Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Field-Based Learning In A New Online Sustainability Course, William Forbes

Bright Ideas Conference

Sustainability is a relatively new field simultaneously addressing economic health, environmental amenities, and social issues. Sustainable Community Assessment and Planning (SUS 350) is a new course in the Sustainable Community Development major, minor, and undergraduate certificate at Stephen F. Austin State University. It is designed to introduce students to: a) varied methods of data collection; b) complex community planning issues; c) synthesis of economic, environmental, and social issues. Distance (online) education is not typically associated with field-based learning. However, field work in sustainability can be encouraged through activities such as: monitoring energy/cost saving; measuring biological status; and citizen social surveys. …

Minutes, Arts & Science Faculty Meeting, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Arts & Sciences Faculty

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

Anthropology Thanks Two Retiring Professors For Their Contributions, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Lawn Dissidents: Performing Whiteness Through Sustainability In Urban Residential Yards, Amy Lebowitz

Geography Honors Projects

“Lawn dissidents” are people who violate norms of turfgrass yards often found in suburbia. This thesis uses ethnographic methods to examine how these subjects’ sustainability-oriented lawn alternatives create meaning by manifesting values and performing identities. I argue that such lawn alternatives operate as positional goods that inscribe exclusion into landscapes. “Green” yardscapes yield social and environmental benefits to “dissidents” while burying the ways capitalism codes lawn alternatives, enacting a regime of whiteness no better for equity and inclusion than suburban lawns. Nonetheless, I turn hopefully to sharing economies as tools to expand sustainability initiatives beyond elite, eco-conscious whiteness.

Deep Groundwater And Potential Subsurface Habitats Beneath An Antarctic Dry Valley, J. A. Mikucki, E. Auken, S. Tulaczyk, R. A. Virginia, C. Schamper, K. I. Sørensen, P. T. Doran, H. Dugan, N. Foley

Faculty Publications

The occurrence of groundwater in Antarctica, particularly in the ice-free regions and along the coastal margins is poorly understood. Here we use an airborne transient electromagnetic (AEM) sensor to produce extensive imagery of resistivity beneath Taylor Valley. Regional-scale zones of low subsurface resistivity were detected that are inconsistent with the high resistivity of glacier ice or dry permafrost in this region. We interpret these results as an indication that liquid, with sufficiently high solute content, exists at temperatures well below freezing and considered within the range suitable for microbial life. These inferred brines are widespread within permafrost and extend below …

Deep Groundwater And Potential Subsurface Habitats Beneath An Antarctic Dry Valley, J. A. Mikucki, E. Auken, S. Tulaczyk, R. A. Virginia, C. Schamper, K. I. Sørensen, P. T. Doran, H. Dugan, N Foley

Dartmouth Scholarship

The occurrence of groundwater in Antarctica, particularly in the ice-free regions and along the coastal margins is poorly understood. Here we use an airborne transient electromagnetic (AEM) sensor to produce extensive imagery of resistivity beneath Taylor Valley. Regional- scale zones of low subsurface resistivity were detected that are inconsistent with the high resistivity of glacier ice or dry permafrost in this region. We interpret these results as an indication that liquid, with sufficiently high solute content, exists at temperatures well below freezing and considered within the range suitable for microbial life. These inferred brines are widespread within permafrost and extend …

The Daily Gamecock, Monday, April 27, 2015, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

April

No abstract provided.

Sustainability Perceptions In The Brewing Industry: Regional/Regional Craft, Microbreweries And Brewpubs, William B. Pierson

Symposium of Student Scholars

The purpose of this study is to identify sustainability perceptions within the US brewing industry. In 2014, we disseminated an online survey to all regional/regional craft breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs as identified by the Brewer's Association, 2012 (http://www.brewersassociation.org/). We employed statistical analysis to determine if there was a significant difference among the three categories of breweries found in urban and urban clusters regarding their self-assessment of sustainability. Findings indicate that regional/regional craft breweries and microbreweries tend to score higher in their self-assessment when compared to brewpubs.

Global Health Students Raise Funds To Fight Malaria, University Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

2015 State Of The River - 30 Years Of Conservation Progress, Vicki J. Watson

Clark Fork Symposium Archives

Evaluating the State of the Clark Fork River and its Basin requires that we periodically:

1. Assess its condition & compare that to our goals for the basin;
2. Determine whether the basin’s condition is getting better or worse;
3. Evaluate our plans & on-the-ground actions for effectiveness; and
4. Consider challenges that face us in meeting our goals.

