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Beyond The Lines, Miranda-Max De Beer

Masters Theses

Long-held frameworks and philosophies developed over human history have rarely accounted for dynamic flux or shifts between parallel states of being; they’ve ignored the glaring consequences humanity’s brief occupation of the Geologic Timeline will have on the planet. These beliefs have enabled societies to operate through life as if there was no tomorrow, (ab)using the Earth without considering those who eventually reap what’s sown. Beyond the Lines identifies manifestations of the mindset that restricts how we understand living systems and the world around us as so much of what exists in tandem with contemporary society does not adhere to the …

Portfolio For Soci 346: Environmental Sociology, Gwendwr Meredith

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Environmental sociology, SOCI 346, is the study of how social systems interact with ecosystems. As such, it is a very broad course that is tasked with understanding complex and often controversial questions about the social causes, consequences, and responses to environmental disruption. In this teaching portfolio, I enumerate how I use a backward design for crafting assessments that cater to my specific teaching goals and learning objectives for the course. In the first stage of this process, I reflected on what learning outcomes I wished to achieve and determined that structuring the course in modules aligned with the learning objectives …

Socio-Ecological Challenges Of Hydroelectric Dams Among Ethnic Minorities In Northern Laos, Saleh Ahmed, Paige Liquin

Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Globally, hydroelectric dams are increasingly considered to be a sustainable source of renewable energy. Many countries have invested in hydroelectric projects to boost the local and national economies. The findings of recent hydroelectric projects are mixed. Even though the construction of these dams has provided immediate benefits to surrounding communities, long-term negative implications of hydroelectric development have called into question the true sustainability of hydroelectric projects. These negative impacts of hydroelectric dams include the resettlement of marginalized communities, in addition to significant alterations to the local environment and economy. Taking both the positive and negative impacts of hydroelectric development into …

Climate Change Policies And Older Adults: An Analysis Of States’ Climate Adaptation Plans, Bryant Carlson, Jacklyn N. Kohon, Paula Carder, Dani Himes, Eiji Toda, Katsuya Tanaka

Institute on Aging Publications

Background and Objectives

As climate change drives more frequent and intense weather events, older adults face disproportionate impacts, including having the highest mortality rates from storms, wildfires, flooding, and heat waves. State governments are critical in deploying local resources to help address climate change impacts. This policy study analyzes states’ climate adaptation plans to assess the methods through which they address the impact of climate change on older adults.

Research Design and Methods

This study uses content analysis to analyze available climate change adaptation plans for all U.S. states for strategies designed to increase resilience of older adults to impacts …

The Role Of The Armed Forces Of The Philippines (Afp) In Disaster Response And Adaptation Strategies To Climatic Disasters In Manila, Edmundo Nicolas Jr.

Geography Masters Research Papers

This study described the roles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) in Metro Manila and how climate-induced hazards impact the role of the military. It used a qualitative approach, which involved semi- structured interviews among AFP officers and barangay leaders with expertise and experience in DRRM and an analysis of selected policy documents and military doctrine. These methods revealed that: (1) the military acts as a political first-aid, since they are the first responders – thus, the face of the local government – in climactic disasters during peacetime; (2) the military is …

Indigenous Water Justice: Theory, Gaps, And Opportunities For Application, Ruby Howard

University Honors Theses

Indigenous people are particularly at risk of water scarcity in the U.S. and abroad, and face high rates of nonexistent or failing water infrastructure, water pollution, pipeline proposals that threaten water resources, and water-related climate change impacts. They also are often unequipped, politically and economically, to react and adapt to these impacts, resulting in devastating health impacts. Due to this widespread insecurity, many scholars are calling for the application of a theory and set of principles known as water justice. However, Indigenous people have pointed out that water justice literature does not focus enough on Indigenous issues, often neglecting the …

Fremont Bridgehead Reclamation Project, Ananda Gordon-Peabody, Meg Grzybowski, Ian Meisner, Grace Dudley, Paul Ahrns

