Digital Commons Network^™

Decentralizing The Electric Grid: Giving Power Back To The People, Nicole Chen

Master's Theses

Societies across the globe are shifting away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, resulting in significant changes to the electric grid. This clean energy transition is accompanied by transformative opportunities. However, the benefits of clean, reliable energy do not equitably accrue to all communities. In order to challenge and overcome the persistent social disparities that exist in the energy transition, energy justice must be a driving factor in energy planning and decision making. This research highlights metrics and parameters that should be included when considering deployment of community solar microgrids to advance a just energy transition. The results of …

Sustainable Roots: The Environmental Genealogies Of Chicanas And Latinas, Marlene Andrade

Master's Theses

Ingenuity and tending to the land are anything but contemporary to Communities of Color (COC). Even when our communities become targets of environmental racism and experience the brunt of institution-based degradation, COC resist in a multitude of ways. While there is a plethora of documented social movements led by the Chicanx community for civil, educational, and labor rights, there is a paucity of Chicanx presence in environmental discourse. Thus, my scholar-activist commitments are to highlight Chicana/Latina herstories, epistemologies, and praxes that debunk the narrow white-heteropatriarchal male narrative in mainstream environmentalism. This dominant narrative fails to: (a) address the historical and …

Beyond “Big Government”: Toward New Legal Histories Of The New Deal Order’S End, Gabriel L. Levine

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism. By Paul Sabin.

“Free Speech, Academic Freedom, And Racial Justice On Campus: An Aclu Lawyer’S Perspective”, Emerson Sykes

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

No abstract provided.

Lorax (1971) By Dr. Seuss, Megan Jane Laverty

Picture Books

Megan Jane Laverty interprets Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (the 1971 book, the 1972 television cartoon, and the 2012 feature film) as a multi-layered philosophical fable. First, she examines how the story reveals the dangers of our enthusiastic but short-sighted pursuit of innovation, success, and wealth—ambitions that can lead to far-reaching and often tragic consequences. Secondly, she explores how the narrative vividly illustrates the environmental devastation that results when commercial enterprises treat nature as an inexhaustible resource for production and progress. Laverty proposes several ways for students to engage with the story’s philosophical themes, including the aesthetic exploration of their local …

The Role Of Non-Climate Data In Equitable Climate Adaptation Planning: Lessons From Small French And American Cities, Elena Lioubimtseva, Charlotte Da Cunha

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

There is a growing consensus that to effectively adapt to climate change, cities need userfriendly tools and reliable high-resolution biophysical and socio-economic data for analysis, mapping, modeling, and visualization. This study examines the availability of various types of information used in climate adaptation plans of 40 municipalities with a population of less than 300,000 people in the United States and France, probing into the choice and usage of relevant information by small municipalities. We argue that non-climatic spatial data, such as population demographic and socioeconomic patterns, urban infrastructure, and environmental data must be integrated with climate tools and datasets to …

Criminal Justice System And The Environmental Views Of Ex-Offenders In Mauritius, Jean Laurent Stephen Lyajoon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals aims to promote environmentally friendly development across every aspect of life to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the criminal justice system, despite bringing a significant contribution, is often overlooked when talking about this specific topic. Ex-offenders, upon their release from the prison system, are valuable assets who can contribute significantly to sustainable development which sometime are hindered due to harbored stigmas and perceptions from society. Therefore, this study aims to explore the factors, such as environmental, social and organizational, affecting the environmental attitude of ex-offenders in Mauritius and how it has been shaped …

The Long Voyage Home, India M. Whaley

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

This research paper (“Paper”) examines the international, constitutional, legal history, and current rights to housing in the United States (U.S.), Jamaica, and South Africa. This Paper addresses the federal and sub-national systems regarding affordable housing initiatives that drive policies associated with poverty and homelessness. Moreover, the following thesis addresses the need for affordable housing and discusses the substantive right to housing. It examines the legal avenues and obstacles that must be overcome given the division of powers in each country. This Paper will discuss significant influences such as colonialism that shape current housing policies to eradicate poverty and homelessness. Colonial …

Trauma Education In Social Work Curricula: An Innovative Approach To The Teaching Of Trauma-Informed Care, Jennifer M. Schlinger

Theses and Dissertations

Many professionals, especially social workers, work with individuals who have a history of or are experiencing trauma. If students understand the trauma their clients have experienced, they are better suited to meet the individual where they are and help them work towards their goals. Social work professors must prepare their students by instructing them about different types of traumatic experiences, the impacts, assessment tools, and various intervention strategies. I used a qualitative research approach and document analysis to understand how social work programs incorporate education related to trauma and trauma-informed practice into their curricula. This method allowed me to gain …

