Digital Commons Network^™

Left Out To Dry: Understanding The Social Experiences Of Ground Depletion In Washington State's Columbia River Basin, Alexis Lisandro Guizar-Diaz

Dissertations and Theses

Millions of water wells worldwide risk running dry due to overpumping, drought, and climate change. This study adopts a political ecology framework to investigate how economic structures and power dynamics shape the effects of groundwater depletion in a highly impacted region. It is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in the Odessa Aquifer region of Washington State. This agriculturally productive region has experienced severe groundwater depletion, endangering communities and threatening water supplies for many, as agribusiness has intensively used deep water wells to irrigate high-value crops. This research addresses three key questions: 1) How do residents and households excluded from irrigation …

The Utah Statesman, September 25, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Social Vulnerability Of The People Exposed To Wildfires In Us West Coast States, Arash Modaresi Rad, John T Abatzoglou, Erica Fleishman, Miranda H Mockrin, Volker C Radeloff, Yavar Pourmohamad, Megan Cattau, J Michael Johnson, Philip Higuera, Nicholas J Nauslar, Mojtaba Sadegh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding of the vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfires is limited. We used an index from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the social vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfire from 2000-2021 in California, Oregon, and Washington, which accounted for 90% of exposures in the western United States. The number of people exposed to fire from 2000-2010 to 2011-2021 increased substantially, with the largest increase, nearly 250%, for people with high social vulnerability. In Oregon and Washington, a higher percentage of exposed people were highly vulnerable (>40%) than in California (~8%). Increased social vulnerability of …

Blue Spaces As Social Spaces: Measuring The Uses And Values Of Urban Waterfronts, Anne H. Toomey, Monica Palta, Michelle Johnson, Jason Smith, Elizabeth Balladares, Novem Auyeung, Erika Svendsen, Rob Pirani, Georgina Cullman, Julia Corrado, Lindsay Campbell

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Due to a combination of climate change-driven threats and economic opportunities, cities across the world are investing billions of dollars in waterfront infrastructure and coastal restoration. Urban planners and park managers are often tasked with designing and programming blue spaces to maximize ecosystem services (ES) for local users. However, it is not always clear which ES are most valued, and by whom. Thus, the design of urban waterfronts presents challenges in identifying how communities engage with these spaces and how new planning might alter such uses if not accounted for. This paper describes a Rapid Social Assessment (RSA) methodology that …

Usa Archaeology Museum Newsletter - September 2023, Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum Newsletters

In this edition of the Archaeology Museum's newsletter:

• Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile Exhibit
• Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile Exhibit Speaker Series Schedule
• Choctaw Nation Visits the Museum
• Alabama Archaeological Society Southwest Chapter Fall Speaker Series
• Alabama Archaeology Day
• Halloween at the Museum
• Native Plants Garden Update
• Giving to the Archaeology Museum

Rising Coastal Groundwater As A Result Of Sea-Level Rise Will Influence Contaminated Coastal Sites And Underground Infrastructure, K. Hill, D. Hirschfeld, C. Lindquist, F. Cook, S. Warner

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Sea-level rise (SLR) will cause coastal groundwater to rise in many coastal urban environments. Inundation of contaminated soils by groundwater rise (GWR) will alter the physical, biological, and geochemical conditions that influence the fate and transport of existing contaminants. These transformed products can be more toxic and/or more mobile under future conditions driven by SLR and GWR. We reviewed the vulnerability of contaminated sites to GWR in a US national database and in a case comparison with the San Francisco Bay region to estimate the risk of rising groundwater to human and ecosystem health. The results show that 326 sites …

Social Vulnerability Of The People Exposed To Wildfires In U.S. West Coast States, Arash Modaresi Rad, John T. Abatzoglou, Erica Fleishman, Miranda H. Mockrin, Volker C. Radeloff, Yavar Pourmohamad, Megan Cattau, J. Michael Johnson, Philip Higuera, Nicholas J. Nauslar, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding of the vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfires is limited. We used an index from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the social vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfire from 2000–2021 in California, Oregon, and Washington, which accounted for 90% of exposures in the western United States. The number of people exposed to fire from 2000–2010 to 2011–2021 increased substantially, with the largest increase, nearly 250%, for people with high social vulnerability. In Oregon and Washington, a higher percentage of exposed people were highly vulnerable (>40%) than in California (~8%). Increased social vulnerability of …

The Indiana Statesman, September 19, 2023, Indiana State University

Student Newspaper

ISU alum announces run for State Senate; ISU named to Best Colleges list; Mass. first state to stop buying; Suspect arrested in ambush killing of LA county sheriff’s deputy

Human Rights And Latina Feminisms: Implications For Clinical Practice With The Latine Diaspora In Anti-Immigrant Times, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Miriam Castillo Martinez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

In the anti-immigrant context, the Latine community experiences particular challenges as they are prime targets of racism and xenophobia. The social construction of immigrants as a “threat” and “criminals” shapes political responses to migration and allows for the use of extreme practices, such as long detention periods, inhumane conditions, and other violations of human rights. As clinical social workers, a focus on the political and social context means that interventions can both be tailored to the individual or family’s particular lived experience and focus on changing the structural conditions that create trauma. This article highlights several theoretical and global perspectives …

