Digital Commons Network^™

How Can A Local Government Implement Environmental Education For Immigrant Communities That Live In Apartment Buildings?, Kirsten Wahlberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This project addressed the research question: How can a local government implement environmental education for immigrant communities that live in apartment buildings? Six multifamily properties were recruited from three different cities from Hennepin County located in Minnesota to help overcome barriers towards recycling. The total amount of households, or units that participated were 535. Research methods included implementing best management practices including; color-coding trash and recycling containers and adding labels with images to all trash and recycling dumpsters. Educators also attempted to coordinate in-person education events including going door-to-door and a recycling informational presentation. Translators, or “influencers” were identified at …

A Proposal For The Implementation Of Stormwater Art At Gvsu, Christa Fernando

Honors Projects

Although there are increasing efforts to improve stormwater management on the campuses of Grand Valley State University as an inhabitant of the Great Lakes region, there remains limited visibility and efforts for public awareness and cooperation with ecological restoration initiatives generally. The goal of this project is to describe the opportunity to implement functional art that promotes public awareness of sustainable water management practices. Methods included research into the public art of GVSU and the necessary methodology for future project execution. Various local contacts are also provided as resources for advice, connections, and funding opportunities. In this report, plans and …

Transcanada’S Keystone Xl Pipeline And Its Impact On Nebraska Water Quality, Amy Chin

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

The Keystone Pipeline entered the national stage in 2010 when TransCanada proposed an extension that went through the Nebraska Sandhills, an ecosystem which contains a large portion of the Ogallala Aquifer. This is not an issue to be taken lightly – the Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer fulfill many of the functions noted in de Groot, Wilson, and Bouman’s typology of ecosystem services. In this analysis, these two sides will converge into one research problem: exploring connections between the potential economic, social, and environmental effects of the Keystone XL Pipeline’s presence in the Sandhills region of Central Nebraska.

The analysis shall …

Job Guarantee For A Safe Community, Cassandra Boyle

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

Many shared areas like parks and sidewalks are unkempt and sometimes unsafe. In some areas, sidewalks are in shambles which poses a trip hazard, and plants are overgrown which denies the use of the sidewalk. Also, there is trash along roadways and decaying plant buildup around fencing and buildings. Some of these issues are due to the resident not having the ability to do necessary yard work. Jobs could be created to solve and manage these issues, and these jobs will be part of a program which improves the economic and social lives of people while also improving the environment.

Distributed Manufacturing In Dayton: Combating Covid-19 Through Public Service Employment, Joshua Pham, Grayson Thacker

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

With the decline in manufacturing in the United States following the 1980s, many once thriving cities began to fall into economic stagnation and decline. Dayton, Ohio is one of these cities, experiencing a mass exodus of its central industry, leaving behind a labor force with mismatched skills for the current job environment and a lack of opportunity. Such unemployment has only been exacerbated by the Great Recession and the more recent economic shutdown, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat this decline and slow march to destitution, this paper proposes the implementation of a public service employment program (PSE) that …

Environmental Injustice's Impact On Asthma Disparities In Nyc, Tayler J. Rodriquez

Student Publications

Understanding the social determinants of health is essential when looking at low-income minorities in urban cities. Social determinants of health are conditions in the environment in which people are born, which affects a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Amongst other determinants, adequate housing can have a significant influence on population health outcomes such as asthma. Zoning inequality negatively and disproportionately impacts the health and the overall quality of life of low-income minorities; zoning is correlated to environmental injustice fueling adverse health effects and health disparities among low-income minority populations. Without the opportunity to receive adequate and affordable housing, …

Synthesis Report: Implementing A Regional, Indigenous-Led And Sustainability-Informed Impact Assessment In Ontario’S Ring Of Fire, Dayna N. Scott, Cole Atlin, Estair Van Wagner, Peter Siebenmorgan, Robert B. Gibson

Articles & Book Chapters

Background: the issue

Development in Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”, a significant deposit of minerals, including chromite, located in the boreal region of the far north of the province, has been on the table for many years. Despite the fact that successive governments have hyped the value of the resources, the remoteness and lack of infrastructure, as well as the inability of governments to obtain the buy-in of all of the First Nations communities in the region, has left the Ring of Fire undeveloped.

