Digital Commons Network^™

Data-Intensive Convergence Science For Analyzing Place-Based Spatial Accessibility, Alexander C. Michels, Shaowen Wang

I-GUIDE Forum

Place-based spatial accessibility is a critical tool for measuring the health, resilience, and sustainability of communities. Accessibility methods are employed by a wide range of fields to measure access to food, healthcare, infrastructure and other critical needs. While measures of access are relatively simple, they attempt to capture the complexities of human mobility and spatial decision-making to assess how well populations are served by the infrastructure, resources, and services at their disposal. This paper describes four key areas where data-intensive convergence science can revolutionize our understanding of place-based spatial accessibility by addressing issues of scale, spatial impedance, diversity, and accessibility. …

The Fiduciary Duty Of Combatting Global Climate Change, Sadie Mapstone

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

Ancient Roman Law codified the concept that there are certain resources that are so great and so important to human survival, that intuitively, no person should own them. Further, the government must protect these resources for the people. Today, this concept is known at the public trust doctrine. According to the contemporary doctrine, the seas, oceans, shores, and submerged lands cannot be privately owned, but shall be held in trust by the government for public use. Relying on the public trust doctrine, climate change litigants have brought a tirade of lawsuits—which have largely been unsuccessful—alleging that the government has a …

How Has Health Literacy And Digital Health Literacy Scholarship Evolved? A Global, Qualitative Study, Brooks Yelton Ma, Lmsw, Mayank Sakhuja, Simone Kavarana, Lauren Schaurer, Michelle Angelique Arent, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Mark M. Macauda, Samuel Noblet, Daniela B. Friedman

Publications

Health literacy (HL) is a key social determinant of health (SDoH) and is of increasing importance in public health research and intervention for improved health outcomes. Definitions of HL and digital health literacy (DHL) have evolved over time as the field has expanded conceptualization from an individual focus to the broader community and organizational levels. Careful consideration of HL and DHL for a variety of contexts and audiences is critical given increased global adoption of digital technologies and responses to emerging public health challenges. This study aimed to capture researchers' conceptualizations of HL/DHL and their motivations to engage in this …

Why We Need A Constitutional Right To Healthy Environment In Canada

Fordham Environmental Law Review

The increasing demand for constitutional recognition of the right to a healthy environment (‘RTHE’) has been a matter of public concern and debate in many countries, including Canada.2 This paper asks, will a constitutional RTHE within the Canadian Constitution add any value when statutes already exist to protect the environment (and thereby health)? The present environmental statutes work towards protecting the environment, and by protecting the environment, public health can be protected.3 Together, both of them form a ‘healthy environment’, ie., an environment that fosters a healthy life.4 This paper will argue that there is additional value in recognizing a …

Ex Vivo And In Vitro Methods As A Platform For Studying Anthropogenic Effects On Marine Mammals: Four Challenges And How To Meet Them, Juan M. Vazquez, Jane I. Khudyakov, Carla B. Madelaire, Céline A. Godard-Codding, Heli Routti, Emily K. Lam, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski, Greg B. Merrill, Jillian H. Wisse, Kaitlin N. Allen, Justin Conner, Pierre Blévin, Demetri D. Spyropoulos, Anders Goksøyr, José P. Vázquez-Medina

Pacific Faculty Work

Marine mammals are integral to global biodiversity and marine health through their roles in coastal, benthic, and pelagic ecosystems. Marine mammals face escalating threats from climate change, pollution, and human activities, which perturb their oceanic environment. The diverse biology and extreme adaptations evolved by marine mammals make them important study subjects for understanding anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems. However, ethical and logistical constraints restrict the tractability of experimental research with live marine mammals. Additionally, studies on the effects of changing ocean environments are further complicated by intricate gene-environment interactions across populations and species. These obstacles can be overcome with a …

Curricular Changes Proposed For 2025-2027 Morris Catalog Division Of Social Sciences, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

2024 Day Of Understanding Program, Office Of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging

Day of Understanding Programs

No abstract provided.