Condition and Trends

The basin’s condition in 2014 is compared to its condition since 2000 based on biennial assessments made by MT Department of Environmental Quality and summarized in the Clean Water Act Information Center database. From 2000 to 2004, the percent of assessed streams …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol 5 Issue 21, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Ursinus College Celebration Of Student Achievement (Cosa) Schedule Of Events, 2015, Office Of Academic Affairs

Celebration of Student Achievement Schedules

This schedule details the performances, panels, talks and poster presentations held on the tenth annual Ursinus College CoSA day.

The Setonian, April 23, 2015, Seton Hall University

2015

No abstract provided.

Identifying Environmentally Burdened Neighborhoods In Minneapolis Through A Cumulative Approach, Chendan Yan

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Environmental problems are not confined to political boundaries and tend to impact population beyond their sources, yet some communities are more impacted than others. This GIS project calculates a Cumulative Impact (CI) Score of environmental hazards for each neighborhood in Minneapolis based on the following four measures: environmental effects, public health effects, sensitive populations, socioeconomic factors. The higher the CI score, the more environmentally burdened a neighborhood is. The scope of this GIS project is limited and it is the hope of many environmental organizations in Minnesota that Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will take the lead and develop a more …

Liberal Arts Colleges And Art Fairs: The Proximity Of Summer Arts Festivals To Liberal Arts Colleges, Hannah R. Haas

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Purpose: Client Professor James Poff paints and draws on the side of his teaching post in the Biology Department. After finishing his tenure teaching, he would like to spend the summer traveling to art festivals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. He believes that his art will be most widely accepted at art fairs that are within a 25 mile radius of a liberal arts college. He is interested in knowing what summer art festivals those are. Methods: From the websites of the Department of Tourism for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois I obtained the dates, names and addresses of …

Nevada's Areas Of Recreation, Meghan M. Carter

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

These maps will offer alternative options for the tourist that desires to spend their vacation exploring Nevada’s beautiful wild landscapes. Nevada has many areas of land under conservation, State Parks, National Parks and Wildlife Ranges. I will be mapping out the primary roads through to these areas, as well as list out the Parks with campsites, ranging from the experienced camper with only a tent, to the family on vacation with a dog or R.V. This map should be a source of information for a camper looking to explore Nevada beyond the city limits.

College Of Saint Benedict Marie And Robert Jackson Fellow (2014)-Center For Earth Energy And Democracy, Chendan Yan

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Center for Earth Energy and Democracy was founded by a group of researchers, educators and community activists who saw the need to affirm and revitalize principles of democracy and social justice. CEED’s mission is to work at the intersection of energy, environment and community development to develop solutions that are democratic, sustainable and socially just. As a mapping tool student researcher at CEED, 2014 Jackson Fellow Chendan Yan, an Environmental Studies and Philosophy double major from Shanghai, China, contacted agencies, collected, and analyzed data for Environmental Justice (EJ) Mapping tool. She developed Infographics demonstrating disparities among neighborhoods and created visual …

Minutes, Arts & Sciences Faculty Meeting, Thursday, April 23, 2015, Arts & Sciences Faculty

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Nature Of A Spacious Life (Flyer), Rebecca Kneale Gould

The Idea of Nature Public Lecture Series

No abstract provided.

Local Response To Climate Change: A Case Study Approach, Nora Gimpel

Honors Theses

The scientific consensus on the causes and consequences of climate change is clear and experts continue to strongly recommend immediate mitigation and adaptation responses (IPCC, 2014). Responses to climate change are occurring at the international, national, and subnational level, but adaptation to climate change is also highly local. Local communities across the world are organizing groups and institutions to determine their best responses for local mitigation and adaptation actions. This study analyzed the formal local community organization, the Kalamazoo Climate Change Coalition (KCCC), and its structured activities in order to evaluate how Kalamazoo has responded to climate change. Methodology for …

Kenyon Collegian - April 23, 2015

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Coyotes Go “Bridge And Tunnel”: A Narrow Opportunity To Study The Socio-Ecological Impacts Of Coyote Range Expansion On Long Island, Ny Pre- And Post-Arrival, Mark Weckel, Daniel A. Bogan, Russel L. Burke, Christopher Nagy, William F. Siemer, Timothy Green, Numi Mitchell

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Currently, Long Island, NY is without a breeding population of northeastern coyote (Canis latras var.), yet recent evidence of dispersing individuals on the island, coupled with the “dogged” momentum of coyote range expansion across North America, suggests a Long Island coyote population is close at hand. We highlighted the fleeting opportunity to takes advantage of this natural experiment by developing a multidisciplinary research framework to investigate the ecological and social impacts of the coyote, pre- and post- range expansion. We reviewed coyote spatial ecology, community ecology, and human dimensions research and identified three components of future investigation: predicting future …

