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Richmond Law Magazine: Autumn 2025

Richmond Law Magazine

Danielle Stokes and the energy discussion

Beyond the page

The mentorship web

A Debt To Whom? The Nature Questions In Sino‑Sri Lankan Development Narratives, Orlando Woods, Kanchana Ruwanpura, Loritta Chan, Barnabas Mah

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This chapter critically examines dominant narratives around Sri Lanka’s debt and development in the context of Sino‑Sri Lankan relations and the Belt and Road Initiative, questioning assumptions about “debt‑trap” explanations and highlighting how narratives about development, nature and agency shape understanding of the country’s economic and ecological futures.

Redbird Scholar, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Fall 2025), Illinois State University, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Graduate Studies

Redbird Scholar

No abstract provided.

Assessing Justice In National Climate Policies: Indicators For Vulnerable Populations, Vagif Alizada

COP30

Throughout the last two decades, various researchers have continuously examined the way that climate justice principles are integrated within national climate policies, paying most attention to the extent of their impact on specifically vulnerable populations. Climate justice, encompassing distributive, procedural, recognition, and restorative dimensions, has become one of the central ideals when it comes to global climate governance. One of the major noticeable challenges faced in this field is the lack of standardised indicators to measure whether policies deliver equitable outcomes, making cross-country comparison and accountability difficult. However, despite increasing regulations and policy commitments, there is a major limitation on …

From Silence To Evidence: Strengthening Media Reporting Protocols To Codify Ecocide In War Zones, Rodina Alaa

COP30

Ecocide, or the intentional destruction of environmental annihilation during wars, attacks important ecosystems, like forests, rivers, and agricultural lands, and has long-term negative impacts on both nature and human life. Although the media could be an agent on the frontlines of preventing and exposing such crimes, fragmented reporting standards, suppression of journalists, and absence of coordinating mechanisms weaken its effectiveness. Based on two case studies, Ukraine, where citizen-driven platforms such as EcoZagroza have allowed real-time evidence to be documented, and Gaza, where journalists are the targeted victims in an attempt to erase any evidence about the environment, this paper demonstrates …

How Can The Role Of The Judiciary In International Climate Governance Be Formalised To Ensure Accountability And Action When Governmental Political Institutions Fall Short?, Roy Abi Raad

COP30

Conventional Governance Framework have recurrently proved inadequate to tackle the extent and immediacy of environmental concerns as the climate calamity worsens. The judiciary has evolved into a crucial player in the assertion for climate justice because of this governance deficit. Courts can safeguard human rights, interpret international treaties, and hold people accountable for environmental deterioration, function that are acquiring increasing significance important in both developed and developing nations. Nevertheless, they lack institutional mechanism to legally incorporate the judiciary within the international climate governance framework (such as the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, and Loss and Damage Fund). In order to guarantee accountability, …

Holding Transnational Corporations Accountable For Ecocide And Climate-Related Human Rights Violations, Njengue Cindy Joanne

COP30

The climate emergency and the scale of environmental harm require moving beyond voluntary and overly localized approaches to establish binding legal mechanisms at the global level. Transnational corporations operating in high-impact ecological sectors must be held accountable for their actions — not only to remedy the damage caused, but also to prevent future violations. COP30 in Belém presents a unique opportunity to place legal and institutional accountability at the core of international negotiations. By building on existing instruments, the ethical ambitions of the COP presidency, and strengthened cooperation between states, civil society, and private actors, it is possible to construct …

Ecocide, Justice And Accountability: Legal Pathways Through Cop30, Marina Soares Da Fonsêca

COP30

This paper examines how international legal frameworks can evolve to address environmental destruction caused by companies, specifically through the recognition of ecocide as an international crime. Thus, using the case of Braskem in Brazil as an example, the document exposes the systemic weaknesses in holding companies accountable for ecocidal acts that displace communities and destroy ecosystems. Three strategic recommendations are proposed: the codification of ecocide in the Rome Statute, the creation of a Global Climate Justice Observatory, and the reform of climate finance to include justice-centered mechanisms. These suggestions are discussed in the context of recent developments at COP29, especially …

