Digital Commons Network^™

Can A Green University Serve Underrepresented Students?: Reconciling Sustainability And Diversity At Hsu, Sarah Jaquette Ray

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

No abstract provided.

Increasing Public Skepticism In The Face Of Imminent Dangers From Climate Change: A Call For Science To Repair Rifts Between Society And Academia, Matthew W. Morrissey, Joshua Schmidt

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project is a composition of a literature review, our learning process, and an attached experimental project. The project as a whole sought to understood how and why policies/corporations resist environmentally sustainable practices/laws and makes suggestions for how to convince people to change their behaviors and utilize their power as consumers. Overall, our goal was to investigate and understand the relationship between science and the public by composing a literature review of environmental science, sociology, and psychology papers, and then compose a presentation that would communicate the threat of climate change. The interdisciplinary nature of climate change made this research …

A Literature Review Of Climate Change And Urban Sustainability, Julia L. Sanabria

Research Papers

Cities are vulnerable to climate change, but they are also uniquely positioned to lead the way in both mitigating and adapting to it. While there is no single solution to climate change, cities have a responsibility to transition toward a more sustainable future. This paper examines current literature in climate change and sustainability in urban areas through a discussion of the urban heat island effect, human health, natural hazards, urbanization trends, socioeconomic factors, urban energy, water and wastewater, public transportation, waste management, green infrastructure and governance. The paper has three key goals: (1) to examine how climate change is affecting …

Environmental Education At The University Of Richmond And Proposal For A Stewardship/ Sustainability Themed First Year Experience, Janet Goldbach Ehmer, Minyao Li

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In the University Strategic Plan 2017: in the fifth value, Stewardship in A Changing World, The University of Richmond has set the goal to be a leader in innovative practices that sustain our environmental, human and financial resources in response to emerging environmental and financial challenges globally. The University Strategic Plan 2017 proposes three key initiatives aiming to help the community to achieve the goal of sustainability. First, the University and the Office of Sustainability will complete a Sustainability Strategic Plan that guides the University to build a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus through the development and implementation of …

Community Gardens And Ecological Citizenship: Their Potential And Limitations In Fostering Environmentalism, Michael J. Kennedy

Research Papers

Mainstream agricultural and food production methods are a major source of environmental degradation, which has not been addressed by large-scale and global initiatives. Alternatively, grassroots and local initiatives may be more effective at alleviating the causes of environmental degradation associated with food and agriculture. Specifically, community gardens are an important local greenspace that can be used to address and educate individuals about the importance of food and the environment. However, certain barriers need to be overcome and addressed before community gardens are successfully implement. The participation and interaction at community gardens may provide a pathway to long-term commitment to sustainability, …

Hydropower, Oil Palm, And Sustainability, Fernando Salud '17

EnviroLab Asia

This reflection touches on the writer’s experiences during the EnviroLab Asia Clinic trip in early 2016 to Borneo, Malaysia and Singapore. The reflection involves two events: a visit to a blockade protesting the construction of a hydroelectric dam and a meeting with the sustainability department of Wilmar, one of the world’s leading palm oil producers. The first event comments on the tension between the need for renewable energy and the destruction of the natural environment and communities due to the particular energy generation technology chosen. This event highlighted the importance of understanding the societal constraints a technology is being installed …

Institutional Responses To Pressures For Sustainable Palm Oil, Stephen Marks, Justin Lauw '18, Shivang Mehta '19, Fernando Salud '17

EnviroLab Asia

As the two leading palm oil producing countries, Indonesia and Malaysia have come under external pressures to limit deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions related to land use conversion for oil palm cultivation. We examine various institutional frameworks that have emerged to mediate these pressures. These frameworks can be distinguished by their geographic scope—domestic, region, and global—as well as by the nature of control—private, non-profit, and governmental. The frameworks have taken the form of sustainability certification systems from non-profit organizations or governments, corporate sustainability policies, or the setting through global or bilateral negotiations of voluntary national targets for limiting deforestation or …

University Of Richmond Sustainability Report, Robert Andrejewski

Reports

The 2016 University of Richmond Sustainability Report represents where we are now, recognizes significant accomplishments, and provides a launching point for future endeavors. We all have a role to play in the continued stewardship of this great place.

This document presents a summary of the data we collected. It serves the dual role of providing information on the considerable sustainability efforts underway and establishes a benchmark for our efforts as we move forward. There is much to be celebrated, and there is much to be done.