Creating The Chesapeake Bay Marine Protected Area, Emma Thomson

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Chesapeake Bay provides economic benefits to its surrounding states in the form of tourism, fishing, recreation, and ecosystem services. However it is not sufficiently protected by these states and is suffering the consequences. This precious habitat needs more protection to ensure the long-term survival of the wildlife and services it provides. Creating a Marine Protected Area (MPA) at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and extending out in to the Atlantic Ocean will protect multiple habitats and fish populations, which will in turn improve the health of the Bay (Narula 2014). This MPA will restrict harmful fishing, drilling, dumping, …

Proposal For A Virginia Seed Bank, Casey Schmidt

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Climate change is causing the ranges of native species to shift northward at a pace that outstrips the ability of many plant species to migrate and adapt (Walther et al. 2002; Renwick & Rocca 2014). Although assisted migration, the process of relocating individuals or spread of seeds through human intervention, has been used successfully in some cases to preserve species, it comes saddled with potential ecological damage and legal complications arise when these ranges cross state lines. These complications threaten Virginia’s biodiversity, especially among rare plants and those plants from habitat affected most by climate change. In order to preserve …

Changes To Shoreline Hardening Process In The Face Of Climate Change, George Appling

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

As a result of global climate change, sea level has risen and will continue to rise throughout the 21st century. Sea level rise has been higher in Virginia than any other state over the past 100 years (US Climate Change Science Program 2009). Varied projections show that sea level could rise 1.2 to 5.5 feet above 1992 levels by 2100 (Boon et al. 2010; Ezer and Corlette 2012; Sallengar et al. 2012). Sea level rise threatens to drown intertidal wetlands (Craft et al. 2009; FitzGerald et al. 2010; Kirwan and Guntenspergen 2010; Menon et al. 2010). Wetlands are key biodiversity …

Life Cycle Cost Assessment: A Win-Win For Virginia Wetlands, Austen Kelso

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia shorelines are facing some of the highest rates of sea level rise seen over the last 5 millennia and are among the most vulnerable coastlines in the country to the effects of sea level rise such as flooding and storm surge (Down et al. 1994). In the face of these rising sea levels, coastal wetland habitats will be forced to migrate inland to avoid inundation (Akumu et al. 2011). However, increased development on the Virginia coast threatens these critical wetland habitats by blocking their inland movement as the try to avoid rapidly rising sea levels. Without a clear migratory …

Recommendations For Conservation Easement Reform, Amy Murphy

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia has a well-established easement program which offers landowners a state income tax credit in return for donating land rights such as development and subdivision rights. Currently, there are inefficiencies with easements which could be lessened with reform (Owley 2011, Rissman 2011). This paper proposes that Virginia establish statewide conservation priorities and switches from a flat rate credit for easement donations to a tiered system which provides greater incentives for easements on land with high conservation value (McLaughlin and Pidot 2013). Additionally, this paper proposes that Virginia require adaptive language in easement terms and standardizes monitoring procedures.

Poster session prepared …

Branching Out: How Virginia Can Strategically Use Trees To Combat Biodiversity Loss, Taylor Pfeiffer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Biodiversity loss is a particularly concerning effect of climate change because as greenhouse gas emissions increase global temperatures, decreases in the abundance and diversity of species has reduced ecosystem resiliency to these changes (Verchot et al. 2007). Weakened ecosystems and threatened species decrease the environment’s capacity to provide humans with services like safe drinking water, fuel, and protection from natural disasters, just to name a few (US EPA 2013). The agricultural industry plays a unique role in this environmental conversation, as farmland both contributes to climate change and is jeopardized by the negative effects created by the issue in a …

The Current Volume 25 : Issue 29, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Forest Views: Shifting Attitudes Toward The Environment In Northeast Oregon, Angela E. Boag, Joel N. Hartter, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Forrest R. Stevens, Mark J. Ducey, Michael W. Palace, Nils D. Christoffersen, Paul T. Oester

Carsey Publications

This brief reports on a telephone survey conducted in fall 2014 as part of the ongoing Communities and Forests in Oregon (CAFOR) project. CAFOR focuses on seven counties in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon (Baker, Crook, Grant, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler), where the landscape and local livelihoods are changing in interconnected ways. In an effort to inform policy development around natural resource management, the study seeks to understand how public perceptions of climate change and forest management intersect. Authors Angela Boag, Joel Hartter, Lawrence Hamilton, Forrest Stevens, Mark Ducey, Michael Palace, Nils Christoffersen, and Paul Oester report that …