Empowering Courts For Climate Justice: A Policy Proposal To Enhance Judicial Capacity Through The Paris Agreement Framework, Nourine Gad

COP30

This policy paper asserts that the strengthening of judicial capacity to deal with climate harm, especially ecocide, is urgently needed and that the Paris Agreement can play a huge role in this. Given that climate change has become a more political battle between justice and rights, courts have been playing a major role in holding governments and corporations accountable. Nevertheless, many national judiciaries do not have the instruments, jurisdiction, or the training to successfully adjudicate on complex climate cases. It is then argued that as a case study, Brazil has moved forward on the issue of climate rights through the …

Deep-Sea Mining In The Pacific: Climate Justice, Ecocide, And Security In Nauru And Kiribati, Zeyad El-Sayed

COP30

This policy paper explores how the growing international controversy over deep-sea mining (DSM) can be addressed under the considerations of climate justice, through analyzing two case studies, Nauru and Kiribati, of Pacific islands. Both states are highly vulnerable to climate change and economic instability, yet have adopted different strategies. Nauru has improved and enhanced its DSM plans in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone to ensure its sovereign development rights and economic needs. On the other hand, Kiribati has taken more mechanisms that are cautious measures to temporary pause the DSM negotiations in response to public pressure and environmental concerns. These cases show …

The Formalisation Of The Judiciary In The International Climate Governance Vis-À-Vis A Solution For The Accountability Gap In Political Institutions, Shristi Gautam

COP30

The international governance of climate change has historically been led by political institutions operating under multilateral frameworks, such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Under these frameworks, the mitigation ambition and implementation of NDCs remain subject to state discretion, with no binding consequences for non-compliance, creating an enduring enforcement deficit. The paper examines the increasing judicialization of climate governance as a means of addressing this deficit, positioning the judiciary as an active enforcer rather than a passive adjudicator. Drawing on Urgenda v. The Netherlands, Leghari v. Pakistan, Milieudefensie v. Royal Dutch Shell, and the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion, the …

Public Transit And Walk Access To Non-Work Amenities In The United States—A Social Equity Perspective, Muhammad Asif Khan, Ranjit Godavarthy, Jeremy Mattson, Diomo Motuba

APC Fund Awardees

The primary goal of Transportation systems is to provide transportation accessibility to opportunities. Equitable access to essential destinations encompassing social, recreational, educational, and civic opportunities needs to be more consistent across different social groups. This study evaluates the disparities in social justice using social equity as a measure of transit access and walk access to non-work amenities. These non-work amenities include grocery stores, personal services, retail outlets, recreational venues, entertainment centers, and healthcare facilities in the U.S. Logistic regression models are developed using the 2017 National Community Livability Survey data. The results indicate regressive public transit access for socially disadvantaged …

Upcycling Incineration Ash In Reactive Magnesium Oxide Cement: Effects Of Carbonation, Padmaja Krishnan, Kemal Celik

C3 Symposium 2025

Over the past decade, increased economic activity and population growth have led to a rise in global waste generation. Current waste management strategies focus on enhancing waste collection, recycling, and converting waste into energy through incineration. While waste incineration effectively reduces both mass and volume, it generates substantial residuals, including fly ash and bottom ash, which pose significant management challenges. Despite the potential of incineration ash, large-scale utilization remains limited, typically confined to applications such as road sub-base materials, landfill stabilizers, and cement additives. The construction industry’s reliance on concrete has spurred research into using incineration ash, but challenges such …

The Level Of Awareness Of County Services In Maryland Offered By A Local Care Team To Youth With Developmental Disabilities And Mental Illness, Wanna Nedgie Dare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental and developmental health challenges remained a significant concern in one Maryland county. The Maryland Governor’s Office for Children (GOC) funds and supports the Local Care Team (LCT). Participation remains low, indicating a lack of community awareness. The purpose of this study was to explore the awareness of LCT services and strategies to improve outreach, interagency coordination, and communication to increase service use. The research question was: What is the Level of Awareness of County Services in Maryland Offered by a Local Care Team to Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness? Guided by the person-centered care (PCC) model, evidence …

