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"It Was My Job To Keep My Children Safe": Sandra Steingraber And The Parental Rhetoric Of Precaution, Mollie Katherine Murphy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Advancing the environmental movement requires overcoming a number of rhetorical challenges. Rhetors must negotiate the significant dichotomies of environmental rhetoric including human/nature, public/private, and science/experience. Moreover, they face the challenge of educating and mobilizing uninformed citizens to take action. This analysis focuses on how Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist, writer, and environmental activist, negotiates these challenges. I argue that Steingraber negotiates these challenges by turning to three interrelated rhetorical strategies: the feminine style, autobiography, and synecdoche. I illustrate this through an analysis of two texts Steingraber wrote after becoming a mother: Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood, and Raising Elijah: …

Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis) Production, Agricultural Change, And Livelihood Security In Southeastern Paraguay, Mason Robert Bradbury

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Smallholders in Southeastern Paraguay are threatened by the advance of mechanized farming, environmental degradation, and limited access to credit and inputs. Agroforestry initiatives have been proposed as a way to increase smallholder livelihood security in the face of such vulnerability. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a tree crop native to Paraguay that may be grown in agroforestry systems. While prices paid to farmers for yerba mate have increased in recent years, spurring interest and adoption of yerba mate production among some farmers, to this date, there have been no analyses of the effects that yerba mate production may have on …

Impacts Of Montana Public Wolf Hunting And Trapping On Tolerance And Acceptance Of Gray Wolves Among Rural Resident Ranchers, Trappers, And Big Game Hunters, Alia Winn Mulder

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Public Trust Doctrine placed wildlife in trust, via state control and regulation, for the benefit of the people. Managing agencies that lose sight of the importance of public acceptance of predator policies and management actions may find themselves legislatively or judicially subverted. This study examines how the Montana public wolf hunting and trapping seasons have affected tolerance and acceptance of gray wolves (Canis lupus) among rural resident ranchers, hunters, and trappers. Twenty residents from the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Ninemile Valleys were qualitatively interviewed over the summer and fall of 2013. Potential participants were initially identified using purposive sampling, with …

'This Disc Is Not For A Bird Bath, It's For My Tractor': Exploring Gender, Sustainable Agriculture, And Networks In Western Montana, Eva Kathryn Rocke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Women’s presence in agriculture as farmers, consumers, advocates, and activists has become ever more apparent over the last two decades as census data, popular media, and academic literature increasingly reflect their work. Many of the farmers in western Montana practicing sustainable agriculture are women and have built relationships with other women farmers in the region through existing agriculture-focused organizations like Homegrown and the Western Montana Growers’ Cooperative. Even with the strong presence of these organizations, some women farmers feel there is potential for the formalization of a women farmer network in western Montana that would increase the opportunities for socialization …

Use And Effectiveness Of Wildlife Crossing Structures With Short Sections Of Wildlife Fencing, Elizabeth Rose Fairbank

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Our growing transportation infrastructure in the United States has many direct and indirect impacts to wildlife populations. Humans are also impacted by the interaction of roads and wildlife in terms of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC’s); which annually result in: hundreds of human fatalities, tens of thousands of human injuries, and billions of dollars in property damage. In response to concerns for wildlife and human safety, road mitigation measures are becoming an increasingly important tool for transportation agencies to minimize the risks of WVC’s. The construction of multiple wildlife crossing structures in combination with wildlife fencing have been shown to reduce WVC’s …

When The Sap Flows: Affection And Industry In The Maple Woods, Nicholas R. Littman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis arises from my time waiting for, collecting, and boiling sap from maple trees into syrup. I spent four months in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York working for a modern commercial sugaring operation and sugaring in the old-fashioned manner—with buckets and a wood-fired evaporator.

The narrative follows my journey as a lifelong Westerner traveling east to learn an old tradition with my hands. Instead of observing how the warmth of a changing climate was affecting maple sugaring, I was thrust into a landscape defined by cold, during one of the coldest winters on record in the Northeast. …

Restoration As Caring Practice: A Relational Perspective On Ecological Recovery, Daniel Avery Congdon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ecological restoration is defined by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) as “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed” (9). In practice, restoration typically involves the removal of pollution, human-made structures (like dams or roads), invasive species, and other impediments to ecological health. Removing the sources of ecological impairment is coupled with the reintroduction of flora, fauna, and the physical structures that are necessary for healthy ecosystem function. The potential for restoration to dominate nature is a concern of environmental ethicists. In theory, domination might stem from the technology used in …

Water Governance Challenges In New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley: A Resilience Assessment, Melina Harm Benson, Dagmar Llewellyn, Ryan Morrison, Mark Stone

Publications

No abstract provided.

