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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 …

Sars-Cov-2 Detection And Persistence In A Remote Amazonian Settlement, Glauco M. Silva, Roberto C. Ilacqua, Franciely G. Gonçalves, Carla M. Santana, Felipe T. Jordão, Paula R. Prist, Melissa S. Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Andreia F. Brilhante, Marcia A. Sperança, Gabriel Z. Laporta

Faculty Publications

Background: COVID-19 continues to pose a major global health challenge. Despite its geographic distance from Brazil’s major urban centers, Acre state has experienced notable outbreaks. This study assessed the detection and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the rural settlement of Santa Luzia, located in the remote municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre state, Brazil. Methods: In July 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted at 40 sites from an ongoing environmental study, selected by deforestation patterns and proximity to health posts. Saliva samples were collected from residents aged 5–90 years, followed by nucleic acid extraction and multiplex RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Results: …

Integrating Satellite-Based Precipitation Analysis: A Case Study In Norfolk, Virginia, Imiya M. Chathuranika, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In many developing cities, the scarcity of adequate observed precipitation stations, due to constraints such as limited space, urban growth, and maintenance challenges, compromises data reliability. This study explores the use of satellite-based precipitation products (SbPPs) as a solution to supplement missing data over the long term, thereby enabling more accurate environmental analysis and decision-making. Specifically, the effectiveness of SbPPs in Norfolk, Virginia, is assessed by comparing them with observed precipitation data from Norfolk International Airport (NIA) using common bias adjustment methods. The study applies three different methods to correct biases caused by sensor limitations and calibration discrepancies and then …

Insects, Ai Systems, And The Future Of Legal Personhood, Jeff Sebo

Animal Law Review

This Article makes a case for insect and AI legal personhood. Humans share the world not only with large animals like chimpanzees and elephants but also with small animals like ants and bees. In the future, we might also share the world with sentient or otherwise morally significant AI systems. These realities raise questions about what kind of legal status insects, AI systems, and other nonhumans should have in the future. At present, debates about legal personhood mostly exclude these kinds of individuals. However, I argue that our current framework for assessing legal personhood, coupled with our current framework for …

Corporate ‘Capture Strategies’ Impacting Human And Ecosystem Health, Alex T. Ford, Marlene Ågerstrand, Michael G. Bertram, Miriam L. Diamond, Rainer Lohmann, Andreas Schäffer, Martin Scheringer, Gabriel Sigmund, Anna Soehl, Maria Clara V.M. Starling, Noriyuki Suzuki, Marta Venier, Penny Vlahos

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The concept of regulatory capture has been extensively studied in academic literature, primarily within the social sciences. This phenomenon has been increasingly discussed in the environmental sciences as the impacts of regulatory capture on human and ecosystem health have become increasingly apparent. Regulatory capture is just one tactic employed by vested interests in the strategy of delaying, weakening, or abolishing policies designed to protect the public interest. Here, we define capture strategies as ‘the act of influencing individuals, organizations, or governments to prioritize corporate interests over those of human and ecosystem health’. Similar to the evolution of terms like whitewashing …

New Jersey's Mitigation And Adaptation To Climate Change: An Economic Analysis Of The State's Societal Benefits Charge And Community Solar Energy Program, Nicole S. Provost

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Understanding the current trajectory of New Jersey’s emissions and the existing legislation and programs implemented to help reduce emissions, it is evident that the State requires further actions to spur heightened emission reductions to reach its goals. One known impactful policy that could significantly accelerate this process is a carbon tax, which applies to emission-intensive goods. Although this policy does not currently exist in New Jersey, the State has a Societal Benefits Charge (SBC) that applies an approximate 3% charge to electricity and gas consumption on residential and commercial utility customers’ monthly energy bills, where revenues fund programs that offer …