"The Words We Do Not Yet Have." A Creative Inquiry Into Human-Plant Relationships, Maliheh Ghajargar

Art Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change, loss of plant biodiversity, and ocean pollution signal the drastic changes in our ecology that call us to attend to the needs of more than human forms of life on Earth. Sustainable design and HCI research are responding to this call by offering methods and approaches to design more sustainable products and systems and recently, more than human design is building momentum. This agenda seeks to reform traditional design processes by decentering the creative agency of the dominant socio-economical group of humans and foregrounding those of diverse Others. In this paper, I focus on plants as a nonhuman …

Academic Senate - Minutes, 10/8/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

From The Earth, Ezra Welborn

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Composer’s Note

This original musical piece was created as part of Water Stories: A River Harvest, under faculty direction of Dr. McCluskey and Dr. Leverette Hall, which utilizes key elements of storytelling blended with environmental justice. One main visionary facet is how the arts and water connect people and link communities, specifically along the Ribault River. To ensure alignment, style preferences, sound movements, tone, and timbre were discussed with Dr. McCluskey and choreographer Rayanna Campbell. After on-site visits to Ribault River Preserve Park and Eartha’s Farm and Market, this musical soundscape was produced, which serves the Water Stories vision and …

Indigenous Peoples And Environmental Justice: Recognition, Rights, And Representation Of Indigenous Peoples In Bangladesh's Environmental Regulatory Framework, Nasrin Akter

LLM Theses

Using an Environmental Justice theoretical lens, this thesis explores the extent to which the environmental legislative landscape of Bangladesh has ensured environmental justice for Indigenous peoples. In doing so, the thesis concentrates on three main areas: recognition, rights of Indigenous people under the environmental legal framework as well as their representation in the environmental decision making bodies. The research evaluates Bangladesh environmental laws against standards elaborated in the environmental justice literature on each of these three areas. The research employs a combination of legal and policy analysis, as well as a critical analytical approach as part of its methodology. This …

Where Island Studies Meets Mobility Studies In Literary And Cultural Studies: Part Two, Maria Luisa T. Reyes, Luisa L. Gomez

Kritika Kultura

This article describes the second part of the special section to highlight how the essays provide yet a unique perspective on the interconnections between island studies and mobility studies. From an examination of canonical works from Tatsuhiro Oshiro’s The Cocktail Party to an investigation of more contemporary materials found on media such as YouTube and a Disney film, this article aims to examine how the featured essays closely study the concept of “islands” and how its interconnection with and influence on mobility.

Varieties Of Healing: A Catholic Perspective, Andrew Prevot

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article contributes to Catholic-Pentecostal ecumenical dialogue by offering a particular Catholic perspective on the shared Christian belief in Christ is the Healer. More specifically, it distinguishes several ways in which humans are called to participate in the healing work of Christ. It considers Catholic approaches to sacramental, charismatic, miraculous, biomedical, psychotherapeutic, social, and ecological healing. It reflects on the historical background, contemporary significance, and interconnections of these diverse areas of healing, while distinguishing such a holistic understanding of healing from the narrower concept of a cure. Acknowledging the problem of unhealed sufferers, it argues against blaming such persons for …

Southern Register. 2024.3 (Fall 2024), University Of Mississippi. Center For The Study Of Southern Culture

Southern Register

No abstract provided.

