Digital Commons Network^™

How Smart Is Ceqa About Climate Change? An Evaluation Of Ceqa's Greenhouse Gas Analysis, Papia Kowshal

Master's Theses

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is an emerging practice, which, if done correctly, could contribute significantly towards meeting California's GHG emission reduction goals set under the Global Warming Solution Act of 2006. Whether CEQA analysis is adequate in assessing climate impacts of GHG emissions has yet to be determined.

In this research, I evaluated the quality of climate change analyses in the draft environmental impact reports (DEIRs) prepared for 14 mixed-use projects in California. Results of this research indicated that CEQA analysis did not adequately include the effects of population density around …

Producing Short And Long Run Projections For The Ecological Footprint, David Gordon Moore

Master's Theses

The Ecological Footprint is a useful tool for public awareness of ecological pressures and for policymakers who aim to reduce them. In order to determine the potential effects of future actions and policies, it is necessary to construct scenarios of future global conditions, both in the short-term and long-term. This study develops two alternative methods for creating Ecological Footprint scenarios: first using asymmetric changes in simple economic output (GDP) to look at short-term projections; then using widely accepted scenarios from international agencies to develop long-term projections.

Changes in GDP were found to be causal in determining changes in the Ecological …

Growing Greens And Soiled Soil: Trends In Heavy Metal Contamination In Vegetable Gardens Of San Francisco, Jennifer Gorospe

Master's Theses

As urban dwellers prioritize eating locally grown foods to reduce environmental impacts, benefit the local economy, and bring fresh produce to the table, urban gardening has emerged as a popular approach to improving food security. Researchers have shown previously that urban landscapes can accumulate environmental toxins at levels that may be unsafe for human health, with socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often shouldering an unequal burden of exposure. In order to identify and predict likely risk to gardeners, in this study, soil samples from 91 vegetable gardens in the city of San Francisco were analyzed for 16 heavy metals. A majority of …

Documenting The Delta: Lessons Learned From Film, Charies Lee Parker

Master's Theses

California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, "the Delta," is one of the state's most important natural resources. Beginning in the mid 1800s and continuing to the present day, anthropogenic activities radically altered, and continue to affect, this ecosystem. Wetland reclamation and water projects transformed the Delta landscape from a tidal wetland into an artificially homogenous freshwater system. As a result, the health of the Delta ecosystem is in jeopardy. Experts agree that current management practices of the Delta are unsustainable; however, experts cannot agree on a viable solution.

An educational documentary film, "California Kings: Sold Down the River," was used as the …

Effectiveness Of A San Francisco Bay Area Community Education Program On Reducing Home Energy Use, Ellen M. Wilkinson

Master's Theses

In order to promote the adoption of home energy reduction practices and mitigate the climate impact of the collective greenhouse gas emissions generated by consumers, it is critical to identify an effective educational approach. A community-based educational intervention model that employs norms, information, commitment, feedback, and face-to-face communication strategies was examined for its ability to motivate changes in everyday energy-use behavior in two communities compared to a control group. A follow up study was also conducted to evaluate whether behaviors adopted as a result of the intervention were long lasting, and whether the community-focused features of the intervention were motivating …

Feral Cat Management: Perceptions And Preferences (A Case Study), Rachel Lm Wilken

Master's Theses

Feral cat management is a highly debated topic. Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) programs have become increasingly popular as an alternative to eradication. Public preference about how to manage feral cats has been explored by previous authors, but no consensus has been reached. Public policy and best management practices depend in part upon public opinion on this topic. Wording of a feral cat management preference in surveys can play a role in respondent opinion. For this thesis, the researcher examined public opinion about feral cat control by surveying 298 Stanford University faculty and staff members using two different communication approaches. …

Reproduction Of Twentieth Century Intradecadal To Multidecadal Surface Temperature Variability In Radiatively Forced Coupled Climate Models, Patrick Thomas Brown

Master's Theses

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 3 simulations that included time varying radiative forcings were ranked according to their ability to consistently reproduce twentieth century intradecadal to multidecadal (IMD) surface temperature variability at the 5° by 5° spatial scale. IMD variability was identified using the running Mann Whitney Z method. Model rankings were given context by comparing the IMD variability in preindustrial control runs to observations and by contrasting the IMD variability among the ensemble members within each model. These experiments confirmed that the inclusion of time-varying external forcings brought simulations into closer agreement with observations. Additionally, they illustrated that the magnitude …

A Descriptive Study Of Old-Growth Sequoia Sempervirens Growth Form And Canopy Structure On A Pygmy Forest Ecotone In Mendocino County, Zuhayl Rochin Lambert