Sustainability Strategies For Nonprofit Organizations, Ramchand Francisco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders face the challenges of ensuring their organizations are financially healthy while navigating economic and organizational issues that require strategies to support program growth with limited financial resources. Grounded in Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders used to support program growth and sustainability with limited financial resources. The study participants were three leaders of a nonprofit organization in the northwest region of the United States who had expertise related to the focus of the research. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, analyses of the client organization’s internal …

Treasure Island: Gold Dust Or Radioactive Soil?, Ari Daniels

Scripps Senior Theses

Former Naval Station Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay is undergoing an expensive redevelopment process to be turned into a sustainable living community. However, the area has a long history of mishandled radioactive material, irresponsible behavior on behalf of authorities, environmental instability, lawsuits, and administrative complaints. This research project focuses on Treasure Island’s history and redevelopment plan, utilizing San Francisco government documents, local newspapers, literature on environmental justice and racism, and state legislation to draw conclusions on the efficacy of the project from a sustainability standpoint and the responsibilities of the planners and developers. After providing a historical overview …

Fossil Fuels In Disguise: Environmental Issues With Carbon Capture Storage In The Central Valley, Medha Gelli

Scripps Senior Theses

The California Air Resources Board’s 2022 Scoping Plan supports the development of Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) facilities in order to meet California’s climate goals. Most of the proposed fourteen sites will be located in the Central Valley. CCS may help achieve negative emissions but poses several environmental problems. Key among these issues are water depletion and contamination, excessive energy usage, air pollution, and the potential for CCS-induced seismic risk. Due to the Central Valley’s disadvantaged and less-resourced background, this area is more at risk for environmental injustices with CCS implementation. By creating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps of factors related …

The Prison Industrial Complex: A Microcosm Of Environmental Justice As A Human Rights Issue, Isabella Brusco

Scripps Senior Theses

Many scholars have established a connection between Environmental Justice (EJ) and the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC), EJ and human rights, and the PIC and human rights.. The aim of this thesis is to encourage a conversation that connects these three concepts: EJ, the PIC, and human rights. This will be accomplished by scrutinizing a legal case called Rutherford v. Luna, in which American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers contend that individuals incarcerated in the inmate reception center of Los Angeles County are enduring inhumane conditions. I employ this case as an example of the PIC, illustrating that the PIC represents …

Potential For Less Plastic Pollution: Colorado's Recycling System And Plastic Bag Ban, Robyn Smith

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Storyteller's Remove: Place-Noticing In Welty's Disturbed Landscapes, Lucy Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi author Eudora Welty’s particular attunement to her characters’ place and time earned her canonization among southern authors bound by a peculiar sense of place. Our understanding of place, though, is rapidly evolving, spreading theoretical roots across disciplines and striving to keep up with global environmental change. Adopting frameworks from ecology, sociology, and comparative literature, this work seeks out the common denominators between Welty’s sense of place and our present perspectives, training our eye to notice relationships previously unconsidered. Unmistakable throughlines in Welty’s writing and photography offer fertile grounds for tracing place theory through visual and critical analysis, and find …

In The Weeds, Bianca J. Jensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

We Are Larger Than Ourselves, Mark Spero

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Public Land Management’S Future Place: Envisioning A Paradigm Shift, Sam Kalen

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Negotiating Infrastructural Citizenship Beyond The State: Philanthropy, Non-Profit Organizations, And The Flint Water Crisis, Melissa Heil

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

The urban infrastructure literature has explored how infrastructure is tied to the politics of citizenship: states’ use of infrastructure to include/exclude populations and marginalized populations’ use of infrastructure to claim fuller citizenship. Often, this literature focuses on the relationship between governments and city dwellers, neglecting the role of other actors, like NGOs and philanthropic organizations, that influence infrastructural citizenship. A hallmark of neoliberalism in the Global North has been the transfer of responsibilities from the state to the non-profit sector, increasing these organizations’ power to shape urban citizenship. This paper examines how non-profit organizations participate in the politics of infrastructural …

Expanding Current Definitions Of Environmental Stewardship Through Organizational Mission Statement Analysis, Alyssa S. Thomas, Michele Romolini

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

In recent years, environmental stewardship has been emphasized as one solution to social-ecological sustainability concerns, especially at the local scale. The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) is a national research program developed by the USDA Forest Service that has been implemented at numerous locations in the United States and internationally. This study compared the mission statements of environmental stewardship groups in the Los Angeles River Watershed to previously proposed definitions and frameworks of organizational environmental stewardship to see how well they were reflected. A thematic analysis of the mission statements was also carried out to identify locally important themes …

