Digital Commons Network^™

Fish, Freshwater, And The Promise Of Biodiversity History For Indonesian Studies, Anthony D. Medrano

Forest and Society

Freshwater fishes abound in Indonesia. They are everywhere in the archipelago—from rice fields and irrigation canals to brackish lagoons and highland rivers. They even populate the most unassuming bodies of water. Some species are found in the remotest of volcanic lakes while others call the blackest and most acidic peat swamps their home. Every island has its habitats and every habitat has its fishes, making Indonesia one of the world’s richest centers of ichthyofauna diversity. And yet, thinking with freshwater fishes—and their biodiversity history—has been largely absent from the field of Indonesian studies. A telling example of this biological blindspot …

Placing The Commoning First: Getting Beyond The Patronage Trap In Natural Resource Decentralization Policies, Nurhady Sirimorok, Micah R. Fisher, Bart Verheijen, Muhammad Alif K. Sahide

Forest and Society

Research on the commons have been an inspiration for initiatives on natural resource decentralization over the past three decades. Researchers are increasingly recognizing however, that these commons initiatives are mostly failing to support rights, improve livelihoods, and conserve natural resources. These “commons projects,” defined as approaches that claim to devolve natural resource governance to local institutions, have their origins in various formulations of theories of the commons but are usually interpreted and applied by states and donor organizations. This paper identifies and analyzes deficiencies in theories of the commons through the slight but significant refocusing on perspectives of commoning. We …

Examining And Developing Environmental Stewardship Funding Networks In Los Angeles: A Research Proposal, Lily Maddox, Michele Romolini

Honors Thesis

Similar to other types of non-profit funding, environmental grants have a continuing history of being inaccessible to the groups that could benefit from them the most. While many environmental stewardship organizations are in need of funding for community projects, Los Angeles lacks a clear network of environmental funders that is accessible to all potential actors. This project is a proposal to study existing environmental funder coalitions as well as philanthropic trends in Los Angeles. The findings from this research will ultimately be used to compile a database of environmental grant sources in Los Angeles detailing both funders and their grant …

The Threat Of Hospital Wastewater: An Evidence-Based Call To Action, Ann P. Nguyen

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Introduction: Hospital wastewater carries a unique composition of pollutants, a burden that includes high chemical and biological residuals. These pollutants are discharged into sewage treatment plants and natural environments where they contaminate human water sources and larger ecosystems. Water treatment plants are not designed to treat the high loads of biomedical waste and persistent organic compounds found in hospital wastewater and therefore pollutants survive in conventionally treated water. Evidence of contaminated soil, municipal wastewater, surface water, ground water, and even drinking water have been demonstrated in studies conducted around the world highlighting the ubiquity of the problem. Hospital effluent as …

Biodiversity In Eastern Kentucky: Effects Of Habitat Change, Surface Top Mining, And Current Reclamation Practices, Sydney Pardieu

Undergraduate Theses

Biodiversity is a key component in maintaining the valuable ecosystem services that are vital to the way humans interact with and rely on the environment. The Appalachian Region in Eastern North America is one of the most biodiverse temperate broadleaf forests in the world and is home to hundreds of endangered or endemic species. Despite the high biodiversity, the region is also heavily mined, particularly by mountain top removal, causing habitat change and pollution. Current reclamation practices for mined lands are lacking in effective reclamation criterion, and state statutes provide little or no attention to the preservation of biodiversity. Therefore, …

Contributor Bios, Obsculta Editors

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Integrating Art And Design With Environmental Science, Laura D. Hinson

The Confluence

This article demonstrates how combining art and design and environmental sciences would benefit both fields by analyzing how utilizing art and design in environmental sciences can help enhance aspects of the teaching process and environmental studies, specifically those dealing with climatology and pollution. Additionally, by taking an ecocritical approach to analyzing art and its creation, this article will detail how artists can become more conscious of the impacts creating certain types of art has on the environment while also noting environmental changes documented through art.