Unm Libqual+ 2014 Survey, Association Of Research Libraries

Assessment and Statistics

No abstract provided.

Struggles On The Path To Renewable Energy: Lessons From Sunzia, Rachel Giron

Natural Resources Journal

The SunZia Southwest Transmission Project is a high-voltage transmission line under development in southern New Mexico and Arizona. The project was created to allow the expansion of the renewable energy production economy, and is also part of larger efforts at climate change mitigation. It has the support of federal and state governments, and has been fast-tracked by the Obama Administration. However, in spite of its potential to increase the availability of clean energy, conflicts between local environmental groups and government agencies over siting difficulties have impeded its development. Efforts to streamline the permitting process have been largely unsuccessful, as they …

Economic And Environmental Comparison Of Different Ordering Policies For An Integrated Inventory Control And Supplier Selection Problem, Sepideh Almasi Monfared

Masters Theses

"This study analyzes an integrated inventory control and supplier selection problem in stochastic demand environment under carbon emissions regulations. In particular, a continuous review inventory model with multiple suppliers is investigated under carbon taxing and carbon trading regulations. We analyze and compare the optimal supplier selection and order splitting decisions with single sourcing and two alternative delivery structures for multi-sourcing, namely, sequential ordering and sequential delivery. For each of the three ordering policies, a solution method is proposed and these policies are compared in terms of their economic as well as environmental performances. A numerical study is conducted to demonstrate …

Global Assessment Of Radiocarbon Isotopic Analysis For Particulate And Dissolved Organic Carbon In Riverine Systems, Ashley Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Rivers are a significant source of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC, DOC) into inland waters and coastal systems and provide a fundamental linkage between the terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric carbon reservoirs. Recent studies have examined the relationship between the quantity and form (POC vs. DOC) of carbon delivered to the aquatic system; however, little is known about the age of POC and DOC exported and how the radiocarbon age may vary with latitude, topographic gradient, vegetation, and land use. I provide the first global synthesis of published radiocarbon values of POC and DOC (∆14C). Inclusion of DOC and POC …

Preface To The Special Issue Of Green Mining "Mineral Resources, Mining And Environmental Management In Asean", David A.C. Manning

Applied Environmental Research

This issue of Applied Environmental Research includes seven of the papers that were presented at a Regional Workshop on "Mineral Resources, Mining and Environmental Management in ASEAN", held in Bangkok from 6-8th June, 2013. The theme of the meeting concerned the approach to sustainable mining adopted by the different ASEAN nations that were able to attend, namely Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with additional papers from the UK and Germany. An important aspect of the meeting was to compare current practice in individual countries, and this is reflected in the content of the papers published here. Manning's paper on …

Resolving The Conflict Between Mining And Sustainability, David A.C. Manning

Applied Environmental Research

Mining is essential for human health and prosperity, and is increasing as the global populationgrows. The need for minerals appears to conflict with what is commonly understood as 'sustainability',as geological resources are non-renewable on a human timescale. However, the Brundtland definition of sustainability includes the concept of 'needs', implying that there has to be a balanced approach thatconsiders poverty alleviation. It identifies the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.In the UK, mining has a legacy extending back over 6000 years. The approach taken to sustainability will be illustrated by 3 examples from northern England. In the 18thand 19thcenturies, …

Danger And Avoidance Of Damage Related To Tailings Dams And Tailings Ponds, Wilhelm G. Coldewey

Applied Environmental Research

Tailings dams can present high environmental and human health risks. For this reason, emergency planning for all installations of tailings storage facilities is essential. Recom-mendationsfor measurements concerning the safety of tailings dams are given.

