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An Introduction To A Framework For Sustainability Thinking, Jeremy Vanantwerp, Matthew Kuperus Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

A Framework for Sustainability Thinking: A Student’s Introduction to Global Sustainability Challenges presents basic information related to sustainability challenges in the context of a cognitive framework that allows students to evaluate problems and potential solutions from a quantitative perspective. Moreover, numerous end-of-chapter discussion questions and project ideas examine moral, ethical, and worldview aspects of sustainability choices and tradeoffs between different approaches to sustainability.

New Perspectives In Fashion Sustainability Through The Use Of Bacterial Cellulose, Patrizia Bolzan, Daria Casciani, Arianna Regaglia

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Fashion constitutes a sector with a high environmental impact, particularly because of shorter product life cycles and an exponential increase in the speed of production and in the number of goods created, sold, or unconsumed and thrashed. This paper aims to explore new perspectives of design and production processes toward environmental, social, and cultural sustainability through bio-fabrication. After an analysis of the context of reference and a review of existing literature, the research focuses on experimentation with bacterial cellulose (BC) to investigate the limits and potentials of controlled growth, waste processing and integration, accessories creation and recyclability, and the assembly/disassembly …

Groundwater Monitoring Analysis And Management Recommendations In California: Cuyama And Santa Cruz Mid-County, Kayla M. Souza

Master's Projects and Capstones

Groundwater is an essential water resource, accounting for about 40 percent of supply in California and 80 percent in the Central Coast hydrologic region, but significant monitoring data gaps have limited sustainable management efforts. Twenty-four basins within the Central Coast hydrologic region were identified as critically overdrafted in 2014. For this study, two basins were chosen based on differing sustainability concerns so that a comparative analysis could be performed on the groundwater monitoring methods. I obtained original groundwater elevation data reported (2000-2020) from the various groundwater monitoring organization wells to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) within the Cuyama …

Building Capacity For Socio-Ecological Change Through The Campus Farm: A Mixed-Methods Study, Francesca A. Williamson, Amber J. Rollings, Grant A. Fore, Julia L. Angstmann, Brandon H. Sorge

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Given the ongoing socio-ecological crises, higher education institutions need curricular interventions to support students in developing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to create a sustainable future. Campus farms are increasingly becoming sites for sustainability and environmental education toward this end. This paper describes the design and outcomes of a farm-situated place-based experiential learning (PBEL) intervention in two undergraduate biology courses and one environmental studies course over two academic years. We conducted a mixed-method study using pre/post-surveys and focus groups to examine the relationship between the PBEL intervention and students’ sense of place and expressions of pro-environmentalism. The quantitative analysis …

The Sustainable Prescription: Benefits Of Green Roof Implementation For Urban Hospitals, Aprelle C. O'Hara, Amelia Christine Miller, Hailey Spinks, Alexandria Seifert, Tirzah Mills, Amy R. Tuininga

PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies Publications

If worldwide healthcare was a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet. The increase in global temperatures, combined with the negative impacts of urbanization, has made it more important than ever to introduce green spaces where possible. With climate change worsening, human health, both physically and mentally is on decline, making the effects of climate change especially pressing to the stability of healthcare systems. In order to mitigate the lasting impacts of climate change on healthcare facilities, a holistic solution is needed. Access to green space in hospitals has been shown to reduce …

University Of South Dakota Faculty And Student Perspectives On Sustainability Education, Morgan A. Hughes Mrs.

Honors Thesis

The concept of sustainability is taught and understood in multiple ways, and how one perceives sustainability is likely to affect how they engage with the field. This thesis research focuses on sustainability faculty and undergraduate students at the University of South Dakota and how they perceive sustainability education. I conducted semistructured interviews to determine faculty and student perspectives regarding sustainability, sustainability education, and the undergraduate sustainability curriculum at the University of South Dakota. There are many different ways to approach sustainability such as content knowledge, systems thinking, and an interdisciplinary approach. Overall, the perceptions of sustainability education from the participants …

Hemp-Lime Insulation: A Climate Friendly Building Material, Ginger Rose Jensen

Student Research Symposium

It is critical to reduce greenhouse gas from the atmosphere to reduce the impacts of climate change. Oregon’s Climate Action Plan has established goals to reduce emissions by developing ‘Clean Buildings’ and increasing the CO₂ sequestered by the state's ‘Natural and Working Lands’. Carbon negative construction materials like hemp-lime insulation could contribute to both goals.

