Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Impact Of Community Gardening On The Health Of Participants, Hannah Wynne

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Do community gardens have significant benefits to both the mental and physical health of those who participate in them?

The Use Of Agricultural Waste To Remove Heavy Metals From Mine Water, Edward Abbiw

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

The project evaluates the capacity of using low-cost agricultural waste materials to remove specific pollutant from wastewater.

Banned But Still Toxic: Gail Carlson Serves Notice That Chemical In Ski Racers' Waxes Still Lurk At The Starting Line, Bill Donahue

Colby Magazine

We live in a chemical world, exposing ourselves all day long to scary toxins created in laboratories—to the traces of herbicide that lurk in our water, to the carcinogenic Teflon coating our cookware, and to the pesticides sprayed on our vegetables.

Ecocinema Theory And Practice 2, Stephen Rust, Salma Monani, Sean Cubitt

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

This second volume builds on the initial groundwork laid by Ecocinema Theory and Practice by examining the ways in which ecocritical cinema studies have matured and proliferated over the last decade, opening whole new areas of study and research.

Featuring fourteen new essays organized into three sections around the themes of cinematic materialities, discourses, and communities, the volume explores a variety of topics within ecocinema studies from examining specifc national and indigenous flm contexts to discussing ecojustice, environmental production studies, flm festivals, and political ecology. The breadth of the contributions exemplifes how ecocinema scholars worldwide have sought to overcome the …

Tales From A Placeholder: A Relational Journey With Land, Place, People And Self, Kalle O. Fox

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The proposed thesis is a collection of place-based, long- and-short-form creative nonfiction essays. The places of interest are where the author spent different amounts of time in during her twenties, including Iceland, Miami and Seaside, Florida, Butte and Missoula, Montana, and a series of National Parks on the western side of the Continental Divide. This thesis is informed what cultural geographer Yi Fu Tuan coined as topophilia: the affective bond between people and place. “Place” and “sense of place,” while each having their own array of definitions in environmental scholarship, are considered interchangeable in the context of my work. A …

The Diffusion Of A Discipline: Examining Social Marketing's Institutionalization Within Environmental Contexts, Liz Foote

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As a social change discipline, social marketing has demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing many types of wicked problems. However, despite its utility in environmental contexts, it is neither well known nor widespread in its uptake in these settings. This study’s purpose is to reveal opportunities to drive the adoption, implementation, and diffusion (“institutionalization”) of social marketing within the domains of environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation. This research considers the use of social marketing as an innovative practice within a diffusion of innovations framework and uses a systems lens to examine early adopter social marketing professionals and the institutional contexts …

Use Of A Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facility By Avian Populations In Central California, Quratulain Ahmed

Master's Theses

With an ever-increasing demand for renewable energy in response to climate change, utility-scale solar energy (USSE) is on the rise, particularly in California. Although solar energy is viewed as an essential resource for transitioning from a fossil fuel economy, USSE installations can cover thousands of acres of habitat used by avian species. Little is known about the effects of USSE on avian populations, although some evidence suggests that USSE facilities may be leading to bird mortality. The lake-effect hypothesis suggests that birds may mistake solar arrays for large bodies of water resulting in injury or mortality. Though several studies describe …

Impacts Of Transit-Oriented Development Through The Eyes & Lives Of Low-Income Latinx Residents: A Case Study In Fruitvale, Oakland, Diana Saavedra

Master's Theses

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is often showcased as a solution for private vehicle dependency and growing climate issues. Although TOD seems promising, it usually has harsh, unforgiving effects such as ecological gentrification. Ecological gentrification occurs when lower-income communities, especially of color, are pushed out of their neighborhoods due to the implementation of an environmental amenity, benefit, or service. However, research suggests that TODs that apply Transportation Justice principles seem to produce more equitable results. This study explores the Fruitvale Village TOD, located in Fruitvale, Oakland, California. This TOD was selected because it is unique in its conception and implementation, as it …

Historic Ohlone Resource Distribution Within The Alameda Creek Watershed, Naseem Fazeli

Master's Theses

The Alameda Creek watershed is located within the ancestral homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. Their ancestors historically utilized a variety of plants for food, medicine, ceremonies, and building materials, with their understanding of the value of the plants based on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). The arrival of Spanish, and later Anglo/American, colonists beginning in the mid-18th century introduced urbanization and European agricultural practices, which have degraded wildlands and impacted species richness and diversity. As interest in environmental restoration has been increasing in recent decades, the present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe has an opportunity to …

Co-Composted Biochar Improves Dry-Farmed Tomato Productivity In The Santa Clara Valley, Ca, With No Change In Soil Microbiology, Duncan A. Keller

