Digital Commons Network^™

An Ancient Thread Of “Inseparable Oneness”: A Theoretical Exploration Of Community And Kinship In Grassroots Environmental Justice Movements, Izzy Dean

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis arose from a particular fascination and frustration with the prescribed nuclear family unit and the competitive isolation that capitalism breeds within normative communities, particularly in the United States. In this paper, I use the approach of theoretical exploration combined with case study research to explore the role of community and kinship within grassroots environmental justice organizations. I initially wanted to explore examples of people and groups who found strength and resistance by engaging in “non-normative” or “queer” community-building practices. I have since redefined my topic as a broad theoretical exploration in which I cite theories of non-normativity, among …

Growing Culturally Relevant Food At The Urban Farm: An Examination Of Sovereign Foodways, Place-Making Practices, And Autonomous Identity-Shaping, Dahlia Bess Zail

Pitzer Senior Theses

This paper examines channels of culturally relevant food production on the urban farm. It further investigates the connection between this production and the shaping of sovereign foodways, as well as how urban farm models provide space and resources for place-making practices and autonomous identity-shaping. This thesis shifts away from the notion of access to culturally relevant food and instead focuses on the multi-fold context that any food item takes on through its production, distribution, and consumption. This allows for a nuanced understanding of the role that culturally relevant food can play in immigrant foodways. Through case-studies at three urban farms …

Changes In Ecosystem Processes And Functional Traits Over An Elevational Gradient, Tiana Issa

Honors Theses

Elevation gradients have been used to understand how climate change impacts various ecosystems processes by substituting distance across elevation with time, reflecting a previous, colder climate. To monitor the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), plant community, and functional traits across time in the face of climate change, this study used space-for-time substitution to emulate a long-term study with elevational gradients and revisited the same gradient for nearly two decades to monitor elevational effects across time. With this research, I aim to answer the following questions: (1) How does elevation impact ecosystem processes and alpine plant traits? (2) How does …

The Effect Of Blue Mussel (Mytilus Edulis) Extinction On Ecosystem Function In The Gulf Of Maine Rocky Intertidal, Sophia K. Montague

Honors Theses

Stressors associated with climate change including thermal stress and ocean acidification inhibit the growth and reproduction of many species, including the ecologically and economically important blue mussel species in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Established scaling relationships between mussel size, abundance, and water filtration suggests that the decline of mussels will stunt GOM water filtration. This change in the rate of water filtration could have large effects on the abundance of phytoplankton, abundance of invertebrate larvae, abundance of nutrients and organic material, food web stability, and biodiversity. Overall, this thesis explores the effect of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) …

Food And Fuel: Investigating Expert Perspectives On The Intersection Of Solar Development And Farmland In Maine, Ellie Hankin

Honors Theses

Maine has established lofty goals including a 100% renewable portfolio by 2050 and increasing local food production by 30% by 2030 (Final, 2020; Maine, 2020). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted a study on state technical potential for solar installation and included 4% of Maine farmland, equivalent to 52,000 acres being taken out of the food system for energy generation (State, 2021). Increased pressure on farmers and demand for solar installations has created a land-use conflict. This study investigates expert perspectives on the intersection of solar development and farmland in Maine. A total of 17 interviews with farmers, policy advocates, …

Trends In Cyanotoxin Production Potential In China Lake: An Edna Analysis Of Microcystis And Dolichospermum And The Environmental Drivers Of Cyanotoxin Production, Gennifer M. Rubin

Honors Theses

Episodes of cyano-harmful algal blooms (cyano-HABs) are hypothesized to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. However, the dynamics of the interactions between elements of climate change and toxigenic cyanobacteria proliferation are not well defined. China Lake is the drinking water source for 7 municipalities in the Kennebec County and is one of many lakes in central Maine that has been subjected to high levels of cyano-HABs and microcystin toxin contamination in recent years. Monitoring the toxicity of these blooms in relation to various aspects of climate change may lead to identification of the major drivers of microcystin production …

Methane Emissions In Seagrass Meadows As A Small Offset To Carbon Sequestration, Yvonne Y. Y. Yau, Gloria Reithmaier, Caludia Majtényi-Hill, Oscar Serrano, Nerea Piñeiro-Juncal, Martin Dahl, Miguel A. Mateo, Stefano Bonaglia, Isaac R. Santos

