Digital Commons Network^™

Promoting Sustainability To First-Year Students, Anna Sangree, Ashley Colón, Bree Coleman

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Over 700 universities across the United States (AASHE, 2010), seeking to be progressive and containing the resources for change, have partnered together under the American Colleges and Universities President's Climate Commitment to lower their carbon footprints and increase sustainability education on their campuses (ACUPCC, 2014). The President's Climate Commitment includes 7 tangible actions, of which the University of Richmond must follow two or more. With the University of Richmond's date for carbon neutrality set for 2050, advancing these actions is crucial (ACUPCC, 2014). On the list of tangible actions are increasing use of public transportation and increasing energy efficiency on …

A Study On Rebuilding The Classification System Of The Ocean Economy, Dr. Kwang Seo Park

Working Papers

Many ocean countries have estimated and released the size of the ocean economy or industry. However it is difficult to compare the ocean economy among countries because the definition, classification standard and scope differ by each country. This study aims to provide concrete practical proposals for the definition, classification standard and scope of the ocean economy. With regard to the definition of the ocean economy, a combination of industrial and geographical perspectives is considered at the same time. As a result, the ocean economy is defined as the economic activities that directly or indirectly take place in the ocean, use …

The Estimation Of The Ocean Economy And Coastal Economy In South Korea, Dr. Kwang Seo Park

Working Papers

Over the past 60 years, the South Korean economy has gotten outstanding achievements that would be hard to find around the world. South Korea’s real GDP, which was converted to US dollars using 2011 PPPs, in 2010 was 1,506 billion from 3.8 billion in 1960, and real GDP per capita in 2010 was 29,411 from 1,537 in 1960. The successful paradigm of the South Korean economy has clearly benefitted from export-led development and ready access to common sea lanes.

South Korea is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. It has abundant ocean resources, with its 433,000㎢ of territorial water …

Utilizing A Green Revolving Fund For Reforestation On University Of Richmond’S Pagebrook Property, Patrick Love, Adam Owens

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The purpose of our climate change senior seminar project is to offset school funded domestic travel by implementing a fee structure to obtain an allocation of funding from different school departments responsible for sending students and faculty to locations around the United States. We need to take measures in creating a fund dedicated to creating sustainability -focused programs in order to maintain our reputation as a progressive and prominent institution. Once we generate money from the fees on our school’s travel, our first proposal is to reforest an underutilized piece of land owned by the school for the purpose of …

Promoting Sustainability To First-Year Students, Anna Sangree, Ashley Colón, Bree Coleman

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The university provides transportation resources, recycling bins next to most trashcans in popular student locations, and full time staff working for the Office of Sustainability. However, the many resources provided by the university will not facilitate movement towards the campus sustainability goals if students do not participate. According to the most recent survey on campus, 42% of students at the University of Richmond believe that human activity is causing climate change (See Chapter 1). Still, students do not seem to correlate their everyday actions with rising levels of greenhouse gasses. In order to target students on campus, we have structured …

Knowledge Accident- Part 1, Alanna Rosenblatt

Architecture Senior Theses

The increasing un-sustainability of the built university and the rise of the apparent mass democratization or synchronization of higher education through the virtual Massive Open Online Course [MOOC] is occurring concurrently with the mutation of the historically grounded Accident into the Knowledge Accident. The standardization of higher education through the MOOC has created the conditions for the Knowledge Accident, the “integral accident”, of the built university. This is where we find the present state of the university, in a moment of crisis grounded in unconstrained "progress". The current form of the MOOC, begun in 2011, has expanded and evolved with …

Diy Urbanism As An Environmental Justice Strategy: The Case Study Of Time's Up! 1987-2012, Benjamin C. Shepard

Publications and Research

Time's Up! is a New York environmental group which promotes nonpolluting transportation and sustainable solutions to an urban problems. Over the last twenty-five years, the group has taken a do-it-yourself approach to an environmental activism, bridging neighborhood, global justice, and occupy movements. With roots in the squatter movement in New York, Time's Up! has built its own distinct brand of DIY urbanism to fight for community gardens, support group bike rides, and create sustainable approaches to an urban living. While the group makes use of a wide range of approaches to reclaim public space, direct action is its guiding principle. …

Attitudes Towards Climate Change And Sustainability, Sammy Easby, Tess Manning

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Climate change is an important issue in the world today and the University of Richmond has the ability to make a difference. The purpose of this project was to gain information about University of Richmond students’ awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to climate change and sustainability on campus. A short survey was composed and sent to students via email. Over the course of two weeks, 274 students completed the survey. The data from the survey was composed and analyzed. Based on the data, for the most part our community’s behaviors have stayed consistent. Student awareness has slightly increased but they …

