Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Conventional Vehicles As A Way Towards Carbon Neutrality In Iceland, Julia Sokolowska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Paris Agreement’s chief objective is to protect the Earth and its inhabitants from a point of no return, when the effects of climate change will be so intense that they will shift the equilibrium of ecosystems. The distinctiveness of this international environmental treaty is that it does not impose climate change mitigation measures, but rather allows nation states to create their own set of measures, the NDCs, to reach the global warming of ‘well below 2oC’ by the end of the century. Thus, Iceland has submitted its own NDC, the Climate Action Plan 2018-2030, which has an ambitious goal of …

China’S Belt And Road Initiative: Views From The Ground, Gustavo De L.T. Oliveira, Galen Murton, Alessandro Rippa, Tyler Harlan, Yang Yang

Urban and Environmental Studies Faculty Works

The Chinese government promotes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a global strategy for regional integration and infrastructure investment. With a projected US$1 trillion commitment from Chinese financial institutions, and at least 138 countries participating, the BRI is attracting intense debate. Yet most analysis to date focuses on broad drivers, risks, and opportunities, largely considered to be emanating from a coherent policy imposed by Beijing. In this special issue, we instead examine the BRI as a relational, contested process - a bundle of intertwined discourses, policies, and projects that sometimes align but are sometimes contradictory. We move beyond policy-level, …

Interests And Priorities In Sockeye Salmon Management: How Are Policies Enacted And Interpreted On Three Alaskan Rivers?, Jake P. Palazzi

University Honors Theses

The large export abundance of Alaskan salmon is well documented, and many studies have been performed to assess the economic and environmental viability of the industry and its management. Less research has been done to characterize how state intentions regarding fisheries allocation are conceived of by management or perceived by vulnerable groups in the user pool. This study seeks to qualitatively characterize the disconnect between state and Native Alaskan perceptions of management effectiveness, public interest, and Native Alaskan involvement using interviews. Results showed that Native Alaskan and state manager respondents had very different perceptions of management effectiveness and equity. When …

Exploratory Study Of Obesogenic Commercial School Food Environments In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Sruthi Eapen

University Honors Theses

Objective

The purpose of this exploratory research was to study commercial food environments around high schools in the Portland metropolitan area to explore the question: How do the economic, geographic, and racial demographics of public high schools in the Portland metropolitan area affect the prevalence and make-up of obesogenic commercial food environments surrounding these schools?

Methods

Commercial food environments within a 1 km radius of 35 public high schools in the Portland metropolitan area were surveyed. The “healthiness” of the environment was calculated by establishing a “Food Environment Score.” This score was correlated with economic, geographic, and racial demographics obtained …

Identifying Seasonal And Daily Variations In Arg-Containing Bioaerosols Generated During The Wastewater Treatment Process, Mirza Isanovic

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem with the current global death count topping 700,000. In the United States alone there are 2.8 million antibiotic resistant bacterial (ARB) infections each year and approximately 35,000 deaths. If current trends continue the global ARB death count will reach 10 million surpassing current chronic disease deaths. Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in protecting both the environment as well as local communities. The WWTP process allows for the removal of chemicals and contaminants from water that eventually makes its way back into the environment as well as into drinking water plants. Despite the …

Using Informational Websites To Foster A Connection Between Outdoor Education And State Park Preservation, Amanda Eckart

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

There is no shortage in research depicting the physical, mental and social benefits that students receive when they participate in outdoor learning. However, there were many barriers preventing classroom educators from taking their lessons into local nature areas. Two of these barriers being educator’s lack of confidence teaching outside and their unfamiliarity with local state parks. This led to the creation of the research question: How can websites and blogs help educators foster a connection between outdoor education and state parks? How can this connection benefit students and state parks? The research used in an attempt to answer this question …

Climate Literacy: Designing A Syllabus For A Graduate Level Climate Literacy Foundations Course, Jana Graczyk

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Climate change is a large and multifaceted topic, connected to science, social studies, economics, politics, and more. It cannot simply be approached through one single lens. Climate literacy acknowledges the interdisciplinary nature of climate change by addressing the scientific process of climate change, the human influence on climate, and the influence of climate on society as well as helping develop pro-environmental behaviors. The syllabus designed for this project focuses on teaching climate literacy to graduate-level students. The approach is based on research about general academic motivation, as well as motivation for pro-environmental behavior. The course involves building strong relationships, creating …

