Digital Commons Network^™

Grassroots Vs. Big Oil: Measure P And The Fight To Ban Fracking In Santa Barbara County, California, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In 2014, volunteers in Santa Barbara County, California, collected over 20,000 signatures in three weeks to qualify an anti-fracking initiative for the November election. The initiative, Measure P, met over six million dollars in opposition from oil corporations. Despite mobilizing 1,000 volunteers, the proponents of the measure failed to garner enough votes for success. Drawing on 43 in-depth interviews and participant observation with environmental groups before, during, and after the campaign, this article examines the strengths and weaknesses of grassroots organizing behind Measure P. Organizers, especially during the signature drive, successfully garnered broad-based support in the southern part of the …

Megaloads And Mobilization: The Rural People Of Idaho Stand Against Big Oil, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

From 2011 to 2014 fossil fuel corporations trucked tar sands processing machinery along rural Idaho highways. The machinery was bound for the world's largest deposits of tar or oil sands, a heavy crude oil substance called bitumen, located in the western Canadian province of Alberta. These loads of machinery, what became known as megaloads, encountered much resistance. Throughout Idaho and the surrounding region, a network organized opposition. Neighbors, grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and the Nez Perce and other tribes all collaborated. They held information sessions, protested, waged legal battles, monitored the loads, and blockaded highways. What oil companies hoped would be …

2017 Nebraska Water Leaders Academy - Final Report, Mark E. Burbach, H. Reiners-Hild

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Twenty participants completed the 2017 Water Leaders Academy bringing the total number of graduates to 101 since the inception of the program in 2011. Assessment of participants’ transformational leadership skills, champion of innovation skills, water knowledge and engagement, civic capacity, and entrepreneurial leadership behaviors showed a significant increase over the course of the year, from both participants’ and their raters’ perspectives. Feedback from participants was highly positive and constructive. Participant concerns were addressed, and only minor changes are planned for the 2018 Academy curriculum. Results of the program assessment indicate that the curriculum is meeting Academy objectives. Most importantly, Alumni …

Prediction Of Rainfall In The Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, Pasvolo Mwinuka, Christian Uiso

Tanzania Journal of Science

Previous studies on the variability of March to May (MAM) and October to December (OND) rainfall in East Africa have mainly covered the whole region without considering the local climate zones such as the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Results from the regional studies have shown that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) have strong association with OND rainfall and weak one with MAM rainfall in East Africa. The present study was aimed at determining the potential predictors for the MAM and OND rainfall by considering IOD, El Ni o Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBOu30 and …

Handling Of Syringe Sharps In A Non-Incineration Health Care Waste Disposal, Tito Mwinuka

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

An attempt has been made by the R&D team of the University of Dar es Salaam to design and manufacture two needle cutter prototypes, a manually operated and an automatic needle cutter to be used in rural and urban areas, respectively. This is part of the UNDP and WHO efforts aimed at promoting the non-burn medical waste disposal technologies in developing countries such as Argentina, India, Latvia, Lebanon, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania and Vietnam. The project also involves designing and manufacturing of the autoclaves for sterilizing of needle cutters and other infectious medical waste. The use of needle cutters in hospitals …

Nuclear Analytical Techniques In Tanzania: A Review, Yusufu Koleleni

Tanzania Journal of Science

It has been a tradition to perceive that Nuclear/Atomic radiations are only related to Nuclear/Atomic bombs, heavy ammunitions and consequently applications for human and non-peaceful destructions. In this paper the questions on how the Nuclear/Atomic radiations may be used for peaceful applications and specifically to Tanzanian situations are presented. Methods like Energy Dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (EDXRF), Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), Electron probe Micro-Mass Analysis (EPMA), Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) for investigations of different types of samples in geology; environmental, medical, biological and chemical are discussed.

Capital Planning, Selection, And Investment (Integrating Sustainability In Decision-Making), Marinilka B. Kimbro, Eric W. Wehrly

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

Inspired by Pope Francis’s call for a new journey that instills the importance of conservation and care for the environment, we propose a practical model that mathematically incorporates sustainability issues into capital planning, selection, and investment. Evidence suggests that managers apply net present value (NPV) methodologies in a way that disadvantages environmentally sustainable investments. If an NPV model does not consider the costs and risks of non-sustainable projects, then the potential benefits of alternative sustainable investments will appear much less valuable than present costs. Sustainable investments also often require larger initial investments with long-term benefits and distant cash flow time …

Bioregionalism As A Key To Secure Central Asial, M. R. Edelstein

International Relations: Politics, Economics, Law

The article is devoted to studiying framework for addressing the negative legacy and environmental challenges faced by the region that open doors to a sustainable future, with an emphasis on the Aral Region and water, food security and contamination and a focus on bioregionalism, strong sustainability and creating positive interdependencies. The article discusses the concept of Bioregionalism into the discourse offers an alternative frame for approaching this ecologically frail region.