Assessing The Homogenization Of Urban Land Management With An Application To Us Residential Lawn Care, Colin Polsky, J. Morgan Grove, Chris Knudson, Peter M. Groffman, Neil D. Bettez, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Sharon J. Hall, James B. Heffernan, Sarah E. Hobbie, Kelli L. Larson, Jennifer L. Morse, Christopher Neill, Kristen C. Nelson, Laura A. Ogden, Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, Diane E. Pataki, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Meredith K. Steele

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Changes in land use, land cover, and land management present some of the greatest potential global environmental challenges of the 21st century. Urbanization, one of the principal drivers of these transformations, is commonly thought to be generating land changes that are increasingly similar. An implication of this multiscale homogenization hypothesis is that the ecosystem structure and function and human behaviors associated with urbanization should be more similar in certain kinds of urbanized locations across biogeophysical gradients than across urbanization gradients in places with similar biogeophysical characteristics. This paper introduces an analytical framework for testing this hypothesis, and applies the framework …

A Global Investigation Of Stakeholder And Contextual Influences On Firm Engagement In Sustainability, Annette M. Nemetz

Dissertations and Theses

Global sustainability issues cross all sectors of society, including businesses, governments, and communities and come with substantial costs. Business organizations are increasingly expected to address sustainability issues in a responsible manner and to disclose socially responsible behaviors accurately and transparently, showing that they are effective at managing and being proactive about sustainability challenges. In light of these pressures and expectations for business organizations, the fundamental research question for this study was whether variation existed in the levels of engagement in sustainability efforts across firms globally, and, more importantly, why such variation existed.

The level of strategic firm engagement in sustainability …

A Long View Of Polluting Industry And Environmental Justice In Baltimore, Christopher G. Boone, Michail Fragkias, Geoffrey L. Buckley, J. Morgan Grove

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

This study examines the density of polluting industry by neighborhoods in Baltimore over the long term, from 1950 to 2010, to determine if high pollution burdens correspond spatially with expected demographic and housing variables predicted in the environmental justice literature. For 1960–1980 we use data on heavy industry from Dun and Bradstreet directories and for 1990–2010 the US EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory to calculate a Hazards Density Index. Drawing on the decennial censuses for 1960–2010, we populate census tracts from corresponding years with data on race, ethnicity, educational attainment, income, and housing tenure.

Findings

Density of polluting industry is …

Landmark Ruling On Whaling From The International Court Of Justice, Mark P. Simmonds

Laws and Legislation Collection

On 31 March 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Japan’s whaling activities in Antarctica did not comply with Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), which permits whaling for scientific purposes. Copious and confusing media commentary followed the decision. This included seemingly conflicting reports from within Japan, which initially indicated whole-hearted compliance with the ruling, which required this whaling to cease, but later suggested that implementation by Japan might be limited to a brief halt followed by a launch of a new Antarctic ‘research’ programme including lethal take.

Identifying Legal, Ecological And Governance Obstacles, And Opportunities For Adapting To Climate Change, Barbara Cosens, Lance Gunderson, Craig R. Allen, Melinda Harm Benson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Current governance of regional scale water management systems in the United States has not placed them on a path toward sustainability, as conflict and gridlock characterize the social arena and ecosystem services continue to erode. Changing climate may continue this trajectory, but it also provides a catalyst for renewal of ecosystems and a window of opportunity for change in institutions. Resilience provides a bridging concept that predicts that change in ecological and social systems is often dramatic, abrupt, and surprising. Adapting to the uncertainty of climate driven change must be done in a manner perceived as legitimate by the participants …

Renewable Energy, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Renewable energy installations are expanding around the globe. Although there is excellent potential for achieving sustainability with multiple types of renewable energy, no energy source is a panacea. There are place-specific costs and benefits from every energy type, and the scale of production influences impacts. Industrial-scale renewable energy sources usually merge into existing energy grids and may often be connected to broader economic and political initiatives. Such as regional integration, development of new growth poles to stimulate economic expansion in areas without infrastructure, job creation, or trade expansion. With the exception of desert solar projects or initiatives in remote areas, …