Understanding Detroit’S Local Food And Urban Agricultural Policy Subsystem Using The Advocacy Coalition Framework, Joann Marie Hennessey Ph.D.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This explanatory qualitative case study applied the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to study Detroit’s local food policy changes from 2000 to 2022. The research question and sub-questions were framed using three ACF hypotheses that addressed advocacy coalitions, collective action, and policy change. My research showed how actors in the policy subsystem worked to promote policy change during the study period. Using this Advocacy Coalition Framework approach, I explored local food policy change in the context of community resilience and system changes. Since 2000, the local food movement in Detroit attempted system changes by experimenting with ways to provide local residents …

Avoiding Racial Equity Detours: Racial Equity Trainers’ Visions Of Racially Equitable Residential Environmental Education, Anna Mooney Ph.D.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated how racial equity trainers envision racially equitable residential environmental education (REE). While addressing racial inequities has been central to environmental scholarship, equity detours undergirded by systemic power structures continue to pose significant barriers in addressing inequities in practice. The research explored the question: “How do racial equity trainers envision racially equitable residential environmental education?” Using constructivist grounded theory and drawing on portraiture’s “search for goodness,” the study conducted 1-hour virtual interviews with six racial equity trainers, employing iterative coding through the constant comparative method. A 2-hour virtual focus group and subsequent 30-minute “dissertation reality check” provided additional …

Co-Becoming Our Way From Ecocide To The Pluriverse, Jupong Lin Ph.D.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Coloniality/modernity is dying. Rising temperatures over land and sea, the extreme weather of the past decade, rising sea levels, arctic ice loss, and mass extinction are just a few indicators that the world has moved far beyond climate change to climate catastrophe. My arts-informed research takes the view that climate catastrophe, perhaps more accurately described as “collective trauma,” is part of the prevailing story and worldview of modernity, defined by patterns of domination, conquest, extractivism, and capitalism. East Asian and Indigenous worldviews share an emphasis on relationality with the world of nonhuman beings and animist traditions that do not …

The Role Of Floodplain Complexity In Wood Turtle Habitat Use, Laura S. Deming

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Wood turtles occupy cold, low-gradient riverine habitat throughout the northeastern United State and southeastern Canada. Stream alterations, such as dams, channel straightening, and floodplain development have diminished the natural hydrologic and sedimentation regimes that result in complex channel and floodplain geomorphology. Studies throughout the species’ range have quantified many aspects of their habitat, but none have quantified components of geomorphology of wood turtle sites. The goal of this study was to explore the role of stream channel and floodplain geomorphology in wood turtle habitat use, with specific objectives to (1) quantify components of stream channel and floodplain geomorphic complexity, (2) …

Canary In The Alpine: Shifts In Snowbed Plant Communities Over Time In The Adirondack Mountains Of New York, Katie Rhodes

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Due to their unique species diversity and vulnerability, alpine snowbed communities have the potential to serve as early detection or ‘canary’ communities that can inform scientific understanding of the timing and physical manifestation of a changing alpine ecosystem. In the summer of 2008, fifteen alpine snowbed vegetation community transects over 5 mountain summits were established and studied in the High Peaks Wilderness Complex within the Adirondack State Park by the New York Natural Heritage Program. Each transect was 5 meters long and encompassed five 1x1 meter subplots. These transects were relocated and surveyed again in the summer of 2024 in …

Behavioral Response Of Wild Greater Caribbean Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) To Playbacks Of Conspecifics In Maya Beach, Belize, Phoebe Sonia Hodson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The behavioral response of the wild Greater Caribbean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) to the acoustic vocalizations of their closely related subspecies, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), was examined for the first time in Placencia Lagoon, Maya Beach, Belize. The main goal of this study was to determine how vocalizations from conspecifics influence the behavior of the wild Greater Caribbean manatee and how this behavioral change may give insight into the functionality of manatee vocalizations. Three call types (squeak, squeal and high squeak) and chewing sounds were played to varying size aggregations of manatees. Broad behavioral …

The Lived Experience Of Fly Fishing And Its Significance For Cultivating A Communion Of Subjects, Eric Landon Mcduffie

