Digital Commons Network^™

Exposure To Fine Particulate Matter During Pregnancy And Risk Of Preterm Birth Among Women In New Jersey, Ohio, And Pennsylvania, 2000–2005, Kristen M. Rappazzo, Julie L. Daniels, Lynne C. Messer, Charles Poole, Danelle T. Lobdell

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Particulate matter < 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) has been variably associated with preterm birth (PTB).

Objective: We classified preterm births into four categories (20–27, 28–31, 32–34, and 35–36 weeks completed gestation) and estimated risk differences (RD) for each category in association with a 1-µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure during each week of gestation.

Methods: We assembled a cohort of singleton pregnancies that completed at least 20 weeks of gestation during 2000-2005 using live birth certificate data from three states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey) (n = 1,940,213; 8% PTB). We estimated mean PM2.5 exposures for each week of gestation from monitor-corrected Community Multi-Scale Air Quality modeling data. RDs were …

Health Before Birth: Why It Matters And What Can Be Done

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Population Health Matters Spring 2014, Vol. 27, No. 2. Download Pdf

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Radical Housewife Activism: Subverting The Toxic Public/Private Binary, Emma Foehringer Merchant

Pomona Senior Theses

Since the 1960s, the modern environmental movement, though generally liberal in nature, has historically excluded a variety of serious and influential groups. This thesis concentrates on the movement of working-class housewives who emerged into popular American consciousness in the seventies and eighties with their increasingly radical campaigns against toxic contamination in their respective communities. These women represent a group who exhibited the convergence of cultural influences where domesticity and environmentalism met in the middle of American society, and the increasing focus on public health in the environmental movement framed the fight undertaken by women who identified as “housewives.” These women, …

The Reclamation Of Public Parks: An Analysis Of Environmental Justice In Los Angeles, Allison Rigby

Scripps Senior Theses

People who live in cities are far more likely to suffer the physical and psychological effects of urban environments--high noise levels, automobile emissions, toxic industrial waste, crowded living conditions, and a general scarcity of open space. Combating these issues, public parks do more than provide recreational space. They are fundamental to any efforts focusing on urban revitalization, social justice, and sustainability. In downtown Los Angeles, public parks are rare, especially in low-income communities. Several new public parks have reclaimed abandoned land, unwelcoming spaces, and the City’s brownfields. After years of intense private use and neglect, spent land has been reinvigorated …

Public Involvement: Exploring Ways To Engage Communities For A Better Tomorrow, Peggy Ann Adolph

Theses (Pre-2016)

Public Involvement, there are many concepts of what it means. Some of the core models of public involvement are based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process in a meaningful way. Public involvement is the process by which an organization consults with interested or affected individuals, organizations, and government entities before making a decision. Public involvement, as it relates to the transportation field is a law, political principal or practice recognizing the right to the public involvement process. The terms public involvement, public participation, or public …

Building A Better Office Of Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Change And Educational Outreach At Wku, Andrew Salman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research documented the transformation of the house at 503 Regents Ave. in Bowling Green KY into a model home of sustainability by the WKU Office of Sustainability as a case study. Using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core Concepts, the benefits of weatherization (window upgrades, insulation, sealants) to the building, the addition of a solar energy array and utility grid intertie, and the transformation of the back yard into an edible landscape and community garden to mitigate stormwater flooding issues were assessed. Collaboration between the Office of Sustainability, students, university entities, and community members were encouraged …

What Role Can Ceqa Play In Reaching Ghg Emissions Reductions Goals Set Forth In Ab 32 – An Analysis Of Ceqa, Ab 32, And Recommendations For Ceqa Reform, Eleanor Gilbert

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) intends to reduce the effects of climate change through several mechanisms, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. AB 32 established a statewide GHG emissions goal, which requires California to decrease its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is an environmental assessment law adopted in 1970 that requires lead agencies (private developers, public agencies, etc.) to consider and disclose the potential significant environmental impacts of new development projects the lead agency is planning. CEQA has attracted much controversy since adoption and continues to be the …

Using Enviromnetal Science Education To Empower Urban Youth To Overcome Environmental Injustices And Become Engaged Eco-Citizens, Jack J. Kearns

Master's Projects and Capstones

Science education, especially the discipline of environmental science, carries the unique opportunity to engage and empower urban youth of diverse backgrounds. Environmental science education helps establish a connection between youth and the natural world and helps youth engage in community-based stewardship activities while fostering ecological citizenry. When educators adopt innovative pedagogical approaches, students are better positioned to participate and develop a sustained interest in science. Field-based education transforms science learning and improves youth’s sense of place, self-confidence, and motivation. National and local case-studies of field-based learning programs demonstrate the powerful and transformative impact of using the Environment as a Integrated …

To Build A Home, Gina Zetta

Theses

It is in our nature as humans to want for a home, a point of origin to start from and safe place to return at journey's end. When that place is lost, we risk becoming lost too. This body of work is an exploration of how the spaces we occupy shape us. It's location is focused on the American landscape in an attempt to explore the ideals that have developed within the psyche of the American culture, and what happens to those dreams when expectations do not mirror reality. I am particularly interested in socially and geographically vulnerable locations. Places …

Foreword, Liam Leonard

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

No abstract provided.