Book Review: Under The Weather: Reimagining Mobility In The Climate Crisis., Raymond Murphy

Critical Disaster Studies

Under the Weather: Reimagining Mobility in the Climate Crisis is an insightful, important book that reports on a fine-grained investigation Sodero made of the consequences and response to the disasters resulting from Hurricane Juan in Nova Scotia in 2003 and Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland in 2010, with comparisons to Hurricane Sandy in New York, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the 1998 ice storm in northeastern North America and the Icelandic ash cloud. One original feature is the focus on mobility, how indispensable it is in modern societies, how it is disrupted by extreme weather, and …

Bisakah Alam Menjadi Subyek Hukum? Refleksi Atas Beberapa Pengalaman, Rian Adhivira Prabowo, Adi Seno, Fajar Ahmad Setiawan, Unu P. Herlambang, Edho R. Ermansyah, Gerry Pindonta Ginting

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

This paper discusses three legal precedents regarding the legal personhood of nature in three countries; Ecuador, New Zealand, and India. Each country has recognized some natural areas as legal persons through different means. In Ecuador, the rights of nature, which resemble legal personhood of the nature, are recognized in the 2008 Amendment of Ecuador Constitution. Meanwhile, New Zealand has recognized the legal personhood of Whanganui River through legislated settlement treaty between the government and Maori peoples. Whereas in India, the rivers of Ganges and Yamuna have been recognized its legal personhood through the Uttarakhand High Court’s decisions. These three legal …

Climate Change Skepticism: Who And Why?, Mia Huyen Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Despite persistent scientific consensus urging immediate action, political polarization, and skepticism have hindered effective climate change mitigation, especially in the United States. This paper explores the factors influencing climate change attitudes among different groups, focusing on right-wing affiliates and Christian believers. Drawing on the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis (McCright and Dunlap, 2001-2010) and Information Processing Theory (Wood & Vedlitz, 2007), we investigate the effects of individual characteristics, including partisan ideology, party identification, educational attainment, and Christian faith. Using Wave 7 (2021) of the Chapman Survey of American Fears Survey, a nationwide sample of different fears among U.S. adults, this study aims to …

The Effects Of Media Usage On Climate Change Beliefs, Leia Hernandez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The subject of climate change has been a controversial debate for the past decade on whether it is real or just a myth. In this paper, the research that is found from various surveys will examine the correlation between fear of climate change and types of media usage. The correlation between fear of climate change and a person’s media usage will also demonstrate how media usage affects and shapes public opinion. The data associated with the fear of climate change was collected through the Chapman University American Fear Survey (CSAF). The survey sample was conducted on 1035 participants which is …

Spartan Daily, May 2, 2023, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2023

Volume 160, Issue 38

Daily Announcements May 2023, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Communications Office Daily Announcements

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Demarketing Strategies On Consumer Attitudes Toward Household Water Consumption, Mohammed Zedan Salem, Ahlam Ibrahim Al-Ethawi

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

Water access is a critical public policy problem that many people face worldwide. As demand for fresh water rises and supply declines, a growing number of towns will be compelled to respond to water shortages. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of demarketing strategies on consumer attitudes toward household water consumption. An empirical research was conducted to test the hypotheses, using primary data collected via a survey questionnaire. A structural equation model (SEM) is used to examine the data collected from 356 users. The findings reveal that there is a relationship between independent variables (i.e. …

Disturbance Regimes And Management Strategies Of Mountain Ash Forest Ecosystems In Victoria, Australia; A Literature Review, Zoe Plumb

Sustainability and Social Justice

This paper discusses the ecology of mountain ash forests, the disturbances regimes that currently exist in these ecosystems, and finally addresses the current management practices and future management practices. Mountain ash forests are subjected to a wide range of research in the Central Highlands of Victoria, an area approximately 14,000 hectares in range. These forests are dominated by montane ash trees (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell), which are critically endangered and at risk of collapse, attributed to the decline in large hollow-bearing trees throughout the region. Management of these forests are controlled by the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and …

Student Preferences On The Development Of A Non-Alcoholic Beverage Product To Alleviate The Negative Impact Of Alcohol On College Campuses, Cecilia Azar

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Alcohol abuse and peer pressure to drink are prominent issues on college campuses across the nation. More than 50 percent of college students aged 18 to 22 consume alcohol monthly and 33 percent consistently engage in binge drinking (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2021a). A non-alcoholic beverage product marketed to students as an alternative to alcohol in social settings could alleviate some of the negative impacts, such as peer pressure and the dangers caused by overconsumption.

