Digital Commons Network^™

Cal Poly Organic Farm, Cindy Douglas

Sustainability Conference

This session will explore the founding and development of one of the oldest sustainable land-based college learning centers and farming operations in California, the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz. In addition, the Cal Poly Organic Enterprise will present on how they have sustained themselves as a self supporting enterprise and how virtually every discipline at Cal Poly utilizes the farm. The development and programming features of the UC Davis Student Experimental Farm, as well as the Michigan State University, and Cornell University student farms will also be presented. We will learn how the students …

Pesticide Hazard And Exposure Reduction (Phaer) Zones, Phil Boise, Ken Brown

Sustainability Conference

As California’s population continues to grow, high demand for fresh water and pesticide use will only accelerate the water shortage problem. UC Santa Barbara will be presenting their methodology of curbing pesticide use an approach which involves color-coded maps to evaluate sites, reduce risk, and plan for long-term sustainability. Their presentation will also include the benefits of native plant communities and the steps essential for creating these communities, such as: planning the site, removing invasive plants, restoring site soils, purchasing the native plant material, planting, irrigation, and mulches and amendments.

Buildings, Energy & Co2, Bill Starr

Sustainability Conference

This session will summarize an analysis that explored various improvements in building energy efficiency and their potential to help the campus reach the Climate Action goals of the UC Policy on Sustainability. Emphases of the session will include: building energy use as a portion of total GHG emissions, comparison of energy use within building types, and options to reach policy goals.

Biodiesel: A Closer Look, Shirley Johnson

Sustainability Conference

I will investigate the current debate regarding biofuels, such as the differences between ethanol and biodiesel. My presentation will be a robust investigation of biodiesel and the issues associated with biofuel. Currently, biofuels are getting a lot of attention in the media. To mention a few of the issues: debate of food verses fuel, appropriate land use for growing feedstock, and biodiesel quality. The question is: to what extent is biofuel driving up the price of soybean and corn? The direct competition for food versus fuel has never been seen before. The social justice aspects of biofuels are in question. …

Think Global, Write Local: Sustainability And English Composition, Steven Marx

Sustainability Conference

An essential element of Ecocomposition is local knowledge–engagement with one’s own particular place and time. Preparation for Ecocomposition requires teachers to be interested in their surroundings—the academic institution as not an ivory tower, but rather a physical, economic and political entity in history, situated on the land and in the community.

This paper describes two first-year writing courses, "Exposition: Writing About Place," and "Reasoning and Argumentation: Issues of Sustainability with special reference to the Cal Poly Campus," that combine students' skill development in analysis, exposition and persuasion with learning about the physical and educational dimensions of their university.

Recreation And Fire Management In Urban National Forests: A Study Of Manager Perspectives, Kelly S. Bricker, Deborah J. Chavez, William W. Hendricks

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this study was to understand U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service public land managers’ perceptions of fire management and recreational use in urban national forests of the United States. An online survey was used to understand managers’ perceptions of (a) the degree to which the presence of recreational activities and experiences are a constraint to fire management, (b) the degree to which fire management and suppression activities influence the quality of a visit to a recreation site, and (c) the relationships between fire management and recreation constraints. In all, 62 district rangers within urban national forests were …

Teaching Sustainability In Electrical Engineering Lab Courses, David Braun

Sustainability Conference

Swanton Pacific, a unique educational field facility, presents on using their land to study the effectiveness of sustainable resource management, while incorporating over 20 disciplines. Students developed a monitoring system to track impacts of a LEED Certified Housing Project and an electrical engineering course incorporated analysis of sustainability factors into each experiment. Lastly we will learn about the use of Green Chemistry in an undergraduate teaching lab and the broader implications of Green Chemistry for the campus.