Thus, Ontario’s far north remains one of the world’s largest, most intact ecological systems. The boreal forest …

Dead Wolf To Red Wolf: Virginia Reintroduction Habitat Suitability, Hector Gomez

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Red wolves (Canis Rufus) are the most endangered species of wolves. All red wolves currently in the wild are in the Albemarle Peninsula in North Carolina. Red wolf population in the Albemarle decreased from a peak of around 113-149 wolves in 2014 to 15-17 wolves in 2021. Most red wolf mortalities for this wild population occurred from anthropogenic causes such as accidental shooting, poaching, and vehicle strikes. The purpose of this study is to assess the suitability of the Delmarva Peninsula as a potential reintroduction site for another red wolf population. To do so I analyzed the land cover, deer …

Suffering Matters: Nepa, Animals, And The Duty To Disclose, David N. Cassuto, Tala Dibenedetto

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the federal government to disclose potential environmental harms arising from agency actions. Animal suffering is an environmental harm, yet no court has ruled that its infliction triggers a reporting obligation under NEPA. This Article argues that animal suffering should be a cognizable environmental harm under NEPA, that considerations of animal suffering should factor into whether an agency must prepare an EIS--and should be discussed in the content of the EIS.

Part II of this Article introduces and explains the procedural requirements of NEPA. Part III discusses animal suffering--how it is defined, how laws …

Montanan, Spring 2020, University Of Montana--Missoula

Montanan Magazine, 1969-2024

This is the magazine of the University of Montana with news about the University for UM alumni as well as current faculty, students, staff, and administrators. This is volume 37, number 2.

University Of Richmond, Spring/Summer 2020

University of Richmond Magazine

The University of Richmond's Alumni Magazine was first published as The Alumni Bulletin in 1936 and continues to this day as the University of Richmond Magazine.

Department Of Politics And Government News And Views, Spring 2020, Department Of Politics And Government

Department of Politics and Government News and Views

Newsletter of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University

Impacts Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On Biodiversity Conservation, Richard T. Corlett, Richard B. Primack, Vincent Devictor, Bea Mass, Varun Goswami, Amanda Bates, Lian Pin Koh, Tracey Reagan, Rafael Loyola, Robin J. Pakeman, Graeme S. Cumming, Anna Pidgeon, David Johns, Robin Roth

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all parts of human society. Like everyone else, conservation biologists are concerned first with how the pandemic will affect their families, friends, and people around the world. But we also have a duty to think about how it will impact the world's biodiversity and our ability to protect it, as well as how it might affect the training and careers of conservation researchers and practitioners. As editors of Biological Conservation, we have heard first-hand from colleagues, authors, and reviewers around the world about the problems they are facing, and their concerns for their students, their …

Who Decides: Is Water Life Or Capital? Contesting Visions Of Western Water Management In The 21st Century, Ceorl

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

There is an ideological divide between the goal of universal access to clean water and the outcomes of how water regulations are implemented. John Fleck, author of Water is for Fighting Over: and Other Myths about Water in the West and Sivas, et al. in California Water Governance in the 21st Century present contesting prescriptions for Western water management. The ideologies advocated by Fleck and Sivas, et al. differ as to who enacts and profits from each and exemplify the divide between the goals of water regulations and how they are implemented. Fleck regards water as property and an economic …

Macroinvertebrate Community And Temperature Changes In A Michigan Stream, Nyika Campbell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the climate warms, global biodiversity is plummeting and extinction rates are rising (Jenkins, 2003). Freshwater ecosystems specifically are experiencing huge losses in diversity (Jenkins, 2003; Ormerod et al., 2010; Collier et al., 2016). Conservation of invertebrates is particularly urgent because they are foundational to the trophic systems in streams and lakes, comprising 95% of all species on earth (Titley et al., 2017), and over 60% of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems (Collier et al., 2016). Through analysis of both my own field measurements and historical data I seek to gain a preliminary understanding of temperature and macroinvertebrate community changes that …

Gen Z Perspectives On Climate Change And The Future: Having The Courage To Imagine And Fight For A Better World, Isabelle Graj

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted 6 interviews with Gen Z students to investigate how they think climate change will impact their future and how they frame the issue in general. I communicate my findings and analysis with visual context through a zine, which is a form of alternative media created in the 1930s. Today, zines provide a creative approach to exchange ideas and explain contemporary culture (Gisonny and Freedman, 2006, 26). My zine is not meant to be utterly educational but rather it is meant to convey the emotion, confusion, and chaos associated with my findings. The interviews collectively created an image of …