Rethinking Redevelopment: Neoliberalism, New Urbanism And Sustainable Urban Design In Cleveland, Ohio, Julian Geltman

Honors Papers

This article explores unintended consequences of recent urban design initiatives in Cleveland, Ohio. Historically rife with environmental injustice issues, Cleveland’s built environment continues to exhibit issues of distributive justice across racialized spaces. In this research project, I first investigate whether and how New Urbanist aesthetics are geared towards a white spatial imaginary and subsequently deconstructing its whiteness. I seek to answer: is New Urbanism inherently racist? I then explore how New Urbanism in the U.S. has spread into circles of sustainable urban design, pushing space and place towards a homogenized normativity. Third, I examine the history of racial prejudice in …

From Yosemite To A Global Market: How Patagonia, Inc. Has Created An Environmentally Sustainable And Socially Equitable Model Of Supply-Chain Management, Mary-Clare Bosco

Pomona Senior Theses

There is an urgent pressure of the time (2016) to re-evaluate our patterns of consumption to adapt to changing climates and reduce waste and pollution. Because an immediate restructuring of global production strategies is not likely any time soon, industrial innovators are finding new ways of redesigning supply-chain management in efforts to move towards environmentally sustainable business in which all manufacturing practices are transparent. Patagonia, Inc. is a testament to the often-debated question of economic value in green business practices, and this thesis acts as an outline as to how they arrived at such an impressive presence in the business …

Young Leader's Sustained Engagement In Environmental Action: A Narrative Inquiry, Sara Wicks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Young people have been identified as key stakeholders in taking a leadership role in addressing environmental issues, but more research is required to find out how to sustain young people’s motivation for environmental action over time. The present study investigated this through narrative interviews with eleven environmental leaders who attended a conference called IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership in 2009 or 2011. Drawing upon the literature on life paths to environmental action (Almers, 2013; Chan, 2009; Chawla, 1998, 1999; Harré, Tepavac, & Bullen, 2009) the interviews incorporated an exercise that asked participants to plot important events in their lives …

E-Waste In Relation To Geopolitical Forces: A Case Study Of The United States - Mexico Border Region, Michael A. Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis deconstructs the electronic waste industry and its interconnectedness to geopolitical forces and economic development in the border region between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico. A symbiotic business relationship exists between informal e-waste collectors, non-profit collection sites, and for-profit recyclers. Fieldwork data is analyzed from a slow/structural violence perspective.

Social Capital, Creativity And Cultural Vitality: Prioritization Factors For Sustainable Public Space Systems Design, Rachel D. Gilroy

Master's Theses

The real problems, needs and opportunities of urban neighborhoods are not being served by conventional models of urban planning and sustainable development. The city of New Haven, Connecticut will be studied to develop a framework for planning and design of the public realm (public space/place/landscape) which addresses urban neighborhood sustainability through a social lens, using a mixed-methods, transdisciplinarity research model. Geospatial data on social capital and cultural vitality indicators will be integrated with other sustainability indicators to create a quantitative analysis component. Development of a participatory design process to foster social bonding, creativity and sustainability inquiry will comprise a qualitative …

Analysis Of Professors’ Perceptions Towards Institutional Redevelopment Of Brownfield Sites In Alabama, Berkley Nathaniel King Jr.

Dissertations

This study was conducted to analyze professors’ perceptions on the institutional redevelopment of brownfield sites into usable greenspaces. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011) refers to brownfields as sites, (either facility/land) under public law § 107-118 (H.R. 2869), which are contaminated with a substance that is classified as a hazard or a pollutant. Usable greenspaces, however, are open spaces or any open piece of land that is undeveloped, has no buildings or other built structures, and is accessible to the public (EPA, 2015).

Open green spaces provide recreational areas for residents and help to enhance the beauty and environmental quality …

Realizing Urban Water Pollution Impact In Melbourne, Australia Through Painting, Gregory Suplinskas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout the month of November 2016, I undertook a creative environmental art project in Melbourne, Australia. I chose to create a water-soluble oil painting (dimensions 3 ft. x 4 ft.) that represents water pollution problems in the city of Melbourne, particularly in Port Phillip Bay. These problems include toxic stormwater runoff, plastics pollution and plastic nurdles, as well as nutrient buildup and algal overgrowth. The painting includes messages regarding sustainability; sustainable action limits the use of our natural resources so that humans can preserve the environment for future generations rather than degrade it. In the painting, I combine conceptual and …