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Inspired by the lived fly fishing experiences encountered with my grandfather and the spiritually ecological writings of Thomas Berry, I explored how the sacred art of fly fishing connects participants with the natural world from a universal perspective given to us by Thomas Berry in The New Story. Berry described three principles that make up the entire universe: Differentiation, Subjectivity and Communion. I wanted to understand how lived fly fishing experiences fit into Berry’s three universal principles and how an individual’s lived fly fishing experience(s) cultivate(s) a “Communion of subjects.”1 Answers to these two questions informed five initial approaches to …

21st-Century Stewardship: Infusing Environmental Education With Global Citizenship, Ava Y. Goodale

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In today's interconnected world, where socioecological issues transcend political borders, integrating environmental stewardship education with global citizenship education offers valuable opportunities for student empowerment. The goal of this multi-article dissertation was to conceptualize and operationalize 21st-century stewardship in educational settings. Twenty-first-century stewardship is a pedagogical approach that recognizes the limitations of environmental stewardship education as it is traditionally taught and is defined in Chapter II as an updated stewardship model that is infused with global citizenship’s multiscalar perspectives, global compacts, and layered identities to achieve its maximum impact in our interconnected world. This goal was first accomplished in Chapter II …

Repositioning Traditional Authority To Fight Illegal Gold Mining In Dunkwa-Offin In The Upper Denkyira East Municipal District Of The Central Region Of Ghana, Manaseh Mawufemor Mintah

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Ghana is endowed with valuable mineral resources, including gold, diamonds, and manganese. However, the country has struggled to manage these resources in a way that benefits the broader population. Illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, has become a persistent national concern. This practice involves the unauthorized extraction of mineral ore by individuals and groups operating without formal government authorization. The town of Dunkwa-Offin exemplifies the severe social and ecological consequences of galamsey, where livelihoods, public health, and environmental sustainability are increasingly compromised. This study examines the potential role of traditional authorities in Dunkwa-Offin in combating illegal small-scale mining, also …

Mapping Kirtland’S Warbler (Setophaga Kirtlandii) Stationary Non-Breeding Habitat: Characterizing Land Cover Within The South-Central Bahamas And Evaluating The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise, Cole Anthony Scrivner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Understanding the spatial distribution of current and future habitat for the Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) and other threatened species is critical for guiding conservation planning in The Bahamas. Our study mapped land cover and impacts of sea level rise across the south-central Bahamian islands, as an initial step to determine suitable areas for Kirtland’s Warblers in the region. We used a Random Forest (RF) classification of multispectral satellite image bands and indices from Landsat and Sentinel-2 image composites to predict land cover. The classification identified tropical dry forest communities (broadleaved, semi-evergreen trees and shrubs known as coppice) as …

Charting A Sustainable Course Beyond Carbon : A Critical Carbon-Water-Energy Assessment Of Net-Zero Shipping Scenarios With Synthetic Fuels And Ghc Offsetting, Alexandre Bellot

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

This thesis extends the scope of IMO maritime decarbonization studies by incorporating cradle-to-grave approaches. This study advocates for an approach incorporating cradle-to-grave resource efficiency and carbon neutrality, assessing cumulative energy demand and net freshwater withdrawal as key sustainability metrics. The thesis specifically addresses the question of the sustainability of decarbonization strategies centred on substituting fossil fuels with synthetic alternatives and offsetting the remaining carbon footprint. Advanced ship energy modelling: The thesis first introduces a ship energy model capable of evaluating ships’ fuel consumption with various propulsion and energy generation options. The model simulates energy transfers across a concept ship’s systems, …

Substrate Preference And Foraging Behavior Of Two Declining Warblers In Appalachian Shrublands, Samantha Fishman

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Shrubland and early successional habitats (ESH) support a diversity of wildlife, including many declining songbirds. However, nonnative shrubs increasingly dominate these habitats, potentially altering habitat quality by influencing prey availability. Habitat quality can be assessed by observing foraging behaviors of songbirds and identifying preferred and avoided substrates as well as testing the predictions of optimal foraging theory; specifically that birds will maximize their energy gain relative to the costs. We examined foraging behaviors of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) and Chestnut-sided Warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica; CSWA) in ESH on private lands in Virginia with varying amounts …