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows are effective carbon sinks due to high primary production and sequestration in sediments. However, methane (CH4) emissions can partially counteract their carbon sink capacity. Here, we measured diffusive sediment-water and sea-air CO2 and CH4 fluxes in a coastal embayment dominated by Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea. High-resolution timeseries observations revealed large spatial and temporal variability in CH4 concentrations (2–36 nM). Lower sea-air CH4 emissions were observed in an area with dense seagrass meadows compared to patchy seagrass. A 6%−40% decrease of CH4 concentration in the surface water around noon indicates that photosynthesis likely limits CH4 fluxes. Sediments …

Global Oceanic Diazotroph Database Version 2 And Elevated Estimate Of Global N2 Fixation, Zhibo Shao, Yangchun Xu, Hua Wang, Weicheng Luo, Lice Wang, Yuhong Huang, Nona Sheila R. Agawin, Ayaz Ahmed, Mar Benavides, Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia, Ilana Berman-Frank, Hugo Berthelot, Isabelle C. Biegala, Mariana B. Bif, Antonio Bode, Sophie Bonnet, Deborah A. Bronk, Mark V. Brown, Lisa Campbell, Ya-Wei Luo

OES Faculty Publications

Marine diazotrophs convert dinitrogen (N₂) gas into bioavailable nitrogen (N), supporting life in the global ocean. In 2012, the first version of the global oceanic diazotroph database (version 1) was published. Here, we present an updated version of the database (version 2), significantly increasing the number of in situ diazotrophic measurements from 13 565 to 55 286. Data points for N₂ fixation rates, diazotrophic cell abundance, and nifH gene copy abundance have increased by 184 %, 86 %, and 809 %, respectively. Version 2 includes two new data sheets for the nifH gene copy abundance of non-cyanobacterial …

Influence Of Tidal Current On Heavy Metal Dynamics In The Chao Phraya River Estuary, Kansiri Silrat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The Chao Phraya River estuary, a vital ecological and economic region in Thailand, faces significant contamination challenges due to anthropogenic activities. This study aims to investigate the influence of tidal currents on the dynamics of heavy metals (HMs) in the estuarine ecosystem, focusing on cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). A sampling was conducted over two tidal periods on April 29-30, 2021, including both surface and vertical water samples and surface sediment collected at multiple tidal currents. The results reveal notable variations in HMs concentrations influenced by tidal cycles. For water samples, cadmium concentrations ranged …

A Pattern For Representing Scientific Taxonomies, Shirly Stephen, Cogan Shimizu, Mark Schildhauer, Rui Zhu, Krzysztof Janowicz, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Standard taxonomies that are meant to serve as reference specifications of specific scientific domains are developed through extensive review by scientists and experts. For data integration and interoperability needs within Knowledge Graphs (KGs), these taxonomies must be translated into formal ontologies. In this paper we present an ontology design pattern for modeling a scientific taxonomy as an ontology. The focus of the pattern is to 1) capture temporal dynamics of concepts as taxonomies evolve, 2) model the provenance of concepts to add context and enable governance, 3) assist the translation of taxonomic relations to ontological relations appropriately that will empower …

Breakwater: Anti-Blackness In Geoscience Lessons From Long Beach, Ca, Christina Marsh

Pomona Senior Theses

Breakwaters are more than just physical structures that protect against storm surges and in the context of Long Beach, CA, my hometown, they are actualizations of economic, social, environmental, geologic, and policy challenges. Inspired by Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy, and Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks, I use an extended metaphor and autoethnographic approach to connect a chronology of my educational life to the physical structure of a breakwater. Where the breakwater also acts as a signifier of my personal experiences of seeing it, questioning its purpose, and not always finding an answer. …

Mapping The Political Shifts And Impacts Of The Climate Movement In The United States, Kevin Rissmiller

