Digital Commons Network^™

Emergent Landscapes Of Renewable Energy Storage: Considering Just Transitions In The Western United States, Bethani Turley, Alida Cantor, Kate Berry, Sarah Knuth, Dustin Mulvaney, Noel Vineyard

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Governments, utilities, and energy companies are increasingly looking towards energy storage technologies to extend the availability of variable renewable power sources such as solar and wind. In this Perspective, we examine these fast-shifting developments by mapping and analyzing landscapes of renewable energy storage emerging across the Western United States. We focus on the rollout of several interrelated leading technologies: utility-scale lithium-ion batteries, supported by increasing regional lithium mining, and proposals for new pumped storage hydropower. Drawing on critical resource geography, we examine energy storage as both a component of renewable transition and as its own driver of landscape transformation, resource …

Editorial: Helping Scientists To Communicate Well For All Considered: Strategic Science Communication In An Age Of Environmental And Health Crises, Brianne Suldovsky, Marcia Allison, Marina Joubert, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Scott Mcwilliams

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

From documenting evidence-based science communication training programs to examining issues of intersectionality and inclusivity in science communication, each of the 12 articles in this special issue offers a unique perspective on science communication, public engagement, and inclusivity. The case studies of training programs provide helpful lessons learned that have broad applicability. The descriptions of how social scientific and rhetorical approaches have been used to enhance inclusive science communication offer new insights into more effective science communication practices. Our hope is that, taken together, these articles will inspire improvements in our collective ability to more effectively and equitably apply scientific research …

Social Justice And Exponential Functions: Using Pandemic Data To Increase Student Understanding, Jane Friedman

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This paper describes a class activity based on real data about COVID-19 death rates in California. The activity helps students learn about exponential functions while providing an opportunity to integrate social justice concerns into the mathematics classroom.

Remembering Drew Christiansen, S.J., Distinguished Advisor On Peacebuilding For The U.S. Catholic Bishops, Gerard Powers

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Changing Urban Forest In Gallup, New Mexico: Contextualizing Urban Tree Programs And Planning Processes, Joseph A. Scala

Geography ETDs

Tree plantings are often proposed as a solution to a variety of urban problems. The purpose of this project is to investigate the historical formation of urban tree cover in Gallup, New Mexico, and the extent to which urban tree plantings can benefit areas with inequitable urban tree distribution. To do this, I employ a mixed methods approach that includes correlation analysis, historical analysis, and analysis of urban tree canopy change from 1972-2005. The findings from this study indicate that Gallup’s history of tree plantings is heavily influenced by its history of economic development. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that if …

Are Residents In Urban Areas Of Nigeria Exposed To Health-Impacting Levels Of Noise Pollution?, Obinna C.D. Anejionu, Elijah S. Ebinne, Kelechi I. Nwosu, Miriam G. U. Anejinou, Raphael I. Ndukwu

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Across the world urban dwellers are facing increasing risks of exposure to noise pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) described noise pollution as an underestimated threat that can cause various health problems to humans and wildlife. In Nigeria, urban areas are experiencing increasing levels of noise pollution. In this study, a combination of low-cost noise sensors and GIS modelling were used to conduct a preliminary investigation of the spatiotemporal patterns of noise pollution in a prominent urban area in Nigeria. This was to ascertain whether residents are exposed to dangerous noise levels that could affect their health as well as …

Range Of Children's Outdoor Playing Area In Densely Populated Area Towards Sustainable City, Dewi Lestari Simanjuntak, Hayati Sari Hasibuan, Donna Asteria

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Children need to play, either alone or with friends, especially in outdoors spaces, to benefits their growth and development. Many densely populated areas do not provide children's playgrounds due to the limited area and not planned from the start of development. As a result, children play in the remaining space around the residence, which can threaten the safety and comfort of children. It is essential to pay attention to the safety and comfort aspects of children. This paper aims to explain the spatial reach of children when playing outdoors and children's perceptions about their playing area. This research was conducted …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Plan, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Plan, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

What's In Your Soil? A Comparative Assessment Of Total Lead In Soils In Southwest Side And North Side Chicago Communities, Jennifer Garcia

DePaul Discoveries

In Chicago, city officials continue to locate polluting industries in predominately Black and Hispanic/Latinx neighborhoods. Lower income families are disproportionately exposed to greater amounts of toxic chemicals such as lead (Pb). While the City of Chicago focuses its effort in removing industrial sites from the North Side, a predominately white community area, sources of industrial pollution are more likely to be found in communities of color. Due to the prevalent sources of Pb on the Southwest side, residential soil is often highly disturbed and contaminated. Pb is a serious neurotoxin, and ingestion or inhalation of Pb contaminated soil and dust …

Environment, Power, And Justice : Southern African Histories, Graeme Wynn, Jane Carruthers, Nancy J. Jacobs

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Spanning the colonial, postcolonial, and postapartheid eras, these historical and locally specific case studies analyze and engage vernacular, activist, and scholarly efforts to mitigate social-environmental inequity.

