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Feeling The Heat: Climate Change Is Becoming A Big Factor In Business Decision-Making, Risk Assessment, Candace Beeke, Sahan Dissanayake, Jennifer Price, Moss Adams

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland Business Journal Publisher and President Candace Beeke spoke recently with PSU’s Sahan Dissanayake and Jennifer Price, with Moss Adams, about the direct and indirect effects of climate change on business, along with the physical impacts and economic hazards. Here are their insights.

Towards More Equitable And Climate Resilient Communities With Jola Ajibade, Jola Ajibade

PDXPLORES Podcast

In this episode of PDXPLORES, Professor Jola Ajibade discusses research examining how cascading social and environmental hazards might impact communities in the Portland metro region and what policymakers and community members can do to mitigate the risks and promote a more just, livable, and sustainable urban future.

Click on the "Download" button to access the audio transcript.

Teasing Apart Impacts Of Human Activity And Regional Drought On Madagascar’S Large Vertebrate Fauna: Insights From New Excavations At Tsimanampesotse And Antsirafaly, Laurie R. Godfrey, Brooke Crowley, Kathleen M. Muldoon, Stephen J. Burns, Nick Scroxton, Zachary S. Klukkert, Lovasoa Ranivoharimanana, Jamie Alumbaugh, Matthew Borths, Natalie Vasey

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Madagascar experienced a major faunal turnover near the end of the first millenium CE that particularly affected terrestrial, large-bodied vertebrate species. Teasing apart the relative impacts of people and climate on this event requires a focus on regional records with good chronological control. These records may document coeval changes in rainfall, faunal composition, and human activities. Here we present new paleontological and paleoclimatological data from southwestern Madagascar, the driest part of the island today. We collected over 1500 subfossil bones from deposits at a coastal site called Antsirafaly and from both flooded and dry cave deposits at Tsimanampesotse National Park. …

Assessing The Impact Of Changing Drought Conditions On Wildfire Emissions In Washington And Oregon, Maggie Liu

altREU Projects

Wildfires impact public health, and threaten life, livelihood, and property across the United States, particularly on the West Coast. This project seeks to find correlations between drought and wildfire emissions by comparing the Modified Palmer Drought Index (PMDI) with smoke particulate (PM2.5) emissions from fires in Oregon and Washington. PM2.5 emissions were taken from 2002 – 2020 from the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s FINN model, which uses satellite observations of active fires to assign burned area, and compares against observed vegetation to model emissions. This project found the strongest positive correlation between fire activity for a summer season (July …

The Influence Of Microsite Conditions On Early Performance Of Planted Nothofagus Nitida Seedlings When Restoring Degraded Coastal Temperate Rain Forests, Jan R. Bannister, Manuel Acevedo, German Travieso, Andres Holz, Nicole Galindo

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Widespread impacts of changes in land use, climate, and disturbance regimes continue to affect mature forests and their subsequent post-disturbance recovery. In South American temperate rainforests, the recovery of the original composition, structure, and ecological services of now-degraded old-growth forests is additionally hampered by the aggressive competition that the native Chusquea bamboo understory exerts on juvenile trees, thus arresting ecological succession. In this study, we aim to evaluate the early performance of Nothofagus nitida seedlings (pioneer tree species that tolerate shade) planted beneath nurse canopy following removal of the understory, and to define which microsite conditions can facilitate N. nitida …

Combating Ecosystem Collapse From The Tropics To The Antarctic, Dana M. Bergstrom, Barbara C. Wienecke, John Van Den Hoff, Lesley Hughes, David B. Lindenmayer, Tracy D. Ainsworth, Christopher M. Baker, Lucie Bland, David M J S Bowman, Shaun T. Brooks, Josep G. Canadell, Andrew J. Constable, Katherine A. Dafforn, Michael H. Depledge, Catherine R. Dickson, Norman C. Duke, Kate J. Helmstedt, Andrés Holz