Chambers Of Change: Students’ Unions As Civic Accelerators Of Ace, Bassem Helal

COP30

The transformative potential to incorporate students’ unions as an institutional gateway for the implementation of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) in higher education systems is discussed in this paper. Working on the outlines of the Glasgow Work Programme and prominent ACE frameworks as a basis of support, it asserts that student governments are structurally aligned with ACE goals, providing them procedural legitimacy, direct access to young people, and the capacity to put all six ACE pillars into practice: education, training, public awareness, public participation, access to information, and international cooperation. The study applies case studies from the University of Florida, …

Sts 360-001, 003: Ethics And The Environment, Adam See

Humanities Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Sts 201-003: Understanding Technological Society, Tyler Leli

Humanities Syllabi

No abstract provided.

“I Am So Resilient Right Now”: Impact Of The Life Skills Journey Summer Program On Métis Program Leaders, Alicia Hibbert, Fay Fletcher, Brent Hammer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The authors present the impact of the Métis Settlements Life Skills Journey facilitator training program. Community members, aged 16 to 32, were hired and trained to lead youth summer camps. It was hypothesized that participation in the program and employment as facilitators would have a positive impact on their individual resilience. The program and employment were designed to increase participant knowledge in key areas of resilience and skills to engage chil-dren in learning through play.

Occupational Health Equity: A Call To Consider Social-Structural Factors In Injury Prevention Research, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Elizabeth S Mcclure, Marizen R Ramirez, Alexis Grimes Trotter, David B Richardson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Occupational health equity scholarship has been growing over the past decade, including social-structural determinants of health research that centres the voices and experiences of historically marginalised communities. In our commentary, we focus on the intersection of work-related and non-work-related factors and how they impact the health of workers, their families and their communities through community-engaged research. Case studies include the implementation of mobile clinics that are developed alongside communities, community organising to examine and reduce health disparities among racially segregated workers, the development of research instruments and measures to study racism and discrimination, and a focus on how the distribution …

Assessing The Sustainable Circular Fashion Supply Chain As A Model For Achieving Economic Growth In The Global Market, Andrew P. Burnstine, Raouf Ghattas

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

The fashion industry faces a critical sustainability crisis, contributing up to 10% of global carbon emissions and generating 92 million tons of textile waste annually. The study highlights the complex interplay of material flows, business models, power structures, and cultural mindsets, presenting a multi-scaled framework for advancing cleaner production and circularity in one of the world’s most resource-intensive sectors. This study proposes a transformative model for circular bioeconomy in fashion, integrating systems-change theory, degrowth economics, and emotional durability. Through case studies, including Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and EU policy frameworks, the paper demonstrates how circular strategies can reduce waste, extend product …

The 2040 Plan For Northwest Indiana: How Public Engagement Guided The Formation Of The Plan, Steven R. Strains

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) prepared a Comprehensive Regional Plan for the three-county Northwest Indiana region. The involvement of numerous stakeholders, including many members of the general public, was essential and invaluable because their ideas formed the groundwork, the foundation for the entire plan development.

Community Engagement: It Is All About Relationships!, Jennifer June Anderson

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The ability to generate sustainable, mutually beneficial, interprofessional teams becomes a critical skill for today’s emerging professionals. Interprofessional teams can be developed among community-university partners to bridge the intellectual resources of academe through a model of scaffolding interrelated paradigms. This work will provide a conceptual framework for enhancing community engagement through interprofessional collaborative practices for continuing education programs.

Impact Of Degrees Of Service On Alumni Career Development, Judith Warchal, Ana Ruiz

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper presents the results of a survey that assessed the long-term impact of varying degrees of service on alumni employment and attitudes toward careers. Alumni with service-learning and other service experiences (SL plus group) felt it was important to work to correct inequalities, to provide a service to others, to make a difference in the community, and agreed that their service, academic, and social experiences affected their career development.