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Fremont Bridgehead Reclamation Project aims to promote the redesign of Kerby Avenue I-405 Freeway ramps and the return of ODOT land to community-oriented uses with the hopes of providing economic restitution to displaced community members. It intends to offer an action roadmap to advance the case for ramp redesign and potential alternatives for reclaimed land uses. Collaborating with the Eliot Neighborhood Association, the student team formulated recommendations, actionable steps, and future visions for the site based on stakeholder interviews and engagement feedback. This project intends to address historical and current inequities with the goal of advancing justice, restitution, and …

Slow Speed Rail: The Social, Psychological And Environmental Benefits Of Long-Distance Train Travel, Vincent Gragnani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Long-distance train travel in the United States is slow, inefficient and woefully underfunded. Trains are routinely delayed for freight traffic. Many major cities are served in the middle of the night, or not at all. And the cost of a sleeping compartment is far out of reach for most Americans. This is all in stark contrast to the reliable services offered across Europe and parts of Asia. But for the 3.5 million people who ride Amtrak’s long-distance trains every year, the experience can be a fulfilling one. This web-based project, slowspeedrail.com, explores these benefits, namely, an intimacy with the landscape …

[2023 Winner] The Removal Of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case Of Environmental Racism, Melissa June Boose, Alexandra De La Cruz Reyes, Palia Vang, Nizhoni Hawthorne

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

The Removal of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case of Environmental Racism is a podcast that details the plight of the Latinx community in the Santa Cruz County area of the Beach Flats. The community reclaimed an abandoned plot of land over 25 years that was being used for drug deals and prostitution. The community changed it into a community garden celebrating the various cultures from South America. The Seaside Corporation owns the land, which, despite not using it for years, decided in 2016 they would like to reclaim the land to pave a storage parking lot. This podcast details …

Exploring The Effects Of Intersectionality On Mental Health And Identity Development With Adolescents Through Culturally Humble Art Therapy, Cal Loiselle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This study investigated the implementation of culturally humble art therapy directives centered around identity development and social justice with adolescents. Intersectionality theory was applied to examine the ways operating from a culturally humble lens benefits clients and art therapists. Existing research supports the application of cultural humility with various populations as a method of validating client’s experiences and strengthening the therapeutic alliance. A series of art therapy interventions were implemented at a private non-profit children's psychiatric hospital with the adolescent inpatient units. The participants were between the ages of 13-18 and receiving treatment for mental health conditions, short-term stabilization, and …

Rights That Are Not Guaranteed: Failures Of Government Policy On Homelessness, Jeffrey Kaspraw

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Since the 1980s, the rising number of homeless people has caused the problem to become a significant political issue. Politicians have made promises in their campaigns to solve the emergency every election cycle. Most of these campaign promises never come to fruition, and we see a continuing rise in homelessness. This paper examines the political context of housing insecurity to argue that housing is a human right, and that homelessness is a failed policy decision. Homelessness comes in four different forms that all require individual attention. The current policies aimed to address homelessness cannot be one size fits all. While …

Resitance Art And Urban Space: A Strategic Comparison Of Artistic Urban Space Usage In Buenos Aires And San Francisco, Adeline Rose Schmitz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the early Twentieth century the Mexican Muralism movement reached two important port cities: San Francisco and Buenos Aires. The artists in these cities quickly adopted the usage of public art as means to insert political dialogue into the everyday life of their citizens. Throughout the years the resistance art in these cities has evolved in parallel, shaped by their dynamic histories of social and political change. This paper critically compares the evolutions of resistance art in Buenos Aires and San Francisco over the past twenty years. It does so by analyzing the public art archives of local collectives in …

Abolition Ecologies And The Making Of Freedom As A Place In Bayview-Hunters Point, Spencer Daniel O'Hara

Master's Theses

In this paper, I critically explore the subjectivities of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (HPNS), part of the largest redevelopment project in San Francisco since 1906. Applying an abolition ecologies framework, I ask what explains the duplicity of the Shipyard as a site of radioactive contamination and capital accumulation, and in the same time-space one that creates the conditions for radical place-making. Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is a former commercial and military shipyard located on a peninsula in southeastern San Francisco. Motivated by its desire for a major shipbuilding and repair facility to project maritime power in the Pacific, the Navy …

Global Drivers Of Local Water Stresses And Global Responses To Local Water Policies In The United States, Iman Haqiqi, Laura Bowling, Sadia Jame, Uris Baldos, Jing Liu, Thomas Hertel

