Digital Commons Network^™

Symbolic Consultation And Cultural Simplification In The Establishment Of An Indonesian National Park And Its Impacts On Local Livelihoods, Mei Meilani, Wahyu Andayani, Lies Rahayu Wijayanti Faida, Fitria Dewi Susanti, Rodd Myers, Ahmad Maryudi

Forest and Society

This paper analyzes the processes by which the Sebangau National Park in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia) was established, along with the management activities implemented and the impacts of such activities on local communities. Employing an environmental justice lens, which revolved around procedural, recognition, and distribution issues, we found that local communities were not adequately consulted or involved in the establishment and management of the national park. Furthermore, approaches to mitigate the adverse impacts failed to fully consider the diverse cultures and customs with different livelihood strategies surrounding the park. The research also found that the options made available for local livelihoods …

Contested Landscapes, Disputed Realities: An Investigation Of Socio-Environmental Conflict From Mining In Northern Ecuador: An Honors Thesis, Ian F. Hirons

Student Works

For decades, Ecuador has been one of the preeminent petrostates in South America. However, in response to recent drops in global demand and pricing for oil products, the country has made serious commitments to further develop its mineral resources. By opening a new natural resource sector, Ecuador has firmly cemented itself as a primarily extractivist nation. In the process, the national government has frequently come into conflict with activist and community groups who protest the encroachment of extractive industry. This thesis explores the various dimensions of socio-environmental conflict created by large-scale mining projects in northern Ecuador with specific attention to …

More Than Stories: Indigenous Environmental Reciprocity In The Poetry Of Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Rebecca Purse

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis brings to the forefront the traditional stories Marshallese poet, performer, and climate change activist Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner shares in her published poetry. Indigenous studies scholars agree that Indigenous stories have power--power to change, power to inform, and power to heal. The traditional stories in Jetñil-Kijiner's poetry reveal the power of the environment and the potential relationships that can exist between humans and natural beings. While these traditional stories work to disrupt the narrative that Indigenous perspectives, knowledges, and cultures are somehow inferior to their colonial neighbors', they also assert the need for a return to environmental reciprocit--or the establishment …

Wofford Today Summer 2021, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Wofford Today

No abstract provided.

Wrack Lines Volume 21, Number 1, Born Out Of Crises: Responses, Research And Reflections On A Better Future, Lynn Bonner, Robert J. Klee, Robert Pomeroy, Judy A. Benson

Wrack Lines

Articles in this issue explore various actions taken in response to different crises: lessons about the environment from the COVID-19 pandemic; how seafood sellers in the CT and Southeast Asia responded to the challenges of the pandemic; how the challenges of rising seas and developed coasts are being dealt with through managed retreat, buyouts and other actions in NC and CT; and research on the long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on dolphins led by CTSG Director Sylvain De Guise.

The Economic Value Of America’S Estuaries: 2021 Report, Tracy Rouleau, Charles S. Colgan, Jefferey Adkins, Castelletto Anthony, Dirlam Patty, Shannon Lyons, Hilary Stevens

Publications

This study builds on the work completed in 2009, “The Economic and Market Value of Coasts and Estuaries: What’s At Stake?,” a report by NOAA in collaboration with the Center for the Blue Economy and the Ocean Foundation, at the request of Restore America’s Estuaries. Like the 2009 study, the 2021 update uses the same data sources (Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and NOAA), and looks in detail at the same five major sectors of the U.S. economy (fisheries, energy infrastructure, marine transportation, real estate, and recreation) from 2009-2018.

The 2021 update includes the economic …

Resisting The Coloniality And Colonialism Of A Westernized Community Psychology: Toward A Critical Racial Justice Praxis, Ann Marie Beals, Dominique Thomas, Jesica S. Fernández, Ciann L. Wilson, Geraldine Palmer

Ethnic Studies

The institutional violence we are now experiencing, coupled with historical and ongoing waves of oppression, is a result and continuation of the legacy of colonialism. The outward eruptions that we are seeing over the last years are a result of American and Canadian settler nation-states that have taken hold in North America but are now in decline. Yet, the perpetuation of imperialism and white supremacist ideologies via the academe and other noneducational entities reproduced through curricula, pedagogy, and institutional policies and practices must still be addressed. The discipline of community psychology (CP) is no exception. As a part of the …

Warming Enabled Upslope Advance In Western Us Forest Fires, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, John T. Abatzoglou, Charles H. Luce, Jan F. Adamowski, Arvin Farid, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increases in burned area and large fire occurrence are widely documented over the western United States over the past half century. Here, we focus on the elevational distribution of forest fires in mountainous ecoregions of the western United States and show the largest increase rates in burned area above 2,500 m during 1984 to 2017. Furthermore, we show that high-elevation fires advanced upslope with a median cumulative change of 252 m (−107 to 656 m; 95% CI) in 34 y across studied ecoregions. We also document a strong interannual relationship between high-elevation fires and warm season vapor pressure deficit (VPD). …

