Digital Commons Network^™

Introduction: The Environment: Issues In Justice, Conflict And Peacebuilding, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Investing In Climate: A Role For 'Sovereign Climate Funds', Marianna Kozintseva, Thierry Wizman

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Efforts to address climate change have generally been focused on deploying mitigation technologies. However, it is adaptation technologies (and climate risk transfer) that will have to gain an increasing share of an investment pool dedicated to climate if human systems are to stay resilient to climate forces. Just like mitigation projects, adaptation projects have a strong public goods aspect, wherein public returns exceed private returns, and thus call for the state’s involvement. We argue that sovereign climate funds (SCFs) - new types of sovereign wealth funds with a climate investment mandate - can be critical purpose-built conduits especially for undertaking …

Relational Literacies And Restorative Justice: “We’Re Part Of Something Bigger And As Big As The Collective”, Erica Holyoke

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Restrictive instruction and punitive discipline often run parallel in schools, prompting a continued need to provide authentic learning opportunities that value children’s literacy strengths in an inclusive community. Restorative justice has been identified as a pedagogical stance in addressing harmful policies in schools, and it is most often examined in secondary contexts and specifically in relation to discipline—rarely in relation to young children’s literacies and learning. This multisite case study explored the intersections of restorative practices and literacy learning in elementary classrooms (K–3) across three schools in the same large public school district in the United States. Using relational literacies …

Wofford Today Spring 2024, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Wofford Today

No abstract provided.

Avoiding Performative Climate Justice, Katrina F. Kuh

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The Article first sketches the contours of precommitment strategies by identifying examples of precommitment strategies in existing climate change law, and contrasting them with other approaches for advancing justice that are not sticky, automatic, and early, and thus would not be considered precommitments. It then contemplates whether and why sticky, automatic, and early precommitments to justice may be an important strategy to advance justice goals in anticipation of and at high levels of warming. It concludes by analyzing the use of precommitments to justice in the context of the expedited siting and construction of renewable energy infrastructure.

Uses And Limitations Of Big Data For Evaluating Transportation Equity, Tia Boyd, Taylor Dinehart, Kristine Williams

Research Reports

Social equity has come to the forefront in recent years as a hot topic and essential aspect of transportation planning. Technological advancements are allowing planners to collect more precise data and conduct analysis in real time, as well as improve visualization and forecasting abilities. “Big data” has immense potential to enrich transportation planning and our understanding of equity issues, even as it poses potential limitations regarding social equity. Examples abound of big data applications in transportation, including transportation equity analysis, yet these examples are dispersed in different agency studies, company websites, and publications. This synthesis project scanned and mined the …

Real Food Challenge And Climate Impact Assessment: A Food System Analysis At Santa Clara University, 2022-2023, Abby Crowley, Isabelle Solórzano

Sustainable Food Systems Fellowship

Two undergraduate students at Santa Clara University were hired to work as Food Systems Fellows from July 2023 to January, 2024. This position was co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Auxiliary Services division. The goal of this work was to explore the Santa Clara University food system’s impact on the environment from both an ecological and a social perspective and identify opportunities for improvement.

The Fellows utilized standards and core values from The Real Food Challenge, a national non-profit dedicated to leveraging the power of colleges and universities to increase equity and sustainability in food systems. The Real …

Beyond Tree Planting In Urban Forest Climate Adaptation Actions, Michael T. Yadrick Jr., Lisa A. Ciecko, Weston Brinkley

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Forests in cities, and the communities that steward and benefit from them, face significant disruption due to climate change. It is now time to build the capacity in our institutions and in forested natural areas to help navigate multiple overlapping crises and systems change. This case study from Seattle, Washington provides perspective on how to mitigate climate change beyond tree planting.

Transformative Policies Supporting Equitable Workforce Progress, India Shiroma Perreira, Eo Hanabusa, Leaders 20/20

San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard

As the need for Green Workforce jobs rises, it is essential that companies are transparent about pay. The California Pay Transparency Law (SB 1162) enforces job descriptions that explicitly outline employee compensation, which is also a step towards closing gender and race-based pay gaps. It also prohibits employers from using hiring practices that may be discriminatory against certain groups of people. SB 1162 builds honesty, trust, and equity in the workplace for job seekers today and for generations to come.

Stew News, March 2024, University Of Dayton. Rivers Institute

Stew News: The Newsletter of the University of Dayton River Stewards

No abstract provided.

North Carolina's Anti-Esg Statute And The State Treasurer's Fiduciary Duty, Madeleine G. Clahane

North Carolina Banking Institute

No abstract provided.