Improving The Performance Of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships For Sustainable Development In Coastal Areas : Sweden (Hanö Bay) As A Case Study, Jennie Larsson

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Coastal areas are vital for both ecosystems and human societies. Comprising diverse terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, coastal areas provide us with essential resources and services. However, these areas are under threat from human activities and climate change, necessitating new governance structures to ensure their sustainable management and conservation. This research investigates how to improve the performance of local multi-stakeholder partnerships (M-SPs) in coastal areas, promoted as key mechanisms for achieving sustainable development goals. By drawing on stakeholder theory and using Pattberg & Widerberg’s (2014) analytical framework with nine building blocks for successful M-SPs as a foundation, the study examined …

Uncertainty-Aware Deep Learning Framework For Forecasting Coastal Water Level In Virginia Beach, Md Mahmudul Hasan, Malachi Schram, Sridhar Katragadda, Diana Mcspadden, Alisa N. Udomvisawakul, Heather Richter, Frank Liu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Coastal areas like Virginia Beach, USA, are increasingly vulnerable to flooding. To mitigate the impact of flooding, it is crucial for the City of Virginia Beach to have reliable 72-hour-ahead (3 days) forecasts of water levels at key gauge locations. To support this effort, several sensors have been installed throughout the city to monitor water levels and other environmental parameters such as wind speed, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure. Leveraging sensor data from one of these locations, we developed an uncertainty-aware deep learning model to forecast water levels. We employed deep quantile regression (DQR) to quantify variability in the predictions and …

Analysis Of Climate Change In Chelyabinsk And Kurgan: Effects Of Temperature And Precipitation From 1990 To 2020 Based On Cru Data, Irina Potoroko, Ammar Kadi, Ali Subhi Alhumaima

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

This study analyzes climate patterns in the Kurgan and Chelyabinsk regions of Russia using high-resolution data from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) between 1990 and 2020. The research focuses on how temperature and precipitation have evolved over time and their impacts on local ecosystems, agriculture, and water resources. Using MATLAB for visualization, temperature and precipitation maps were created for January and July across five time periods to understand the spatial and temporal variations in these regions. The analysis revealed a noticeable increase in temperature, with warmer winters and hotter summers in both regions. Precipitation patterns showed a shift, with a …

Crises, Coloniality, And Energy Transformations In Puerto Rico, Laura Kuhl, Marla Perez-Lugo, Carlos Arriaga Serrano, Cecilio Ortiz Garcia, Ryan Ellis, Jennie C. Stephens

Sociology Faculty Publications

Increased attention to inclusive processes is essential to ensure injustices are not perpetuated during energy transitions. Crises, such as the collapse of the electric grid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, present the promise of opening windows of opportunity for new ideas and voices to inform the future, but they also create opportunities for powerful interests to reinforce existing power dynamics. While coloniality has been recognized as a barrier to sustainable energy transformations, greater integration of the literature on climate coloniality and sustainability transitions is needed. This chapter analyzes visions of the future of the energy system among diverse constituents …

Opinion Mining On Offshore Wind Energy For Environmental Engineering, Isabele Bittencourt, Aparna S. Varde, Pankaj Lal

School of Computing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Renewable energy sources are vital to help mitigate the effects of climate change, and reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of fossil fuels, e.g. the state of New Jersey has a goal of producing 100% clean energy by 2050. However, the plans for offshore wind energy by the shore of the state still brings much controversy between residents due to the wind farms’ impact on wildlife, coastline, and the people’s view from the beaches. In this context, we perform sentiment analysis on social media data to investigate people’s opinions and concerns regarding offshore wind energy. We adapt 3 machine learning models, …

Kelp Guardians Can Save The World: A Food Sovereignty Lab Report Of The Ghvtlh-K’Vsh Shu'-Srnelh-'I~ (Kelp Guardians) California Sea Grant, Delaney A. Schroeder-Echavarria