Anthropogenic Drought: Definition, Challenges, And Opportunities, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Traditional, mainstream definitions of drought describe it as deficit in water-related variables or water-dependent activities (e.g., precipitation, soil moisture, surface and groundwater storage, and irrigation) due to natural variabilities that are out of the control of local decision-makers. Here, we argue that within coupled human-water systems, drought must be defined and understood as a process as opposed to a product to help better frame and describe the complex and interrelated dynamics of both natural and human-induced changes that define anthropogenic drought as a compound multidimensional and multiscale phenomenon, governed by the combination of natural water variability, climate change, human decisions …

Development Of A Human Health-Centered Climate Resilience/Vulnerability Framework For The Mexico City Region, Alex Stever

Sustainability and Social Justice

With climate change impacting every corner of the globe, the health and well-being of all humans is threatened, especially in heavily populated areas such as the Mexico City Region (MCR). With this threat continuously growing it is important to not only be aware of the problem and its complications but have a framework and process that will allow for rapid and well-rounded analyses of how at risk the residents of certain areas are to the threats of climate change. However, with analyzing the impacts of climate change on any sector, including human health and well-being, three conundrums arise: the socio-ecological …

Evaluating Global Environmental Changes From 1979 To 2019, To Identify Priority Conservation Areas For Birds, Qihui Wang

Sustainability and Social Justice

Nowadays, global warming is unignorable. In response, climate changes have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans, which means that global species' distributions, populations, and other activities are highly affected by climate change (AR5 Synthesis Report, n.d.). Therefore, studying environmental changes to identify priority protected areas is of significance to species protection. In this study, 19 global bioclimatic variables from 1979 to 2019 were developed and used to evaluate temporal trends. The variables include annual averages, seasonality, and climatic extremes. As these variables are known to limit species physiological performance, changes in these …

An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Climate Change On Food Security In The Albertine Rift Of East Africa, Malcolm Jacob

Sustainability and Social Justice

As one of the most densely populated regions on the continent of Africa, the Albertine Rift (consisting of parts of Rwanda, Uganda, and the eastern DRC) faces ongoing problems providing enough food for its people through crop production, livestock husbandry, and other forms of food production. Even more troubling for the future is that anthropogenic climate change is expected to significantly exacerbate food insecurity. This paper addresses one central question: how will climate change impact food security in the Albertine Rift? Based on an analysis of available data, this paper finds that policymakers should listen closely to local farmers and …

Characteristics Of Temporal And Spatial Variation Of Ndvi In Beijing And The Relationship With Urban Heat Island Effect, Wenye Liang

Sustainability and Social Justice

Vegetation is an important part of ecosystems, and the use of vegetation coverage as an indicator to study the spatio-temporal dynamics of regional vegetation is necessary for ecosystem health evaluation. The urban heat island effect can change the structure and functions of urban ecosystems, and affect the climate, hydrology, atmospheric environment, and energy metabolism of cities, as well as the health of residents. Using Beijing as a case study, this research generates vegetation coverage maps using remote sensing imagery from 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018. This study indirectly analyzes the urban heat island effect through spatio-temporal changes in vegetation …

The Non-Traditional Student Enrolled Full-Time In Art School, Sarah Kathryn O'Brien

Masters Theses

The unique needs, experiences, and contributions to the classroom of non-traditional students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate art program have been under-addressed in academic research. In this thesis, the author surveys existing research and reports on a series of surveys and some follow-up interviews conducted with both students and their professors. This thesis aims to identify the unique circumstances of non-traditional students in higher education and particularly in art school. The author identifies specific opportunities for fruitful continued research and application.

Evaluation Of Existing Climate-Change Adaptation Plans For Municipalities In Mexico: Proposition Of A “Sustainable Mac-Water Framework” That Considers Vulnerability To Impacts On Water Resources, Tsanta Rakotoarisoa

Sustainability and Social Justice

This paper presents a sustainable adaptive capacity framework for water management for municipalities, named Sustainable MAC-Water framework, after assessing the strengths and weaknesses of adaptive capacity in Mexico and its municipalities. It provides municipalities with an instrument to help them create sustainable adaptive capacity plans (Sustainable MAC plans) to prevent adverse impacts on water resources and related sectors. It is based on a study of policy instruments crafted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Government of Mexico, and literature on adaptive capacity, assessment, and planning. The Sustainable MAC-Water framework recommends the establishment of a Reactive Barriers …

Green Computing: Three Examples Of How Non-Trivial Mathematical Analysis Can Help, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Environment-related problems are extremely important for mankind, the fate of humanity itself depends on our ability to solve these problems. These problems are complex, we cannot solve them without using powerful computers. Thus, in the environmental research, environment-related computing is one of the main computing-related research directions. Another direction is related to the fact that computing itself can be (and currently is) harmful for the environment. How to make computing more environment-friendly, how to move towards green computing -- this is the second important direction. A third direction is motivated by the very complexity of environmental systems: it is difficult …

Posthuman Ecologies, Christine Chang

Masters Theses

As we move further into the Anthropocene — an epoch of geologic time where human activity has caused significant impact on the planet’s natural systems — we can no longer ignore the environmental consequences of our actions. The artificial disconnect between humankind and wilderness has caused us to create built environments that reinforce a false separation from natural landscapes.