Historic Preservation Act Of 1966: Past, Present, Future, Nancy A. Finney

SPNHA Review

The Historic Preservation Act of 1966 has significantly impacted communities at local, regional, state and national levels. However, questions have been raised about historic preservation and its contribution to economic development. The intersection of sustainability issues such as adaptive reuse, air quality, “walkable-livable” neighborhoods, and fossil fuel consumption illustrate the increasing importance of historic preservation. Historic Preservation Tax Credits show high returns and are valuable tools for legislators and policy makers to utilize in collaboration with other community development programs. Research indicates that historic preservation can be utilized as a tool to elevate property values, restore pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, maintain community …

Self-Reliance Beyond Neoliberalism: Rethinking Autonomy At The Edges Of Empire, Karen Hébert, Diana Mincyte

Publications and Research

Across scholarly and popular accounts, self-reliance is often interpreted as either the embodiment of individual entrepreneurialism, as celebrated by neoliberal designs, or the basis for communitarian localism, increasingly imagined as central to environmental and social sustainability. In both cases, self-reliance is framed as an antidote to the failures of larger state institutions or market economies. This paper offers a different framework for understanding self-reliance by linking insights drawn from agrarian studies to current debates on alternative economies. Through an examination of the social worlds of semisubsistence producers in peripheral zones in the Global North, we show how everyday forms of …

Water Resources And The Historic Wells Of Barbuda: Tradition, Heritage And Hope For A Sustainable Future, Rebecca Boger, Sophia Perdikaris, Amy E. Potter, John Mussington, Reginald Murphy, Louise Thomas, Calvin Gore, Dwight Finch

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The island of Barbuda has a relatively unique history, land tenure and geography. Unlike its Caribbean counterparts, the island is not suited to large-scale agriculture due to its arid climate and relatively thin soils. Instead, the enslaved and eventually free people of Barbuda developed a complex herding ecology centered on common land ownership. As a result, carefully designed historic wells are strategically located around the island. With the challenges brought about by climate change, an interdisciplinary, international team led by the Barbuda Research Complex is investigating the state of existing water and food resources and examining how the availability and …

Sustainability In Secondary Education In England: An Ethnographic Study, Ciaran Francis O'Sullivan

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

This research sets out to establish both the extent to which and the ways in which English Secondary schools have a school culture focusing upon sustainability. I visited three case study schools for six weeks each: these were carefully selected to represent a range of progress towards becoming sustainable schools. I visited two other ‘benchmark’ schools for two days each: these were chosen on the recommendations of school sustainability experts, and visiting them helped me judge the progress my case-study schools had made. I took an ethnographic approach to the research, conducting about 80 interviews with various members of my …

Working Towards Productive Seas: A Comparative Analysis Of The Marine Management Regimes Under Uk And Scottish Law, Danielle Lowther

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

This research presents a comparative analysis of the marine management regimes under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. In light of the vision shared by both administrations to achieve 'clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas', the research focuses upon the tension between achieving 'productivity' in the marine area and ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources. In particular, it examines the differences in the way in which productivity is defined and measured under each regime, and provides a consideration of the extent to which an appropriate balance is struck …

Opolo Vineyards Sip Certification Analysis, Brett Champlin, Ashley Edwards, Megan Jonson, Sebastian Silveira

Case Studies in Agribusiness

The case explores what led Opolo Winery to become a Sustainability in Practice winery.

Opolo Vineyards Sip Certification Analysis, Brett Champlin, Ashley Edwards, Megan Jonson, Sebastian Silveira

Case Studies in Agribusiness

Opolo Vineyard decided to pursue a "Sustainability in Practice" certification for their winery operation. The process is discussed along with how Opolo plans to communicate what the certification means.

Gathering "Wild" Food In The City: Rethinking The Role Of Foraging In Urban Ecosystem Planning And Management, Rebecca J. Mclain, Patrick T. Hurley, Marla R. Emery, Melissa R. Poe

Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Recent “green” planning initiatives envision food production, including urban agriculture and livestock production, as desirable elements of sustainable cities. We use an integrated urban political ecology and human–plant geographies framework to explore how foraging for “wild” foods in cities, a subversive practice that challenges prevailing views about the roles of humans in urban green spaces, has potential to also support sustainability goals. Drawing on research from Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle, we show that foraging is a vibrant and ongoing practice among diverse urban residents in the USA. At the same time, as reflected in regulations, planning practices, …

Research Outlook Issue - 6, The Aga Khan University

Department of Research Archives

This inaugural issue of Research Outlook (October 2013) highlights research achievements and initiatives across Aga Khan University. It features groundbreaking biomedical studies, educational innovations, archaeological collaborations, and updates from various departments, reflecting AKU’s growing role as a global research leader.