Creating A Nonprofit Organization To Reduce And Eliminate Disparate Access To Quality Environmental Education To Students That Are Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color And To Increase Overall Access To Education On Environmental Justice, Nicholas Leonard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have a disparate access to quality environmental education (EE) in proportion to their white peers. (Bell, 2016; Taylor, 2014). Furthermore, BIPOC also experienced a disproportionate share of the effects of environmental degradation and destruction. (NEEF, 2015). This capstone addresses the following question: How can a nonprofit organization reduce and eliminate disparate access to quality EE to students who are BIPOC and increase overall access to education on environmental justice? The capstone proposes an organizational plan to specifically address this question. The organization will create programming and curriculum of high-quality EE designed to engage …

Distinction Between Indigenous And Western Cultural Conceptions Of The Earth And Its Relation To The Environment, John M. Zak

Student Publications

The differences between Indigenous and Western cultural conceptions of the Earth is a major cleavage between both communities and a source of tension and misunderstanding. Native American religious beliefs in communal ethics, the belief in the Earth and nature more broadly being a source of spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment, has encouraged Native Americans to work to safeguard the environment they feel a spiritual connection to. This is contrasted in Western notions of human centrality that encourages Western consumer economies to exploit resources for commercial profit that has led to the dispossession of Native lands and desecration of its sacredness in …

The Role And Impact Of The Environment In Saving Private Ryan, Bailey M. Ytterdahl, Paul C. Krakoviak

Student Publications

Although certain films may not be explicitly labeled as environmental film, we approach Saving Private Ryan through an ecocritical analysis. We evaluate how the film not only displays the physical and mental tolls of war in several bloody battles, but we also explore the environmental costs. By examining the genre of historical realism, we demonstrate how the film outlines the unique role of the environment in war but also enables the viewers to consider the impacts of war on the surrounding environment. To understand the environmental message in Saving Private Ryan, we used a concept called the “Three Ecologies” by …

Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff

Student Publications

Environmental regulation is often viewed as conflicting with economic needs. This paper examines under what personal and contextual economic conditions individuals support increased environmental protection efforts. Data from the 2017 World Values Survey is analyzed to determine the probability that an individual will prioritize environmental protection over economic growth at varying levels of household income with a comparison between the context of an economically secure country and an economically insecure country. The results indicate that, across all income levels, individuals in economically secure countries are more likely to prioritize the environment than those in economically insecure countries. In a comparison …

Energy Demand And Economic Growth: Public Opinion And Mutual Exclusivity, Nicholas L. Silvis

Student Publications

The world is currently undergoing an energy transition from primarily fossil fuels to cleaner energy. The developing world is becoming more advanced, spawning relentless economic growth and an increase in energy consumption. Energy demand and economic growth are inextricably linked which poses a paradoxical question about future economic growth during a period of energy transition. Unfortunately, the transition requires large upfront costs with no guaranteed net benefit. A multitude of studies depict the impact of education, party identification, and age on how individuals perceive alternative energy. This study shows that views on governmental spending and party membership have a paradoxical …

The Invisible Hurdle: Biases Investors Have Against Sustainable Investing, Kerry E. Ullman

Student Publications

A current trend of many corporations is making it a priority to focus on becoming more socially responsible and ethical in all aspects of their businesses. Investors, on the other hand, have not been as focused on incorporating these issues into their selection criteria, especially when it comes to the issue of sustainable investing (ESG). This research tries to understand what the hidden barriers are that stop individual investors from investing sustainably. This research examines the effect of proper information on sustainable investing and the most effective communication strategies to relay this information to investors. There was a control group …

Canopy Cover, Impermeability, And Green Space In Pennsylvania Redlined Neighborhoods, Alyssa A. Cassini