Hemp-lime is a non-structural insulation material made from crushed hemp hurd, a lime-based binder, and water. It is non-toxic and versatile alternative to traditional insulation materials. Hemp-lime was submitted to be added to the International Residential Codes (IRC) index in 2022. IRC approval would …

One Step At A Time: Duquesne University's Ninth Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Gabriella Zuccolotto, Brianna Marks

Duquesne University Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The ninth greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory was conducted for fiscal year 2021 (FY21), which began on July 1, 2020 and ended on June 30, 2021. Assembled by graduate assistants Gabriella Zuccolotto and Brianna Marks at the Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE), these findings were compared with those derived from the previous inventories to assess trends in Duquesne University’s GHG emissions. Furthermore, this inventory discusses options for reducing Duquesne’s carbon footprint in future years.

Duquesne University’s total GHG emissions were 41,562.40 MT eCO2 for FY21. After calculating the full-time student equivalent and the full-time faculty/staff equivalents, SIMAP was …

From Fast Fashion To Sustainable Slow Fashion, Isabel Agatha Millward-Pena

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to express a need for sustainability within the fast fashion industry, in the form of cultural movement that acts as alternative to the current means of production, consumption, and philosophies. Sustainability within current popular discourses is often human-centered and lacking authenticity, thus I aim to highlight an alternative that is opposite of that. In doing such, I bring to light the negative effects of the industry through a case study on the fast fashion company SHEIN, who claim to be making sustainable efforts. I analyzed SHEIN’s 2021 Sustainability and Social Impact Report (SSIR), focusing …

Managing The Environmental Crisis Amidst A Health Crisis: An Exploratory Study Of Alternative Sustainable Strategies For Tourism Destinations, Lauren Townson

All Dissertations

The responsibility of protecting the natural environment, and limiting the negative environmental impacts, often falls on the local community (Streimikiene et al., 2021). The impact of communities relying more on the tourism industry as an economic driver for continued development (Streimikiene et al., 2021) is of special interest to this dissertation as the United States (U.S.) manages the COVID-19 global pandemic. Tourism can both locally benefit a community and its residents, while simultaneously contribute to global environmental impacts (Gössling & Hall, 2006). As destinations attract more visitors into a physical space, data continues to reveal the continued destruction of natural …

Benefits Of School Gardening Programs In Education: Opportunities And Challenges Towards Sustainability, Alyssa Conte

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The benefits of school gardening programs in education are numerous; yet, there is still no formal inclusion of these practices into the California State curriculum. Currently, school gardening programs are generated through community effort. The benefits of these programs are limited by their challenges, but when these programs are effective, they enhance the entire curriculum. This senior capstone study takes a look at what school gardening programs have done to be successful, and what benefits may be gained from further funding these programs. Through the use of qualitative research and interviews with local teachers along with CSUMB students, the results …

The Green Passport Program: Proposing A Study Abroad Program To Encourage Sustainable Behavior And Offset Emissions, Suraya Souidi

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The University of Richmond has a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and in order to do this, carbon offsets are likely a necessary component to implement in lieu of adequate technology to abate the usage of carbon from behaviors such as travel. The scope of this proposal focuses on the Office of International Education and study abroad travel, which accounts for a large amount of emissions in the University’s portfolio. The purpose of this study was to propose a program to the Office of International Education which oriented students towards sustainability while they engaged in a study abroad …

Ens 300: Principles Of Sustainability Oer Curation, Chealsye Bowley

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course ENS 300: Principles of Sustainability, assembled by request from the instructor.

An Exploration Of A Year At The Ursinus Food Forest, Victoria Bearden

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

The Ursinus Food Forest began a commitment to a new form of sustainable land management at Whittaker Environmental Research Station. This management integrates lessons from urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry (see Clark & Nichols 2013) with principles of permaculture (Jacke et al 2005). Begun in 2017, and this past fall marked 2 years since the planting of phase one in 2019. In the fall of 2021 students, faculty, facilities, and volunteers planted the second phase of the food forest site, which added 7 new food producing species. Including this, many projects were created to enhance the site throughout the …

Emerging Themes And Future Directions Of Multi-Sector Nexus Research And Implementation, Jennifer Schmidt