"The Devil Is In The Details:" Inland Northwest Stakeholders’ Views On Three Forest-Based Bioenergy Scenarios, Soren Newman, Darin Saul, Robert Keefe, Ryan Jacobson, Tamara Laninga, Jillian Moroney

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2017

Public and private initiatives are actively exploring a range of forest-based bioenergy development options in the Inland Northwest of the United States. These efforts are motivated in part by the potential to generate renewable energy while creating a market for forest residues that would facilitate hazardous fuels reduction and provide economic opportunities. Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives is critical to the feasibility and long-term viability of bioenergy projects. This study presents stakeholder perspectives on forest-based bioenergy development strategies for communities in the forested areas of Idaho, western Montana, eastern Washington, and eastern Oregon. We developed three scenarios based on bioenergy initiatives currently …

Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (Nefi): Facing The Challenges And Pathways Of Global Change In The Twenty-First Century, Pavel Ya. Groisman, Herman Shugart, David Kicklighter, Geoffrey Henebry, Nadezhda Tchebakova, Shamil Maksyutov, Erwan Monier, Garik Gutman, Sergey Gulev, Jiaguo Qi, Alexander Prishchepov, Elena Kukavskaya, Boris Porfiriev, Alexander I. Shiklomanov, Tatiana Loboda, Nikolay Shiklomanov, Son Nghiem, Kathleen Bergen, Jana Albrechtova, Jiquan Chen, Maria Shahgedanova, Anatoly Shvidenko, Nina Speranskaya, Amber Soja

Faculty Publications

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments …

The Political Economy Of Resource Conflicts And Forced Migration: Why Afghanistan, Colombia And Sudan Are The World's Longest Forced Migration, Tarique Niazi Phd, Jeremy Hein Phd

Societies Without Borders

Afghanistan, Colombia, and Sudan are the world’s three longest producers of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Why? To answer this question, we evaluate the conventional and dominant geopolitical model of forced migration, as well as alternative models that focus on resource-based conflicts and political economy. We demonstrate that in each of the three cases, natural resources are at the heart of the conflicts that precede the involuntary movement of people both across international borders (refugees) and within national borders (IDPs). But the presence of resources by itself does not cause conflicts or forced migration. In Afghanistan, Colombia and Sudan, …

A Life-Cycle Benefit/Cost Analysis Framework For Its Deployments, Xifan Chen

Dissertations - ALL

The primary objective of Transportation Systems Management and Operation (TSM&O) strategies, or Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is to optimize the capacity of existing transportation infrastructure by reducing congestion. Over past decades, agencies and researchers investigated the use of various strategies such as deployment of adaptive traffic control systems (ATCS), ramp metering systems (RMS), surveillance through closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras, and information sharing systems to achieve this objective. Life Cycle Agency Cost Agency Analysis (LCCA) of various alternative intelligent transportation strategies has received particular attention to identify the strategy with the lowest cost. However, increasing concerns over the impacts of …

Confessions Of A Collaborator: Shoesole And Stewardship Alliance Of Northeast Elko County, Nevada, Robin Boies

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Abstract – The Shoesole Management Team (Shoesole) and the Stewardship Alliance of Northeastern Elko (SANE) are place-based, landowner-organized, natural and human resource conservation initiatives. The Shoesole was organized in 2002 to take a more holistic approach to grazing management issues on two federal livestock grazing allotments. This effort provided the foundation for SANE, which was organized in 2012 by representatives of eight ranches in northeastern Nevada in response to the potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse). Shoesole and SANE came together voluntarily, as a rancher organized initiative, with a common goal of creating a better …

Wyoming Sage-Grouse Working Groups: Lessons Learned, Thomas J. Christiansen, Lorien R. Belton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) has been the subject of multiple status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Wyoming accounts for approximately 38% of the range-wide population. Since 2000, 2 statewide and 8 local citizen working groups have been established in Wyoming to developed conservation plans and advise state policy. The first statewide plan for the conservation of sage-grouse was formally adopted in 2003. The statewide plan established local sage-grouse working groups charged with developing and facilitating implementation of local conservation plans. Those 8 plans were completed in 2007 and 2008, and updated in 2014. From 2005-2017, …