Artisanal-Small Scale Mining In Myanmar, Aung Kyin

Applied Environmental Research

In many parts of the world, artisanal or small-scale mining activities are at least as important as large-scale mining activities. The numbers of people employed are actually considerably greater than in large companies. In 2002, an estimated 13 million people a large percentage of those are women and children are artisanal and small scale miners operating mainly in developing countries. Although the numbers of small-scale miners and their dependents are estimated at up to 80-100 million people, governments are frequently reluctant to give legal recognition to artisanal miners [1].This paper discusses approaches to developthe Artisanal - Small Scale Mining (ASM) …

Sustainable Mining In Myanmar, Kyi Htun

Applied Environmental Research

Myanmar is endowed with abundant natural and mineral resources. However, environmentaldegradation and social impacts have increased in recent years due to foreign investment in the mining sector and the application of modern technology in mining and processing methods to increase productivity. The growing trend towards new mining methods, particularly the shift from underground to open-cut method to mine and process low-grade ores contribute to generation of large volumes of waste rock and tailings, presenting a major disposal challenge. Wastes containing sulfides will further degrade the environment. Absence of an efficient legal framework for Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) for …

Removal Of Nitrate By Bimetallic Copper-Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (Cu-Nzvi): Using 2k Full Factorial Design, Nalinee Krasae, Kitirote Wantala, Puek Tantriratna, Nurak Grisdanurak

Applied Environmental Research

Enhanced nitrate reduction of nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) by Cu prepared by impregnation method was studied in this work. Using a full factorial design, the performance of nZVI with and without Cu on surface in acidic and neutral conditions was investigated. Static batch reactor was selected in this study to investigate the effects of the independent variables such as catalysts (nZVI with and without Cu), initial pH of solutions (3, 7), and reaction times (10, 30 min). The results found that nitrate removal over Cu-nZVI was greater than that of nZVI by about 37% and 36% at pH 3 …

Exposure To Btex And Assessment Of The Potential Risk Among Pregnant Residents Living In The Vicinity Of A Petro-Chemical Industrial Estate, Santi Keadthongthawee, Nipa Maharachpong, Sirirat Chanvaivit, Nalinee Sripaung, Nantaporn Phatrabuddha

Applied Environmental Research

This research was conducted to estimate exposure and risk of exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene)by a cross-sectional studying among pregnant women who lived in the vicinity of a petro-chemical industrial estatearea. Personal exposure was monitored by environmental and biological sampling.Other relevant data were gathered by a structured questionnaire for analysis. The relationship between BTEX exposure and potential risk factors was determined by multiple linear regression. Average BTEX exposure levels were 18.89, 29.40, 10.26, and 17.85µg m-3, respectively, which were significantlyhigher than the control group. Urinary metabolite levels of muconic acid(t,t-MA), hippuric acid (HA),mandelic acid (MA), andmethyl-hippuric acid …

Silicate As The Probable Causative Agent For The Periodic Blooms In The Coastal Waters Of South Andaman Sea, Karthik Raji, Arun Kumar Muthuraj, Gadi Padmavati

Applied Environmental Research

Periodic algal blooms of three diatom species such as Coscinodiscus centralis, Rhizosolenia alata andRhizosolenia imbricata were observedduringSeptember 2011, December 2011 and March 2012 in the coastal waters of South Andaman Sea at Junglighat bay area (11° 39 N and 92° 43 E). The blooms were intense, with Coscinodiscus at aconcentration of 89,000 cells mL-1(contributing 85 to 98% to the total phytoplanktonpopulation), Rhizosolenia alataat a concentration of 13,000 cellsmL-1(86-93%) and Rhizosolenia imbricata at aconcentration of 19,000 cells. mL-1(91-99%). Nutrients, most importantly nitrate and silicate have emerged as the key factors controlling phytoplankton growth in this area

Incremental Concentration Of Black Carbon Aerosol From Road Traffic In Inner Bangkok, Panwadee Suwattiga

Applied Environmental Research

Commonly referred to as soot, black carbon (BC) is a primary aerosol emitted from incomplete combustion of organic materials such as fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass. BC aerosolis a dominant anthropogenic solar radiation absorber, absorbing approximately 1 million times more radiation per unit of mass than CO2. Recent research has found that BC is the second largest anthropogenic contributor to global warming. BC aerosol is not only a short-lived climate forcer (SLCF) but also an air pollutant that adversely affects human health. Emission sources of BC aerosol are mainly residential, industrial, transportation related and/or and open burning sources. In a …

Closing The Knowing-Doing Gap In Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility And Interdisciplinarity Of Scientific Research, Virginia Matzek, Justin Covino, Jennifer L. Funk, Martin Saunders

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Like many conservation disciplines, invasion biology may suffer from a knowing-doing gap, where scientific research fails to inform management actions. We surveyed California resource managers to evaluate engagement with scientific research and to identify research priorities. We examined managers' access to information, judgment of the usefulness of existing research, ability to generate scientific information, and priorities for future research. We found that practitioners rely on their own experience, and largely do not read the peer-reviewed literature, which they regard as only moderately useful. Less than half of managers who do research carry out experiments conforming to the norms of hypothesis …

