Digital Commons Network^™

Soil Trace Gas Emissions Across Landscape Transition From Agricultural Field To Riparian Buffer, Leah Ellman

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

In 2015, a new riparian buffer initiative aimed at enhancing protection of Minnesota’s water quality was signed into law. The new regulations clarified that all bodies of water listed on a buffer protection map were to have an average 15 m of perennial vegetation buffer, impacting nearly 45,000 ha of land throughout the state. (2016 103F.48) While improving water quality via mitigation of runoff and erosion is a likely outcome of the legislation, the impact of transitioning from agricultural fields to riparian buffer on Minnesota’s soil trace gas emissions is not fully understood. This study aimed to examine the fluxes …

Students Stage "Hungry Games" To Fight Hunger, Vi Kakares

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, April 26, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 36

Off Campus Recycling, Grant A. Borregard, Victoria Graves, Paul Lamphere, Cassie Pataro, Mara Spears

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Education On Campus Waste Disposal, Catherine Johnson, Christina Fox, Alyssa Schutzenhofer, Courtney Wilber

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Spectator 2017-04-26, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Two Donations To Environmental Programs Expand Opportunities For Students, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2017

• Ty Robbins, a senior environmental sciences major from Clemson, South Carolina, and Allyssa Calderhead, a senior environmental studies major living in Fort Mill, are the first two Dalton Scholarship recipients.
• In other environmental news, Winthrop’s first Spencer Fellow is Jaime Taylor, an environmental sciences major who will work this summer on a research project with Scott Werts, associate professor in geology.

Mechanical Harvesting Effectively Controls Young Typha Spp. Invasion And Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data Enhances Post-Treatment Monitoring, Shane C. Lishawa, Brendan D. Carson, Jodi S. Brandt, Jason M. Tallant, Nicholas Reo, Dennis Albert, Andrew Monks, Joseph Lautenbach, Eric Clark

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ecological impacts of invasive plants increase dramatically with time since invasion. Targeting young populations for treatment is therefore an economically and ecologically effective management approach, especially when linked to post-treatment monitoring to evaluate the efficacy of management. However, collecting detailed field-based post-treatment data is prohibitively expensive, typically resulting in inadequate documentation of the ecological effects of invasive plant management.

Alternative approaches, such as remote detection with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), provide an opportunity to advance the science and practice of restoration ecology. In this study, we sought to determine the plant community response to different mechanical removal treatments to …

Evaluating Variables Of Patient Experience And The Correlation With Design, Dyutima Jha, Amy Keller Frye, Jennifer Schlimgen

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this paper was to understand the variables of patient experience by analyzing recent and relevant evidence and to identify design solutions within the hospital environment that positively impact those variables. A systematic review of literature published from 2008-present was conducted to identify variables that contribute to patient experience benefits. Identified variables were documented and categorized into a design, organizational, and outcome variable matrix. Interviews were conducted with professionals from healthcare institutions, architecture firms and organizations committed to improving the patient experience. Data from healthcare facilities, with high patient experience scores, was also examined to derive effective design …

The Utah Statesman, April 24, 2017, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Rider (2017-04-24), Jesus Sanchez

The Rider Archives

Vol.2 No.27

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 7 Issue 22, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Resource Scarcity And Monumental Architecture: Cost Signaling On Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, Dylan Davis, Carl P. Lipo

Research Days Posters 2016-2019

Costly signaling theory (CST) explains a variety of elaborate behavioral displays as a consequence of competition over resources when the risk of direct conflict is high. Within an archaeological context, monumental architecture is potentially explained as a facet of costly signaling between individuals and groups. On Rapa Nui, CST offers an explanation for the construction of labor-intensive monuments including massive statues (moai) and ceremonial platforms (ahu). Using hypotheses derived from CST and spatial data about the distribution of archaeological features, the degree to which CST accounts for the investment in prehistoric monumental architecture on Rapu Nui is evaluated.