Student Publications

Previous studies have explored the relationship between redlining and canopy cover by using percent canopy cover. This data type can miss low-density trees that are common in urban areas, differences between parks and street trees, and differences in the size of the green space. With a distinction between parks and street trees, we are able to determine what types of green space redlined communities have access to, since different types of green space have different kinds of impacts on the community. This study aims to analyze the relationship between previously redlined Pennsylvania neighborhoods and their current canopy impermeability, using high …

Potentially Terminal Conditions: Economic Globalization And Ecological Footprint, Raymond A. Wiseley

Student Publications

This paper studies the relationship between economic globalization and environmental footprint. It hypothesizes that economic globalization will increase the negative environmental impact. The study covers theories for and against this argument, focusing especially on the validity of an environmental Kuznets curve, market-based solutions, and other suggested policies. It then gathers data and tests the relationship using a regression analysis. The results show a statistically significant positive relationship between economic globalization and ecological impact. The study concludes by discussing these results and proposing future steps.

Assessing The Impact Of A New Inlet Created By 2012 Hurricane Sandy On The Intensity Of Algae Blooms In Bellport Bay Ny, Ryan A. Wagner

Student Publications

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are a growing ecosystem health issue in environments worldwide, driven by excess nitrogen runoff (Eutrophication) alongside high summer temperatures. HABs strip oxygen from the environment and create toxic environments that impact other primary producers, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and any other organisms that enter an affected body of water. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of a new inlet, created by Hurricane Sandy in Long Island’s Bellport Bay, on the concentration of algae blooms during peak blooming periods (Jul-Aug) to inform ecosystem-based management. Google Earth Engine Code Editor and 2008-2017 Landsat 5-8 …

An Investigation Of How Environmental Science Textbooks Link Human Environmental Impact To Ecology And Daily Life, Yael Wyner, Rob Desalle

Publications and Research

Making direct connections between humanity and the environment is of ever-increasing importance in the context of today’s environmental crisis. We used qualitative content analysis of precollege- and college-level introductory environmental science textbook case studies to study how they portray humanity’s link to the environment. We assessed case studies for how specific and data rich they are and for how they link together daily life, human impact, and ecological interactions. We found that, for many textbooks, case study stories were vaguely drawn and included few data. We also found that, for all textbooks, case studies almost always described human impacts without …

A Spatial Stochastic Frontier Model With Endogenous Frontier And Environmental Variables, Levent Kutlu, Kien C. Tran, Mike G. Tsionas

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

We propose a spatial autoregressive stochastic frontier model, which allows for the endogeneity in both the frontier and environmental variables (i.e., endogeneity due to correlation of inefficiency term and the two-sided error term). The model parameters are estimated using a single-stage control function approach. Monte Carlo simulations show that our proposed model and approach perform well in finite samples. We employed our methodology to the Chinese chemicals firm data and found evidence for both spatial effects and endogeneity.

Place-Based Engagement On Chicago's Northeast Side, Jon J. Schmidt, David Ensminger, Mitchell A. Hendrickson

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Loyola University Chicago (LUC) is a Jesuit university with a mission to prepare students to “set the world on fire” by promoting justice in the world. Led by its School of Education, LUC has worked to engage this mission in its emerging work with public school partners guided by core principles of mutual benefit among partners, place-based engagement within our communities, and a focus on sustainable relationships. While serving others represents the genotype of our 150-year-old Jesuit university and community and civic engagement represents its phenotype, the last ten years has seen change in the university’s phenotype through dramatic growth …

Illinois Wesleyan Lands Bee Campus Usa Certification, Rachel Mccarthy

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Co-Occurrence Of Keywords In Ecocriticism Research Publications: An Analytical Approach, Pranjal Deka, Mukut Sarmah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The keyword is a significant part of scholarly publications, which can play a vital role in information retrieval and research. Author Keywords are those provided by the original authors, and Keywords Plus are those extracted from the titles of the cited references by Thomson Reuters. Keywords Plus are those created by an automatic computer algorithm; these are words or phrases that frequently appear in the titles of an article’s references and not necessarily in the article's title or as Author.