Master's Theses

California is a globally important site for agricultural production, but the state is currently suffering from an unprecedented drought. One strategy to conserve water is dry farming, where growers cache moisture in the soil from off-season rain or early-season irrigation for crops to use throughout the growing season. Some California growers have dry-farmed tomatoes for decades. Recently, some have begun adding co-composted biochar (COMBI) to boost productivity and stimulate soil microbiology, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. To the best of my knowledge, no field research on dry-farmed tomato systems currently exists, let alone on the effects of COMBI amendments on yield, …

Black, Green, And Young: A Case Study Assessing Implementation And Outcomes Of An Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering And Math Curriculum For Youth In West Oakland, California, Ashari A. Taylor-Watson

Master's Theses

Environmental racism plagues low-income communities of color through exposure to environmental hazards, and the youth are most vulnerable. Environmental science, technology, engineering, and math (E-STEM) curriculums promoted as tools for corrective justice. Using a West Oakland, California Boys and Girls Club as a case study, I first describe the environmental awareness, attitudes, and actions of a group of six- to 13-year-old, predominantly African - American, children from this low-income community. I then examine the possible impacts of an E-STEM curriculum on participants, and I identify staff- and researcher-identified challenges to its implementation. During the study, the cohort experienced a heightened …

Medieval Weathers: An Introduction, Michael J. Warren

Medieval Ecocriticisms

Introduction to the first volume of Medieval Ecocriticisms.

Drilling For Oil And Gas: An Interview With John Holko, Logan Kinney

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

This is a personal interview with John Holko, president of New York based company Lenape Resources.

A Message From The Guest Editor, Valerie Imbruce, Adelaide Cagle

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A message from the Guest Editor

The Contaminated Realities Of A Post-Ibm Endicott Today, Priya Desai

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Endicott, a small town in the Southern Tier of New York, experienced great economic success due to the birth of IBM in 1911 through the late 1900s. Today, the town is left with environmental degradation and is tainted by carcinogens as a result. The post-industrial town has endured corporate-state mitigation efforts for years. This research will explore the realities of the toxic plume in the twenty years since operations have ended at the IBM-Endicott plant. Through implementing participant observations and a myriad of interviews with experts, including NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) officials and Endicott residents, the …

An Observation Of The Two River's Greenway, William Mckenna

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

This piece offers a history of the the Two Rivers Greenway in downtown Binghamton, NY based on project plans and the author's personal observations.

Land Acknowledgement, Joela Falk

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Opening conference remarks about the importance of land acknowledgement.

An Observation Of The Strand Theater, Joela Falk

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

This article provides a history of The Strand Theater in downtown Binghamton NY based on fire insurance maps and the author's observations.

The Environmentalist Movement In The World And Environmental Studies In The Marketing Literature, Bilge Nur Öztürk

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Problems such as environmental pollution, the depletion of the ozone layer, the melting of glaciers due to global warming, the decline in clean resources and the extinction of some species have prompted people to consider the idea of a more sustainable world. In this process, humanity is going through a mental transformation and gaining some awareness. As emphasized in this study, all crises (accidents, fi res, outbreaks, etc.) experienced worldwide have been the driving forces for environmental transformations. Environmentalist movements emerging from this orientation have also found their place in the world of science and therefore in the marketing literature. …

Urban Agroecology For Food Sovereignty And Biodiversity: Are Urban Community Farms Or Gardens More Effective?, Heidi L. Giancola

Master's Theses

Industrial agriculture is accurately criticized for eliminating biodiversity and destroying food sovereignty. Urban agroecosystems, usually individual plots in community gardens, are promoted to restore ecological services and equity to food systems. Recently, collectively tended urban community farms have developed, with explicit social justice goals. This study directly contrasts the effectiveness of the urban community farm and garden models. Spatial analysis is used to confirm that community farms enhance geographic access for healthy food priority areas compared to gardens in the San Francisco bay area. An online survey of farm staff and gardeners from Marin to Santa Clara County resulted in …

Urban Forests And Their Potential To Combat Food Insecurity: Analyzing Foods From Street Trees In New York City, Ny, Kristen Cooney

Environment and Sustainability Summer Fellows

There is growing recognition that urban forests have the potential to combat food insecurity via their edible parts, namely fruits, berries, and nuts. Many tree species commonly planted in urban spaces have edible parts that may fulfill the nutritional needs of city residents that are food insecure, but no one has analyzed the value of city street trees to understand this potential. I analyzed New York City’s street trees by each species and their edible parts to measure this potential.