ISER Articles

Water, energy, and food are all essential components of human societies. Collectively, their respective resource systems are interconnected in what is called the “nexus”. There is growing consensus that a holistic understanding of the interdependencies and trade-offs between these sectors and other related systems is critical to solving many of the global challenges they present. While nexus research has grown exponentially since 2011, there is no unified, overarching approach, and the implementation of concepts remains hampered by the lack of clear case studies. Here, we present the results of a collaborative thought exercise involving 75 scientists and summarize them into …

Practicing Sustainability In Consumer Choices, Cynthia Pugh

Sustainability Conference

Practicing Sustainability in Consumer Choices

The issue of sustainability is a global one impacted daily by individual choices. The foundational principles of sustainability and the unified efforts of the global sustainability goals are presented to define the world we want. Sustainability is an intentional core of any product akin to safety by design. This presentation will describe the concept of sustainability by design, designing at all levels, with good intentions and with the goal of abundance.

Due to the availability of corporate sustainability information such as the Global Reporting Initiative or Corporate Social Responsibility, one can comparatively research the …

Understanding Campus Environmental Sustainability: A Thematic Analysis Of Interviews With Facilities Management Staff And Administrators At The University Of Denver, Alejandro Cerón, Dinko Hanaan Dinko, Izzy Beltran, Madeline Bonner, Mia Glover, Linh Nguyen, Madeline Ohaus, Maren Parchen, Quisi Rodriguez-Oregel, Delanee Taylor, Dani Thompson, Kansas Wood

Anthropology: Undergraduate Student Scholarship

This project sought to understand what influences sustainability choices on the University of Denver campus. Universities and colleges play a pivotal and influential role in shaping sustainable future discourse in society. As centers for innovation and research, universities continue to generate new knowledge and skills necessary to create awareness of the negative impact of human activities on the environment and pathways to mitigate these impacts. Over the past decades, there has been a growing transformation of universities from places of knowledge creation to places where created knowledge is implemented. Thus, in the field of environmental change, there is a growing …

Energy Literacy In Portugal: A System Map And Framework To Increase Energy Literacy Through The Renewable Energy Transition, Molly S. Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Western society lives with a great dependence and an almost simultaneous ignorance of energy consumption (van den Broek, 2019). The systemic landscape of energy knowledge and dissemination is more critical than ever as Portugal races to meet decarbonization goals. This paper fills a knowledge gap by updating the current social landscape of energy literacy in Portugal through a comprehensive system map and framework to increase energy literacy levels through the renewable energy transition. By conducting a semi-systematic literature review, meta-narratives and themes were identified and used to create theoretical concepts, a framework, and a system map. This research found that …

Utilizing Experiential Education In Nature-Based Settings To Impact Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Delaney Babich

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Spending time in nature can have many effects on a person. I wanted to find out if one of these effects was a change in behavior regarding sustainable actions and mindsets. The research question posed for this project is: How does experiential education in a nature based setting impact pro-environmental behaviors? After researching many different forms of outdoor education and frameworks widely used in education, I decided my project would consist of an interactive activity booklet meant to be taken to a park or natural space along the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities, or the surrounding areas. I wanted …

The Grizzly, March 24, 2022, Layla Halterman, Marie Sykes, Chase Portaro, Erin Corcoran, Vaughn Dibattista, Abigail Coachi, Simbarashe Kanjanda, Nikole Lizeth, Fandino Pachon, Brooke Hurley, James Schuld, Ro Murphy

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

A Conversation With Incoming President Hannigan • Art for Visibility • Kappa Alpha Psi: Seeking Achievement • Opinions: The Inconvenience of Main Street Sidewalk Construction • Men's Basketball Closes Season • Swim CCC Recap

Umn Morris Launches Sustainability Careers And Pathways Webinar Series With A Focus On Agriculture, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

UMN Morris has helped to springboard many graduates into sustainability pathways. Given this record of success, the campus launched a new webinar series, called Sustainability Careers and Pathways: Conversations with UMN Morris Alumni.

Community Solar Dehydrator Plans, Kate Weigel, Roslynn Mccann

All Current Publications

As interest in home gardening and self sufficiency surged during the pandemic, many are looking for ways to preserve foods from their newfound harvests. This fact sheet provides an overview of how to build a community solar food dehydrator for food preservation, based on our experience doing so for the community of Moab, Utah. A list of needed building materials, tools, and specific plans are included.