The Separation Of Humans And Nature As It Relates To Environmental Degradation, Vinay Srinivasan

2014 Claremont Colleges Library Undergraduate Research Award

In his Reflective Essay the author described being surprised by the direction his research took and recognized that his holistic approach in this research project made it an enjoyable experience. He concludes, “This is how passions are sparked, questions start flowing, and perhaps the next revelation is reached.” The author’s research focused on the Western view of the divide between people and the environment and the human attitude of domination over nature “from the perspective of three integrated but distinct lenses—the religious, the economic, and the civilizational.”

Want All, Waste All: Exploring Food Waste In The United States, Ani Esenyan

2014 Student Theses

This thesis examines food waste within the United States as an environmental and social problem. It is estimated that 40% of food in the United States is thrown out every year, and the disciplines highlighted in this thesis explains why food waste exists. First, the amount of food wasted and the reasons behind the waste is explored. Second, the history of food production and consumption within the United States is analyzed to give further explain the waste epidemic. Third, the agricultural policies which have contributed to food waste are explained in detail. Fourth, the economic and environmental impacts of food …

Globalization Of Contamination: A Case For Environmental Justice In The Transnational Trade Of Electronic Waste, Joanna M. Groccia

2014 Student Theses

This thesis explores the international trade of electronic waste along with the social and environmental threats that this waste poses for those living in conditions of poverty. Although not a new phenomenon, the hazardous waste trade has grown over the years as the amount of technological waste has increased both domestically and worldwide.

Quantitative data along with the application of different disciplines help to assess the environmental, economic, and public health issues associated with the international trade of e-waste. An examination of the history and politics of international trade laws in relation to waste provide context for a discussion of …

Spartan Daily, May 7, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 142, Issue 39

The Wild Lands Of Gotham: City And Nature In Jamaica Bay, New York, 1880-1994, Eric Fauss

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines conflicts over Jamaica Bay, a 25,000-acre estuarine lagoon bordering southern Brooklyn and Queens that at the end of the nineteenth century was one of the largest undeveloped areas in New York City. Determining the relationship between city and nature was the central conflict in the bay’s history. While activists, developers, and officials sought to transform the bay into parks, suburbs, and a port, local residents fought to maintain their homes in what they envisioned as the Venice of New York—an unconventional hybrid space of city and nature.

By examining the interplay of competing conceptions of Jamaica Bay …

The State Of The Upper Bay Of Panama Wetlands: Ecological Significance, Environmental Policy, Urbanization, And Social Justice, Madeline A. Price

Celebration

I conducted this research while studying abroad with SIT Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation. This is a multidisciplinary investigation of the Upper Bay of Panama wetlands, a 49,000 hectare region east of Panama City that features mangrove, intertidal mudflat, and grassland habitat internationally recognized as a stopover site for two million shorebirds every migration season. However, with economic pressure to increase urban development in the area, this land’s protected status under the Ramsar convention was suspended for a year in April 2012. By compiling scientific studies, news articles, photographs, and interviews with local conservationists and community members, …

May 3, 2014 (Pages 2609-2738), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 44 (2014)

No abstract provided.

Environmental Justice In The Us: Fracking And Nuclear Plant Site Location And Their Spatial Relationship To Low-Income Communities, Tianyang Zhou

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

In the United States, communities with a large percentage of minority or low-income household appear to be disproportionally exposed to environmental pollutants. The intersection of race and socioeconomic status may results in this inequality of rights to an adequate living standard and human health. This project intends to explore the extent to which underprivileged communities are disproportionally affected by environmental degradation problems. The environmental problems are represented by fracking sites location and nuclear plants location across the country. The spatial distribution of the most affected counties with various environmental problems will be mapped. Spatial analysis suggests that a large portion …

Appalink, Appalachian Studies Association

Appalink

No abstract provided.