Best Practices: Solar Photovoltaic Shaded Parking Canopies, Lot V, Robert Boyd

Sustainability Conference

This session will include presentations from winners of the Energy Efficiency Partnership Best Practice Awards competition for projects that demonstrate best practices in Renewable Energy and Student Energy Efficiency Projects. Renewable Energy winners include CSU Fresno for their photovoltaic shaded parking canopies and LACCD for their Solar Photovoltaic Generation Project. LACCD will be giving out CDs with examples of RFPs, Contracts, and more related to their award-winning project. Student Energy Efficiency Winners include Alliance to Save Energy’s Green Campus Program teams from UC Berkeley, CSU Chico, and UC Santa Cruz. These teams were respectively recognized for overall energy saving and …

Working For Sustainability Through A More Democratic Shared Governance Process, Genevieve Bertone, Luis Suarez, Lee Peterson, Amber Katherine

Sustainability Conference

This session will discuss how partnerships between student and faculty shared governance structures can motivate environmental action on campus. Santa Monica College will present lessons learned while engaging students in college committees and task forces. They will describe how student energy and fresh perspectives influenced campus administration on an environmental audit and an organic garden project, helped add sustainability features to new facilities, led to the funding of an “Any Line, Any Time” transit system pass, and helped revise criteria for food vendors.

Genetically Engineering Human-Animal Chimeras And Lives Worth Living, Dennis R. Cooley

Between the Species

Genetic engineering often generates fear of out of control scientists creating Frankenstein creatures that will terrorize the general populace, especially in the cases of human-animal chimeras. While sometimes an accurate characterization of some researchers, this belief is often the result of repugnance for new technology rather than being rationally justified. To facilitate thoughtful discussion the moral issues raised by human-animal chimeras, ethicists and other stakeholders must develop a rational ethical framework before raw emotion has a chance of becoming the dominating justification for public opinion and policy. Derek Parfit’s work on lives worth living for human beings can provide valuable …

Animal Thoughts On Factory Farms: Michael Leahy, Language And Awareness Of Death, Rebekah Humphreys

Between the Species

The idea that language is necessary for thought and emotion is a dominant one in philosophy. Animals have taken the brunt of this idea, since it is widely held that language is exclusively human. Michael Leahy (1991) makes a case against the moral standing of factory-farmed animals based on such ideas. His approach is Wittgensteinian: understanding is a thought process that requires language, which animals do not possess. But he goes further than this and argues that certain factory farming methods do not cause certain sufferings to the animals used, since animals lack full awareness of their circumstances. In particular …

The Ethical Disconnect Of The Circus: Humanity's Acceptance Of Performing Elephants - Author's Note Added 2 Feb 2011, Mike Jaynes

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

Reasonable Humans And Animals: An Argument For Vegetarianism, Nathan Nobis

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

The Intentionality Of Plover Cognitive States, Chuck Stieg

Between the Species

This paper attempts to clarify and justify the attribution of mental states to animals by focusing on two different conceptions of intentionality: instrumentalist and realist. I use each of these general views to interpret and discuss the behavior and cognitive states of piping plovers in order to provide a substantive way to frame the question of animal minds. I argue that attributing mental states to plovers is warranted for instrumentalists insofar as it is warranted for similar human behavior. For realists about intentionality, the complexity, adaptability and flexibility of the plovers’ behavior, along with its ability to utilize the content …

Book Review Brian Luke's Brutal: Manhood And The Exploitation Of Animals, Laura Donnellan

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

Review Of Francione's Animals As Persons: Essays On The Abolition Of Animal Exploitation, Joan Schaffner

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

The Pig Roast, Josephine Donovan

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

Peter Singer’S Hegelianism: The Social Context Of Equality, David Rose

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

The Social Contract, The Conservative Attitude, And Antibiotics Development, Eli Weber

Between the Species

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant microbes has led to a call for new antibiotics development. Due to the irresponsible practices of the medical community in prescribing antibiotics, much of the demand for new antibiotics is suspect. I argue that the social contract, which properly includes human relationships with laboratory animals, requires a conservative attitude toward new antibiotics development. This attitude places limits on the justificatory role of demand in determining whether a particular research project meets the conditions for morally justified research, as defined by Rollin’s utilitarian principle.

Buying And Operating Energy Efficient Lab Appliances, Allen Doyle

Sustainability Conference

UCSB Laboratory Research And Technical Staff (LabRATS) and Paul Mathew, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), will present on how to make energy efficient purchasing decisions, considering the high specialization and energy consumption of lab equipment and the rarity of third party certification in laboratories. The LABS21 Wiki site, which highlights energy efficient lab equipment, and other tools, will be shared. LabRATS will also present on strategies for promoting reuse and surplus equipment exchange and how to implement these programs through a decentralized network of researchers.