This book highlights the ways poor and vulnerable people in South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe have mobilized against the structural and political forces that deny them a healthy and sustainable environment. Spanning the colonial, postcolonial, and postapartheid eras, these studies engage vernacular, activist, and scholarly efforts to mitigate social-environmental inequity. Some chapters track the genealogies of contemporary activism, while others introduce positions, actors, and thinkers not previously identified with environmental justice. Addressing health, economic …

Understanding The Effects Of Socioeconomic Variables, Career Motivation, And Msw Education On Practice Preferences: A Quantitative National Survey Of Msw Students, Tina B. Granger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades, there has been much debate over the role of social workers in the mental health field. Factors related to career motivation and practice preferences has had limited research and many have attributed materialistic and self-seeking motives as the reason for a social work career choice. Research has shown that there may be a divergence or ‘mission drift’ from traditional social work values and mission of social justice and social change at the systems level. Identifying factors related to career motivation and practice preferences is important in an ever-evolving field such as social work. This study …

Sustainability At Jesuit Institutions: How Are We Teaching The Next Generation To Care Forour Common Home?, Brooke Rose

Silicon Valley Sociological Review

As environmental degradation becomes harder and harder to ignore, institutions are beginning to take notice and put into place specific steps to take action. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is offering a way for higher education institutions (HEIs) to promote sustainability through participating in the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS). This report evaluates the participation in the STARS by the eight Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) schools that have an unexpired STARS rating and submitted information under STARS version 2 or later. Using publicly-available STARS data, I analyzed the scores of …

Finding A Place: Involvement In College Social Justice Organizations And Its Impacts, Judith Li, Megan Imai, Brooke Rose, Mika Abe

Silicon Valley Sociological Review

In this research, we aim to answer the question: How does being involved in social justice organizations at SCU impact students’ experience in higher education? We were interested in this because we are also students at SCU, and we wanted to be able to provide knowledge to our peers about the benefits of being involved. Involvement in student groups is often encouraged in college, and we wanted to learn more about the specific benefits of participation. We conducted eight interviews and eight observations at Santa Clara University using convenience sampling to collect the data. We find that being involved in …

Impact Assessment And Responsible Business Conduct Tools In The Extractive Sector: An Environmental Human Rights Toolbox For Government, Business, Civil Society, And Indigenous Groups, Sara L. Seck, Charlotte Connolly, Penelope Simons, Audrey Axten

Responsible Business Conduct and Impact Assessment Law

This toolbox provides guidance on how governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous groups may encourage and adopt a human rights approach to impact assessment (IA). It forms part of a broader research project aimed at highlighting the interrelationship between IA laws and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) tools, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Knowledge Synthesis Grant: Informing Best Practices in Environmental & Impact Assessments (the “KSG”).

Reflections Upon Our Way Of Invoking An Indigenous Paradigm To Co-Explore Community Mobilization Against Irresponsible Practices Of Foreign-Owned Companies In Nwoya District, Uganda, Francis A. Adyanga Ph.D., Norma Ra Romm Prof.

The Qualitative Report

This article offers our reflections upon how we invoked an Indigenous paradigm in undertaking/facilitating qualitative research in a setting in Northern Uganda (2020/2021). The research was aimed at co-exploring with participants how they mobilized as a community against social and environmental injustices attendant with the entry of certain foreign enterprises into their community. We set up four focus group sessions in three villages to generate discussion in regard to how they had built up a community protest (with some success) against the operations of two enterprises who had been operational in the community. In our article we do not concentrate …

Un-Earthing Popular Climate Narratives: Maintenance And Prophecy In Settler World, Hannah Oxford

Communication ETDs

Climate change is fundamentally rooted in facts such as rising global temperatures, carbon emissions, losses in biodiversity, etc. However new information about our changing world is translated and incorporated within the narratives we live by and give form to our personal and collective worlds. While climate change is scientific, our mitigation efforts are entirely storied. This thesis looks at popular climate narratives that frames climate change as an issue of Earthly mechanics fixable through innovative technology. The goal of this thesis is to understand the ways in which settler colonialism, as a communicable mechanism of cultural production, organizes this particular …

Chemical Toxicants In Water: A Geohealth Perspective In The Context Of Climate Change, Naveen Joseph, Tate Libunao, Elizabeth Herrmann, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Catherine R. Propper, Jesse E. Bell, Alan S. Kolok

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The editorial focuses on four major themes contextualized in a virtual GeoHealth workshop that occurred from June 14 to 16, 2021. Topics in that workshop included drinking water and chronic chemical exposure, environmental injustice, public health and drinking water policy, and the fate, transport, and human impact of aqueous contaminants in the context of climate change. The intent of the workshop was to further define the field of GeoHealth. This workshop emphasized on chemical toxicants that drive human health. The major calls for action emerged from the workshop include enhancing community engagement, advocating for equity and justice, and training …