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Globally, collapse of ecosystems-potentially irreversible change to ecosystem structure, composition and function-imperils biodiversity, human health and well-being. We examine the current state and recent trajectories of 19 ecosystems, spanning 58° of latitude across 7.7 M km , from Australia's coral reefs to terrestrial Antarctica. Pressures from global climate change and regional human impacts, occurring as chronic 'presses' and/or acute 'pulses', drive ecosystem collapse. Ecosystem responses to 5-17 pressures were categorised as four collapse profiles-abrupt, smooth, stepped and fluctuating. The manifestation of widespread ecosystem collapse is a stark warning of the necessity to take action. We present a three-step assessment and …

Climate Change And Water Governance: Decision Making For Individual Vineyard Owners In Global Wine Regions, Erin Upton, Max Nielsen-Pincus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates the institutional, social, and ecological dynamics that influence regional water governance and individual vineyard owners’ decision making in global wine regions. Global wine grape production has grown steadily over the past 20 years, and climate change has emerged as a driver of transformation in wine regions resulting in a range of impacts. Changes to the climate are anticipated to accelerate in the future and present a number of challenges for wine regions; including risks to human systems, e.g., agriculture, labor, and economics, as well as ecological systems, e.g., surface and groundwater. Water is a critical resource for …

The Effects Of Historical Housing Policies On Resident Exposure To Intra-Urban Heat: A Study Of 108 Us Urban Areas, Jeremy Hoffman, Vivek Shandas, Nicholas Pendleton

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of heat waves due to human-caused climate change puts historically underserved populations in a heightened state of precarity, as studies observe that vulnerable communities—especially those within urban areas in the United States—are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat. Lacking, however, are insights into fundamental questions about the role of historical housing policies in cauterizing current exposure to climate inequities like intra-urban heat. Here, we explore the relationship between “redlining”, or the historical practice of refusing home loans or insurance to whole neighborhoods based on a racially motivated perception of safety for investment, with present-day summertime …

Stars Annual Report, 2020, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) compiles information from departments across campus annually to complete the STARS Report. The score is based on the number of points received across five categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration, and Innovation & Leadership. PSU has maintained a Gold rating since the institution began reporting in 2011 and is within the top 40 of over 400 reporting institutions. This summary includes improvement opportunities to assist our efforts to eventually become a STARS Platinum institution. For more information on improvement opportunities please contact Amanda Wolf at wolf@pdx.edu

Utility Summary Fiscal Year 2020, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

Energy usage listed by building.

Economics Of Afforestation: A Global Leadership Opportunity For Efd, Jeffrey R. Vincent

Forest Collaborative Research

Slides from a presentation that examines the economics of afforestation and forest restoration in light of climatic changes, rising CO₂ levels, carbon sequestration and other factors. Provides directions for further research, including retrospective analysis of previous afforestation projects, and targeted analysis of impediments to institutional investment in afforestation.

Widespread Severe Wildfires Under Climate Change Lead To Increased Forest Homogeneity In Dry Mixed-Conifer Forests, Brooke Alyce Cassell, Robert M. Scheller, Melissa S. Lucash, Matthew Hurteau, E. Louise Loudermilk

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate warming in the western United States is causing changes to the wildfire regime in mixed-conifer forests. Rising temperatures, longer fire seasons, increased drought, as well as fire suppression and changes in land use, have led to greater and more severe wildfire activity, all contributing to altered forest composition over the past century. To understand future interactions among climate, wildfire, and vegetation in a fire-prone landscape in the southern Blue Mountains of central Oregon, we used a spatially explicit forest landscape model, LANDIS-II, to simulate forest and fire dynamics under current management practices and two projected climate scenarios. The results …

Psu Green Building Internship Final Report, 2019: Karl Miller Center Post-Occupancy Study, Everett Stilley, Junyoung Lee

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

This study examined the effectiveness of the passive cooling strategies in the Karl Miller Center (KMC) at Portland State University. Due to the warm temperatures reached in Portland during the summer months and the absence of a mechanical cooling system on the Pavilion side of the KMC, classrooms can exceed thermal comfort preferences on a number of occasions. Previous studies have recommended taking certain classrooms “offline” after 12pm in the summer, where they are only available for morning classes. This study aimed to update the classroom prioritization as well as analyze the employed cooling strategies and begin a long term …