The Web of Science (WoS) database is used to conduct this study. While conducting this study, a total of 654 …

Are Beginning And Small-Scale Farmers Drawn To Diversification? Ten Years' Findings From Ohio, Matthew Mariola, Amyaz Moledina, Larry A. Nye

Journal of Extension

Diversifying a farm's production operations or marketing channels can boost income and raise farm survival rates. But are beginning and small-scale farmers inclined toward a strategy of diversification? We analyzed 578 attendee surveys from 10 years of an Extension workshop for new and small-scale farmers in Ohio. We investigated the farming profile of beginning and small-scale farmers, the degree to which they are interested in pursuing diversified farming, and whether these interests vary by gender. We found evidence that new and small-scale farmers are interested in alternatives to commodity grain farming, that these alternatives are associated with diversified farming systems, …

The Lumberjack, September 30, 2020

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

Montana Kaimin, September 30, 2020, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Assessment Of Soil Properties Under Different Land Use Types In Olokemeji Forest Reserves In Ogun State Southwestern Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Opeyemi Akintola, Adewunmi Idayat Bodede, Michael Smart, Ayodeji Gideon Adebayo, Olawale Nurean Sulaiman

Journal of Bioresource Management

Knowledge of soil properties is essential for environmental sustainability for any forest reserve or plantation. The physical and chemical properties of soil under three different land uses was investigated to assess the nutrient and fertility status of the soils. Fifteen soil samples, each collected from different locations within the natural forest, plantation and farm land were analyzed for soil texture, bulk density, porosity, pH, organic carbon, organic matter content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn. Texturally, the soils were loamy, loamy sand and sandy loamy in the natural forest, plantation and farmland respectively. …

How The Covid-19 Pandemic Is Challenging Consumption, Marine Cambefort

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

COVID-19 has led consumers to question their consumption patterns. Although some management research has already highlighted consumption trends resulting from the virus outbreak, very few studies explore how the current pandemic challenges consumption. Three trends are identified: the downsizing of consumption, emergence of anti-globalization sentiments, and negative consumer reactions to the misconduct of brands/companies. First, the lockdown was an opportunity for people to test a simpler lifestyle by reducing their level of consumption, having realized that over-consumption does not make them happy and questioned its negative impact on the environment. Second, the pandemic may reinforce anti-globalization ideas, leading consumers to …

Reinstatement Of Andrena Vernalis Mitchell (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) From Synonymy With A. Ziziae Robertson, Zachary M. Portman, Ian G. Lane, Gabriella L. Pardee, Daniel P. Cariveau

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Andrena (Micrandrena) ziziae Robertson, 1891 (Andrenidae) is a well-known species found in a variety of habitats in the eastern and central United States and adjacent southern Canada. Andrena (Micrandrena) vernalis Mitchell, 1960 was described from five female specimens in the eastern United States and was synonymized with A. ziziae by Ribble in 1968. Recently collected specimens from throughout Minnesota have revealed that A. ziziae sensu Ribble is actually two species, one of which matches A. vernalis. Here, we reinstate A. vernalis as a valid species and describe the previously unknown male. We provide diagnostic characters …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 11 Issue 1, Wofford College. Department Of Environmental Studies

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Conversations With Each Other: Love Songs To The Earth, Adrian M. Downey, Gonen Sagy

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Conversation is a complicated, ever-changing, and dynamic space—a space which is foundational to both education and curriculum, broadly conceived. In this article, we continue our ongoing conversion through the notion of writing love songs to the Earth and to each other. Within the conversation, Gonen shares original poetry emergent from his lived experiences, while Adrian attends to Gonen’s poetry in prosaic response. In this, the socio-political moment of the Canadian movement toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, we view our relationship and our conversations as speaking back to the competitive languages of diasporic space and Indigenous place through an …

The Verge: Networks Of Intersubjective Responding For Just Sustainability Arts Educational Research, Marna Hauk, Amanda Rachel Kippen

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Two sustainability arts scholars describe a method of data interpretation they developed for making sense of complex environmental and sustainability education research data. They “played” images and recorded a conversation in a form of arts-based intersubjective knowing. The card game process was named the Verge because of how the process promises to surface unheard voices and re-center nondominant insights and ways of knowing. It leverages Casey’s glance method with systems networks to complicate sense making in arts-based educational research. The arts scholars intermixed research data from two just sustainability education research case studies: collages from participants of a climate justice …