The Role Of Place Attachment And Situated Sustainability Meaning-Making In Enhancing Student Civic-Mindedness: A Campus Farm Example, Brandon H. Sorge, Francesca A. Williamson, Grant A. Fore, Julia L. Angstmann

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This research explores the role that place attachment and place meaning towards an urban farm play in predicting undergraduate students’ civic-mindedness, an important factor in sustainability and social change. In 2017 and 2018, three STEM courses at a private university in the Midwest incorporated a local urban farm as a physical and conceptual context for teaching course content and sustainability concepts. Each course included a four to six-week long place-based experiential learning (PBEL) module aimed at enhancing undergraduate STEM student learning outcomes, particularly place attachment, situated sustainability meaning-making (SSMM), and civic-mindedness. End-of-course place attachment, SSMM, and civic-mindedness survey data were …

Regenerative Tourism Model: Challenges Of Adapting Concepts From Natural Science To Tourism Industry, Asif Hussain, Marie Haley

Journal of Sustainability and Resilience

The study proposes a regenerative tourism model. The application of the natural science ideas of regeneration needs to be clarified before the tourism industry can adopt a regenerative tourism model. Without such clarification, there is a high risk of ‘green washing’ and inappropriate adaption of a regenerative model. The borrowing of natural science to industry and its application in social sciences confuse the essence of the true concept of regeneration. In a regenerative agriculture context restoring a holistic system that mimics nature and includes social and economic spheres contributes to improving the whole system. When a social system aims to …

Full Issue

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change, 2021, Volume 1.

Cbe Waves Newsletter: January 2022, Various

Newsletters

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary; The Evolution of Thinking on the Ocean Economy, Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics, Volume 8, Issue 2; The Middlebury Climate Change Semester: Inaugural Program Begins; The Ocean Needs Our Help-Now

Understanding The Intersections Of The Lgbtq+ Community & Climate Change, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, A-Bel Gong, Darbi Berry

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

In this blog, we will explore these LGBTQ+ community relationships as they relate to environmental justice, relationships and access to the outdoors, and community representation in the environmental science field.

The Pet’S ‘Perfect Bowl’: Environmental And Welfare Discourse In Alternative Pet Food Movements, Carly Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Marketing ‘sustainable and humane’ super-premium dog kibble has emerged alongside alternative food movements (AFM). Unfortunately, super-premium pet-food comprised of ‘high-quality’ protein is at odds with sustainability and affect for particular animals. This study analyzed social and geographical (mis)representations of nonhumans in the pet-food commodity chain by tracing how knowledge and value is produced, and mapping the geography of Open Farm dog food. I assess these geographies and discourses and I identify the following: (1) sustainability claims focus on transportation and packaging, ignoring the significant environmental and social impacts of animal agriculture. (2) Images of farmed animals on packaging often do …

Towards Charism Identity: A Catholic Identity Case Study Through The Lens Of Laudato Si’, Kristofer Ross Koller

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study evaluates the current relevance of how Catholic identity is conceived as an evaluative tool in accreditation processes. Catholic identity, though a concept inconsistently defined among various international contexts, is nevertheless utilized reductively as criteria for K-12 Catholic school accreditation in the United States, primarily through the framework of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS). Using the example of a secondary school with an explicit Catholic charism-based commitment to environmental sustainability, this dissertation collects qualitative data in an exploratory manner to evidence how schools that may seem insufficiently Catholic according to currently utilized frameworks …

Social Equity Is Key To Sustainable Ocean Governance, Katherine M. Crosman, Edward H. Allison, Yoshitaka Ota, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor, Gerald G. Singh, Wilf Swartz, Megan Bailey, Kate M. Barclay, Grant Blume, Mathieu Colléter, Michael Fabinyi, Elaine M. Faustman, Russell Fielding, P. Joshua Griffin, Quentin Hanich, Harriet Harden-Davies, Ryan P. Kelly, Tiff-Annie Kenny, Terrie Klinger, John N. Kittinger, Katrina Nakamura, Annet P. Pauwelussen, Sherry Pictou, Chris Rothschild, Katherine L. Seto, Ana K. Spalding

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Calls to address social equity in ocean governance are expanding. Yet ‘equity’ is seldom clearly defined. Here we present a framework to support contextually-informed assessment of equity in ocean governance. Guiding questions include: (1) Where and (2) Why is equity being examined? (3) Equity for or amongst Whom? (4) What is being distributed? (5) When is equity considered? And (6) How do governance structures impact equity? The framework supports consistent operationalization of equity, challenges oversimplification, and allows evaluation of progress. It is a step toward securing the equitable ocean governance already reflected in national and international commitments.