Learning To Live With Wolves: Community-Based Conservation In The Blackfoot Valley Of Montana, Seth M. Wilson, Elizabeth H. Bradley, Gregory A. Neudecker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We built on the existing capacity of a nongovernmental organization called the Blackfoot Challenge to proactively address wolf (Canis lupus)-livestock conflicts in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana. Beginning in 2007, wolves started rapidly recolonizing the valley, raising concerns among livestock producers. We built on an existing program to mitigate conflicts associated with an expanding grizzly bear population and worked within the community to build a similar program to reduce wolf conflicts using an integrative, multi-method approach. Efforts to engage the community included one-on-one meetings, workshops, field tours, and regular group meetings as well as opportunities to participate in …

A Characterization And Spatial Analysis Of Stakeholder Socioeconomics, Resource Use, And Perceptions Of Water Quality In Biscayne Bay, Florida, Samantha C. Dowdell

Open Access Theses

This project serves as a component of the NOAA Habitat Blueprint Biscayne Bay Habitat Focus Area (BB HFA), a multidisciplinary collaborative effort encompassing research conducted by NOAA Florida Sea Grant, Miami Waterkeeper, and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, amongst many other institutions and organizations. Water quality in Biscayne Bay is of major concern to tourism, recreation, fisheries, and other regional economic activities. In recent years, environmental indicators such as harmful algal blooms have brought to light the threat human activity poses to Biscayne Bay resources. To ensure the conservation of Biscayne Bay species and …

Illegal Wildlife Hunting And Trade In Southern Belize: An Assessment Of Impacts And Drivers, Blakely Rice

Capstone Collection

The use of wildlife as a resource is a common practice in all countries around the world, however, illegal activities are contributing to various environmental and social altercations amongst the involved communities and individuals, both directly and indirectly. This has led to the generalized global narrative on illegal wildlife hunting and trade as a “good vs. bad” convention. Although legal frameworks are in place to manage hunting and trade sustainably, governments and organizations often find themselves struggling to protect wildlife from illegal hunters, often facing dangerous situations thus the establishment of militarized conservation units. To date, most of the focus …

Assessment Of Vegetation Response To Wildfire At Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico: Case Study Of The Las Conchas Fire, Gladys Valentin-Gonzalez

Geography ETDs

In the past couple of decades, there has been an increase in the occurrence of wildfire events in the United States. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that over 73,000 wildfires on average occur annually in the U.S., burning about 7.3 million acres of land. Bandelier National Monument, in northern New Mexico, has been affected by several wildfires in the past 40 years, one of the most recent being the Las Conchas Fire in 2011, which burned over 60,700 hectaresin Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve. This research explores a remote-sensing based assessment of vegetation response to and recovery …

Constraining The Deforestation History Of Europe: Evaluation Of Historical Land Use Scenarios With Pollen-Based Land Cover Reconstructions, Jed O. Kaplan, Kristen M. Krumhardt, Marie José Gaillard, Shinya Sugita, Anna Kari Trondman, Ralph Fyfe, Laurent Marquer, Florence Mazier, Anne Birgitte Nielsen

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

River And Submarine Groundwater Discharge Effects On Diatom Phytoplankton Abundance In The Gulf Of Alaska, Alanna L. Lecher, Katherine R.M. Mackey, Adina Paytan

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

The Gulf of Alaska is a highly productive ecosystem that supports fisheries and subsistence harvesting of marine resources. The highly productive summer season begins with a bloom that is dominated by diatoms. Both river and submarine groundwater discharge have been recognized as substantial terrestrial nutrient (nitrate and silicate) sources to the Gulf’s coastal waters. Here, the response of in-situ phytoplankton to groundwater and river water additions was evaluated via a bioassay incubation experiment. Special attention was given to diatom genera, as previous studies have shown that submarine groundwater discharge preferentially induces growth of diatoms. The abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Chaetoceros …

Hydrological, Sedimentological, And Meteorological Observations And Analysis On The Sagavanirktok River, H. Toniolo, E.K. Youcha, K.D. Tape, R. Paturi, J. Homan, A. Bondurant, I. Ladines, J. Laurio, D. Vas, J. Keech, T. Tschetter, E. Lamesjerant

WERC Project Reports

The Dalton Highway near Deadhorse was closed twice during late March and early April 2015 because of extensive overflow from the Sagavanirktok River that flowed over the highway. That spring, researchers from the Water and Environmental Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) monitored the river conditions during breakup, which was characterized by unprecedented flooding that overtopped and consequently destroyed several sections of the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse. The UAF research team has monitored breakup conditions at the Sagavanirktok River since that time. Given the magnitude of the 2015 flooding, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company started a long-term …

2017 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 16.