Beyond What Is Heard: A Documentary Film About Acoustic Ecology As Sustainability Activism, Jesse Rolfe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Acoustic ecology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between sounds, sound sources, and environment they exist within. From an environmental perspective, this involves a holistic consideration of ecosystems, and how the various organisms within that ecosystem, including humans, impact and interact with each other through sound. Biosphere Soundscapes, an international, interdisciplinary project directed by Australian acoustic ecologist Dr. Leah Barclay, operates to engage communities within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves through acoustic-ecological concepts, monitoring, and techniques. In November 2016, I undertook the process of creating a short documentary film entitled Beyond What is Heard, which aimed to explore how the …

Realizing Urban Water Pollution Impact In Melbourne, Australia Through Painting, Gregory Suplinskas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout the month of November 2016, I undertook a creative environmental art project in Melbourne, Australia. I chose to create a water-soluble oil painting (dimensions 3 ft. x 4 ft.) that represents water pollution problems in the city of Melbourne, particularly in Port Phillip Bay. These problems include toxic stormwater runoff, plastics pollution and plastic nurdles, as well as nutrient buildup and algal overgrowth. The painting includes messages regarding sustainability; sustainable action limits the use of our natural resources so that humans can preserve the environment for future generations rather than degrade it. In the painting, I combine conceptual and …

Neighborhood Revitalization In A Coal Region Community: Developing A Public Green Space In Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, Dominic Scicchitano

Coal Region Field Station Student Projects

Neighborhood revitalizationthough at times costly and otherwise challengingis a powerful method for preserving the integrity and beauty of large urban areas and small towns alike. The conversion of previously derelict sites into thriving urban green spacesoften in the form of public parks that contain a segment of living greenerypresents a concrete strategy for revitalizing these locations. Aside from neighborhood beautification, the development and presence of green space has been found to contribute to increased mental and physical health, create a stronger sense of social inclusion, and promote ecological sustainability among a myriad of other benefits within the populations they serve …

Communication Network Among Campus Sustainability Influencers, Alexandra C. Freling

Honors Thesis

Systems of all types require efficient communication between its parts and units in order to be successful and e ective. It is thus important to understand a systems units in order to better advance its operations. In this study, we look at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) as a systematic organization in regards to the universitys execution of its environmental sustainability endeavors. This approach allows for the identification of the path by which important environmental sustainability information is communicated, is learned, and is acted upon at LMU. Through various network centrality measurements, I will develop a visual representation of the communication …

Agenda: A Celebration Of The Work Of Charles Wilkinson: Served With Tasty Stories And Some Slices Of Roast, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

A Celebration of the Work of Charles Wilkinson (Martz Winter Symposium, March 10-11)

Conference held at the University of Colorado, Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom, Thursday, March 10th and Friday, March 11th, 2016.

Conference moderators, panelists and speakers included University of Colorado Law School professors Phil Weiser, Sarah Krakoff, William Boyd, Kristen Carpenter, Britt Banks, Harold Bruff, Richard Collins, Carla Fredericks, Mark Squillace, and Charles Wilkinson

"We celebrate the work of Distinguished Professor Charles Wilkinson, a prolific and passionate writer, teacher, and advocate for the people and places of the West. Charles's influence extends beyond place, yet his work has always originated in a deep love of and commitment to particular places. We …

Sustainability Across The Curriculum, Mary Ellen Mallia

Presentations

Presented at the State of NY Sustainability Conference.

Utah Air Quality: Pm 2.5, Randy Martin, Roger Coulombe, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

Particulate matter two-point-five (PM_2.5) is a tiny suspended particle of air pollution that can penetrate deeply into our lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream. The 2.5 unit means that the particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers (a micrometer is one millionth of a meter). In Cache Valley and along the Wasatch Front, these tiny particles form and accumulate to unhealthy levels when air is trapped in the bottom of the valley during cold winter days.

Leadership For Sustainability And Peace: Responding To The Wicked Challenges Of The Future, Rian Satterwhite, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Kate Sheridan

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"In the past century our understanding of leadership has changed as the contexts in which leadership occurs evolve. Today, constructs of leadership that do not incorporate emergent concepts such as systems thinking no longer match the realities of the world in which it is exercised and the challenges it seeks to address. The challenges we face as a global community have increased in complexity, size, scope, and consequence. As a result of this contextual evolution, our definition of effective leadership is evolving as well."