Modern architectural movements push us towards surroundings that create disconnect from our sensory relationship to matter and temporality. We must engage with the inevitable decay of the built environment to restore our neglected senses. Reconnecting architecture to local ecologies through adaptive …

Reinforcing Connection Within Collective Housing: A New Vision Of Red Steel City, Guangyi Niu

Masters Theses

Red Steel City is a historical residential complex built 64 year ago for the first workers of the Iron & Steel Complex in Wuhan, China, under the help design guidance of the former Soviet Union. Equipped with educational and medical facilities, this “City” nearly meets every need of the residents. Where residents worked boosted the development of steel, which is considered a prerequisite for industrialization, and where they lived became the template for the era when China was finding its footing in its incredible drive to industrialization.

The original plan of Red Steel City did not consider practical conditions like …

Shifting The Industrial Food System Towards Sustainability: The Intersections Of Agriculture, Industrialization, & Health, Courtney Marchi

City and Regional Planning

This work traces the impact of the industrialization of corporate agriculture that has agglomerated globally. The aim of this paper is to discuss the major impacts and technicalities behind modern agricultural practices, and to draw attention to the intersections between industrialization, technology, health, and environmental concerns. This paper addresses the social and political implications associated with a global trade system and attempts to remedy some of them through environmentally and socially sustainable, and deconstructive, systemic approaches. There are several intersections between social equity, globalization, and agriculture that Urban and Regional Planners can work intimately with to improve overall food security …

Scholarly Communications Report On Activities 2020-21, Janelle L. Wertzberger, Mary R. Elmquist

All Musselman Library Staff Works

2020-21 annual report for Scholarly Communications work at Musselman Library, including Gettysburg College's institutional repository, The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. Covers June 2020 – May 2021.

The Impact Of Climate Change On Virginia's Coastal Areas, Jonathan L. Goodall, Antonio Elias, Elizabeth Andrews, Christopher "Kit" Chope, John Cosgrove, Jason El Koubi, Jennifer Irish, Lewis L. Lawrence Iii, Robert W. Lazaro Jr., William H. Leighty, Mark W. Luckenbach, Elise Miller-Hooks, Ann C. Phillips, Henry Pollard V, Emily Steinhilber, Charles Feigenoff, Jennifer Sayegh

Faculty Publications

As part of HJ47/SJ47 (2020), the Virginia General Assembly directed the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to study the “safety, quality of life, and economic consequences of weather and climate-related events on coastal areas in Virginia.” In pursuit of this goal, the commission was to “accept any scientific and technical assistance provided by the nonpartisan, volunteer Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM). VASEM convened an expert study board with representation from the Office of the Governor, planning district commissions in coastal Virginia, The Port of Virginia, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, state universities, private industry, and …

Taking Care, John Dixon

Masters Theses

We’ve come to live our lives on a quest for what we deem as efficiency, but has our view on the matter been focused on the wrong measures? Taking Care investigates efficiency utilizing a variety of different comparative measures through the creation of 8 chairs. When our emphasis on certain variables is shifted, is mass production the most efficient means of making? What about one-off production utilizing local materials? Does industry’s approach to ergonomics focus on efficiencies benefitting the employer while sacrificing those of the employee? Working from a Wendell Berry quote contrasting care to efficiency as a point of …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2021 - 2022, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Structure Of Chimpanzee Gut Microbiomes Across Tropical Africa, Clifton P. Bueno De Mesquita, Lauren M. Nichols, Matthew J. Gebert, Caihong Vanderburgh, Gaëlle Bocksberger, Jack D. Lester, Ammie K. Kalan, Paula Dieguez, Maureen S. Mccarthy, Anthony Agbor, Paula Álvarez Varona, Ayuk Emmanuel Ayimisin, Mattia Bessone, Rebecca Chancellor, Heather Cohen, Charlotte Coupland, Tobias Deschner, Villard Ebot Egbe, Annemarie Goedmakers, Anne-Céline Granjon, Cyril C. Grueter, Josephine Head, R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Sorrel Jones, Parag Kadam, Michael Kaiser, Juan Lapuente, Bradley Larson, Sergio Marrocoli, David Morgan, Badru Mugerwa, Felix Mulindahabi, Emily Neil, Protais Niyigaba, Liliana Pacheco, Alex K. Piel, Martha M. Robbins, Aaron S. Rundus, Crickette M. Sanz, Lilah Sciaky, Douglas Sheil, Volker Sommer, Fiona A. Stewart, Els Ton, Joost Van Schijndel, Virginie Vergnes, Erin G. Wessling, Roman M. Wittig, Yisa Ginath Yuh, Kyle Yurkiw, Klaus Zuberbühler, Jan F. Gogarten, Anna Heintz-Buschart, Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl, Christophe Boesch, Hjalmar S. Kühl, Noah Fierer, Mimi Arandjelovic, Robert R. Dunn