Living In The ‘Blue Zone’ Of A Sea-Level Rise Inundation Map: Community Perceptions Of Coastal Flooding In King Salmon, California, Laurie Richmond, Kristina Kunkel

Local Reports and Publications

As sea-level rise (SLR) inundation maps proliferate, it is important to study their politics – both how they are created and how they act upon and shape various lives and places. This paper uses the example of King Salmon, CA – a rural, low-income residential area projected to be one of the most at risk to SLR on the US West Coast – to examine how a community responds to external projections showing SLR risk to their homes and businesses. Through interviews with 17 King Salmon community members and observation of a county-hosted ‘communities at risk’ workshop, we examined the …

Natural Resource Conflict And Socioenvironmental Resistance In Arctic States: Assessing Domestic Risks To Circumpolar Security, Jen Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How does climate change contribute to domestic natural resource conflict and socioenvironmental resistance in the Arctic? The literature assumes that developed Arctic nations possess sufficient state capacity to overcome risks of domestic conflict and unrest posed by regional development and environmental change. Arctic policy correspondingly focuses on natural resource competition, disputes, and conflict at the international level. The mechanisms and processes of domestic natural resource conflict and socioenvironmental resistance in the Arctic have thus been largely ignored in the literature, even though 27 cases of contention have occurred since the ‘shock’ sea-ice melt of 2007.

In this study, I draw …

The Uncertain Future Of Tourism On Migrating Barrier Islands: How And Why The Outer Banks Of North Carolina Should Adjust To Growing Threats, Lillian Coward

William & Mary Law Review

Erosion, storms, and the migration of the barrier islands that comprise the Outer Banks themselves are not new. The rising seas that have resulted from climate change have merely exacerbated what has always occurred. What is new, however, is the economic havoc that natural processes and disasters alike can wreak on the islands. Today, because climate change has accelerated natural island migration, individuals, local governments, and the federal government alike have a lot to lose in the fight against the tides.

[...]

This Note will evaluate a variety of potential solutions to the problems that pose nearly existential threats to …

Environmental Justice: A Missing Core Tenet Of Global Health, Redeat Workneh, Merhawit Abadi, Krystle Perez, Sharla Rent, Elliott Mark Weiss, Stephanie Kukora, Olivia Brandon, Gal Barbut, Sahar Rahiem, Shaphil Wallie, Joseph Mhango, Benjamin C Shayo, Friday Saidi, Gesit Metaferia, Mahlet Abayneh, Gregory C Valentine

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Environmental Justice: A Missing Core Tenet Of Global Health, Redeat Workneh, Merhawit Abadi, Krystle Perez, Sharla Rent, Elliott Mark Weiss, Stephanie Kukora, Olivia Brandon, Gal Barbut, Sahar Rahiem, Shaphil Wallie, Joseph Mhango, Benjamin C Shayo, Friday Saidi, Gesit Metaferia, Mahlet Abayneh, Gregory C Valentine

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Selling Sustainable Sodas, Shoes, Sweets Sustainably: Reasonable, Objective, Sustainability Marketing In A Global Energy And Environmental Transition, Meredith A. Wegener

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Sabin Center For Climate Change Law Annual Report 2023, Sabin Center For Climate Change Law

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This year the Sabin Center for Climate Change introduces its first annual report, which highlights and synthesizes our cutting-edge research and innovative engagements in 2023.

(How) Can Litigation Advance Multiracial Democracy?, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Fordham Law Review

Can rights litigation meaningfully advance social change in this moment? Many progressive or social justice legal scholars, lawyers, and advocates would argue “no.” Constitutional decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court thwart the aims of progressive social movements. Further, contemporary social movements often decenter courts as a primary domain of social change. In addition, a new wave of legal commentary urges progressives to de-emphasize courts and constitutionalism, not simply tactically but as a matter of democratic survival.

This Essay considers the continuing role of rights litigation, using the litigation over race-conscious affirmative action as an illustration. Courts are a key …

Religious Stewardship And Pro-Environmental Action: The Mediating Roles Of Environmental Guilt And Anger, Shu Tian Ng, Kimin Eom

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has found that stewardship belief can motivate pro-environmentalism among religious individuals. The present study investigates the emotional pathways linking religious stewardship belief and pro-environmental policy support. In an online experiment conducted with Christians in the United States (N = 604), we experimentally primed stewardship belief (N = 195) using a video that highlighted the human responsibility to care for God’s creations. We also included a control condition (N = 206) and a religion condition (N = 203), which presented a more generic religious message. As demonstrated in a mediation model, the stewardship manipulation (vs. …

The Pacifican March 2024, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Ecotheology In Context: A Critical Phenomenological Study Of Graduates Of Environmentally Focused Seminary Programs In The United States Of America, Cherice Bock