Government and International Relations Honors Papers

This study explores how organizations within the climate change movement accrue political power and impact federal politics in the United States. It uses twelve semi-structured open-ended interviews with national climate activists at eight organizations to map shifts within the movement. These interviews are paired with additional qualitative analysis of legislative, media, and political rhetoric to evaluate the impact of the movement on American politics. The climate movement’s impacts (establishing the Green New Deal as a legitimate policy vision, shifting the Democratic Party to the left on climate, and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act) were made possible by a …

Charting The Course To Advance Dei In The Ocean Sciences A Case Study, Christopher F. D’Elia, Katherine Falls, Sibel Bargu, Linda Hooper-Bùi

Faculty Publications

The Louisiana State University College of the Coast & Environment (LSU CC&E) developed a multi-faceted strategic initiative to increase its diversity, equity, and inclusion. Elements of this initiative began one-by-one over the last decade and were aggregated into a comprehensive implementation plan—the 2020 CC&E Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan. Based on best practices in the “physical sciences” (i.e., geosciences, including oceanography), the plan aims to augment recruitment and retention using limited resources and personnel. The long-range goal is to increase the number of PhD graduates from underrepresented groups by employing strategies that start at the 6–12th grade level. The …

Examination Of Hepatic Cancer Rates In Varying Trichloroethylene Concentrations In The Contamination Zone Of The Ibm-Endicott Chemical Spill, Justin Shade, Sayantan Saha

Research Days Posters 2023

In 1979, International Business Machines spilled 3700 gallons of a volatile organic compound, trichloroethylene (TCE), beneath its facility in Endicott, NY. TCE is a known carcinogen and has been associated with elevated levels of hepatic cancer in previous toxicological studies. For these reasons, the researchers conducted a case-control study to determine if there was an elevated risk of hepatic cancer in Endicott preceding the spill. In addition to common practices employed in case-control studies, such as survey data collection, the researchers also employed multidisciplinary methods of data visualization to illustrate the relationship between the spill location and elevated hepatic cancer …

Lawrence, Fall/Winter 2023, Lawrence University

Alumni Magazines

No abstract provided.

Decolonial Foodurisms: From Plantations To Agricultural Spaces Of Intersectional Healing, Dominic Arzadon

Pitzer Senior Theses

Considering the complex colonial histories and relationalities associated with agricultural food production, a reimagined future beyond the violent legacy of plantations is presented. Exploring land as the site for intersectional healing to take place, the symbiotic relationship between humans and food production is increasingly becoming a reality—a theoretical framework I propose called decolonial foodurisms (pronounced food-yoor-isms). Combining “food” and “futurism” to emphasize that our collective futures are predicated on food security and food justice for all and especially for marginalized and racialized communities with ancestral ties to agricultural violence, decolonial foodurisms aims to capture how intersectional healing can come into …

Sustainability Leadership For The Energy Transition: A Case Study Of Role-Playing To Enhance Authentic Learning, Anthony Paul Heynen, Elliot J Tonkes

Practice Papers

To lead the energy transition, effective sustainability leadership requires a spectrum of skills, knowledge and understanding across technical, financial and even political disciplines. An innovative, authentic learning initiative has been designed and implemented in which Master of Sustainable Energy students conducted team-based role-playing activities, responding to a realistic, hypothetical energy policy scenario in the form of a government announcement and other mock collateral. Groups were assigned the personas of a range of industry stakeholders and prepared presentations (and accompanying media statements and position papers) for a mock online media conference. The initiative leveraged the diversity of the cohort, enabling constructive …

Attracting Investors: How The Partnership For Global Infrastructure And Investments Can Encourage Private Investment In Low- And Middle-Income Nations Infrastructure Projects Through The Creation And Use Of Project Preparation Facilities., Donald Irons

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Suffolk University Academic Catalog, College Of Arts And Sciences And School Of Management, 2023-2024, Suffolk University

College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School Academic Catalogs

This catalog contains information for the day, evening, and graduate programs.

Un-Writing American History: Reimaging What Constitutes Evidence In The Historical Method, May Kotsen

History Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

The Risk Of Climate Change And Extreme Weather, Steven Michels Ed.