Crude Intentions: Evaluating The Growing Risks Of Arctic Alaskan Oil Production, Eliot Stein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The discovery of oil on Alaska’s North Slope in the 1920s began a century of fossil fuel exploration, development, and production in the Arctic region. Alaska became integral to the nation’s growing energy dominance. However, since 1988, oil production on the North Slope has been in steady decline. In 2015, Shell, followed by several other oil majors, terminated their Arctic Alaska operations. This past year, BP made waves by ending six decades of operations in Alaska. Most recently, five of the six major U.S. banks announced they would no longer finance Arctic oil and gas projects. This paper analyzes these …

La Minería Del Litio En Salinas Grandes: Un Análisis De Diferentes Narrativas En Torno A La Extracción De Litio Desde 2010 Hasta El Presente / Lithium Mining In The Salinas Grandes: An Analysis Of Different Narratives Surrounding The Extraction Of Lithium From 2010 Until The Present, Sofia Perrotto

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El litio ha ocupado una posición muy interesante y controvertida dentro del movimiento ambiental desde su descubrimiento en 2010. Entre los muchos usos de este metal precioso está la fabricación de baterías, que es un componente esencial para la transición hacia una "economía verde". Los vehículos eléctricos y las unidades de almacenamiento de energía que funcionan con baterías de litio son dos tecnologías importantes para este movimiento, y como resultado, la demanda de litio está aumentando en el mercado global. En las Salinas Grandes, la cuestión de la extracción de litio involucra a una variedad de actores que tienen diferentes …

La Inclusión De La Mujer Indígena Y El Conocimiento En La Conservación Biológica En El Perú, Ivyanna Colon-Greider

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Perú es uno de los países más biodiversos en el mundo. Sin embargo, esta diversidad biológica está amenazada por el cambio climático. Para poder combatir este fenómeno, tenemos que incluir la mujer y sus saberes en la toma de decisiones sobre el manejo conservatorio de la biodiversidad. La meta a través de este estudio es presentar el estado actual del medioambiente y la mujer indígena, mostrar las vinculaciones entre el rol de la mujer indígena y sus saberes en la conservación de la diversidad biológica en Perú y hacer un plan multifacético que reconoce los tres temas con una …

La Justicia Medioambiental Y La Minería Aurífera: Las Implicaciones De La Deforestación Y La Contaminación De Metales Pesados En Madre De Dios, Perú, Madison Scully

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Usando un marco teórico de justicia medioambiental y de colonialidad, este informe describe, analiza e interprete los impactos ecológicos de la minería aurífera en Madre de Dios, una región amazónica del Perú. Específicamente, este informe trata las consecuencias de la deforestación y la contaminación por mercurio causadas por esta industria para la salud y el bienestar de los pueblos indígenas de Madre de Dios. A través de investigación secundaria de la literatura existente y los estudios ya realizados sobre el alcance de la degradación ecológica resultante de la minería aurífera en esta región, este informe examina la manera en que …

La Relación Entre Cambio Climático Y Migración En Los Andes De Perú: Los Q’Ero, Taquile Y La Cordillera Blanca, Sam Hosmer-Quint

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El cambio climático es uno de los problemas más grandes en el mundo. Los afectos de los cambios serán más graves para las personas más pobres y vulnerables. Perú es reconocido como uno de los países más vulnerables en el mundo, a causa de la presencia de glaciares tropicales, las cual son muy vulnerables a la desglaciación. Los efectos de cambio climático incluyen, entre otras cosas; el cambio de la temporada de lluvias y sequias, un aumento de la temperatura ambiental, inundaciones y tormentas severas. Todos estos factores hacen del cambio climático un riesgo para mucha gente y además, tiene …

Innovative Protection And Conservation Of Coral Reefs In Madagascar, Meghan Parker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar is home to approximately 3,450 kilometers of coral reefs, including some of the most biodiverse and valuable marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean (Webster 2002). This online research project investigates the status of Madagascar’s coral reefs separated by region, threats that are facing the reefs and community-based solutions to protect and conserve the reefs. Conclusions of this online research suggest that most coral reefs in Madagascar are in relatively good health, although looming threats exist from overfishing, increased coastal populations, tourism, and warming waters. Community-based solutions are abundant and have proven effective, and can be implemented nation-wide, personalized to …