Connecting Multiculturalism, Sustainability, & Teacher Education: A Case For Linking Martin Luther King Streets & The Power Of Place, Charlane Starks

Benerd College Faculty Articles

In "The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America," Kozol (2005) asked a question that many educators and other education stakeholders still wonder about in regards to the educational progress for many urban school students in the United States, "What do we need to do to alter these realities?" (p. 215). Altering realities requires new questions and creatively connecting educational issues such as multiculturalism, education for a sustainable living, and teacher education in different ways. In this article author Charlane Starks ascribes an urban location to multiculturalism, sustainability, and teacher education to draw attention toward transforming …

Integration Of Sustainability In Higher Education: Three Case Studies Of Curricular Implementation, David Gosselin, Rod Parnell, Nicholas J. Smith-Sebasto, Shirley Vincent

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The integration of sustainability into higher education academic programs is occurring at an accelerated pace in response to international and national imperatives to rethink the way it serves the needs of society. Three case studies from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Northern Arizona University, and Kean University (NJ) outlines the academic structure, program, resources, the motivation and mechanisms for curricular change, key sustainability-learning outcomes and program goals, curricular changes, and assessment strategies these institutions used to integrate sustainability into their undergraduate curriculum. These three case studies exhibit several commonalities. They emphasize systems thinking and explicitly link human behavior and ecological …

Plain & Simple: The Will To Live Sustainably In An Unsustainable World, Brandi Nichole Button

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sustainability is a buzzword covering a variety of fields and subjects. For the purposes of my research sustainability is “the ability to keep going over the long haul. As a value, it refers to giving equal weight in your decisions to the future as well as the present” (Gilman 1). The sustainability movement refers to activists, educators and researchers who are dedicated to finding high quality ways of living in the world that are environmentally benign for all who are now living as well future generations to come (Gilman 1). This research focuses on three women who engage in voluntary …

To Thrive, Work, And Live: Progress Toward And Challenges To Sustainability On The Frei Gondim Settlement, Pernambuco, Brazil, William Maxwell

Geography ETDs

The sugar plantation zone of Pernambuco, Brazil, with a conservative culture forged out of chattel slave history, has been the most challenging region for the Brazilian landless peasants movement to penetrate in order to implement agrarian reform. The movement founded the Frei Gondim Settlement in the heart of the region in 1994 in order to present an alternative to the pollution of sugar monoculture and the injustices of landlessness around it. This thesis holds that the settlement represents a true alternative, but that the juxtaposition of a settlement socially isolated from its surroundings with a mode of production in which …

James’S Rule And Causes And Consequences Of A Latitudinal Cline In The Demography Of John’S Snapper (Lutjanus Johnii) In Coastal Waters Of Australia, Mike Cappo, Ross J. Marriott, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Demographic parameters were derived from sectioned otoliths of John’s Snapper (Lutjanus johnii) from 4 regions across 9° of latitude and 23° of longitude in northern Australia. Latitudinal variation in size and growth rates of this species greatly exceeded longitudinal variation. Populations of John’s Snapper farthest from the equator had the largest body sizes, in line with James’s rule, and the fastest growth rates, contrary to the temperature size rule for ectotherms. A maximum age of 28.6 years, nearly 3 times previous estimates, was recorded and the largest individual was 990 mm in fork length. Females grew to a larger mean …

Applying Sustainability From A Systems Perspective:, Timothy Brophy

Master's Theses

Becoming sustainable is no longer an option. Current industry methods will not be able to support the necessary changes our growing society demands. In order to keep up with ever increasing demands industry will be aimed toward making major system changes toward a fully sustainable model. As of right now only basic sustainability actions have been put in place. Industry needs to make a strategic change toward resilient systems with an end goal of evolving into fully biomimic systems. This thesis covers a brief history of production leading to the Industrial Revolution which created a need for increased sustainability efforts. …

Analysis Of Water Footprint Of A Photobioreactor Microalgae Biofuel 1 Production System From Blue, Green And Lifecycle Perspectives, Jason C. Quinn

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Microalgae are currently being investigated as a feedstock for the commercial production of transportation fuels, due to their potential scalability and sustainability advantages over conventional feedstocks. The water consumption of microalgae has been postulated to be a resource barrier for large-scale production. This study presents an assessment of the water footprint (WF) of a closed photobioreactor-based biofuel production system, where microalgae cultivation is simulated with geographical and temporal resolution. The assessment focuses on the WF as modeled for four different fuel conversion pathways, and in 10 continental US locations corresponding to high productivity yields. The WF is comprehensively assessed using …