Greening A Drug-Addicted Economy: Can Puerto Rico Ease Away From The Toxic Pharmaceutical Industry To A Sustainably Diverse Economy?, Natalie Galarza

Student Theses 2015-Present

Puerto Rico is not the most well known place to most Americans. The small island in the Caribbean is neither an independent nation nor a state, bur rather a commonwealth of the U.S. Life filled coral reefs surround the coasts, rainforests and lush vegetation cover the land, and an underground cave system and glowing bioluminescent bay fascinate all those that venture to them. These natural wonders as well as the vibrant culture are the primary aspects most people who are familiar with Puerto Rico think of. However, the main sector of Puerto Rico’s economy has nothing to do with any …

Peacelearning And Its Relationship To The Teaching Of Nonviolence. A Response To "Nonviolent Action As A Necessary Component In Educating For Democracy", Mary Lee Morrison Ph.D.

Democracy & Education

This response to Peterson's (2014) "Nonviolent Action as a Necessary Component in Educating for Democracy" enlarges the discussion of the role of the teacher/educator in deciding whether or when it is responsible to facilitate the engagement of students in acts of nonviolent dissent. Ultimately it would seem that the most important of our responsibilities as educators is to provide the moral and ethical foundations and the spaces in which students feel safe and empowered to tap into their own inner teachers. In order to promote the development of active engagement toward a democratic citizenry, including the moral imperative to transform …

Characterizing Equipment Cost, Fuel Use, And Emissions For Earthwork Activities, Phil Lewis, Yongwei Shan, Apif Hajji, Elizabeth Hazzard

The Professional Constructor

The objective of this paper is to examine the relationships between construction equipment costs, fuel use, and air pollutant emissions to make more informed decisions in construction planning and achieve more sustainable construction activity. This paper presents an estimating approach that combines both construction and environmental data to assess the relationships between equipment costs, fuel use, and emissions. To characterize these relationships, a case study is presented for a dozer performing a bulk excavation activity. Sensitivity analyses based on soil type, dozing distance, and engine horsepower rating are presented. Results indicate that there is little difference in the equipment total …

Agenda: Seeds Of Change: Responding To Global Change In A Bottom-Up World, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment, University Of Colorado Boulder. School Of Law, Posner Center For International Development, Resolve (Firm), Newmont Mining Corporation

Seeds of Change: Responding to Global Change in a Bottom-Up World (Martz Winter Symposium, February 12-13)

Sponsors: Posner Center for International Development, RESOLVE, Inc., Newmont Mining Corporation, and Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment.

Conference moderators, panelists and speakers included University of Colorado Law School professors Phil Weiser, Sarah Krakoff, Britt Banks, and Lakshman Guruswamy.

This conference is made possible through the generous support of donors who sponsored this year’s Martz Sustainability Symposium (including Newmont Mining Corporation) and those who have invested in our Clyde O. Martz Endowed Fund for Natural Resources Management (including Brian Dolan and Davis Graham and Stubbs LLP). The Martz Natural Resources Management Fund was established in the memory …

Sustainability, Thoroughbred Racing And The Need For Change, Iris M. Bergmann Phd

Horse racing and competitions

Globally, the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry is reporting a declining trend. A report commissioned by the Jockey Club in the US, known as the McKinsey report, explicitly linked the public’s concern with animal welfare and the use of drugs to declining betting and attendance in the US. In various racing nations in Europe, in Australia and the US, thoroughbred racing is experiencing pressures from external sources and from within, with even industry participants calling for change. The industry is concerned with the integrity of racing. Structural changes, regulation and transparency in reporting are all issues identified in need of …

Rural Community Transition And Resilience: What Now For Social Work?, Jonathan Scherch

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Rural communities, like all communities, face myriad social, economic and ecological challenges as they endeavor to resolve precarious dependencies on critical, energy-intensive and supply-chain extensive resource systems. With increasing impacts of climate change and related incidents of human and more-than-human displacements, including losses of life and habitat, rural communities have become beset with frequent, prolonged and persistent recovery and coping obligations. The progressive resolution of injustices will need to occur in the face of serious ecological stressors. Designing for and increasingly demonstrating social work practices that prioritize the multi-modal skills of sustainable living may well be the most effective means …

Sustainable Development And Its Discontents, Federico Cheever, John C. Dernbach

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Sustainable development (or sustainability) is a decision-making framework for maintaining and achieving human well-being, both in the present and into the future. The framework requires both consideration and achievement of environmental protection, social justice and economic development. In that framework, environmental protection must be integrated into decisions about social and economic development, and social justice and economic viability must be integrated into decisions about environmental quality.

First endorsed by the world’s nations in 1992, this framework is intended to provide an effective response to the twin global challenges of growing environmental degradation and widespread extreme poverty. Sustainability provides a framework …