How To Plan, Budget, Write, And Implement A Student Sustainability Grant, Annalisa Wilder

Honors Theses

The Student Sustainability Grant program was created to give students valuable grant writing experience and to promote a culture of sustainability on Western Michigan University’s campus. Despite the enormous opportunity that this program provides, few students apply for the grants with their sustainable ideas. Even fewer students are able to fully complete the projects, research, and initiatives that receive funding. In order to help increase the number of grants that are fully implemented and to provide students interested in writing a grant with a useful resource, this guide was created. This ‘how-to manual’ provides an undergraduate student’s perspective on the …

Lacuna: Transcendence Of The Human Body Through The Space Between, Anica Bottom

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Examination of humans as dancers interaction with our surrounding environment. Performance and experimental movement improvisation clips shown.

The Trayless Dining Movement And The University's Future Transition, Jacquelyn Pearlmutter, J. R. Mastro

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Across the globe, and in the United States, food waste causes negative financial, environmental, and social impacts (Plano, 2016). At the United States retail and consumer level, 90 billion pounds of food are wasted each year, which is equivalent to $161.6 billion annually (Plano, 2016). More than 50% of waste is diverted to landfills where the organic matter contaminates soil and groundwater, decomposes, and produces methane (Lopez et al., 2016). Methane, a greenhouse gas, is more potent than CO2 as it traps 25 times more radiation than CO2 (Lopez et al., 2017).

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography …

Research On Climate Change Education At University Of Richmond And Proposal For A Stewardship/Sustainability Themed First Year Experience, Janet Goldbach Ehmer, Minyao Li

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

We recognize that the University has an opportunity to engage and increase its environmental educaion, and raise environmental awareness. Therefore, we propose to incorporate stewardship and sustainability as a curriculum theme into the proposed First Year Experience, more specifically the Living and Learning Program, as outlined in the current QEP in accordance with the Strategic Plan.

Poster session for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

An Analysis Of Science Instruction And Environmental Education In Virginia And Oklahoma, Megan Wing

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Through this project, I hoped to understand how scientists, politicians, and educational experts view climate change education for elementary students, organize current learning standards that relate to climate change education in Virginia and Oklahoma, highlight specific ways to incorporate climate change education in the classroom, and provide resources for teachers to use in the future.

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar.

A Proposal For Geothermal Heating & Cooling At The University Of Richmond, Zachary Snelling, Coleman Harris, Chelsea Wilson

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This poster explores the viability of installing a geothermal heat pump at the University of Richmond. By analyzing geothermal reports, interviews with key informants, and installation requirements, we conclude whether the instillation of a geothermal heat pump is feasible at the University of Richmond. In addition, we explain the environmental and economic benefits of installing a geothermal heat pump.

Poster session for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Reedy Creek: Values Constraining The Adaptive Capacity To Environmental Regulation In The Forest Hill Neighborhood, Christie Marsh

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2014, 1) defines vulnerability as, “The extent to which a natural or social system is susceptible to sustaining damage from climate change.” Vulnerability is a function of both the physical system’s sensitivity to changes in climate and the ability of the societal system to adapt to said changes. Recently, organizations formed to produce assessments that define regional vulnerabilities to environmental issues for the sake of informing adaptation policies. With the increasing threat of a changing climate, adaptation policies are both a necessary and urgent response for successful adapting (Adger 2009). The majority of …

'The Ghostly Language Of The Ancient Earth': The Idea Of Nature In Deep Time (Flyer), Scott Ashley

The Idea of Nature Public Lecture Series

In 1799 William Wordsworth imagined his younger self standing beneath the rocks of his native mountains listening to the ‘ghostly language of the ancient earth’. I also try to hear the echoes that come out of the deep past and decipher what we can learn from them about the entangling of the human and natural worlds and the origins of the idea of Nature.

Professor Ashley currently teaches medieval, world and environmental history at Newcastle University, UK. He has published on diverse matters, including the Vikings, ninth-century astronomy and Captain James Cook. He is currently researching the role of climate …

Environmental Management In Richmond, Virginia: A Case Study Of Reedy Creek, Emily Onufer, Jared Goldbach Ehmer, Andrew Loesch, Christie Marsh

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This report analyzes the Reedy Creek restoration project through four distinct lenses and aims to achieve a fuller understanding of the factors influencing the project’s success or failure. We hope this report contributes to a greater appreciation of the complex and vast amount of decisions both cities and stakeholders make when complying with environmental regulations. Moreover, we hope to provide invaluable learning opportunities for future environmental projects undertaken in the City of Richmond.

Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Salisbury

Reedy Creek: Formal And Informal Policies Influencing The Stream Restoration, Emily Onufer

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Many analyses, especially in the field of sociology, have debated the influence of informal groups such as nonprofits, coalitions, and consultants on formal policy-making bodies, mainly government agencies (see West 2004, Verloo2016). The Reedy Creek restoration project involved numerous policy-makers and stakeholders, all of whom influenced the project’s direction and outcomes in some way. Policy was a driving force behind the project from its inception. This analysis examines the roles and influence of the various stakeholders involved in the Reedy Creek restoration project, and attempts to analyze the influence formal and informal policy-making bodies can have on small-scale environmental management …

Food Security At The University Of Richmond, Kayla Sherman, Donald Edmonds, Yuncheng Liu

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The University of Richmond’s Strategic Plan states the University’s goal to be “a leader in innovative practices that sustain our environmental, human, and financial resources” (Crutcher 2017). The University has also signed multiple national and global sustainability commitments such as the Talloires Declaration (2003), the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, (2007) and the American Campuses Acton Climate Pledge (2015). These commitments set ambitious climate action goals and address the responsibility of colleges and universities not only to cultivate an environmental consciousness on campus but also to transform the conventional operation systems on which college and universities depend. While …

The Effects Of Increased Cycling On Local & Global Green House Gas Emissions, Trevor Roberts

Honors Theses

Throughout history, the human species has been able to out-think most major problems facing us, we are amazing animals after all. Humans are the only species proved to have language, consciousness, and culture — all of which came over time with our outstandingly intelligent and adaptable brains. We’ve developed systems to harness the power of earth (minerals), air (wind energy), fire (combustion), and water (irrigation and also hydro energy); and we’ve also invented tools, workarounds, and cycles to overcome biological, physical, and other myriad roadblocks for us. Even thousands and thousands of years ago human beings were manipulating and disturbing …

Reedy Creek: A Stream Science And Spatial Statistics Approach, Jared Goldbach Ehmer, Andrew Loesch

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued updated rules regarding Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) levels for three primary pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay: nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended sediment (TSS). The EPA required Richmond to draft Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) detailing individual pollution reduction goals and specific actions required to achieve those goals. The City of Richmond intended to complete stream restoration projects on five urban streams, including Reedy Creek. The City of Richmond commissioned Timmons Group to complete erosion analyses and recommend stream sections for restoration. The following (1) examines the relationship between spatial stream statistics …

Achieving Waste & Emissions Reduction Goals On University Of Richmond Campus: The Biodigester Approach, Joe Walderman, Alexa Williams

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This project proposes the installation of a small-scale anaerobic digester (biodigester). This is a reactor that breaks down biodegradable organic waste producing biogas. Food waste is considered one of the most efficient for producing biogas of typical biodigester feedstocks (Poschl, 2010). The UR Dining Hall produces 614 lbs of food waste per day to be used as feedstock, with landscaping scraps available for additional feed. The University boiler plant is capable of using biogas for heat production, making the plant a suitable destination for the digester's waste output. The digester may allow for waste diversion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions …

Observer, Central Washington University

Student Newspaper

Student newspaper for Central Washington University for April 20-26, 2017. Vol. 106, No. 3.

The Bg News April 20, 2017, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. April 20, 2017. Volume 96-Issue 60.

Dual Environmentalism: Demand Response Mechanisms In Wholesale And Retail Energy Markets, Sarah M. Main

Pace Environmental Law Review

This note argues that a dual jurisdictional approach to demand response programming is better suited to mitigate environmental harms than an “either-or” regulatory model. Through an exploration of FERC’s authority over wholesale demand response, state authority over retail-level demand response, and implications for electricity and capacity markets arising out of the Court’s decision in FERC v. EPSA, this note will offer effective legal mechanisms for mitigating environmental costs, while fostering environmental benefits. The next section of this note analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of state and federal regulatory approaches to demand response in isolation.

Based on this assessment, this note …