Through two phases, this study implements University of Arkansas student preferences and recipe modification in the development of a non-alcoholic beverage product …

I’Ll Be Goldenrod And You’Ll Be Aster: The Case For Revolutionizing Western Methods Of Teaching Using Indigenous Ontologies, Joanna Logerfo

Master's Theses

An interesting facet of living as a human in the 21st century is contending with the end of the world. It’s been imagined in a thousand ways over the past twenty years. Will it be zombies? Aliens? An AI revolution? Or will it perhaps be something more mundane, more “down-to-Earth”? The floods, the droughts, the famines, and all the rest of the cataclysmic global events that occur every year have taken center stage in the world-ending debate, parading under a name as threatening and expansive as the Boogeyman: climate change. A recent article from NPR covered the United Nations’ 2022 …

Commencement Program, May 2023, Bemidji State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Method Development For Quantifying Micropollutants In Water At Trace Levels With Diffusive Gradients In Thin-Films Passive Samplers, Michael Bradford Howland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation in March 2023 for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which included maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 4.0 ng•L−1 for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These MCLs were based on current method detection limits (MDLs) for aqueous-phase grab samples achievable at certified analytical labs throughout the US. In June 2022, the US EPA issued the interim lifetime health advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS of 0.004 ng•L−1 and 0.02 ng•L−1, respectively, which presently cannot be reliably quantified using existing PFAS methods. …

An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Municipal Biochar Implementation In Voluntary Carbon Markets, Jadon Basilevac

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This paper serves as a review article and incorporates elements of survey research in order to identify and address factors inhibiting biochar availability from municipal sequestration projects in voluntary carbon marketplaces. In determining which barriers exist, and devising strategies for solving them, this study can help to expand the role of biochar in mitigating emissions contributing to climate change, and encourage project developers to support municipal biochar projects that provide various co-benefits. To do so, this study addresses how the pyrolysis production process might be made more efficient, economically viable, and see improved public image, the various urban sectors to …

Analyzing The Effects Of Cold Frontal Passage On The Feeding Habits Of Micropterus Salmoides (Largemouth Bass), Ethan Lang

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

For many decades, it has been theorized as to what happens to the feeding habits of largemouth bass (Micropterus Salmoides) when a significant short term weather change occurs. Here in the midwest and all throughout the United States cold front boundaries are a weather phenomenon that occur on a regular basis. They can occur on a very large or small scale and have a rapid effect on the weather locally. These cold front systems have been looked at as one of the main drivers to having an effect on the feeding habits of largemouth. However, up until this point, any …

Physiological Distancing Affects Climate Change Through Spatial Differences, Janette Williams

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Psychological distancing is best described as the human ability to separate ourselves socially, temporally, and spatial and use it to manipulate our perspectives. It is the belief that in order to perceive or understand the information, you have to be within a spatial range(Harvard Business Review,2015). Psychological distancing has been linked to climate change perspectives based on spatial differences. People who are closely affected by climate change and experience more are going to have more ideas and be proactive. The reduced distance by spatial differences correlated with perceptions of climate change. People who are farther from the coast and experience …

Roots Of Passion In Environmental Unl Students, Shane Vrbicky

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

“Passion” is an elusive idea - a simple word invented by man - able to depict vastly different realities and meanings dependent entirely on the user. Highly influential in nature, the simple thought of a passion within human beings can evoke a wide spectrum of strong emotions from pure joy and satisfaction to utter desperation and dread. Sometimes people have never known a life without their passion, guided by a headstrong feeling towards a path they have always dreamed of. Sometimes people can never seem to find passion, not knowing where to look and yet constantly chasing after it. Sometimes …

An Assessment Of Information And Education As A Factor Of Agricultural Development And Sustainability In South Carolina, George Strickland

All Theses

Across the Southeastern United States, producers in the agricultural industry wage a constant struggle between combating negative economic impacts and discovering economic opportunity. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) represent a crisis with wide-ranging economic impacts. The management of HABs presents a critical challenge for addressing the level of knowledge (LOK) and adaptability of Extension agents. Conversely, the emergence of markets for local and organic produce represents a burgeoning economic opportunity for producers. The growing trend of including more kale in the everyday American diet demands an assessment of those opportunities for local producers.