Community Adaptations To Wildfire Risk In Central Oregon, Usa: An Empirical Study Of Inclusionary Practices In Collaborative Wildfire Risk Mitigation, Liam Resener

Dissertations and Theses

Adverse impacts of wildfire in Western North America have become increasingly present through the 21^st century, driven by landscape changes imposed by colonists in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Community adaptations to wildfire will be necessary through the 21^st century to restore landscapes and protect the safety and livelihoods of people who live in at-risk areas. Wildfire risk extends across countless environmental and social systems, and individuals have competing ideas about what constitutes that risk and how to best adapt to it. As resources are being allocated to community adaptations, important questions emerge about the values …

Law School Welcomes 12 Distinguished Professors To Faculty, Seattle University School Of Law

News Center Articles

No abstract provided.

Confirming The Ultra Low Emission Zone: Another Step Towards Cleaner Air For London, J Lowther, J Sellick

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Introduction Poor air quality is a known killer. The WHO estimates that 4.2 million premature deaths can be associated with poor air quality, and in the UK it has been estimated as a contributing factor to 28,000–36,000 deaths every year. In recent times it has become apparent that the UK is behind the curve in respect of acceptable air quality – as in that capable of meeting ‘safe’ standards – in London and other major population centres. The persistent and systemic failure of successive governments to address the root causes of poor air quality has been the subject of successful …

Defining And Measuring Equity In Public Transportation, Christopher E. Ferrell, David Reinke, John M. Eels, Matthew M. Schroeder

Mineta Transportation Institute

Transit should serve all users, regardless of age, race, ability, or any other identity. Policies and planning must be conscious of inequities when defining and measuring equity in public transportation. This study was done to aid the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the state’s transit agencies in assessing transit service equity and assisting with evaluating past, existing, and future inequities. This report identifies and evaluates policies and practices associated with equity measurement in public transit from extant academic and professional literature sources. These include the Federal laws and regulations addressing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and …

Usa Archaeology Museum Newsletter - September 2023, Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum Newsletters

In this edition of the Archaeology Museum's newsletter:

• Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile Exhibit
• Unwritten: Archaeology & Oral History of Jim Crow Mobile Exhibit Speaker Series Schedule
• Alabama Archaeological Society Southwest Chapter Fall Speaker Series
• Alabama Archaeology Day
• Halloween at the Museum
• Native Plants Garden Update
• Giving to the Archaeology Museum

White Politics, Black Lives, & The Cost Of Being Green: Environmental Racism In Emelle, Alabama, Laura M. Wilson

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In the 1970s, Emelle, Alabama welcomed the establishment of a new corporation and the promise of new economic opportunities. The small settlement, almost exclusively African-American (94%) and in poverty (67%) was selected by Waste Management, Inc., after lobbying by Governor George Wallace to create the largest hazardous waste landfill in the US. When a state policy change significantly increasing costs, production slowed, jobs dissipated (from 430 to 250), and destitution returned. At the same time, other problems began to the surface, including water contamination and increasing rates of childhood cancers, attributable to the toxic seepage. The dump still operates, but …

Scents Of Place: Exploring Self, Place And Planet Through Botanical Fragrance, Jennifer L. Kitson, Donna M. Sweigart

Open Educational Resources

This learning module provides instructors with an experiential field guide for introducing students to the United Nations Inner Development Goals Framework through self-guided mindful smelling activities and reflection prompts related to botanical fragrance. The interdisciplinary nature of this module allows for use or adaptation in a wide range of courses looking for outdoor, place-based and self-guided experiential learning to explore the role of botanical fragrance for people, plants and pollinators. The overarching goal is to deepen students’ connections to their senses (and scents) of self, place and planet through exploring botanical fragrance with mindful smelling. The learning activities in this …

Race And Income As Predictors Of Trust In Flood Mitigation Strategies, Wendy Nathaly Sangucho Loachamin

Dissertations and Theses

Trust plays a central role in coastal flooding management because the support or opposition to costly mitigation strategies depends, in part, on how much stakeholders trust in the effectiveness of these strategies. Despite the importance of trust in the approval of flood mitigation strategies, trust is rarely measured. Furthermore, Environmental Justice (EJ) studies have consistently shown that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and low-income communities are more vulnerable to environmental hazards. Therefore, if these communities are more exposed to flooding, we hypothesize they will have less trust in flood mitigation strategies to protect them; yet trust is understudied …

Measuring The Awareness Of University Students Towards Environmental Pollution: A Case Study Of Khorfakkan University Students, Z. M. Noufal, O. S. Ahmed, M. A. Ali

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

The study aimed to measure the towards the environment pollution among university students, and in this a measure was prepared that contains students knowledge of environmental pollution and its effects, and students participation in facing environmental problems. The study relied on the sample social survey method by designing a sample representative of the study community consisting of 300 students at the University of Khorfakkan. A scale was designed to measure students awareness of the environment. To design the scale, a guiding program was relied upon to determine measurement criteria in modifying students behavior towards the environment. This program is composed …