Design, Technology, And Cities: Integrating Design Education Into An Undergraduate Degree In Urban Technology, Matthew Wizinsky, Bryan Boyer

Learn X Design Conference Series

What role might design education play in preparing urban change-makers in the 21st century? In 2021, the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning launched the first undergraduate program in the United States focused on Urban Technology. This statement of pedagogy describes how the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology integrates design methods and coursework into a curriculum addressing the intersection of digital technology, urbanism, and city change-making. The program responds to the limited integration of service and interaction design in fields such as urban planning and architecture despite the growing need to design for human outcomes …

Ug Design Education For Sustainability: Designing For Planet & For Life, Joanna Boehnert, Emma Dewberry

Learn X Design Conference Series

There is a clear need to augment and expand Design for Sustainability (DfS) and the ecological design thinking that supports it. In the UK, the Design Council’s Design for Planet and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA)’s Design for Life programmes both support this agenda. As design educators who have spent our careers advancing ecological and sustainability literacies in Design Education for Sustainability (DEfS), we enthusiastically welcome the momentum generated by both programmes. The Design for Planet mission aims to upskill 1 million UK designers in green design skills by 2030. The RSA’s Capabilities for Life Framework presents life-centric mindsets …

Interdisciplinary Community-Based Research: A Sum Of Disparate Parts, Nancy Watterson, David Dunbar, Melissa Terlecki, Caroline Nielsen, Lisa Ratmansky, Amy Persichetti, Kristen Travers, Susan Gill

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

For faculty committed to socially responsible community engagement, the process of interdisciplinary course design and assessment can be charged and challenging. At Cabrini College, faculty are involved in precisely this kind of work as part of the College's new core curriculum, Justice Matters. Our study of two connected interdisciplinary courses marks a shift in conceptual models: how we developed from a “community service learning (CSL) approach into a participatory, collective process that embeds community based research (CBR) protocols more intentionally and explicitly. Additionally, the two linked courses illustrate how interdisciplinarity, when combined with CBR best practices, can offer powerful solutions …

Dalit And Tribal Women As Ecological Victims, Dhinakaran Savariyar

The Journal of Social Encounters

The essay examines the ecological marginalization of Dalit and tribal women in India, especially by analysing the three points of intersection, namely, caste, patriarchy, and gender. Though it starts with a global outlook on the African water crisis, it substantiates the argument with Indian realities of water inequality and resource depletion. While showing caste as the root cause of water discrimination in the country, it exposes the abetting roles of patriarchy and gender in keeping the Dalit and tribal women at the lowest position in the Indian social fabric. Environmental casteism and exclusion from decision-making processes add to the invisibility …

Assessing Inclusion Within Naaee Affiliate Ee Associations And Where To Go From Here, Connor Chilton

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental Education (EE) has a history that has been typically defined by traditionally dominant identities (White, male, able-bodied, etc.). The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) offers a unique position as frontrunners for the field of EE and have the duty to provide an inclusive-minded education for and about the environments throughout the world. Through NAAEE’s affiliate network within the United States, this paper details a glimpse into the work towards inclusion by surveying its leadership position holders about the broad subject and several interconnections of inclusion. Upon completion of the survey, participants who opted to participate in a …

Practitioners’ Perspectives On Preventing Environmental Gentrification In Chicago, Illinois, Usa, Tania Schusler, Amy Krings

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Pollution cleanup, green space creation, and other improvements to environmental quality in cities are important to urban sustainability. However, because they occur within a political economic context characterized by structural racism, urban greening initiatives can intentionally or unintentionally reproduce racial, economic, and social inequities through environmental gentrification. We explored possibilities for improving environmental quality without displacing or excluding long-term residents including people of color, the poor, and members of other marginalized groups. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with community organizers, environmental justice advocates, urban planners, housing specialists, and others who held deep expertise through their lived and professional experience in …

Damned If You Do, Dammed If You Don’T: Solutions For The Snake River And The Nez Perce Tribe, Meridian S. Wappett

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.