Digital Commons Network^™

Urban Flooding Accelerates The Affordable Housing Shortage: A Case Study In Columbia, South Carolina, Mary Hannah Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

The state of South Carolina stands at the corner where climate change and the housing crisis meet. The affordable housing stock across South Carolina continues to deplete as its major cities experience urban flooding events due to outdated and weakened infrastructure, compounded by an intensification of storm systems brought on by a changing climate. Lower income communities are forced to accept lesser living conditions and less resilient housing options because these options are more affordable. Renters are often met with more challenges when navigating disaster recovery compared to homeowners. Using a case study established in Columbia, South Carolina of the …

We Might Be Salvaged, Hannah Kroonblawd

Theses and Dissertations

We Might Be Salvaged is a dissertation that hinges upon poetic loci of disaster, survival, despair, and hope. The dissertation includes a critical preface, “Beyond Repair,” which contextualizes the central creative work alongside the concerns of the Anthropocene, as well as the collective necessity of environmental justice and disability activism. The creative work, “We Might Be Salvaged,” explores contemporary catastrophes and the lingering hope of an unknown future. The final chapter, “Teaching in the Anthropocene,” provides a pedagogical link through the design of online undergraduate creative writing workshop courses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency Preparedness: Perceptions Of People With Disabilities, Lidia Adamina Fonseca

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of emergencies and disasters has increased over the past decade which has caused cities, states and countries to routinely develop emergency preparedness and management plans (Turk, 2016). Although these demands have increased, individuals with disabilities have been less represented in the development of the plans (Timmons, 2017; Turk, 2016). According to The World Bank Disaster Risk Management Report (2020), disasters (e.g., infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, hurricanes, earthquakes, industrial accidents.) and post-disaster consequences have increased over recent years.

Although individuals with disabilities have become more aware of emergency preparedness and its importance, researchers have noted that there …

Settler-Author Allyship In Centering Indigenous Ecologies: Communal Will Through Collective Environmental Guilt In This Tender Land And Caleb's Crossing, Elena Marie Arana

Theses and Dissertations

The January 2021 edition of PMLA housed an entire cluster on "Indigenous Literatures and the Anthropocene," in which at least four of the eight non-Indigenous contributors directly addressed and supported a call for learning from and collaborating with Indigenous voices. The unanimity of the discussion dissolves somewhat drastically when considering exactly how this should be done, leading Melanie Taylor to voice one of the framing questions of the cluster: "If it is increasingly clear that not all members of Anthropos are equal drivers of the Anthropocene, and that not all are uniformly compromised by its havoc, how can we begin …

Drivers And Distribution Of Solar Pv In New York State, Jessica Stretton

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the drivers and distribution of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in New York State using statistical analysis and GIS. Rooftop residential solar projects were found across the state but were most heavily concentrated around the cities of New York, Schenectady and Ithaca. Larger scale, ground-mounted projects were located upstate and the less densely populated areas of the Lower Hudson Valley. Although there were more projects and kW generation downstate, individual solar PV installations were more likely to be larger in size upstate.

Environmental Attitudes Of Community College Students Concerning Age, Gender, And Race, Robert W. Fournier

Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have shown the mental, physical, and academic benefits of environmental education to students. Equally important, environmental education can develop our students into more environmentally minded citizens. However, we are learning that most students are not receiving accurate environmental information while in school, which may impact their attitudes toward the environment and subsequent actions to protect it. Understanding current college-aged students' (Generation Z's) attitudes toward the environment are critical as they are next in line to make political and business decisions that will affect our planet. Using the New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP), 1,556 community college students were surveyed …

“You Think You Know What Nature Is”: The Literary And Historical Ecologies Of Lake Hopatcong, Peter Astras

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the unseen effects between human activity and nature, and more broadly the relationship between humans and a single local environment, Lake Hopatcong. My methodology is archival, drawing whenever possible on an array of sources to articulate a broad set of time periods and perspectives. This study utilizes foundational ecocritical texts as anchor points and referential lenses with which I examine the contextual and situational “truth” of each period. To get a comprehensive look, there are historical texts, scientific reports, travel journals, tourist materials and newspapers, along with archival materials at the Hagley Center in Wilmington, Delaware. Through …

Students' Perceptions And Experiences With Podcasts As A Supplementary Text In A Critical Media Literacy Framework, Anne Gill