Urban Forests And Their Potential To Combat Food Insecurity: Analyzing Street Trees In Baltimore, Md For Their Edibility, Victoria Bearden

Environment and Sustainability Summer Fellows

Food insecure environments, in which residents lack consistent access to nutritious food materials, can occur in urban settings. Literature on urban forests suggests that trees can provide a range of provisioning ecosystem services, including edible uses. We consider this to determine if street trees in Baltimore, Maryland have the potential to provide nutritious food materials to address food insecurity in Healthy Food Priority Areas (HFPA), designated by Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Assessing Convolutional Neural Network Animal Classification Models For Practical Applications In Wildlife Conservation, Julia Larson

Master's Theses

Convolution neural network models (CNNs) can successfully identify animal species in camera-trap images in simplified testing environments. CNN performance in more complex, realistic environments is understudied. Here the Wellington Camera Traps dataset was used to simulate a wildlife conservation project to detect invasive species at low population levels using camera-trap images and CNN models. Ten CNNs were developed and analyzed with seven testing datasets, simulating 13 possible project scenarios. Model performance was measured using standard computer science metrics, top-1, and top-5 accuracy, and two novel performance metrics developed for this research to directly reflect wildlife conservation goals, false alarm rate, …

Evaluating Urban Parks Accessibility And Equity: A Case Study Of Hartford, Ct And New Haven, Ct, Natalie Roach, Mara Tu

Honors Scholar Theses

Public parks provide cities with environmental benefits, positive health effects, recreational opportunities, community building, educational spaces, and public amenities. However, certain populations have been systematically denied their fair share of these benefits because of unjust practices in the creation and maintenance of urban parks. With a lens of environmental justice, the goal of this research was to assess park quality and accessibility of two Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven, by gathering publicly available information as well as using GIS tools.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has an existing ParkScore rating system that evaluates the quality of a city’s …

Going Green: A Comparative Analysis Of Green Urbanism In Paris And Shanghai, Jeanne Torp

Honors Theses

As climate change becomes more pressing with each day and as we scramble to slow down the challenges it poses, adapting the means of operation within our cities will become an invaluable tool for reducing humanity’s carbon footprint. This paper seeks to study the ways in which green infrastructure in global cities can be used to do just that—adapting to and mitigating the effects of challenges resulting from climate change. In order to provide a broad overview of the effectiveness of such green infrastructure systems across the globe, this research will focus on two cities that vary greatly in their …

Exploration Of The Food Forest Outreach Team, Victoria Bearden

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

At Whittaker Environmental Research Station, the first iteration of the Ursinus Food Forest was planted in 2019. The Ursinus Food Forest includes over 15 species of edible species and embraces lessons in urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry. The site has now been planted for over a year, and is monitored by Dr. Patrick Hurley, student researchers, and Ursinus facilities. There are two separate student research teams involved with the food forest, one focusing on stewardship of the site and the other focusing on outreach for the site. The goal of the outreach team is to build a community around …

Forest Stories, Victoria Bearden, Nate Berger, Kristen Cooney, Peter Scuderi

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

In the fall semester, the Forests and People class examined diverse human-forest interactions and how people find value within these ecosystems. To apply the lessons learned in class, student teams conducted four separate in-depth interviews with individuals who reside or work in forested areas to examine how these individuals define their relationship to local forests. The interview format encouraged open, personalized engagement between students and speakers, focusing on identifying ecological values and their importance in shaping forest management. This presentation focuses on an ARCgis storymap production composed of two selected interviews with individuals in western Oregon. One interview evaluated the …

A Comparison Of Strategies For Mitigation Of Lifecycle Greenhouse Gases From Residential Buildings In The United States, Peter Berrill

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Buildings play a key role in determining global demand for energy and materials, and therefore have a major influence on anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This dissertation examines recent trends and future trajectories of energy demand and GHG emissions from residential buildings in the United States. Around 10% of residential GHG emissions in the United States come from material production and construction activities, a share that will increase as energy supply decarbonizes. Decarbonization of electricity generation has been the primary source of residential sector emission reductions since 2005. Demand side energy efficiency improvements have helped to reduce emissions, but compared …

Forest Conservation Within Bounds: An Analysis Of The Development And Impact Of Protected Area Policies In Uganda, Michaela Foster

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Deforestation is a critical global challenge in the 21st century. Policies that effectively tackle forest loss are essential given that the consequences of deforestation can be severe for both people and nature. There is hence an urgent need to generate knowledge about effective policies and, in particular, to unpack how existing conservation interventions have contributed to improving forest governance and outcomes. Protected areas have emerged as the pre-eminent tool for conserving forests worldwide, and in view of their role as one of the most prominent conservation policies, it is imperative to assess their effects. This dissertation addresses this research need …

Driving Emissions Down: Whole-Supply-Chain Mitigation Of Greenhouse Gases From Passenger Vehicles, Paul Wolfram

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Greenhouse-gas emitting human activities have caused the warming of the earth surface temperature by 0.97°C relative to pre-industrial levels. In order to prevent the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, most countries are committed to pursue action to limit global warming to well below 2°C under the Paris Agreement. Global transportation is the single largest user of energy as well as the largest carbon-dioxide emitting end-use sector, chiefly driven by passenger vehicles. Emissions caused by vehicles do not only occur at the vehicle tailpipe though. Pollutants are released along the entire vehicle supply chain, ranging from electric power plant discharges …