The Green Divide: Investigating Possible Socioeconomic Inequities In Public Green Space Quality In Lisbon, Portugal, Paul Coffield

Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Public green spaces are an essential element of urban design, providing numerous environmental, social, and health-related benefits to urban populations. This study assesses the quality of public green spaces across four neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic status in Lisbon, Portugal, asking ‘Are socioeconomic inequities in park quality present in Lisbon?’ While previous studies have assessed the spatial distribution of urban green space in Lisbon, this study focuses on the quality of Lisbon’s green spaces, as quality determines to what extent a green space benefits the community in which it is located. Four Lisbon parishes were selected based on their median gross …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of The Albufeira Convention In A Time Of Water Uncertainty: The Case Of The Guadiana Basin, Hudson Sizemore

Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice

This study evaluates the Albufeira Convention’s effectiveness in managing transboundary water resources in the Guadiana River Basin under increasing water scarcity. The primary objectives are to assess the Convention's capacity to balance ecological preservation with competing agricultural and municipal water demands, and to identify areas for improvement in its implementation. The research uses a qualitative methodology, relying on a systematic review of media, policy, and academic sources, supplemented by a structured SWOT analysis to organize findings and provide actionable insights. The analysis reveals that while the Convention fosters cooperation between Portugal and Spain, it falls short in addressing evolving hydrological …

Tracing Transitions: Cartographical Assessment Of Agricultural And Industrial Change In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Sage Mailhiot

Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Industrial presence has increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon over the past several decades, in the form of lucrative monoculture cultivation and petroleum extraction. Simultaneously, large quantities of land have been deforested. Using a combination of GIS and remote sensing tools such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and supervised classification, this study assesses the changes in vegetation, land-use, and petroleum infrastructure in the surrounding area of the Kichwa community of Loma del Tigre, between the years 2011-2024. The interactions and connections between these three landscape factors are also considered. The study region encompasses growing urban areas, African palm plantations, pasture, …

Seizing The Moment: Climate Mainstreaming In The Ethekwini Municipality And Lessons On Leveraging Major Events, Xenia Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract

With the significant threat that climate change poses to societies across the world and specifically those in the Global South such as the eThekwini municipality, urgent and comprehensive action is necessary to mitigate and adapt to the devastating effects of climate change. Climate mainstreaming, which is the process of integrating climate strategies into all policies, plans, investments, decisions, and implementation in a government, is essential to addressing the issue. Existing literature has emphasized this importance, however, there has been minimal study of the process within the eThekwini municipality. This study aims to fill that gap and build an understanding …

Living The Good Life In The Anthropocene, Kevin J. Lynch, Karrigan Börk, Karen Bradshaw, Rebecca Bratspies, Bruce Carpenter, Cinnamon Carlarne, Robin Kundis Craig, Sarah Fox, Josh Galperin, Francis Hicks, Keith Hirokawa, Ruhan S. Nagra, Michele Okoh, Jessica Owley, Amber Polk, Melissa Powers, Shannon Roesler, J .B . Ruhl, Danielle Stokes, Anastasia Telesetsky

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

The Stockholm Resilience Centre has concluded that the number of "planetary boundaries" we are crossing has increased from three in 2009, when the Centre's researchers first introduced the concept, to six in 2023. Crossing these boundaries means humans are changing basic attributes of planetary systems to the point of risking the future of civilization. And the distinction between "safe" and "just" planetary boundaries raises questions regarding how to conceptualize the "good life." In this latest in a biannual series of essays, members of the Environmental Law Collaborative explore conceptions of the "good" as well as the various elements necessary to …

How The Forgotten Tools Of The Clean Water Act Can Restore The Chesapeake Bay With Fewer Consequences, Evan Isaacson, Kennedi Fichtel

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Amicus (Fall 2024), University Of Colorado Law School

Amicus

Issue at a Glance

• Spotlight on Colorado Law's legal clinics

Administrative Subordination, Bijal Shah

University of Chicago Law Review

Much of the scholarship on immigration enforcement and environmental justice assumes that agencies negatively impact vulnerable and marginalized people as a result of individualized bias or arbitrariness in administration. This Article argues that, beyond idiosyncrasies or flaws in administrators themselves, the poor impact of administration on minorities emanates from institutional systems. In doing so, this Article introduces a framework of institutional oppression into the study of administration that illustrates how agencies subordinate minority interests to the ends of administrative competence and self-preservation.