Integrating A Racial Capitalism Framework Into First-Year Contracts: A Pathway To Anti-Capitalist Lawyering, Chaumtoli Huq

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

Nationwide protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020, coupled with the high rates of COVID-19 deaths among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), has brought to the foreground the role of the legal system in upholding structural racism and economic inequality. This renewed focus spotlighted our legal education: what are law schools doing as the institutions that educate future lawyers to be anti-racist, so they can, in turn, create a legal profession that is anti-racist? Being anti-racist is making conscious choices to fight racism in all its forms: individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural. Being anti-racist also …

Winding Down River Road, Gillian Harper

LSU Master's Theses

As a mechanism to explore my temporary home in Louisiana, Winding Down River Road is a collection of artworks that integrates natural materials collected from landscapes in southern Louisiana with steel and petroleum-based products. My interest in researching environmental issues, ecology, and industry has shaped my vehicles for observation and how I generate data. Through a variety of methodologies, I am considering how climate change is forcing many of us to re-contextualize how our home can be affected by the very industries we rely on. Personal engagement with residents living in the dystopian atmosphere of southern Louisiana’s industrial corridor and …

Recognizing Persecution In U.S. Criminal Justice And Capital Punishment: A Potential Path To Asylum Relief For U.S. Nationals, Alexandra Lauren Horn

Florida Journal of International Law

In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, political chaos, and economic recession, the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among too many others, brought international attention and outrage to the institutionalized racism which characterizes the U.S. criminal justice system. In a country that claims itself "the leader of the free world," people of color, and Black Americans in particular, are disproportionately policed, arrested, convicted, and, ultimately, executed in a deeply flawed capital punishment system. Asylum law may be an emerging option of relief from this discriminatory practice, especially with the current global support for reform movements. The closest the international …

Prefatory Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Firefly Trapper, Jona Pedersen

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

Final Master's Portfolio, Amy Hromiak

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio represents the work I completed over the two-year Master of Arts in the field of English program with a focus on teaching. The first paper, “Dystopian Literature IS a Call to Action: Teaching The Hunger Games in High School,” is a teaching-based project that discusses positive ways to incorporate dystopian young adult literature, and more specifically, The Hunger Games, in high school ELA curriculum. The second paper, “Chaos is Monstrous in Wuthering Heights,” is a research-based analytical project that discusses the idea that what makes Heathcliff monstrous is the chaos that he embodies. Overall, these projects …

Full Issue 16.1

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Mass Violence, Environmental Harm, And The Limits Of Transitional Justice, Rachel Killean, Lauren Dempster

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The relationship between the environment and mass violence is complex and multi-faceted. The effects of environmental degradation can destabilize societies and cause conflict. Attacks on the environment can harm targeted groups, and both mass violence and subsequent transitions can have harmful environmental legacies. Given this backdrop, it is notable that the field of transitional justice has paid relatively little attention to the intersections between mass violence and environmental degradation. This article interrogates this inattention and explores the limitations and possibilities of transitional justice as a means of addressing the environmental harms associated with mass violence. The article makes four key …

Climate In Crisis: Art And Activism At The Brooklyn Museum, Nancy B. Rosoff

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper explores the Brooklyn Museum’s activism-centered museum practice as exemplified by the exhibition Climate in Crisis: Environmental Change in the Indigenous Americas. The exhibition presents the collections of Indigenous art from North, Central, and South America through the lens of climate change and its impact on the survival of Indigenous people. The main thesis is that the current climate emergency is part of a longer history of environmental colonialism that began five hundred years ago. For millennia, Indigenous communities throughout the Americas have maintained profound and expansive relationships with the natural world. However, beginning in the 1500s, Europe’s …

Globalization And Urban Opportunities In The Immigrant Cityscape, José Miguel Flores

Florida Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Models For Decisions, Svajunas Plunge

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

There is a huge gap between scientific applications of environmental models and applications needed for decision makers represented by or required from various governmental bodies. While the scientific community might look for the unexplored horizons on project to project basis, governmental bodies certainly need tools to provide consistent answers to managerial questions raised by different policies. However, with today's increasing environmental changes and multiple new questions asked, decision makers are often pushed to look at the same new horizons as the scientific community. This means that there is a great need for sophisticated scientific tools for governmental bodies too. Such …

Linking Models With Actions: The Need For Transparency In The Public Modeling Process, Kenneth M. Bryden, Scott Ferguson

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

We are confronted by a number of environmental challenges (perhaps crises) that require societal action. These include climate change, plastics in the environment, and environmental justice as well as many others. All of these require building a shared vision of the future and our actions. However, building a societal vision is a messy process requiring some form of shared narrative between various stakeholders who have different and often conflicting interests with limited, incomplete, and uncertain information. These interests are defined by each stakeholder’s current narrative, constructed by people asking themselves ‘what is going on here?,’ and answered by drawing on …