Mountain Lakes: Eyes On Global Environmental Change, Katrina A. Moser, Jill S. Baron, Janice Brahney, Isabella A. Olesky, Jasmine E. Saros, Elizabeth J. Hundey, Steven A. Sadro, Jiri Kopácek, Ruben Sommaruga, Martin J. Kainz, Angela L. Strecker, Sudeep Chandra, David M. Walters, Daniel L. Preston, Neal Michelutti, Fabio Lepori, Sarah A. Spaulding, Kyle R. Christianson, John M. Melack, J. P. Smol

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mountain lakes are often situated in protected natural areas, a feature that leads to their role as sentinels of global environmental change. Despite variations in latitude, mountain lakes share many features, including their location in catchments with steep topographic gradients, cold temperatures, high incident solar and ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and prolonged ice and snow cover. These characteristics, in turn, affect mountain lake ecosystem structure, diversity, and productivity. The lakes themselves are mostly small and shallow, and up until recently, have been characterized as oligotrophic. This paper provides a review and update of the growing body of research that shows that …

Stars Annual Report, 2019, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) compiles information from departments across campus annually to complete the STARS Report. The score is based on the number of points received across five categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration, and Innovation & Leadership. PSU has maintained a Gold rating since the institution began reporting in 2011 and is within the top 40 of over 400 reporting institutions. This summary includes improvement opportunities to assist our efforts to eventually become a STARS Platinum institution. For more information on improvement opportunities please contact Amanda Wolf at wolf@pdx.edu

Utility Summary Fiscal Year 2019, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

Summary of energy usage listed by building.

Campus Sustainability Office Annual Report, 2018-2019, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office 2018-2019 annual report.

Psu Green Building Internship Final Presentation, 2019: Kmc Post-Occupancy Study, Junyoung Lee, Everett Stilley

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

Survey students taking classes in Pavilion classrooms during summer 2019 term. Analyze data to update classroom scheduling recommendations.

A Comparison Of Neighborhood-Scale Interventions To Alleviate Urban Heat In Doha, Qatar, Salim Ferwati, Cynthia Skelhorn, Vivek Shandas, Yasuyo Makido

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent evidence suggests that many densely populated areas of the world will be uninhabitable in the coming century due to the depletion of resources, climate change, and increasing urbanization. This poses serious questions regarding the actions that require immediate attention, and opportunities to stave off massive losses of infrastructure, populations, and financial investments. The present study utilizes microclimate modeling to examine the role of landscape features as they affect ambient temperatures in one of the fastest growing regions of the world: Doha, Qatar. By modeling three study sites around Doha—one highly urbanized, one newly urbanizing, and one coastal low-density urbanized—the …

Psu University Services Building Leed Eb Materials Audit Report, Christa Mcdermott, Emily Murkland, Bryan Nguyen, Tay Stone, Rushada Wimer

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

This report provides Portland State University’s (PSU) Campus Sustainability Office (CSO), with an objective third party LEED O+M Materials Assessment of PSU’s University Services Building (USB). The data collected for this audit provides CSO with insight into the building’s current waste composition and diversion rate. Additionally, it identifies opportunities to reduce the amount of recoverable materials ending up in the landfill stream. Community Environmental Services (CES) conducted material audits for 100% of USB’s landfill-bound, commingled recycling, and compost streams during a 24-hour period. While, audited construction and demolition (C&D) materials were generated over the course of a week.

More Than The Sum Of Its Parts: How Disturbance Interactions Shape Forest Dynamics Under Climate Change, Melissa S. Lucash, Robert M. Scheller, Brian R. Sturtevant, Eric J. Gustafson, Alec M. Kretchun, Jane R. Foster

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Interactions among disturbances are seldom quantified, and how they will be affected by climate change is even more uncertain. In this study, we sought to better understand how interactions among disturbances shift under climate change by applying a process-based landscape disturbance and succession model (LANDIS-II) to project disturbance regimes under climate change in north-central Minnesota, USA. Specifically, we (1) contrasted mortality rates and the extent of disturbance for four individual (single) disturbance regimes (fire, insects, wind, or forest management) vs. all four disturbance regimes operating simultaneously (concurrent) under multiple climate change scenarios and (2) determined how climate change interacts with …