Theses and Dissertations

As the need for critical media literacy practices in classrooms increases, it is important to investigate students’ experiences with a variety of media texts, specifically when analyzed from a critical media literacy stance. Critical media literacy creates spaces for students to question, challenge, and analyze the role of media texts in promoting or rejecting dominant ideologies and narratives. This qualitative action research study, framed in both critical literacy and critical media literacy practices, studied the experiences of students who engaged with podcasts as a supplementary course text. The study took place over the course of ten weeks with secondary level …

Development And Disparity In Glasgow: The Desirability Of Urban Water Proximity, Brian Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the possibility that a spatial relationship exists between demographic trends considered to be indicative of gentrification, and ongoing regenerative activity taking place along an urban canal and the adjacent neighborhoods in a northern section of Glasgow, Scotland. Rates of demographic change between the 2001 and 2011 Scottish Census results for the study area were contrasted with the same variables citywide, using the census Output Area (OA) as the aggregate unit. Results were combined to produce an index of gentrification. Positive results towards gentrification were identified in many of the OAs for a significant number …

Plastic, Pollution, Art, And The Caribbean, Celine Collazo

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of a growing ocean pollution problem can be seen on the trash-filled shores of Caribbean beaches. Through a contextualization of the work of three artists, Tony Capellán, Radamés ‘Juni’ Figueroa, and Alejandro Durán, this paper discusses the cause and effects of such detritus, and possibilities for change.

Land, Racial Formations, And Power: Exploring The Network Of Power Relationships During Climate Change Planning In Coastal South Carolina, Teresa Norman

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change projections for the coastline of South Carolina predict that by mid-century there will be around 1.2 feet of sea level rise, and potentially up to 4 feet of rise by 2100. Additionally, climate change is linked to intensified hurricanes, a hazard for the South Carolina coastline every year. Both of these scenarios result in increases in the regularity and severity of coastal flooding, making the threat of permanent or temporary displacement (relocation) from coastal lands a reality. This is a particularly pressing matter for African American communities already made vulnerable by the long history of racial discrimination in …

Decision Support System To Select The Most Effective Strategies For Mitigating The Urban Heat Island Effect Using Sustainability And Resilience Performance Measures, Bahareh Bathaei

Theses and Dissertations

As climate change continues to alter the temperature of the cities, various urban heat island mitigation strategies (UHIMSs) are now needed to be employed to mitigate the effects of increasing temperatures. However, to ensure their resilience and sustainability, the effectiveness of such strategies should be evaluated using a set of criteria. According to a review of the literature, there is a need for a comprehensive model and performance assessment tool that considers the various characteristics and features that are significant in assessing whether the chosen strategies are viable candidates for minimizing the effects of urban heat island (UHI). As a …

Postcapitalist Desert Visions From Earth To Anarres, David J. Goff

Theses and Dissertations

Human industrial and economic activity around the world—happening either directly in the global North (recall the coal-choked London of Dickens) or, increasingly, in (un)developing nations of the global South because of the North’s demand— has burned and pumped so much CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that climate has noticeably changed even over the span of a single generation. As long as the world and its people are held in the clutches of the hegemonic capitalist politico-economic system, the environment will continue to degrade, and so will life for all the people of Earth, especially those most vulnerable. …

Art And Environmental Racism In The United States: Through The Works Of Latoya Ruby Frazier, Pope.L, And Mel Chin, Veronika Anna Molnár

Theses and Dissertations

Through the works of LaToya Ruby Frazier, Pope.L, and Mel Chin, this thesis examines the ways in which artists address environmental racism in the United States. Focusing on three locations with majority Black populations and significant toxic hazards, this paper demonstrates artists’ agency to alleviate crises caused by environmental injustice.

Do Heat Vulnerable Neighborhoods In New York City Experience Disproportionate Power Outages?, Gabrielle Alper

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the implications of power outages on environmental justice communities in New York City by comparing heat vulnerability index rankings and power outage complaints during summer months. This study is distinct in the identification of hotspots, discussions of air conditioning equity and implications for climate resiliency planning.