Psychology Faculty Publications

Understanding variation in host-associated microbial communities is important given the relevance of microbiomes to host physiology and health. Using 560 fecal samples collected from wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) across their range, we assessed how geography, genetics, climate, vegetation, and diet relate to gut microbial community structure (prokaryotes, eukaryotic parasites) at multiple spatial scales. We observed a high degree of regional specificity in the microbiome composition, which was associated with host genetics, available plant foods, and potentially with cultural differences in tool use, which affect diet. Genetic differences drove community composition at large scales, while vegetation and potentially tool use drove …

Exposure Characterization And Assessment Of Airborne Chemicals And Sars-Cov-2 Transmission In New York City Nail Salons, Amelia P. H. Watkins

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Currently, there are 156,000 people employed as manicurists or pedicurists in the United States. Employment in this sector is expected to grow by 10% over the next decade. Exposure assessments have revealed that salon workers are chronically exposed to a variety of substances that cause respiratory sensitization, developmental problems, contact dermatitis, blood, liver, and kidney issues, as well as nervous system impacts. Most recently, the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has raised the issue of the vulnerability of nail salon workers to airborne infectious diseases as well. This dissertation aims to characterize and assess the chemical exposures that nail salon workers …

Understory Species Increase Project: Investigating The Revegetation Of Native Herbaceous Species From Seed In Urban Forest Fragments, Erin Mcelroy

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Management of urban forest fragments often aims to reduce invasive species and promote native species abundance and diversity. Often, these environments lack natural establishment of native forest species, including herbaceous species that are especially sensitive to site conditions. While herbaceous understory species may represent a small proportion of forest biomass, they perform important functions within forest environments, including nutrient cycling, erosion and runoff control, and providing habitat for wildlife, as well as hosting the greatest biodiversity among other forest strata. However, many restoration projects focus primarily on the revegetation of dominant woody forest species, such as hardwood trees and shrubs. …

Current Stormwater Practices And Future Implementation At Portland State University With The Uncertainty Of Climate Change, Evan Suemori, Alexandra Vargas Quiñones

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Stormwater runoff is one of the most critical environmental issues in urban areas and is only expected to worsen as climate change persists (EPA, 2016). When precipitation events occur, stormwater travels across impervious surfaces collecting soils and pollutants which can negatively impact water quality in receiving waters. Additionally, stormwater has human health impacts, specifically through flooding and the contamination of drinking water. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it has been determined that climate change will increase the frequency, intensity, and/or number of precipitation events in some regions, including the Pacific Northwest, and decrease in others (IPCC, …

Influence Of Climate Change On Forest Fire Occurrence And Distribution Of Sri Lanka And Modeling Of Forest Fire, Mohan Heenatigala

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Forest fire is one of the main causes for forest degradation and deforestation which affect ecosystem services provided by the given landscapes. Weather variables like temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, and relative humidity also govern the forest fire regime and vulnerability. On the other hand, forest fuel characteristics, human impacts, population density, forest canopy density, slope, elevation, road density, closeness to the human settlement areas are other factors that determine the forest fire impact and potential of damage. Annually, 100 to 2500 hectares of forest resources are damaged due to forest fires in Sri Lanka. From the past few …

The Lead, June 2021, Lindenwood University

The Lead

The Lead is an electronic newsletter produced by the Lindenwood College of Education & Human Services.

The Analysis Of Japanese Consumers’ Purchasing Behaviour Towards Single-Use Plastic Packaging., Yui Setojima

Business ETD Collections

In recent years, the concept of sustainability has been put into the spotlight due to greater concern of environmental issues. Plastic pollution is one of serious sustainability issues which governments are rushing into making new regulations to deal with. The Japanese government is struggling to manage Japan’s heavy use of plastics and Japanese organizations are being asked to take positive actions towards reducing the use of plastic through media coverage and public pressure. However, plastic pollution requires huge efforts not only from governments but also organizations, whether large or small, and all individuals on Earth. This research aims to investigate …