toward securing the equitable ocean governance already reflected in national and international commitments.

Under New Direction: Using Theatre To Combat The Climate Crisis, Brian Kirsch

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Earth is growing unsuitable for human society as we know it at an unprecedented rate. Among the latest in a set of increasingly grim statistics, the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide concentration is now a staggering 150% of its value for most of human history (Stein). This has triggered global warming on track to meet or exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, which comes with extreme and irreversible changes to the planet (Jackson). However, this information fails to both command its merited attention and spark the urgent action needed to preserve our way of life. Less than half of American voters consider climate …

Climate Change Curricula In Alberta, Canada: An Intersectional Framing Analysis, Greg Lowan-Trudeau

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This article is comprised of a climate change-focused framing analysis of proposed revisions to Alberta, Canada’s K-6 curriculum as an ideologically motivated manifestation of curricular epistemicide. Eisner’s three curricula—the explicit, implicit, and null—and scholarship related to intersectional climate and environmental justice, education, and communication provide the theoretical framework. This inquiry concludes with a critical discussion of and possible alternatives to the revised curriculum with further consideration of the implications for those involved with similar endeavours in other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, November 2022, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- Thank You
--- Iowa Strategic Goals Workshop
--- Your guide to Small Business Assistance: Air Permit Applications & Emissions Reporting
--- Welcome Paige and Nikayla!
--- Free Energy Assessments
--- Industry News

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - November 2022, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

This issue of our newsletter includes new resources for recycling and environmental justice, information about an environmental proposal you will see on election day, and tips to have a sustainable Thanksgiving! Even read about how you can minimize your impacts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Coastal Squeeze, Climigration, And Equity Implications, Wie Yusuf

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Summary: Coastal squeeze is impacting communities across the United States. Agricultural lands are affected by groundwater salt intrusion, habitats are lost due to limited space for species to migrate inland, natural capital and flood protection values are impacted by reduction in undeveloped land for natural ecosystems, infrastructure such as transportation are affected by flooding, and insurance companies are withdrawing from covering properties in coastal communities experiencing sea level rise and flooding. Resulting ‘climigration’ is occurring, for example, in Puerto Rico residents moving off the island, and subdivisions in North Carolina and Virginia being turned over to conservation. Lower-income communities are …

Nationwide Public Perceptions Regarding The Acceptance Of Using Wastewater For Community Health Monitoring In The United States., A. Scott Lajoie, Asli Aslan, Rochelle H. Holm, Lauren B. Anderson, Heather D. Ness, Ted Smith

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

To assess the levels of infection across communities during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, researchers have measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in feces dissolved in sewer water. This activity is colloquially known as sewer monitoring and is referred to as wastewater-based epidemiology in academic settings. Although global ethical principles have been described, sewer monitoring is unregulated for health privacy protection when used for public health surveillance in the United States. This study used Qualtrics XM, a national research panel provider, to recruit participants to answer an online survey. Respondents (N = 3,083) answered questions about their knowledge, …