Eco-Effective Design At Ucsf Mission Bay, Tyler F. Krehlik

Sustainability Conference

This session will discuss challenges and solutions in sustainability in healthcare from a nurse’s perspective. It will highlight current occupational and environmental health exposures in the hospital environment, recent developments in this field and the importance of institutional purchasing policies and capitol projects. The session will also explore the development of the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. It will demonstrate the ways in which the center acknowledged the strong connections between human and environmental health and how it combined a variety of operational standards in the design process.

The Mojave Sustainability Project: A Community Approach To Education In Ecosystem Restoration And Natural Resource Management, Neville Slade

Sustainability Conference

Community Partnerships are paving the way for new developments in sustainability: San Jose State University partnered with the City of San Jose on an experiential learning course to address sustainability in San Jose. San Luis Obispo is working with Shanghai, China and shares the lessons learned about working on international sustainability projects. Victor Valley College and the Mojave Sustainability Project are creating a symbiotic collaborative between academia, industry, and government agencies to promote sustainable development and the unique role education can play in this process.

Cal Poly Pomona University Ghg Emissions Inventory, George Lwin, Heidi Rusina

Sustainability Conference

Global climate change has evolved from a buzz word to an issue driving major political, institutional, and corporate policy and planning. This session discusses the mandates, goals, and metrics associated with greenhouse gas reduction, California Assembly Bill 32, the Campus President’s Climate Commitment, and the California Climate Action Registry. Learn how campuses are quantifying their baseline greenhouse gas emissions and developing reduction plans to improve their buildings, save on energy and utility costs, and achieve greenhouse gas regulatory compliance or even full carbon neutrality.

The Effects Of A Vegetarian Diet On Iron Status In Female Students, Kimberly G. Englehardt

Master's Theses

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency disease worldwide (Mahan & Escott-Stump, 2004). Iron deficiency anemia is of major concern especially in women of child bearing age and those who follow a vegetarian diet. The objective of this study was to compare the nutrient and hematological values related to iron status in female university students following a vegetarian versus following a nonvegetarian diet. This study took a cross sectional analysis of 39 female students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly State University) in San Luis Obispo, CA. Of the participants 19 were following a vegetarian diet and …

Similarity Assessment Techniques, Michael A. Zang, Adam Gray, Michael Hobbs, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

This paper serves as a layman’s introduction to similarity assessment techniques, their distinction from contemporary computing paradigms, and their real-world applications. The following content derives from the experience gained by the authors in applying similarity assessment techniques to resolve the real-world problems of CDM customers, in particular those faced by the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).

Ammonia Emissions And Olfactometry Analysis Of Limit Fed High And Low Concentrate Diets With Different Forage Quality In Dairy Heifers, G. J. Lascano, P. A. Topper, A. Adviento-Borbe, D. Topper, R. C. Brandt, E. F. Wheeler, A. J. Heinrichs

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Algae-To-Biofuel System Awarded, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Flow Cytometry To Assess Rumen Bacteria In Dairy Heifers Limit Fed Different Forage To Concentrate Ratios With Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, G. J. Lascano, A. J. Heinrichs

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

Second Biennial Progress Report 2008: Sustainability For Cal Poly Facilities And Operations, Facility Services, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Facilities Planning And Capital Projects, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Sustainability Advisory Committee, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Publications

This report focuses on sustainability in the University’s facilities and operations. Starting in 2006, Cal Poly established a number of indicators of campus environmental sustainability. This is the second report on those metrics; future updates are planned on a biennial basis.

Green Neighborhood Standards From A Planning Perspective: A Leed For Neighborhood Deelopment (Leed-Nd) Case Study, Elissa R. Black

Master's Theses

This study examines the LEED-ND pilot rating program created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the Congress for New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 2007. The rating system is evaluated based on its application as a broad set of national standards meant to encourage green neighborhood development. The main case study is a master planned community in semi-rural Paso Robles, California. Among other things, the study discovers problems related to the application of the rating system in semi-rural and rural regions of the Western United States. Both the standards used by the rating system …