Master's Theses

The tallest tree in the world is the coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, a species endemic to a 16-km-wide coastal belt extending from Big Sur, California, to southern Oregon. Old-growth redwood forests are home to other plant and animal species that depend on structural characteristics that have formed over hundreds of years. While a great deal of research regarding growth form and structure has taken place on highly productive stands, little work has been done on marginal sites, where redwoods are on the edge of their ecological tolerance. In the Northern California County of Mendocino, hydrophobic spodosol are host to …

The Effects Of Restored Aquatic Large Woody Debris Structures On Invertebrate Populations In The Napa River, Clayton Christopher Leal

Master's Theses

Agricultural encroachment and habitat destruction within the riparian zone of many California ecosystems have created a need for restoration of stream hydrology in order to enhance and support native flora and fauna. On the Napa River, adjacent vineyards have caused the channel to become deeply incised, so that the stream now lacks geomorphic variability and biodiversity. In order to restore channel complexity, large woody debris (LWD) structures were installed in the river in the summer of 2010. In this study I evaluated the effects of installing LWD structures within the Napa River on benthic invertebrates in the first year after …

Ethics And Wolf Management: Attitudes Toward And Tolerance Of Wolves In Washington State, Julie Callahan

Master's Theses

Approximately seventy-five years after extirpation from Washington State, gray wolves (Canis lupus) returned. As of December 2012, eight packs had arrived from adjacent states and provinces. Delisted from the Federal Endangered Species List in the eastern one-third of Washington, state wildlife managers now have the authority to manage wolves without federal supervision. As a result, one seven-wolf pack has been destroyed. The current study was developed to provide information for managers and policymakers to modify wolf management policies to fit the new regulatory context. Effects of a range of cultural and demographic factors on attitudes toward wolves and tolerance of …

Rural Water Development In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Study Between Uganda And Tanzania, Paola De Cecco

Master's Theses

Global transnational efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the world population lacking access to improved water supplies are failing to address sustainable development in sub-Saharan rural communities. These efforts have been driven largely by water governance strategies centered on the controversial principle that water is an economic good, and as such, the development of water services shall be left to the supply-demand mechanisms regulating commodities' markets. Uganda and Tanzania have embraced these strategies to varying degrees and have made strikingly different progress in developing their rural water sector. Uganda has maintained a steady rate of improvement in …

A High-Resolution Palynological Analysis Of The St. Stephens Quarry, Alabama: Locating The Eocene-Oligocene Boundary And Characterizing The Environmental Changes Across The Margin, Kevin Jensen

LSU Master's Theses

The Eocene-Oligocene (E-O) transition is a key interval in geological history because it marks a major change in Earth’s climate and because these strata are also popular oil targets in the Gulf Coast. E-O sequences in Alabama are stratigraphically complex. The St. Stephens Quarry (SSQ) in Alabama is one of the few accessible quarries along the Gulf Coast where the E-O boundary is visible in outcrop. Despite the abundance of research projects conducted in the SSQ, many controversies still surround the E-O boundary placement and correlation to the Global Stratotype in the Massignano section in Italy that is based on …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 40, 2011-2012, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

The Impact Of Socioscientific Issues Based Curriculum Involving Environmental Outdoor Education For Fourth Grade Students, Karey Burek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a divide between what students are being taught within the science classroom and what they experience out in the real world. This study sought to explore possible relationships between a socioscientific issues embedded curriculum and outcome variables addressing environmental attitude and knowledge, oral and written argumentation and critical thinking skills. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine both within and between class differences as well as individual differences between the beginning and end of a semester of elementary school. Results indicated that socioscientific issues assist students in developing their critical thinking skills while also providing students …

Building A Sustainable And Desirable Economy-In-Society-In-Nature, Robert Costanza, Gar Alperovitz, Herman E. Daly, Joshua C. Farley, Carol Franco, Tim Jackson, Ida Kubiszewski, Juliet Schor, Peter A. Victor

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This report is a synthesis of ideas about what this new economy-in-society-innature could look like and how we might get there. Most of the ideas presented here are not new. The coauthors of this report have published them in various forms over the last several decades, and many others have expressed similar ideas in venues too numerous to mention. What is new is the timing and the situation. The time has come when we must make a transition. We have no choice. Our present path is clearly unsustainable. As Paul Raskin has said, "Contrary to the conventional wisdom, it is …