A healthy federal bureaucracy is sustained by administrative efforts to reduce institutional burdens, improve efficiency, conserve resources, and …

Res Gestae 2024 Fall Issue, Lindsay Wilcox, Angela Turnbow, Austen Diamond, Lexie Kite, Elizabeth Kronk Warner, Violet Maw, Henry Randolph, Dave Titensor

Law School Historical Documents

The Alumni Magazine for the S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah

Fall 2024, Seattle University

Seattle University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Living The Good Life In The Anthropocene, Karrigan Bork, Karen Bradshaw, Rebecca Bratspies, Cinnamon Carlarne, Bruce Carpenter, Robin Kundis Craig, Sarah Fox, Josh Galperin, Francis Hicks, Keith Hirokawa, Kevin Lynch, Ruhan S. Nagra, Michele Okoh, Jessica Owley, Amber Polk, Melissa Powers, Shannon Roesler, J.B. Ruhl, Danielle Stokes, Anastasia Telesetsky

Articles

The Stockholm Resilience Centre has concluded that the number of "planetary boundaries" we are crossing has increased from three in 2009, when the Centre's researchers first introduced the concept, to six in 2023. Crossing these boundaries means humans are changing basic attributes of planetary systems to the point of risking the future of civilization. And the distinction between "safe" and "just" planetary boundaries raises questions regarding how to conceptualize the "good life." In this latest in a biannual series of essays, members of the Environmental Law Collaborative explore conceptions of the "good" as well as the various elements necessary to …

State Regulation Of Wetlands Post-Sackett: Assessing And Improving Maryland’S Wetlands Policies And Legal Tools To Better Protect State Wetlands, Kai Hardy

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Climate Change Adaptation Through Economic Democracy, Shriraksha Mohan

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

As global climate change poses a serious threat to humanity's survival, equitable and just climate change adaptation has become the focus of several climate movements, social justice groups, governments, and international organizations. Climate sciences and studies have concluded that climate change not only impacts the planet's natural ecosystems, but also has cascading negative consequences on society and the economy. The existing paradigm of economic development has created vast wealth and resource inequality. The inequality further exacerbates the ill effects of climate change and makes vulnerable communities bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of climate catastrophes. This necessitates replacing the …

Emeriti News Fall 2024, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

• Message from the Chair:
• Information about the Emeriti Council
• Wednesday II Events
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• In Memory

Making Plans Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, And Reusable With Data Infrastructure: A Search Engine For Constructing, Analyzing, And Visualizing Planning Documents, Lindsay Poirier, Dexter Antonio, Makenna Dettmann, Tiffany Eng, Jennifer Ganata, Sujoy Ghosh, Mirthala Lopez, Ranesh Karma, Asiya Natekal, Catherine Brinkley

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

Local land-use plans help guide future development, but it is often difficult to compare content across jurisdictions, making regional coordination and plan evaluation challenging. This research reviews federal, state, and local data infrastructure guidance for land-use plans and compares such guidance to compliance with a California use-case. Findings indicate a number of obstacles to fostering data sharing and comparative analysis of plans: there is currently no central repository of land-use plans; plans are not uniform in format and are often out of date; many plans are not machine-readable thereby inhibiting text extraction, and planning language varies so greatly that there …

Expanding Emissions Markets To Reduce Agricultural Nitrogen Run-Off, Samantha Tweet, Amy Hardberger

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Synthetic fertilizers have been critical in averting global food shortages; however, synthetic fertilizers and their production have led to numerous environmental harms, including greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and soil degradation.

Scientists are working on a new technology that will create a more efficient and less impactful fertilizer process, but the legal mechanisms to encourage widespread adoption and subsequent environmental benefits fall short. In the absence of regulation, market tools can encourage behavior change. If the pollution reduction by exchanging fertilizer is turned into a tradable asset, agricultural users can benefit financially, which lowers potential barriers to participation in a …