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Modeling Black Bear Population Dynamics In A Human-Dominated Stochastic Environment, David L. Lewis, Stewart W. Breck, Kenneth R. Wilson, Colleen T. Webb

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many large carnivore populations exist in human-influenced stochastic environments where availability of natural food sources vary annually and anthropogenic food sources can supplement energetic demands, but at a potential demographic cost due to human–wildlife conflict and subsequent conflict management. Understanding how these competing factors influence a population is complex and difficult to study, but here we demonstrate the utility of using a stochastic projection matrix model and perturbation analysis to gain insight into this problem. We modeled a black bear population subjected to stochastic failures of fruiting and masting species, but with access to garbage in urban environments.We parameratized our …

The Structures And Practices Of Collaboration Among Environmental Organizations In Waterloo Region, Felix P. Munger

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Studies investigating organizational collaboration report increased goal achievement in the case of collaboration but identify that developing effective collaborations is challenging. An increasing number of researchers and practitioners are applying emerging research tools such as social network analysis to study collaborations and many of those who have applied social network analysis suggest, anecdotally, that it is a useful process tool aimed at increasing understanding of collaboration and informed decision-making among collaborative members.

Aims: The main objectives are to: (1) Empirically study networking and collaboration among environmental organizations in Waterloo Region; (2) Contribute to theory and practice development by examining …

Quantifying Rooftop Solar Power For The City Of Waterloo, Ontario, Shawn W. Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Climate change, pollution, and energy security are driving a worldwide transition away from traditional fossil fuel generated electricity. As the world moves away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, electricity generated from photovoltaic solar panels is one of the most promising and capable technologies available today. Arguably the most suitable location to generate this electricity is at the source of consumption. Placing solar panels on unused rooftop space can subsidize the electricity demand that that building requires. This research quantifies the amount of electricity that can be generated within the City of Waterloo, Ontario. Using Natural Resources Canada data, …

Integrated Spatial Analysis Of Volunteered Geographic Information, Haydn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) is becoming a pervasive form of data within geographic academic research. VGI offers a relatively new form of data, one with both potential as a sensitive way to collect information about the world, and challenges associated with unknown and heterogeneous data quality. The lack of sampling control, variable expertise in data collection and handling, and limited control over data sources are significant research challenges. In this thesis, data quality of VGI is tackled as a general composite measure based on coverage of the dataset, the evenness in the density of data, and the relative evenness in …

Youth's Comprehension Of Environmental Justice Across Multiple Countries, Alexa L. Stovold

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Global climate change is an issue of environmental justice, because neither contributions toward the causes nor its consequences are equally distributed across and within countries (Roberts, 2001). Given the importance of framing climate change as an environmental justice issue, the present study sought to understand how youth conceptualize and engage with environmental justice across multiple countries. Youth are an important target population for engagement, because they often are active agents of social change by challenging the status-quo, and becoming civically engaged (Blythe & Harré, 2012; De Vreede, Warner & Pitter, 2014; United Nations, 2004).

The current research is a secondary …

Microbial Community Characterization And Pathogen Profiling Of Land-Based Aquaculture Systems Using Culture-Based And Molecular-Based Fingerprinting Techniques, Nicole S. Kteily

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The growing worldwide demand for fish production has prompted research towards intensive aquaculture. Innovative system designs, such as recirculating and flow-through aquaculture systems, have been developed to improve the efficiency and sustainability of intensive aquaculture practices. These LBAS systems exhibit a wide range of spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Although such heterogeneity suggests the potential for culture water to support a diverse and spatially complex assortment of microorganisms, there is a lack of information regarding the overall diversity and composition of microbial communities (including pathogens) in the different compartments of these systems. To better understand the diversity and functionality of microbial …

Effects Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Cereals: Insights Into The Toxicity Mechanisms And Macromolecular Modifications, Cyren Mendoza Rico

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the inundation of studies on the interaction of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with plants, investigations involving complete life cycle (i.e from seedling establishment to full maturity) are still lacking. Assessments on the nutritional value of plants cultivated to full maturity in ENMs-treated soil are also missing. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) have significant interactions with plants; however, there are no life cycle studies yet on their implications in cereals like rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). These cereals are globally important crops that support the economic activity, and nutritional and health needs of billions …