To identify the WTP for organic and local …

From Grain To Main And Following Fish, Nathan Huynh

Standard Theses

Two story maps. One is about the rice-to-shrimp agricultural transition in Vietnam from the 1970s-1990s. The other is about Senegalese fishermen climate migrants and their impact on Spain.

Abundance Of Plankton Taxa And Their Effects On The Planktonic Community In Lake Auburn., Dylan Ernest Larose

Standard Theses

Lake Auburn, the source of Lewiston and Auburn drinking water, is a dimictic mesotrophic lake located in Auburn Maine. The lake’s pristine nature allows for water, under strict guidelines, to be processed for drinking without the need or requirement for filtration. The lake must maintain relatively clear water in order to continue to be a filterless drinking water supply. Past water treatments have been undertaken to maintain clear water. A closer look was taken at the community dynamics of Lake Auburn’s plankton in an effort to better predict when costly and disturbing water treatments should be administered. Over fifty taxa …

A Comparative Analysis Of Groundwater Vulnerability And Pfas Contamination In Maine, Eli Boesch Dining

Standard Theses

As more information is learned regarding the long-term health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), increasing regulatory measures are being taken to protect the public from these chemicals. States like Maine are on the forefront of such legislation, banning land-applied biosolids in 2022 for fear of PFAS contamination, with plans to halt sales of all unnecessary PFAS products in the state by 2030. The state has conducted some testing of groundwater supplies, but the near-ubiquitous nature of PFAS in manufacturing indicates contamination may be widespread. To prioritize testing in Maine’s most vulnerable aquifers, a groundwater susceptibility map has been …

8,000 Years Of Forests In Maine: A Story Told By The Eastern Hemlock, Sugar Maple, And American Chestnut, Catherine (Cici) Conroy

Standard Theses

Forests have dominated Maine’s landscapes since the recession of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The outmigrations of glaciers gave way to a tundra environment, later transforming into the northern hardwood forests. Trees such as the Eastern hemlock, sugar maple, American chestnut, Eastern white pine, and brown ash form unique relationships with plants, fungi, animals, and humans. This paper examines the unique history of Maine’s forests from 8,000 years ago to today, emphasizing the changes brought by European colonization. Big history argues that history should be studied at large time scales, ranging from thousands to even millions or billions of years. It …

Understanding And Quantifying Phosphorus Transport From Septic Systems To Lake Auburn, Evan Ma

Standard Theses

Rural areas often use septic systems to treat household wastewater, which may pose a phosphorus (P) loading risk to nearby water bodies if systems fail or if the soil types are unsuitable for P retention. In the Lake Auburn watershed, septic systems may be a source of phosphorus loading to Lake Auburn, an unfiltered drinking water supply. Site evaluations from municipal permits reveal patterns of septic system locations and soil types in septic drain fields. Many septic drain fields have shallow depths to groundwater or a restrictive layer, which may lead to inadequate P retention in the soil. Areas with …

Management Recommendations To Facilitate Wild And Farmed Scallop Fishery Co-Existence In The Gulf Of Maine, Alysse E. Cleasby

Standard Theses

The established Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) inshore fishery and the growing scallop aquaculture industry compete for access to marine space and scallop larval resources in the Gulf of Maine. Entities concerned with scallop resource management (Maine Department of Marine Resources and fisheries-focused NGOs) are interested in solutions to facilitate wild-aquaculture co-existence. One such NGO, the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF), launched a collaborative research project in 2022 to determine the abundance and distribution of scallop larvae along the Maine coast, involving scallop fishermen and farmers in the process to begin co-existence conversations. Using this project as a case …