Evidence-Based Public Health Practice: Developing Searchable Questions, Lisa M. Acuff, Jonathan Eldredge, Alexis Ellsworth-Kopkowski, Gale G. Hannigan

Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Ene 465-101:Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure, William Pennock

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

A Social Function Of Water: How Colorado's Doctrine Of Prior Appropriation Can Prepare For The Future By Returning To Its Headwaters, Evan Weis

Water Law Review

Recent years have seen an increase in private in vestment in water by large investment firms across Colorado. This has led to a rise in speculation and a move towards privatization of Colorado's already scarce water resources, prompting many to express fears over the future considering the threat that Climate Change poses to water supply. In response, this paper looks back towards the origins of the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation for inspiration about its future. In order to combat the threat of speculation and monopolization, Colorado should adopt a constitutional requirement that water must observe its Social Function: a theory …

Permitting Co2 Pipelines, Martin Lockman

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Both emissions reductions and removal of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere are essential if we hope to minimize the damage caused by climate change and globally reduce our net emissions of greenhouse gasses to zero. Some CO2 removal techniques, like “direct air capture” that uses chemical and electrochemical processes to capture atmospheric CO2 at relatively low concentrations, generate a stream of captured CO2 that is then injected into underground rock formations referred to as “geologic storage.” CO2 pipelines represent the most efficient way to transport high volumes of captured CO2 to geologic storage locations. However, while …

Hist 342 - 001: Civil Rights Revolution, Alison Lefkovitz

History Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Halting Global Supply Chain Abuses: Analyzing The Potential Of The European Court Of Human Rights To Address Extraterritorial Harms In The Chocolate Industry, Joe Udell

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

Global supply chains in the agribusiness sector have long been associated with abhorrent slave-like conditions. Although transnational corporations have acknowledged that these extraterritorial abuses exist, they have largely evaded legal responsibility for the human rights harms suffered by victims overseas. Against this backdrop, the European Court of Human Rights represents an intriguing venue for future claimants, as its Article 4 jurisprudence has expanded the scope of prohibitions on slavery and forced labor under the European Convention of Human Rights. This Article accordingly considers whether the Court might interpret Article 4 such that it places a positive obligation on Council of …

Incorporating Social Justice And Environmental Sustainability Into Estate Planning Through Conservation Easements, Trace Brooks

ACTEC Law Journal

As climate change and social inequalities become increasingly pressing issues, estate planning has emerged as a powerful tool for promoting both social justice and environmental sustainability. This article explores the intersection of estate planning, private land conservation, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Upgrading To The New Model: Auto Dealership Franchise Laws And The Benefits Of Allowing Electric Vehicle Direct Sales, Daniel S. Rubin

Transportation Law Journal

There are legal justifications to support the interpretation that electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are not covered by many states' current laws preventing auto manufacturers from selling cars directly to consumers. So called "dealership franchise laws" on the books in many states require cars to be sold through third party dealerships and specifically prohibit manufacturers from cutting out dealers by selling cars directly to consumers. Beyond the technical legal arguments for the new model, exempting EV manufacturers from the current legally imposed dealership model would accelerate wider adoption of EVs and promote environmental health benefits associated with lowering emissions from transportation. …

Front Matter, Michigan Journal Of Environmental & Administrative Law

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Front Matter for Volume 13, Issue 1 of Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Why Stop Grazing The Climate Commons?, Brigham Daniels

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Many have argued that climate change is the textbook example of a tragedy of the commons. Assuming that is correct, to make headway on climate change, we would expect an enforceable agreement that provides for global collective action. The tragedy of the commons assumes that those who cut back when others do not are—to use the formal language of game theorists—suckers. So, the last thing we would expect is a surge of unilateral action. Contrary to theory, for the past decade, unilateral climate action has flourished among governments, businesses, other organizations, and individuals.

Is the number of climate suckers growing …

A Seat At Whose Table? Analyzing Detroit’S Community Benefit Ordinance As A Tool For Environmental Justice, Sarah Draughn Gargaro

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

The Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as the “just treatment and meaningful involvement” of all people in the decisionmaking that affects the environment and human health. Since the origins of the modern American environmental justice movement in the 1980s, activists have emphasized the importance of self-determination. Environmental justice requires that decision making processes center the voices of the individuals impacted by decisions made about the distributions of environmental assets and harms. There is a significant challenge, however, in designing community engagement practices that meaningfully involve community members. Since the 1990s, community benefits agreements have been heralded as an effective …

Staging Nature: Performing Environmental Crises In War, Housing, And Labor, 1935–1990, Erik Barrett Wallenberg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Staging Nature” examines how theater was used as a means for expressing environmental concerns in moments of environmental crisis in the United States. I begin with The Federal Theatre Project’s national tour of a performance addressing the metabolic rift in the divide between the city and country with a focus on the devastation of farmland in the Dust Bowl in the late 1930s. At the heart of the dissertation are three theater groups that start in the 1960s during the rise of the modern environmental movement. Chapters on Bread and Puppet Theater show that they make a name for themselves …