Ecocriticism And Christian Literary Scholarship, Timothy J. Burbery

English Faculty Research

This essay presents a case for ecocriticism as a viable critical method for Christian scholars. It begins with an historical overview of the method, then examines common ground shared by ecocriticism and Christianity, including what amounts to a kind of critical realism, and the belief in the inherent goodness of creation. Two potential obstacles are then addressed by way of Lynn White, Jr.'s famous essay, "The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis." These include the relationship of the Bible and the environment, and the charge of anthropocentrism. I believe White is partly right, but contend that neither objection is fatal …

Assessment Of Soil Erosion Vulnerability In Rural Communities In The Vicinity Of Motozintla De Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico : A Physical And Sociological Approach, Selene B. González-Morales

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Soil erosion is a natural geological phenomenon resulting from removal and transportation of soil particles by water, wind, ice and gravity. As soil erosion may be affected from cultural factors as well. The physical and social phenomena of soil erosion are researched in six communities in the upper part of Rio Grijalva Basin in the vicinity of Motozintla de Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico. For this study, the USDA RUSLE model was applied to estimate soil erosion rates in the six communities based on the available data. The RUSLE model is based on soil properties, topography, and land cover and management factors. …

"Near-By Nature": A Logical Framework For Building Integrated Agriculture., William Plyler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building Integrated Agriculture (BIA) aims to reduce the environmental footprint of food production and to improve the human condition. BIA places food producing plants into the everyday working/living environment. This study explored the intersection of the diverse BIA requirements (human, plant, and building) as established by the relevant literature from various disciplines. Kaplan (1992), and Ulrich (1984; 1986; 1992) established the restorative physiological and psychological effects of plants in non-natural settings. Kaplan deemed these settings “Near-by Nature.” In building interiors, “Near-by Nature” is achieved through interiorscaping, a design practice that incorporates plant, building and occupant requirements. This study specifically investigated …

Acceptable Noise Levels For Neonates In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Allysa Jennie Knutson

Independent Studies and Capstones

The study was a sound survey of naturally occurring noise in a metropolitan hospital NICU. The collected sound level samples were then compared to the noise standard recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It was concluded that sound levels in the NICU exceed the standard and the standard does not have a proper foundation.

Experimental And Theoretical Study On Condensation Heat Transfer Of Nonazeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures R1234yf/R32 Inside A Horizontal Smooth Tube, Linlin Wang, Chaobin Dang, Eiji Hihara

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

The condensation heat transfer characteristics of nonazeotropic mixtures R1234yf and R32 (mass fractions of 0.52:0.48 and 0.77:0.23, respectively) inside a horizontal smooth tube (inner diameter 4 mm) were experimentally studied at mass fluxes ranging from 100 to 300 kg/m2 s. A prediction model for the forced convective condensation heat transfer characteristics of nonazeotropic refrigerant mixtures was also constructed based on the measured results, and the details are presented. The heat transfer characteristics, especially the heat transfer deterioration of the nonazeotropic refrigerant mixture, are evaluated by combining the correlations of heat transfer and mass transfer at both the vapor side and …

Numerical Simulation Of Two-Phase Flow Pattern Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide With Pag-Type Lubricating Oil In Gas Cooler, Chaobin Dang, Shintaro Arai, Eiji Hihara

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

It has been reported that lubricating oil has a significant influence on the cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide. In this study, numerical analysis of the flow pattern of a carbon dioxide (CO2)-oil mixture in a gas cooler was conducted to analyze the change in oil film thickness and heat transfer coefficient against bulk temperature. Simulations were conducted using FLUENT software, and the volume-of-fluid (VOF) model was applied to capture the interface of the lubricating oil and CO2. The compatibility of lubricants was found to have a dramatic influence on cooling heat transfer. The flow regime changes due to …

Study On Ejector - Vapor Compression Hybrid Air Conditioning System Using Solar Energy, Chaobin Dang, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Eiji Hihara

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

The ejector cycle has been recognized as a promising cycle for the utilization of solar energy for cooling. However, the conventional ejector cycle suffers from low efficiency owing to a low evaporation temperature. This paper proposes a hybrid ejector-vapor compression heat pump cycle. This hybrid system uses an ejector cycle on the hightemperature side and a conventional vapor compression cycle on the low-temperature side to enhance the cycle performance of a solar-powered air conditioner. A cycle simulation showed that the proposed hybrid ejector cycle could operate during both the heating and cooling seasons and would provide energy savings. In heating …

Study On Annual Performance Of Room Air Conditioners Under Partial Load Condition, Hayato Horie, Eiji Hihara

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Because of the moderate climate of Japan, most of the air conditioners (A/Cs) used are split-type A/Cs and can provide both heating and cooling during the year. Therefore, the coefficient of performance (COP) and the annual performance factor (APF) are used as criteria to evaluate the annual average performance of A/Cs; these criteria are established on the basis of Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The JIS-based performance rating method is easy and useful but does not take into account the intermittently driven mode of the compressor. In practice, A/Cs are mainly operated under partial load conditions, which are often 30%–50% of …

Landscape-Level Controls On Dissolved Carbon Flux From Diverse Catchments Of The Circumboreal, Suzanne E. Tank, Karen E. Frey, Robert G. Striegl, Peter A. Raymond, Robert M. Holmes, James W. Mcclelland, Bruce J. Peterson

Geography

While much of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within rivers is destined for mineralization to CO2, a substantial fraction of riverine bicarbonate (HCO3-) flux represents a CO2 sink, as a result of weathering processes that sequester CO2 as HCO 3-. We explored landscape-level controls on DOC and HCO3- flux in subcatchments of the boreal, with a specific focus on the effect of permafrost on riverine dissolved C flux. To do this, we undertook a multivariate analysis that partitioned the variance attributable to known, key regulators of dissolved C flux (runoff, lithology, and vegetation) prior to examining the effect of permafrost, …

Private Property Owner Regard Of Hazard Fuel Mitigation In The Wildland Urban Interface, Jennifer Ann Martynuik

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The objective of this research was to document and to analyze private property owner reasons and justifications for implementing, or not, the fire prevention effort of hazard fuel mitigation. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 42 property owners in the forest proximate community of Seeley Lake, Montana. Using an interpretive approach and grounded theory methodology, the content analyses of transcribed interviews was completed for the purpose of capturing the variations in WUI property owner behaviors and viewpoints on hazard fuel mitigation. The property owners provided diverse reasons and nuanced justifications for their decisions. Hazard fuel mitigation was often undertaken for …

Future Sustainability For The Uahuntsville Campus An Analysis Of 'Green' Intiatives And Their Benefits, Tiffany Webb

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Log Permeability And Fraction Of Finer Grains In Bimodal Sediment Mixtures, Steven M. Verdibello

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In sediment mixtures of two grain-size components, the mixture porosity (Φ) and permeability (k) both vary non-linearly as a function of the grain size and the volume fraction of each component. A porosity minimum (Φmin) occurs near the mixture fraction at which the volume of the finer grains equals the original pore volume of the coarser grains. An abrupt change in slope has been observed in the non-linear relationship between log(k) and the volume fraction of finer grains (rf). This slope change should occur at the rf where coarser pore pathways change from continuous to discontinuous. In this study, fine …

Degradation Of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons In Groundwater Passing Through The Treatment Wetland At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Analysis Of Results Collected During 2001-'06, Annamarie F. Therrien

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Constructed wetlands are an efficient and cost effective means for chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon remediation, and will therefore continue to gain momentum as an accepted treatment by the US EPA (U.S. EPA, 1995; Amarante, 2000; Lien, 2001; WETPOL, 2009). The treatment options for chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs), including wetlands, capitalize on aerobic/anaerobic interfaces in which bacterially mediated reduction-oxidation reactions degrade pollutants (Li, 1997; Bradley, 1998; Lorah and Voytek, 2004; Amon, 2007; Imfeld, 2008). In August 2000, researchers at Wright State University (WSU) combined efforts with the United States Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to construct a pilot-scale upward-flow treatment wetland …

Regeneration Through Connection, Danielle Hoff

Architecture Theses

Citing the world’s current rate of natural resource use, there will be little left of the world that is natural within a generation. The current cycle of environmental degradation is so extreme that the natural environment can no longer keep up with the built environment’s demand. This thesis explores the way in which designers shape and create the built environment in an attempt to find an alternate solution. The way in which designers address the built environment must change. This thesis explores a solution where the built environment actually regenerates the human condition. If this kind of built environment is …

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Student Socialization, Susan K. Gardner, Jessica S. Jansujwicz, Karen Hutchins, Brittany Cline, Vanessa R. Levesque

Faculty Publications

Interdisciplinary research and education are a growing emphasis in United States institutions of higher education but relatively little is known about the doctoral students engaged in these atypical programs. The purpose of this study was to understand the socialization process of 18 students involved in a large-scale, federally funded, interdisciplinary research project focused on sustainability at one university. Using Weidman, Twale, and Stein’s framework of graduate student socialization, themes emerged related to (a) their distinctive characteristics and cultures, (b) the learning process, (c) balance, (d) uncertainty, and (d) support. Recommendations for policy and practice are included.