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

As partners of the Ghvtlh-k’vsh Shu'-srnelh-'i~ (Kelp Guardians) California Sea Grant project, the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute has actively engaged with local educators, Tribal organizations, and Tribal Nations to create youth-centered curricula, researched through a community-based participatory research lens. This is demonstrated through an innovative approach to recruiting and retaining Indigenous youth and community interest in coastal and marine ecosystems and resources by connecting with Indigenous cultural practices, Indigenous sciences, and community-based programs to encourage future careers. The Kelp Guardians project is led by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation (TDN or Nation) and includes various …

Every Publication Needs An Author Verified Tl;Dr Statement, Sarah Oerther, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Critical Juncture: The Convergence Of Natural Resource Management And Tribal Sovereignty, Anna Aleta Butterfield

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects the work I’ve done in my four years as a dual degree student, pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Studies and a juris doctorate degree, and focuses on policies and laws surrounding natural resource management. It touches on how those policies relate to and expand or constrict the exercise of sovereignty by indigenous populations.

This piece first considers the effects of plastic on salmon populations and those indigenous groups that rely on salmon for subsistence and cultural purposes. The remaining three pieces focus on various aspects of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes - Montana Water …

Generation Z’S Perception Of Skin Cancer And How It Relates To Climate Change, Piercen Bogolea

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and climate change has been identified as a significant contributor. Preventative action early on can help reduce occurrence, but it is unknown if Generation Z is aware of this and is taking the necessary action now to protect themselves. This research aims to gauge the perception of Generation Z on the severity of skin cancer, the relationship between climate change and skin cancer, and the prevalence of preventative measures being taken. A survey was distributed to students aged 18 to 27 enrolled at the University of Central Florida through mixed sampling. The …

Chromium Removal From Tannery Wastewater Via A Hydroponic Technique With Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Ismot Zereen, Zainul Abedin, Siddikur Rahman, Debasish Pandit

Applied Environmental Research

This research aimed to investigate the effects of hydroponically cultivated vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the treatment of tannery wastewater for chromium (Cr) removal in Bangladesh. The field experiment involved 9 containers, which were separated into 3 groups: tannery wastewater with hydroponically planted vetiver, tannery wastewater without vetiver (control), and a group with vetiver grown in tap water. The tap water group was used solely for plant growth assessment, whereas only the control and hydroponic vetiver groups were evaluated for Cr and water quality parameters. Throughout the 45-day trial period, Cr and other water quality parameters were analyzed …

Enhanced Co2 Capture Performance Using Methyl Diethanolamine-Functionalized Silica Gels: Assessing Co2 Capture Capacity, Petpitcha Boonmatoon, Pacharapol Nokpho, Pornpote Piumsomboon, Benjapon Chalermsinsuwan

Applied Environmental Research

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a significant greenhouse gas. This causes harm to the environment and to humans. In 2023, atmospheric CO2 levels rose to 420 ppm, marking a new record high. Therefore, technology for capturing CO2 has been developed. At present, a wide variety of technologies have been proposed to capture CO2. Adsorption technology is more affordable and requires less energy for regeneration. There are many potential solid adsorbents for CO2 capture, such as zeolites, alumina, metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), and mesoporous silicas. Silica materials possess unique properties that make them promising candidates as solid sorbents for CO2 capture. They provide …

Government Support And Local Residents’ Behavior In E-Waste Management: Evidence From Thailand, Peeranart Kiddee, Somsiri Decharat, Suttiporn Bunmak

Applied Environmental Research

Electronic waste (e-waste) management is a critical global pollution concern. This study investigates government support; local residents' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to e-waste management; and collaborative governance in southern Thailand. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research involves expert government officers who are well versed in e-waste management and local residents. The study utilized in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. The results revealed that the government is responsible for four e-waste management approaches, encompassing various e-waste collection, transportation, and disposal methods. Local residents exhibited low perceptions of e-waste news but possessed substantial knowledge and positive attitudes toward e-waste …