Military Communities And Natural Hazards In The United States, Logan Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The vulnerability and resilience of communities to hazards is a concept that has gained traction in the research community in recent decades. Climate change, combined with increasing damages from natural hazards, has energized researchers and practitioners alike to identify the risks to people and places from future losses. Military communities support large military bases and are composed of service members, their families, and civilian populations alike. Due to the presence of military installations and military populations, the characteristics of the population and influences in military communities are unique. However, there is a gap in current research to assess whether the …

Pro-Environmental Behaviors Among Black Environmentalists: A Critical Race Perspective, Kimberly S. Compton

Theses and Dissertations

Environmentalist narratives have left out the labor of Black environmentalists, mischaracterizing Black communities as disinterested in environmental problems or solutions. The purpose of this critical transformative exploratory qualitative study, guided by critical race theory, was to explore the meaning of pro-environmental behaviors among Black environmental advocates. Ten adult Black environmental advocates and organizers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews which were transcribed and analyzed using directed content analysis and thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated divergences between definitions of the environment and how that impacts what is considered pro-environmental behavior; the breadth of the pro-environmental behaviors in which Black environmentalists are engaged; …

Math Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Justice Pedagogy: Implications For Professional Development On Teaching Mathematics For Climate And Environmental Justice, Angela M. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Two significant crises facing communities of color are climate and environmental injustices (Schlosberg & Collins, 2014) and the achievement gap in standardized test performance as an impact of inequitable educational experiences rooted in a history of social inequities (Agarwal, 2011; Milner, 2020). Previous studies on teaching mathematics for social justice demonstrate positive student outcomes from this practice (Berry, 2008; Gutstein, 2006). Existing literature also points to benefits when focusing on a specific social justice topic during mathematics instruction (Bartell, 2013; Stocker, 2012). However, few studies focus on math leaders’ perceptions of teaching mathematics for climate and environmental justice (TMCEJ).

This …

Grief, Loss, And Climate Change: Validation Of A Solastalgia Scale, Claire Luce

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has been identified as a defining issue of this century (United Nations, n.d.). Climate change impacts human wellbeing including mental health. While much research has focused on the way that the effects of climate change cause increases in common mental disorders, mental health is not just the absence of these disorders (World Health Organization, 2014). Non-pathologized mental health responses to climate change, such as the grief and loss that results from climate change impacts, are a growing consideration for researchers. Solastalgia, or the distress experienced in the absence of the solace once provided by the environment in the …

Flourish: Combating Food Insecurity & Promoting Wellness On A College Campus, Jocelyn Zavala

Theses and Dissertations

MOTIVATION In the past, it has been assumed that students enrolled in college are fairly privileged individuals unlikely to face challenges associated with poverty (Haskett et al., 2020). That assumption has been challenged in the past few decades and a survey released last year by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice indicated that 45% of today’s higher education students face food insecurity (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019). According to VCU’s Dean of Students Office, it is a situation in which a student lacks access to enough nutritious food in order to live a healthy, active life. Food insecurity can …

Sustainable Consumerism In The Eyes Of The Egyptian Generation Z, Salma Khalil

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable Consumerism is a topic that is still being explored and developed across nations and countries. With the rising challenges of sustainable development, corporate sustainability maintains its position as being extremely challenging and difficult to achieve. Moreover, the new generation of consumers and the world’s future leaders – generation Z – have their characteristics and expectations that are expected to change the whole industrial scene to achieve sustainable development. Meanwhile, Egyptian generation Z remains unexplored and ambiguous. This study aims at studying the behavioral aspects of Egyptian generation Z, their consumerism, ecological consciousness, and corporate expectations. It adopts qualitative methods …

Comparing Development Definitions Of Internally Displaced Communities And The Government: A Study Of The Chenchu People In The Nallamala Forest Of Southern India, Malavika Jinka Ramamurthy

Theses and Dissertations

The Indian government’s twin objectives of protecting the tiger population in the Nallamala forest in Andhra Pradesh and providing “development” to the indigenous Chenchu people have resulted in an on-going process of Chenchu displacement from the forest. The research is an anthropological intervention to comparatively analyze the development definitions of the Chenchu people (N=15), subgrouped location-wise as Deep Forest Chenchu, Intermediate Forest Chenchu, and Displaced Chenchu, and the Government and NGO representatives (N=13), including Integrated Tribal Development Agency representatives, NGO workers, and conservation authorities. Both groups defined development as access to basic amenities, education and jobs, health, freedom, livestock, and …