Psu Market Center Building Leed Eb Materials Audit Report, Christa Mcdermott, Emily Murkland, Bryan Nguyen, Tay Stone, Rushada Wimer

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

This report provides Portland State University’s (PSU) Campus Sustainability Office (CSO), with an objective third party LEED O+M Materials Assessment of PSU’s Market Center Building (MCB). The data collected for this audit provides CSO with insight into the building’s current waste composition and diversion rate. Additionally, it identifies opportunities to reduce the amount of recoverable materials ending up in the landfill stream. Community Environmental Services (CES) conducted material audits for 100% of MCB’s landfill-bound, commingled recycling, glass bottles and jars recycling, and compost streams during a 24-hour period.

Campus Sustainability Office Annual Report, 2017-2018, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office 2017-2018 annual report.

Psu Green Building Internship Final Report, 2018: Karl Miller Center Post-Occupancy Study, Omar Abu Sulaiman, Jocelyn Reynolds

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

In this report, both occupant comfort perception-based data, collected via surveys, and building performance-based data, collected via sensors, are utilized to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation of Portland State University’s (PSU) new Karl Miller Center (KMC), formerly known as the School of Business Administration. The KMC was completed in September 2017 and is on track to earn LEED Platinum certification, primarily for the passive ventilation strategies incorporated into its design. The environmental factors studied in this report are air and concrete slab temperatures, CO2 levels, and airflow. The personal factors studied in this report are clothing levels (clo), gender identity, thermal …

Stars Annual Report, 2018, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) compiles information from departments across campus annually to complete the STARS Report. The score is based on the number of points received across five categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration, and Innovation & Leadership. PSU has maintained a Gold rating since the institution began reporting in 2011 and is within the top 40 of over 400 reporting institutions. This summary includes improvement opportunities to assist our efforts to eventually become a STARS Platinum institution. For more information on improvement opportunities please contact Amanda Wolf at wolf@pdx.edu

Utility Summary Fiscal Year 2018, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

Summary of energy use listed by building

Psu Green Building Internship Final Presentation, 2018: Karl Miller Center Post-Occupancy Study, Omar Abu Sulaiman, Jocelyn Reynolds

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

Intent of Study:

Determine if the mechanical and passive design strategies in the KMC are functioning properly to provide appropriate levels of thermal comfort to occupants.

Utility Data Comparison Of Fy16, Fy17, And Fy 18 Quarter One And Quarter Two Data, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

FY16, FY17, & FY18 Q1 and Q2 EUI Comparison

Tidal Variability Related To Sea Level Variability In The Pacific Ocean, Adam Thomas Devlin, David A. Jay, Edward Zaron, Stefan A. Talke, Jiayi Pan, Hui Lin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ocean tides are changing worldwide for reasons unrelated to astronomical forcing. Changes in tidal properties coupled with altered mean sea level (MSL) may yield higher peak water levels and increased occurrence of short-term exceedance events, such as storm surge and nuisance flooding. Here we investigate the hypothesis that changes in relative sea level are correlated with alterations in tidal amplitudes. Our approach focuses on the correlation between short-term (monthly to interannual) fluctuations in sea level with changes in tidal properties of major ocean tides (M₂, and K₁; S₂ and O₁) at 152 gauges. …

An Analysis Of The Optimal Mix Of Global Energy Resources And The Potential Need For Geoengineering Using The Ceagom Model, John George Anasis, M. A. K. Khalil, George G. Lendaris, Christopher L. Butenhoff, Randall Bluffstone

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Humanity faces tremendous challenges as a result of anthropogenic climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The mix of resources deployed in order to meet the energy needs of a growing global population is key to addressing the climate change issue. The goal of this research is to examine the optimal mix of energy resources that should be deployed to meet a forecast global energy demand while still meeting desired climate targets. The research includes the unique feature of examining the role that geoengineering can play in this optimization. The results show that some form of geoengineering is likely to …