From Biopower To Energopolitics In England's Modern Waste Technology, Joshua Reno, Catherine Alexander

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

Two energy-generating technologies in Britain which transform waste into a resource are compared. One is the (in)famous Combined Heat and Power incinerator in Sheffield, the other a forgotten biological digester in Devon utilizing anaerobic microbes. Both sites are early exemplars of experimental and biopolitical waste disposal technologies—incineration and anaerobic digestion—now regarded as leading alternatives for reducing the United Kingdom’s dependence on landfill and fossil fuel; both sites also inspired public resistance at critical moments in their development. The analysis here relates how activists and technicians struggle to demonstrate competing truths about alternative energy. Through comparison, it becomes clear that, beyond …

Building Social Capital Through Place-Based Lawmaking: Case Studies Of Two Afro-Caribbean Communities In Miami—The West Grove And Little Haiti, Matthew Fowler

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Disaster And Poverty : The Differential Impacts Of Disaster On The Poor In The Gulf Coast Region., Abu Muhammad Sufiyan 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low-income and vulnerable populations that suffer most in natural disasters are females, children, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minorities This dissertation explores the association between natural disaster and poverty conditions among socially disadvantaged subgroups within the social, economic, and political contexts of the disaster affected regions in the Gulf Coast States. It argues that poverty conditions increase the negative impacts of disaster for socially vulnerable populations. This dissertation advocates incorporating the vulnerabilities of the marginalized population in each phase of disaster management planning, from mitigation to recovery. The study uses correlation and regression analyses to find the association between disaster impacts …

Natures And Wars : Neoliberal Discourse And The Contested Future Of East Kentucky., Shelly Annette Biesel 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coal mining has been Appalachian Kentucky’s keystone industry for over a century. However, in 2012 and 2013 coal production plummeted, driving industry employment to historic lows. In the wake of production declines, the coal lobby attests that President Obama is waging a “war on coal.” Drawing primarily from ethnographic data, this research offers a holistic and critical examination of the recent decline in coal production and concomitant narratives that have emerged in the wake of socio-economic uncertainty. I argue that “war on coal” discourses, informed by neoliberal philosophies, seek to conflate the region’s mining heritage with the coal industry’s desire …

El Precio De Los Pesticidas: La Criminalización De La Fumigación Con Plaguicidas En Argentina Y Las Repercusiones Nacionales E Internacionales, Jamie Lynn Vanaria

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dirty Recycling: Auto Salvage And Its Potential Impacts On Marginalized Populations, Ethan B. Dively, Nicholas C. Ferreri, Cole D. Rossiter

Student Publications

The salvage yard represents the final waypoint in the cradle-to-grave cycle of the automobile. Residual amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and acids used in automobiles can be extremely harmful to human health and the environment if not managed correctly. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which minority populations were exposed to the hazards of the auto salvage industry. Census data for population, income, race/ethnicity, sex, and age were organized using ArcGIS software. Population demographics were analyzed in the areas surrounding 98 auto salvage yards found in Philadelphia and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia County, …

Spatial Decision Support Systems For Sustainable Urban Redevelopment, Amy V. Johnson-Ferdinand

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

A recent United Nations study concludes that worldwide population will grow from approximately 7 billion today to 9.3 billion in 2050 and 10.1 billion in 2100. Nowhere is this population growth more evident than in the major cities of the world. For the first time in history, a majority of the world’s people lived in cities. In 1950, by comparison, less than 30% of the world’s population dwelled in cities. This rapid growth of population, coupled with an aging infrastructure, and the abandoning of urban manufacturing sites, creates an urgent need for inner city revitalization. There are several urban areas …

Urban Agriculture: An Environmental And Moral Imperative, Bridgit Hohlfeld

Geography and Planning

As we live in a society completely dependent on oil and its products, the contradictions within this self destructive system begin to unfold. Petroleum, its acquisition, and the products created with it, have been proven to cause unmanageable effects on a worldwide scale. As our natural resources become more finite, contributing to global and local inequities through widespread competition, the need for change is apparent. By introducing local farming initiatives, the creation, distribution, and usage of these products becomes obsolete through the elimination of demand and necessity. Sustainable urban agriculture is therefore presented as a tangible solution to the problem …

Power To The People? An Evaluation Of State-Level Environmental Justice Policies, Angela Michelle Hines

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Communities of color in America lacking economical, educational, and political power have been largely invisible in the process of making major policy decisions. This is lack of access to decision-making venues has been viewed by many as the reason behind marginalized populations bearing the brunt of many societal burdens. The Environmental Justice Movement legitimized the claims of inadequate access to the decision-making process concerning environmental conditions in which African-Americans lived and worked. Through the use of disruptive actions reminiscent of those used throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the plight of communities plagued by the daily presence of hazardous waste gained …

Environmental Crime: A Forensic Research Assessment On Environmental Criminal Acts With Regards To Water Pollution In Greater Houston, Texas, Richard Ishmon

Theses (Pre-2016)

This thesis focuses on issues related to environmental crime utilizing a Forensic Research Assessment approach as it relates to environmental criminal acts with specific attention paid to water pollution, in those communities that have been marginalized in the Greater Houston, Texas area, while incorporating a Theoretical Framework or models as are associated with the Administration of Justice. Moreover, this research is conducted utilizing secondary data, ideologies, and assessments in an effort to support the theories that will be contained herein, the Deterrence Theory and the Conflict Theory. Furthermore, this thesis examines the various policies, research assessment methods and data collection …