Commencement Speaker: Herb Byrd III

Topical, Trista Hurley-Waxali

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This is a piece to start the discussion of how the lightening of pigmentation through melanin manipulation evolved from the demands of cover art photography.

Science And Sentiment: Affecting Change In Environmental Awareness, Attitudes, And Actions Through The Daily Nature Project, Elizabeth D. Haynes Poronsky

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Knowledge about what motivates pro-environmental behavior is important to organizations that seek to encourage environmental stewardship. Research suggests that targeting emotions and beliefs about nature can be more effective in changing environmental actions than increasing knowledge. Daily Nature, a site on the social media platform Facebook, features a daily nature photograph, a quote from a notable historical person and a related lyrical written passage. The popularity of this site lends credence to the appeal of interdisciplinary formats, and underscores the benefits of encouraging emotional and aesthetic ties to nature.

Wildlife Policy And Conservation: An Interdisciplinary Historical Perspective, Catherine C. Macdonald

Open Access Dissertations

It is widely recognized that historical data about human interactions with the natural world is critical to understanding anthropogenic environmental change over time (McNeill, 2001). However, the potential contribution of interdisciplinary historical perspectives to wildlife conservation problems remains largely unexplored. Human-wildlife interactions are informed by a variety of factors, including the scientific and ecological literacy of human populations, human values, the availability of habitat and resources for human and animal populations, and the types of resource conflicts taking place (or likely to take place) (Treves et al., 2006). The role of historical interactions in shaping present attitudes and conflicts can …

Effect Of Land Use Types On The Distribution Of Carnivore Species In Santa Clara County, Ca., Logan Thompson

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss and hunting pressures have caused terrestrial mammalian carnivores to decline by 95–99% in many regions of the world. These species are especially susceptible to fragmented habitats and a diminishing food supply because of their slow reproductive rates and high metabolic demands. In biodiversity hotspots such as California, understanding the range of human impacts to species is critical. This project assessed carnivore species distribution and occupancy by placing remote camera traps in a protected Reserve, agricultural, and developed land use types. Mountain lions were only detected in the protected Reserve, and because of this coyotes …

Gendered Impacts Of Community-Based Conservation Initiatives In Kimana/Tikondo Group Ranch Outside Of Amboseli National Park, Megan Clemens

Master's Theses

Community-based conservation has become a common solution to addressing local communities needs and concerns when it comes to conservation initiatives associated with, or outside the boundaries of national parks. Community-based initiatives associated with Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya mark one of the first attempts to include local communities in conservation initiatives and management as well as establish systems of benefit sharing between conservation and local communities. However, a critique of community-based conservation initiatives points out they often assume community homogeneity. Assumption of community homogeneity leads to inequities in benefits sharing, exclusion of subgroups (women, ethnic minorities) or even exacerbate …

Design And Analysis Of Bio-Inspired Nacelle For Current Energy Turbine, Michael Coe

Master's Theses

he world’s oceans contain a substantial amount of energy, stored in ocean currents and waves. Ocean current energy can be extracted using similar principles to existing wind energy platforms. A problem with such extraction methods is that the velocity of the fluid in ocean currents is too low for efficient energy generation. A potential solution to this problem is the use of a concentrator or diffuser to increase fluid velocity to the blades, but this carries with it extra costs. A more cost effective solution to this problem is presented by the use of a down flow current turbine in …

A Closer Look At Water Quality, Illegal Dumping And Community Engagement In The Coney Island Creek, Molly Nugent

Capstones

According to data science and policy blog I Quant NY, the Coney Island Creek is one of the dirtiest waterways in the city. It’s filthier than the Newtown Creek or the Gowanus Canal, which are both designated as federal superfund sites. The creek is a sanctuary for residents who want it to be cleaner and want to be in the know when it comes to dangerous levels of bacteria in the water.

What my reporting partner and I, Kyle Mackie, found was that the community has largely been kept in the dark. The DEP has been investigating both small and …

Effect Of Metal Ion Substitution On Electrochemical Properties Of Cobalt Oxide For Energy Applications, Dalal Alqahtani

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Metal oxides are being used for various applications, such as batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysts. This research is mainly to produce high-performance energy storage devices capable of working at high temperatures and causing no pollution in the environment. To this end, the effect of metal ion substitution on the electrochemical properties of Co₃O₄ for energy applications was studied. Different metal oxides, such as FeCo₂O₄, MnCo₂O₄, Co₃O₄, NiCo₂O₄, CuCo₂O_4, and ZnCo₂O₄, were synthesized using a hydrothermal …