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The rapid depletion of US groundwater resources and rising number of dying wells in the Western USbrings attention to the significance of groundwater governance and sustainability restrictions. However, such restrictions on groundwater withdrawals are likely to generate spillover effects causing further environmental stresses in other locations and adding to the complexity of sustainability challenges. The goal of this paper is to improve our understanding of the implications of growing global food demand for local sustainability stresses and the implications of local sustainability policies for local, regional, and global food production, land use, and prices. We employ SIMPLE-G-US (Simplified International Model …

From Spirit Toward Liberation: Msw Professional Portfolio, Claire Cw Compton

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Portfolio of work accomplished in Master of Social Work program. Includes the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice (Finn & Molloy, 2021), 10 social work competencies, and four dimensions of practice.

Utilizing Interprofessional Collaboration To Assist Clients And Communities With Disaster Relief, Baylen D. Bellamy

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Hello and thank you for reading my capstone project, which focuses on utilizing interprofessional collaboration to assist clients and communities with disaster relief. My practicum placement was at a crisis center in the next town over. I shadowed and assisted staff with working with clients and the community. A natural disaster had occurred while I was at my practicum placement. Near the end of July in 2022 a massively, devastating flood had hit South Eastern KY and several surrounding counties. The flood happen so sudden people hardly had any warning. People’s homes, vehicles, animals, and personal belongings were washed away. …

Utilizing An Evidence-Based Treatment Program For Offenders With Mental Health Disorders To Demonstrate Interprofessional Social Work Practice, Erica Kessinger, Ann Callahan

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Sixty-four percent of jail offenders, 54% of state prisoners, and 45% of federal prisoners have a mental illness (Taylor, 2022). Mental illness increases the risk of recidivism. Individuals with mental illness have limited access to appropriate treatment. They are more likely to respond negatively to the prison environment. This can lead to infractions and solitary confinement. In addition, 51% of incarcerated individuals, whether they received mental health treatment or not, are likely to experience recidivism (Pflueger et al., 2015). The practice of interprofessional social work inside the American prison system is desperately needed. The following paper proposes an evidence-based treatment …

Stitching The Pieces Together, Julie C. Nissi

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Us Energy Policy Within A Shifting Geopolitical Landscape, Rodney Ford

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Through numerous policy initiatives and a catalogue of antagonistic rhetoric, the Biden administration has made it clear since January of 2021 that America will be last when it comes to energy policy. As the rest of the world pursues far-fetched goals to eliminate fossil fuels and usher in the era of green energy, the administration has actively sought to conform to these goals at the expense of the American taxpayer. The issue of climate change, undeniably an issue indeed, will prove itself to be a hallmark of the Biden White House as everything from the tightening of ESG policies to …

Sick Of Zoning In Metropolitan Chicago: Healing Environmental Racism And Investing In A Segregated City, Caroline M. Sandoval

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the issue of the historical and present-day built environment in the Chicago metropolitan area, its roots in environmental racism, and impacts on community health. Chapter 1 utilizes mapping of Chicago to analyze U.S. Census and public health data, drawing conclusions based on community area residential patterns and demographics. Chapter 2 explores the origins of zoning practices in the United States and environmental history of Chicago, tracing the immediate impacts of the built environment and today’s community impacts. Chapter 3 dives into the political background of the built environment and city zoning in Chicago, with particular attention to …

The Green Core Of The Big Apple: The Significance Of Urban Green Spaces In New York City & Beyond, Grace Dailey

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the politics of urban green spaces which includes the issue of their inequitable distribution as well as related issues that can arise when communities do not have access to such spaces. There are a variety of types of urban green spaces, however, this paper will be focused on public parks. Together, such outdoor spaces can create cultural, recreational, and community building opportunities that are able to improve environmental and human health. Chapter 1 presents data about the existence and usage of urban green spaces around the world and in New York City in particular. Chapter 2 uses …

Spartan Daily, May 9, 2023, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2023

Volume 160, Issue 41

Energy And Climate Change Issues Around Csudh, Alex E. Perez, Tara B. Jones, Raju Bista, Parveen K. Chhetri