Ecological And Economic Benefits And Risks Of Using Botanical Insecticides In Tanzanian Farms, Lilia Garcia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Insect damage is a major concern for smallholder farmers in developing countries like Tanzania. Synthetic insecticides can tame infestations, however they can be expensive, inaccessible, and their misuse can threaten farmer health and ecological conditions. Botanical insecticides are cheap alternatives to treat infestations while preserving beneficial insects such as pollinators, predators, and parasitoids. This study assesses how both synthetic and botanical insecticides affect beneficial insects, crop yield and profit/costs. This study finds botanical insecticides slightly less harmful towards non-target insects. Botanical insecticides seldomly improve crop yields but usually result in a higher profit/lower cost. Due to high variation in ecological …

Cytotoxicity Of Nio And Ni(Oh)₂ Nanoparticles Is Mediated By Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death And Suppression Of Cell Proliferation, Melissa H. Cambre, Natalie J. Holl, Yue-Wern Huang, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The use of nanomaterial-based products continues to grow with advancing technology. Understanding the potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) is important to ensure that products containing them do not impose harmful effects to human or environmental health. In this study, we evaluated the comparative cytotoxicity between nickel oxide (NiO) and nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)₂) in human bronchoalveolar carcinoma (A549) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. Cellular viability studies revealed cell line-specific cytotoxicity in which nickel NPs were toxic to A549 cells but relatively nontoxic to HepG2 cells. Time-, concentration-, and particle-specific cytotoxicity was observed in A549 cells. NP-induced oxidative …

April 2020 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Trash, Turtles, And Telesis: Sparking Community Environmentalism Through Art, Missy Parker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: How does an art installation work to educate and persuade park users to practice pro-environmental behaviors at Sullivan Lake Park? The purpose was to raise awareness of the environmental problems at the author’s local park, Sullivan Lake Park, and inspire the community to practice habits that are more environmentally friendly. Sullivan Lake Park has environmental issues of trash in the lake and people feeding bread to the turtles and waterfowl. The research focused on barriers to pro-environmental behavior (PEB), influences on PEB, and communication to a diverse community through art. It is …

Women And Outdoor Adventure: Creating A Backpacking Course To Prepare And Empower, Anna Swarts

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Adventure recreation involves activities that are self-initiated, contain a degree of risk, and generally take place outdoors. Participation yields benefits in many areas of a person’s life. However, women are in the minority of participants as a result of a wide variety of constraints that range from the hidden curriculum in education, a lack of visibility, social conditioning, societal expectations, and more. The research question what are the key elements of a course that prepares and empowers women to plan and complete their own adventure trip? provided background for this curriculum project. This project consists of six workshops for adult …

Best Methods For Meeting The Goals Of Environmental And Place-Based Education In Short-Term And Immersive Undergraduate Settings, Henry Whitehead

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone sought to answer the following question: what are the best instructional methods for meeting the goals of place-based and environmental education in a short-term, immersive undergraduate setting? While place-based education and environmental education have been exhaustively studied for younger learners, a dearth of research exists in their application for college students. Through a review of the literature and the execution of the project, a January interim course for college students studying the Driftless Region, it was determined that several factors influence successful and meaningful learning for college students. Most notably, discussion, experiential learning, and engagement with community members …

Evaluating Potential Effects Of 2019 Australian Bushfires On Animal Species, Protected Land, And Land Cover, Alyssa J. Kaewwilai

Student Publications

The 2019-2020 Australian bushfire event had exceptionally dry, hot conditions as well as high potential impacts on the country’s wildlife and natural resources. The purpose of the study was to analyze the potential impacts of the 2019 Australian bushfire event on animal species, protected land, and varied land cover types. The research question of this project is: how does the location of the Australian Bushfires of 2020 potentially impact animal species, protected land and national parks, as well as different land covers? Raster calculator was used to combine and classify layers from the MODIS Burned Area Product of burned (1) …

Talking Trash: A Human Problem With Human Solutions, Lauren Wisbrock, Erin Reynolds, Jen Mertins, Anne Schultz, Timothy Hoellein, Lara K. Smetana

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.