Research And Graduate Studies Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies, Illinois State University

Research and Graduate Studies Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Reshaping The Narrative, Crystal Little Owl

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Bicycling For Sustainable Urban Mobility: Comparing Urban Transformations In Paris And Bogotá, Luba Masliy

Pomona Senior Theses

Promoting cycling is one of the low-hanging fruits to decarbonizing transportation, with further extensive benefits to quality of life. The main deterrent to the adoption of cycling for transportation is the lack of safe and connected infrastructure. This thesis explores and compares the case studies of Paris and Bogotá, where cycling modal shares grew significantly within the last decade. Plans outlining ambitious goals around sustainable transportation were put in place, and total bicycle network lengths increased rapidly in both cities. My work focuses on examining policy and infrastructure developments that lead to increased adoption of cycling over time in Paris …

Examining The Role Of Place Attachment In Climate Justice Engagement And Jewish Relationships To The Environment, Madeline Medina

Environmental Studies Honors Projects

It is critical that environmental justice and marginalized identities are the focus of climate-related discussions and research. Solutions must support the long-term wellbeing of people, especially and importantly those who are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Psychological research suggests that place attachment–the meaningful bonds that occur between people and their environment (Scannell & Gifford, 2010)–is a key factor in motivating environmental behavior, but little research has examined its connection to environmental justice oriented behavior. This two-part exploration first evaluated the role of place attachment on engagement with both a typical climate change centered message and a climate …

Designing An Eco-Resilience Community In Brentwood, Washington D.C., Nadya Syazsa

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

As the world urbanizes at a dangerously rapid pace, this Professional Plan helps with addressing the need for urban resilience – the ability of a city’s systems to withstand and adapt to the shocks and stresses it may endure, such as natural disasters.

The purpose of this Plan is to design a network of green infrastructure projects (GIs) as part of establishing an eco-resilient community in Brentwood, Washington D.C. These projects are meant to be low-impact developments (LIDs) in order to minimize disruption to the existing fabric of the Brentwood community, yet still aid residents by increasing their capacity to …

Developing Agrihoods: The Context For Petersburg, Brandon L. Archer

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Petersburg has an extensive history of navigating through challenging times. From its inception, African Americans have played an important role in the development of the city, and today that spirit is still present. As evidenced by an extensive network of community support and stakeholders, the Petersburg Youth Farm has matured into a resource for not just the residents of the neighborhood but of the city as a whole. By incorporating some innovative planning techniques and building a housing development truly dedicated to community needs, we can improve lived experiences in the city.

By adopting the recommendations set forth in this …

Sustainable Community Development Case Study Of Collaboration, And Participation Between A Nonprofit Organization And Governance, Nicholas L. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Lake Calumet Task Force (LCTF) is a nonprofit community organization that has developed the Green Economic Industrial Corridor (GEIC) plan. The GEIC plan presents the socio-economic needs of Lake Calumet’s communities and proposed improvements to the natural and built environment, which have been neglected for decades. There was a gap in knowledge regarding collaboration and formation of partnerships for the design and implementation of sustainable development strategies across other key stakeholders. The qualitative case study explored how LCTF can combine principles of cooperation, partnership, and participation, with the local governmental agency’s design and implementation strategies, to enlarge upon the …

Exploratory Analysis Of Factors Affecting Home Delivery Returns, Michael Bronson, Miguel Figliozzi, Ali Riahi Samani, Sabya Mishra

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

E-commerce and house deliveries have experienced a rapid growth in the last two decades. The return of online shopping products is an undesirable side effect of online shopping that has not been properly studied in the transportation literature. Utilizing binary logit models, this research answers two novel research questions focusing on the online shopping channel: (i) What household characteristics are associated with a higher or lower propensity to return online purchases? and (ii) What type of products contribute to positive return delivery rates? To answer these questions models are developed using data collected from a household online survey of e-commerce …

2023 Jan Term Course Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Jan Term Course Catalog

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Climate Change On The Mental Health Of Native American Youth: A Qualitative Study Protocol, Xun Wang

Public Health Theses

Climate change can induce a significant mental health burden on youth, especially for those in Indigenous communities. Despite their vulnerability, little is known about the impact of climate change on the mental wellbeing of Native American children and adolescents. This qualitative study seeks to address this gap by exploring Native American youths’ perceptions and emotional and behavioral responses to climate change. The study is grounded in Indigenous methodologies, which prioritize Indigenous worldviews, values, and ways of interaction. We will utilize relational capital on campus to identify the collaborating tribe and ensure a respectful and reciprocal relationship is built before proceeding …