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Climate change is posing significant challenges to California’s energy sector. Extreme weather events (heat and cold) may pressure existing infrastructure. Many studies have indicated that extreme climate events would impact the energy system by affecting peak electricity demand. However, very few studies have been conducted to understand how disadvantaged communities (DACs) will be impacted. Because of unequal access to energy infrastructure (electricity generation and battery storage), DACs are more vulnerable to power outages due to the rising number of significant weather events caused by climate change. To address the issue of how DACs are disproportionately affected by climate change-related energy …

The Santa Clara, 2023-05-05, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Lower Speed Limits On Fatalities And Serious Injuries, Naufa Nuha

Theses and Dissertations

Responding to concerns about road safety, New York City passed a law called Vision Zero in 2014 that progressively decreased all local road speed limits to 25 miles per hour. This was in an effort to increase road safety from collisions. Starting a year prior to Vision Zero, the city started lowering speed limits in certain high-risk roads. I use data on accidents from New York City Open Data to examine the effect of reducing speed limits in Manhattan. The analysis exploits the implementation of lower speed limits on some roads prior to 2014 that provides a quasi-experimental design. Estimates …

Examining And Developing Environmental Stewardship Funding Networks In Los Angeles: A Research Proposal, Lily Maddox, Michele Romolini

Honors Thesis

Similar to other types of non-profit funding, environmental grants have a continuing history of being inaccessible to the groups that could benefit from them the most. While many environmental stewardship organizations are in need of funding for community projects, Los Angeles lacks a clear network of environmental funders that is accessible to all potential actors. This project is a proposal to study existing environmental funder coalitions as well as philanthropic trends in Los Angeles. The findings from this research will ultimately be used to compile a database of environmental grant sources in Los Angeles detailing both funders and their grant …

The Ethical Contribution Of Cultural Diversity As A Social Determinant Of Health, Pooja Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation examines how cultural diversity as a social determinant of health, aligned with human life, human dignity, human rights, and human equity provides an ethical contribution. My explanation of the ethical contribution of cultural diversity as a SDOH refers to a quadrant of topics that expands the approach of the UNESCO Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights. The UNESCO approach addresses cultural diversity in relation to human dignity and human rights. I adopt a quadrant of topics that aligns human dignity with human life and human rights with equity. Aligning these topics in the quadrant (dignity/life and rights/equity) explains …

Land Use Analysis On Vertiports Based On A Case Study Of The San Francisco Bay Area, Wenbin Wei, Kerry Rohrmeier, Tiffany Martinez, Michael Winans, Heungseok Park

Mineta Transportation Institute

Vertiport research and development trails in the emerging commercial air taxi sector known as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Published scholarship remains limited as federal, state, and local governments have yet to create or implement policies for the rapidly progressing larger AAM ecosystem, which is designed around autonomous electric vehicle takeoff and landing aircraft. With the potential for frequent low altitude flights, long-range planning must demonstrate awareness, knowledge, and utilization of geographic information science to select safe and just vertiport locations. This study summarizes the AAM literature and offers planners a set of stakeholder-informed parameters to use in a no-cost preliminary …

Leveraging Housing Programs: Ensuring That Food Access Investments Do Not Displace People, Heather Latino

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In September 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration convened a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (“conference”). Among the specific strategies outlined by the Administration is a directive that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) “increase access to neighborhood markets, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, urban gardens, food incubators, and/or the conversion of vacant buildings into food hubs. . . .” While some may celebrate the Administration’s commitment to investing in low-income and underserved communities, others fear that these forms of intervention and reinvestment may worsen current disparities. Incentives for renovating or constructing local grocery stores have been criticized …

The Landscape Does Not Care It Is A Landscape: A Utopian Pessimist Journey In Kentucky., Shachaf Polakow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

These thesis and exhibition, invite the viewers to travel through different places in Central and Eastern Kentucky. The region’s landscape, like many other American landscapes, is often known to the public through the settler colonial lens—a lens that ignores Indigenous peoples’ history in the region. The work in the exhibition is a response to landscape art's history and its complicity with American settler colonialism- art that was recruited to create a new identity for the settlers and for the country from the beginning of the American Colonial Project. Landscape art was a crucial part of this effort, presenting the land …