Political Science & Global Affairs Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How To Build A World: Stereoscopes, Tourism, And Land In Zion National Park, Emma Duggleby

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis fundamentally questions how representations of the environment and land impact how we relate to and live in it. By examining a set of 1925 stereoscope images of Zion National Park, it considers how use-based perceptions of place – structured by the entertainment of tourism and mass media – become part of the mundane practices of consumption. By revealing how these capitalist-colonial relationships to the land have been built through time, an analysis of these stereoscope slides reveals that these stories are anything but natural in hopes of making room for other stories to be built instead. The second …

Grain-Washing: The Issue With Corn Ethanol As A Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Emily J. Rinn

Scripps Senior Theses

Decarbonizing the aviation sector remains one of the most prevalent obstacles in reducing the United States’ significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. Launched in 2021, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge aims to supply enough fuel to meet 100% of demand by 2050 through reducing its production costs and enhancing its sustainable practices. Corn ethanol feedstock has been proposed to make up as much as half of all SAF production in the 2030 benchmark. This thesis explores the assemblage of corn ethanol – from its true environmental impacts, role in the future SAF market, to research claiming corn …

Climate Change Education: How Can We Teach Climate Change To Create Agency Rather Than Anxiety With Outdoor Education?, Kennedy-Anne Hokulani Marx

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Climate change is leading to an increase in mental health impacts of anxiety, grief, and depression on young people, with many feeling it affects their daily life and functioning. Because of the direct and existential threat that climate change poses to youth, it is essential that educators provide opportunities for students to be informed and empowered through tools to cope with mental health impacts as well as tools for action. Outdoor education can provide the space for educators to engage with climate change discussion and an empowering structure for students to engage with nature, develop problem-solving skills, and strengthen their …

Destruction Of Pfoa On Ion-Exchange Resin With Advanced Reduction Processes To Regenerate Resins For Addressing Pfoa Pollution In Drinking Water, Junkui Cui

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been globally incorporated into various industrial and consumer products since the 1940s. However, concerns about PFAS have gradually grown because of their prevalence, mobility, persistence, bioaccumulation, and adverse impacts on human and environmental health. Unfortunately, traditional water treatment processes inefficiently remove PFAS. Therefore, there is an urgent research need to develop innovative, technically viable, and low cost-treatment processes for the removal of PFAS in water.

Among the established PFAS treatment technologies, ion-exchange (IX) has been extensively applied to drinking water treatment practices due to its adsorption capability and technology maturity. However, IX is highly …

Road Salt-Induced Salinization Of The Upper Paulins Kill River In Newton, New Jersey, Kristine Emily Rogers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Road salt application is a primary factor leading to the salinization of freshwater rivers and streams throughout the Northeastern United States and globally. Rising salinization within fresh water bodies is problematic because it can modify community structure and detritus processing within freshwater ecosystems, induce mortality among macroinvertebrates and other aquatic life, and mobilize metals that can pose harm to human health. Road salts also threaten surface and underground drinking water supplies, kill riparian vegetation, and corrode infrastructure, such as bridges and roads. This research examines 4 1⁄2 years of continuous water quality monitoring data collected from two sensor stations along …

Politics And The Criminal Enforcement Of Superfund, Joshua Ozymy, Melissa Jarrell Ozymy

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Participatory Policy-Making For Regional Power Grids, Nicholas Johnson, Stephanie Lenhart, Seth Blumsack

Public Policy and Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the United States, Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) are critical for maintaining electric reliability and facilitating the shift toward more efficient and sustainable electric power systems. RTOs are voluntary member-driven organizations that engage hundreds of stakeholders in policy decisions affecting planning, markets, and operations. RTOs have evolved into highly complex and interdependent systems with internal feedback among and within RTO functions, and external feedback from emerging technologies and federal and state clean energy policies. In the PJM Interconnection, the expanded scope of responsibilities, complexity, and member body size has created tensions within the stakeholder processes that has led some to …

Evolution Of The Southwest Drought Learning Network: Collective Response To Exceptional Drought, E. Elias, B. Fuchs, J. Lisonbee, T. Bernadt, V. Martinez, T. Haigh

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of The Sixteenth North American Crane Workshop: Abstracts, Megan E. Brown, Barry K. Hartup, Jane E. Austin

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Following is a list of all abstracts of presentations given at the 16th North American Crane Workshop (2023), some of which were not published in these Proceedings.