By Your Powers Combined: Heroic Solutions To Climate Catastrophes In The Fifth Season, Avengers: Infinity War, And Horizon: Zero Daw N, Kematat Matthew Medrala

Theses and Dissertations

Popular entertainment has become concerned with addressing issues of climate catastrophe in order to reflect the real concerns of its audience. Because these media narratives are produced by wealthy institutions that reach millions of people, it is vital to understand what these stories say about the causes of existential crises and their presented solutions. This thesis applies an ecocritical approach informed by environmental justice theorists and Marxist theory in order to analyze what a contemporary popular film, videogame, and novel have to say about addressing an oncoming ecological crisis. This analysis reveals that mass death among the disempowered is considered …

Mapping Ecological Futures: Toward A Cartography Of Climate Justice, Timothy C. Lau

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of climate justice importantly reveals the uneven impacts of climate change. However, existing attempts at mapping climate justice are dominated by nation-state-based approaches, which fail to capture the sociospatial complexity of climate injustice. To address that gap, this thesis explores climate justice through the lens of critical cartography.

Global Citizenship In Higher Education: An Exploration Of Students From A Hispanic-Serving Institution In The U.S.A-Mexico Border, Luis Fernando Alcocer Medina

Theses and Dissertations

In this mixed design study, I explored the relationship between participation in short-term study abroad programs and global citizenship. , I and inquired on the meaning making process of Global Citizenship and study abroad in student leaders in a Hispanic-serving Institution located in the US-Mexico border. The theoretical framework is centered in the global citizenship dimensions - social responsibility, global competence and global civic engagement - developed by Morais and Ogden (2011). I collected 1713 (N=1713) responses and classified them in three groups: Study Abroad alumni (n1=98), International experience different than study abroad (n2=1160), and non-international experience (n3=455). Quantitative participants …

The Relationship Between Place Attachment And Socioscientific Reasoning Among High School Students In Puerto Rico After Negotiation With Local And Foreign Socioscientific Issues, Lorraine Judith Ramírez Villarín

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the relationship between place attachment and socioscientific reasoning (SSR) of Puerto Rican high school students through debate and discourse of local and foreign socioscientific issues (SSI). The specific research questions were, (1) what is the extent of the participants’ place attachment to the island of Puerto Rico, (2) are there differences in SSR between groups working with local and foreign SSI, (3) is there a correlation between place attachment and SSR, (4) are there differences in SSR between scenarios after SSI negotiation, and (5) do negotiation and discourse improve after SSI …

Research Investigation Into The Ventura River Watershed: Geoliteracy, Stormwater, And Community Activity, Julia A. Domenech

Theses and Dissertations

Presently, scientific communities are confronting Earth’s foremost environmental issues using best management practices. However, an increase for need in the synthesis of socio-ecological principles using a multi- and trans-disciplinary approach is required for solutions that benefit both nature and humans. To examine whether a community perceives stormwater runoff as both a local resource and threat to coastal water quality, an online survey of the Ventura River watershed community probed local residents’ understanding of watershed knowledge, beliefs, and behavior with regards to their local environment as it pertained to water resources, especially as affected by human activity. Analysis of 144 participants’ …

Inheritance, Sam Kealhofer

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I observe the methods modern American poets employ to achieve literary activism in their work. Poets Amiee Nezhukumatathil, Marcus Wicker, and Tracy K. Smith all examine and critique different aspects of American life and culture. Ultimately, I argue that each poet, in their own way, develops a voice that deftly straddles between the personal and public. By doing so, the poets invigorate their work with an authenticity that is crucial in developing an ethos vivacious enough to create a call to action for readers. I will also discuss how I create a similar balance of the personal …

A Return To Turtle Island: Eco-Cosmopolitics In American Indian Literature, 1880-1920, Kristen Brown

Theses and Dissertations

During opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the Lakota words mni wičoni, “water is life,” came to define the ongoing movement at Standing Rock and serve as a reminder of not only humans’ dependence on interconnected ecological communities, but also of the vitality and sentience in more-than-human beings. Looking to Indigenous author-activists producing texts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries— when colonial ideologies of land exploitation and Indigenous dispossession were codified by federal policy—provides valuable insight into the tensions between these land-ascommodity and land-as-community worldviews. While scholars like literary and cultural theorist Joni Adamson and anthropologist Marisol …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …