Digital Commons Network^™

Water Scarcity And Our Global Footprint, Jarad Kinyoun

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The study was conducted in Lincoln, Nebraska to test when individuals are educated on water scarcity issues and water saving techniques; they will make choices that lower consumption at the individual level.

The twenty households participated in this study on a volunteer basis. Each household was educated on current water issues, water saving techniques, and on their current ecological water footprint. These households were monitored over a four month period for actual reduction in water consumption and economic savings.

The water consumption patterns of the participants after being educated on water scarcity and water saving techniques correlated directly resulting in …

Pharmacists' Role In Safe And Legal Medication Disposal, Allyson Lamb

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Demographic Indicators Of Reported Value Of Nebraska's Natural Resources, Chelsea Forehead

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This research was conducted in various towns of eastern and central Nebraska using a survey which asked respondents about how valuable the resources and ecological benefits are that were to be involved in the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Surveys were administered in public locations using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. A total of 38 respondents from the eastern region and 40 from the central region were surveyed. The research seeks to investigate if there is correlation between certain demographic categories and high value placed on the environmental facets in question. Do males or females place higher …

Warming Nighttime Temperatures And Crop Health In The Corn Belt, Justin Hladik

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Over the last century nighttime minimum temperatures have been increasing at a faster rate than daily maximum temperatures. This warming trend has caught the attention of climatologists and agricultural scientists as they attempt to address the potential effects of elevated nighttime minimum temperatures on the health of these crops, which are so important to the U.S. economy. In this study, ten sites represent the Corn Belt of the United States. Those sites are spread across an area in which the average minimum nighttime temperatures for each of the three primary growing months of the year (June, July, August) increased from …

Resource Distribution And The French Revolution, Louan Pagan

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Throughout the centuries following the French Revolution (1789 -1799), social scientists and historians have attributed a myriad of causes to the sociopolitical upheaval. Food and beverages played a key role in the coming of French Revolution, for the people were in effect fighting for the right to have nutrition rather than for social or political ideals. Literary analysis of both primary and secondary sources illustrated the integral role of the peasant’s stomach to the uprising. The Enlightenment disillusionment of the royals, rising bread prices, discrepancy in food distribution both within and around Paris, and substandard quality of food, wine, and …

Road Salt Runoff: Impervious Surface Area And Salt Concentrations In Urban Water Bodies, Jordan Pharris

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Developing Environmental Sustainability Criteria For University Research Laboratories: A Tool For Rating And Implementing Green Methodology In Labs, Maxine White

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study examines sustainable behavior and methodology in university research labs. Environmental problems like global warming are becoming common knowledge to many people throughout the world, and it is necessary for humans to live in more sustainable ways that leave a healthy planet for future generations. Universities are an important part of the global community, and it is pertinent that they become more involved in sustainable efforts. University research laboratories produce large amounts of regular and hazardous waste, use massive amounts of energy, and are currently not operating in sustainable ways. The purpose of this study is to determine the …

A Comparison Of Moist-Soil Seed Sampling Techniques In The Nebraska Rainwater Basin, Lisa Zilli

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Wetland managers sometimes estimate seed production of wetlands managed for migrating waterfowl habitat. Using estimation techniques, managers can determine if wetland plants produce enough seed to support the nutritional needs of migrating waterfowl. Usually, a one-time sampling method is used; this technique samples seeds once a year during peak seed production. However, this technique may underestimate seed production due to plants producing large quantities of seed before or after peak seed production or producing seed throughout the growing season. Season long sampling may be more representative of a wetland’s seed production. We comparing one-time sampling with season- long sampling by …

Using Bald Eagles To Monitor Hydroelectric Projects Liscense Requirements Along The Au Sable, Manistee And Muskegon River, Michigan, Peter Datema

All Theses

Consumers Energy operated hydroelectric projects located along the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon Rivers underwent environmental studies in the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing. One of the questions posed during these studies was, would passage of Great Lakes' fishes over barrier dams along these rivers cause detrimental impacts to sensitive wildlife species. Relicensing also required that the operation of all hydroelectric projects on the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon rivers be maintained as run-of-river. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were chosen as a biomonitor. This risk assessment included calculating new hazard quotients …

Biophilic Design At Pomona College: An Analysis Of The New Sontag And Pomona Residence Halls, John W. Hasse

Pomona Senior Theses

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (or LEED-NC) has become one of the most commonly used green building standards during the turn of the 21^st century. While many champion LEED-NC, certain architects and academics believe that its low-environmental impact design approach toward green building isolates people from nature and thus cannot achieve sustainable development over the long-term. Pomona College’s green buildings, including its newest LEED Platinum certified Sontag and Pomona Residence Halls, exemplify this fact, as their designs fail to communicate their sustainable goals or inspire sustainable behavior. By examining the LEED-NC standards, the history …

Environmental Critiques Of Nuclear Energy, William Hummel

Pomona Senior Theses

This essay identifies and evaluates the most common environmental critiques made against nuclear energy development. Environmentalists articulate four major concerns: the destructive effects and health risks of uranium mining; the dangers posed by radiation releases and meltdowns; the difficult of nuclear waste disposal; and national security concerns, including nuclear weapons proliferation and the possibility of attack or sabotage. By characterizing and describing these concerns, we are better able to decide which problems are most compelling, and suggest possible policy-driven solutions.

A 14,000-Year Record Of Wildfire And Alluvial Fan Deposition Reveals Relationships Among Fire, Climate, Vegetation, And Sediment Yields In The Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho, Kerry Elizabeth Riley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Changes in climate influence vegetation distributions and the frequency and severity of fire and post-fire erosion. While the frequency of large fires has increased on all vegetated continents over the last decade, it remains unclear whether recent large fires are extraordinary over millennial timescales. In the Middle Fork Salmon River of central Idaho, over 40% of the watershed has burned in the last 30 years and the subsequent increase in erosion from severely burned hillslopes has produced many large fire-related debris flows. Fires have burned throughout the steep topographic gradient of the watershed that encompasses high elevation sub-alpine and mixed …

Exploring The Seed Bank Dynamics Of Red Brome: Longevity, Density, And Relationship To Fire, Benjamin S. Jurand

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explores several untested aspects of the seed bank characteristics of red brome (Bromus rubens), an invasive annual grass in southwestern United States arid lands. Red brome is a formidable competitor to native plant species, both annual and perennial alike, and produces many seeds that germinate easily. The stalks of red brome contribute continuous-cover fuel loads that facilitate wildfires destructive to mature native Mojave Desert plant communities. This makes it a priority species for land managers, particularly when dealing with recovery after fire.

This project addressed questions related to the longevity of red brome seeds in soil seed banks …

East Of The Tracks: Grassroots Environmentalism In South Mississippi, Heather Kay Sanchez

Master's Theses

Environmental justice literature challenges the disparity and oppression regarding the quality of life associated with residential environments among communities of color. Recent disasters, such as hurricane Katrina, the Tennessee coal sludge disaster (December 2008), and the BP Oil Spill (2010) have garnered visibility for environmental issues, particularly in the south. Nevertheless, the topic has largely been ignored in Mississippi among academia, many advocacy groups, and at the state level despite the emergence of several community based grassroots environmental groups throughout Mississippi in recent years. From Columbia, to Crystal Springs, to Hattiesburg, a coalition of environmental groups is forming with Hattiesburg …

Inquiry Into Place-Based Education In Art, Marie L. Drexler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A place-based pedagogy is a call for educators to utilize local environs in content curricula to build upon and enrich instruction for students. This study examines the potential for K-12 schools in West Virginia to reasonably adhere to place-based art education methods in visual arts curricula. Data collection consisted of interviews conducted with three West Virginia public school art educators and three community specialists who work in the fields of art, ecology, and art education. Using qualitative analysis, the open-ended responses from both the teachers and the community specialists were analyzed. The conclusion section reviews limitations to placebased education expressed …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2012 - 2013, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Professional Development School Support Of The Elementary Globe Curriculum A Facilitated Adaptation Of Inquiry Science, Vance D. High

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative study focused on identifying barriers and remedies to those barriers found when teaching elementary school science. The Elementary GLOBE Program (2006) was the curriculum selected when doing the 18 month study. The researcher asked what made Elementary GLOBE (EG) easy and/or difficult to use. The researcher also wished to ascertain what impact did the adoption of EG have on the delivery of science instruction in the K-4 grade classrooms participating in this study. Two professional developments schools (PDS), located in a Mid Atlantic state were the sites for the study. Both schools are in an urban setting and …

Where's The Justice? A Review Of The Local Food Movement Through A Reflexive Lens, Colyn Kilmer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the local food movement has gained momentum over the past several years, so too has it garnered critiques from academic scholars. This literature review identified academic critiques of the local food movement. These critiques were organized into four general categories. A fifth category, reflexivity, was identified, which functioned as both a critique and a way to address the other four categories of critique. This review paired the four categories of academic critique with ways in which several academic scholars suggested reflexivity could be used to resolve these critiques. This review was designed to give scholars, practitioners, and consumers associated …

The Effect Of A Zoo-Based Experiential Academic Science Program On High School Students' Math And Science Achievement And Perceptions Of School Climate, Elizabeth A. Mulkerrin

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an 11th-grade and 12th-grade zoo-based academic high school experiential science program compared to a same school-district school-based academic high school experiential science program on students' pretest and posttest science, math, and reading achievement, and student perceptions of program relevance, rigor, and relationships. Science coursework delivery site served as the study's independent variable for the two naturally formed groups representing students ( n = 18) who completed a zoo-based experiential academic high school science program and students (n = 18) who completed a school-based experiential academic high school science …

Investigating Three Decades Of Vegetation Change In A Mojave Desert Mountain Range, Chris Lee Roberts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is a vegetation change study spanning 29 years in the Newberry Mountains of Southern Nevada. Long term monitoring data are crucial for understanding the effects of climate change on vegetation dynamics. Successful management intervention in vegetation change will require identification of early indicator plant species and their responses to climatic cues. This project is one of the oldest comparisons of resurveyed Mojave vegetation community plots with repeatable methodology and the longest survey interval reported for the southeastern Mojave Desert. 103 plots were relocated and resurveyed based on data methods in Jim Holland's thesis titled "A Vegetative Analysis of …

Measuring Spillover Effects Of Residential Amenity Improvements Using Spatial Hedonic Approach, Shruti Bishan Tandon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a methodology for the estimation of the appropriate welfare benefits in the presence of spillover externalities. The ability to capture influences of the not so easily observed variables allow spatial lag models to measure the direct and indirect spillover effects. The direct effect measures the value of the property in question and the indirect captures the influences of neighboring properties, through a spatial multiplier effect.

Kim et al. (2003) through a path breaking approach estimated welfare benefits of air quality improvement. Their methodology captured spillover effects of amenity changes that lump both …

How Local Schools Can Promote Civics Education, Suzanne Schmitz

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

No abstract provided.

Civic Engagement And Internet Use In Cache Valley, Dave Wind

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Internet technology has provided tools for communication only dreamed of decades ago. This technology, coupled with civic engagement, has the power to influence local legislation in powerful ways. In this project, I conducted interviews and focus groups to find out how citizens of Cache County, Utah, are using the Internet to engage in civic affairs affecting local legislation. Interviewees were also asked what aspects of a community website would likely enhance their civic activity. It was found that people primarily use the Internet to access information and send email. Suggestions for enhancing engagement included more creative, and interactive ways of …

The New American Conservation Movement: New Strategies, Focus And Organizations For The 21st Century, Amy Deanna Northrup

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation provides evidence of the emergence of a new conservation movement in the United States. The strategic, tactical and organizational approaches of traditional conservation efforts, which began in the early 1900s, have shifted during the last two decades. Specifically, the new conservation movement is characterized by three distinct changes. First, many of the well-established conservation organizations, such as the Sierra Club and National Audubon Society, have largely abandoned their traditional focus on increasing the number of acres preserved; instead more defensive and fragmented forms of conservation now reign. The second change to the conservation movement involves a dramatic expansion …

Determining An Optimum Cropping Pattern For Egypt, Loujaina M. El Sayed

Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture is considered to be the major economic activity in Egypt despite the government policies that favored other sectors since the second half of the 20^th century. However, Egypt currently faces a food security challenge that stems from the increasing demand for food in light of huge population growth and the inability of the agricultural sector to fulfill the abovementioned increasing demand.

This research focuses on the vertical expansion of the agricultural sector through attempting to determine the optimum cropping mix for Egypt in the year 2017. A fuzzy goal programming (FGP) approach for optimal land allocation is utilized. …

Understanding Urban Sustainability And Quality Of Life: A System Dynamics Approach, Abby Elizabeth Beck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For an urban area to be sustainable, its resources cannot be depleted faster than they can replenish. If an urban area is to provide a high quality of life (QOL), it must offer and maintain an amenity package that satisfies its resident's preferences. Past studies on these topics all have a common thread: sustainability and QOL both pertain to people's relationship to capital. Capital is something that can accumulate and add value to a person or society. If sustainability and QOL are a function of people's relationship with capital, how they use it, deplete it, replenish it and transform it …

Small-Wind And Residential Photovoltaic In Nebraska: Barriers To Development, Jerrod Bley

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Achieving Sustainability In The Craft Brewing Industry, Mike Boden

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Continued growth in the craft brewing industry, coupled with natural resource limitations suggests the need for implementation of sustainable initiatives on a wide scale. These initiatives discussed include the areas of economic sustainability through cooperative growth and equilibrium, social sustainability through employee and community development, and environmental sustainability through energy and water conservation and renewable energy use. Specific techniques to achieve sustainability in the craft brewing industry are reviewed alongside case studies of craft breweries currently implementing these techniques. A sustainable metric is outlined for use in accomplishing these goals.

Predicting Lemna Minor Growth Rate Response To Temperature Fluctuations, Elizabeth Novich

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The effects of global climate change on populations may be further understood when environmental variability is included. There are strong theoretical reasons that support the idea that environmental fluctuations matter when studying ecological systems. In order to further explore this, we parameterized a model of the growth rate of Lemna minor at constant temperatures and made predictions on how L. minor would respond to fluctuating temperatures based on this model. There were four trials performed that compared the difference between growth rates at constant and fluctuating temperatures in order to test if our predictions were correct. For our results, only …

Microcystin Toxin In Nebraska Lakes With Correlation Of Population And Agriculture Use, Kaitlyn Haras

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.