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In recent decades, the field of ecotheology has emerged in dialogue with the context of the interconnected environmental and climate crises, particularly relating to the critique of Christianity being used to justify human and resource exploitation. A range of disciplines within the religious academy have taken up these intersecting concerns, together termed “ecologically informed theological education.” Graduate institutions training faith leaders and theological educators have created degree programs and certifications, and/or incorporated awareness of ecology, sustainability, and care for creation into their curricula. A research approach for ecotheology is described through the conceptual framework of critical ecotheology, which acknowledges ecotheology …

Using Flipped Classroom Modules To Facilitate Higher Order Learning In Undergraduate Organic Chemistry, Lauren R. Holloway, Tabitha Miller, Bryce Da Camara, Paul M. Bogie, Briana L. Hickey, Jack Barbera, Angie L. Lopez, Multiple Additional Authors

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

In an ongoing effort to incorporate active learning and promote higher order learning outcomes in undergraduate organic chemistry, a hybrid (“flipped”) classroom structure has been used to facilitate a series of collaborative activities in the first two courses of the lower division organic chemistry sequence. An observational study of seven classes over a five-year period reveals there is a strong correlation between performance on the in-class activities and performance on the final exam across all classes; however, a significant number of students in these courses continue to struggle on both the in-class activities and final exam. The Activity Engagement Survey …

Drivers Of Tree Canopy Loss In A Mid-Sized Growing City: Case Study In Portland, Or (Usa), Yunjae Ock, Vivek Shandas, Fernanda Ribeiro, Noah Young

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The benefits of the urban tree and tree canopy (UTC) are increasingly crucial in addressing urban sustainability. Yet, increasingly evident from earlier research is the distributional inequities of UTC and active efforts to expand tree plantings. Less is known about the dynamics of UTC loss over time and location. This study aims to understand the dynamics of UTC change, especially canopy loss, and to investigate the drivers of the loss. This study draws on a high–resolution dataset of an urban canopy in Portland, Oregon, USA, assessing changes in UTC from 2014 to 2020. By integrating demographic, biophysical, and policy data …

Modeling Recovery Of The Florida Electric Transmission Grid After Severe Weather Event, Wei B. Guan

Theses and Dissertations

Predicted changes to the climate are expected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. The Florida electric grid is a critical infrastructure system susceptible to severe weather events, especially hurricanes, causing widespread damage and outages. A foundational concept of the electric grid’s resilience is its ability to recover after extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and flooding. The recovery of the electrical grid after an extreme event is predicated upon the electrical asset's remoteness and the component's level of damage. Using fragility analysis, previous models have assessed the mean time to recover for transmission towers and substations …

(How) Can Litigation Advance Multiracial Democracy?, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

Can rights litigation meaningfully advance social change in this moment? Many progressive or social justice legal scholars, lawyers, and advocates would argue “no.” Constitutional decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court thwart the aims of progressive social movements. Further, contemporary social movements often decenter courts as a primary domain of social change. In addition, a new wave of legal commentary urges progressives to de-emphasize courts and constitutionalism, not simply tactically but as a matter of democratic survival.

This Essay considers the continuing role of rights litigation, using the litigation over race-conscious affirmative action as an illustration. Courts are a key …

New York City Relaxing Environmental Review Rules For Housing Construction, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

Faced with a severe housing shortage, New York City is exempting the construction of much new housing from the environmental review processes and taking many other steps to encourage such construction throughout the city. Several of these moves will also help the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Biopiracy: Using New Laws And Databases To Protect Indigenous Communities, Cleo-Symone Scott

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Indigenous people have a historical link to those who inhabited a country or region at the time when people of different cultures or origins arrived. Traditionally, indigenous people have a special relationship with their ancestral environments. But their way of living has long been under threat. The land that indigenous people live on is home to over 80% of our planet’s biodiversity, but it continues to be appropriated and plundered due to bioprospecting or, as some call it, biopiracy. Bioprospecting is defined as “the exploration and information gathering of genetic and biochemical material to develop commercial products.” While innovation is …

Inclusive Legal Education: Navigating Faculty-Deib Collaborations: Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

The Clash Of Sustainable Development Goals With The Reality In Egypt: The Role Of The Media On The Perception Of Clean Energy Implementation., Nourhan Salah Hamed Ebrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Media has promoted sustainable development goals as essential for a country's social, economic, environmental, and political development. However, the SDGs may collide with the reality and impede development due to certain circumstances and challenges that might hinder the country’s ability to achieve these goals the same way they planned for. Besides, such challenges are not being covered in the media agenda, addressed by the government, or even been tackled in previous research. Thus, this study aims to examine whether there is a conflict between the SDGs and the reality in Egypt, focusing on SDG 7 (Clean Energy) by analyzing the …