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Articles 1 - 21 of 21
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Sources To Seafood: Mercury Pollution In The Marine Environment, Celia Y. Chen, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathleen F. Lambert, Robert P. Mason, Laurie R. Rardin, Catherine V. Schmitt, N. S. Serrell, Elsie M. Sunderland
Sources To Seafood: Mercury Pollution In The Marine Environment, Celia Y. Chen, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathleen F. Lambert, Robert P. Mason, Laurie R. Rardin, Catherine V. Schmitt, N. S. Serrell, Elsie M. Sunderland
Maine Sea Grant Publications
In 2010, the Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program at Dartmouth College brought together a group of 50 scientists and policy stakeholders to form C-MERC, the Coastal and Marine Mercury Ecosystem Research Collaborative. The goal was to review current knowledge—and knowledge gaps—relating to a global environmental health problem, mercury contamination of the world’s marine fish. C-MERC participants attended two workshops over a two-year period, and in 2012 C-MERC authors published a series of peer-reviewed papers in the journals Environmental Health Perspectives and Environmental Research that elucidated key processes related to the inputs, cycling, and uptake of mercury in marine ecosystems, effects …
Demographic Amplification Of Climate Change Experienced By The Contiguous United States Population During The 20th Century, Jason Samson, Dominique Berteaux, Brian Mcgill, Murray Humphries
Demographic Amplification Of Climate Change Experienced By The Contiguous United States Population During The 20th Century, Jason Samson, Dominique Berteaux, Brian Mcgill, Murray Humphries
Publications
Better understanding of the changing relationship between human populations and climate is a global research priority. The 20th century in the contiguous United States offers a particularly well-documented example of human demographic expansion during a period of radical socioeconomic and environmental change. One would expect that as human society has been transformed by technology, we would become increasingly decoupled from climate and more dependent on social infrastructure. Here we use spatially-explicit models to evaluate climatic, socio-economic and biophysical correlates of demographic change in the contiguous United States between 1900 and 2000. Climate-correlated variation in population growth has caused the U.S. …
A Growing Town: Developing A Local Food System In Orono, Maine, Gregory Viens
A Growing Town: Developing A Local Food System In Orono, Maine, Gregory Viens
Honors College
Local food systems are different from industrial agriculture systems in their social interaction, economic size and stability, political support and assistance, and environmental impacts. Industrial agriculture has flourished, while the ability of widespread local food systems to survive for the long term has yet to be determined. Research of local food systems reveals that dedicated and involved communities, motivated and knowledgeable managers, and political and financial support are the most essential determinants of successful systems. This research explores three existing local food system models and examines the extent to which Orono, Maine could support these models. A suitability analysis of …
From Automobiles To Alternatives: Applying Attitude Theory And Information Technologies To Increase Shuttle Use At Rocky Mountain National Park, Kourtney Kristen Collum
From Automobiles To Alternatives: Applying Attitude Theory And Information Technologies To Increase Shuttle Use At Rocky Mountain National Park, Kourtney Kristen Collum
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis examines potential strategies for increasing voluntary shuttle use at Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) and the gateway community of Estes Park, Colorado. The first chapter of this two-part study evaluates the impact of a pilot intelligent transportation system (ITS) on visitor awareness and use of shuttles during the summer of 2011. Two forms of ITS, dynamic message signs (DMS) and highway advisory radio (HAR), were evaluated. Specifically, the ITS was meant to influence day-visitors to park at a new park-and-ride lot just east of Estes Park where they could then board a connector shuttle and transfer to any …
The Hydrological And Geochemical Role Of The C Horizon In A Glacial Till Mantled Headwater Catchment, Margaret A. Burns
The Hydrological And Geochemical Role Of The C Horizon In A Glacial Till Mantled Headwater Catchment, Margaret A. Burns
Honors College
The C horizon is the deepest soil layer that is technically unweathered, similar to the rest of the regolith beneath the bottom of the pedon. In New England, the C horizon formed from the retreat of the glaciers eroding bedrock and depositing an unsorted and unstratified glacial till on the surface. This research evaluated the hydrologic and chemical role of the C horizon, inclusive of underlying regolith, in a forested watershed at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire. Results suggest that the C horizon at HBEF is extensive and heterogeneous. Traditional concepts of basal till offer a …
Science Communication And Vernal Pool Conservation: A Study Of Local Decision Maker Attitudes In A Knowledge-Action System, Bridie Mcgreavy, Thomas Webler, Aram J K Calhoun
Science Communication And Vernal Pool Conservation: A Study Of Local Decision Maker Attitudes In A Knowledge-Action System, Bridie Mcgreavy, Thomas Webler, Aram J K Calhoun
Publications
designing and implementing boundary management strategies, and highlights the complexities of direct engagement between scientists and policymakers and the implications of that engagement for scientists and their academic institutions. We draw from a case study conducted in Maine to argue that there are contexts in which the need arises for scientists to manage and span the science-policy boundary. The complexities involved in preparing scientists to engage more thoroughly in policy activities and the challenges in garnering institutional support for advancing the participation of scientists in boundary spanning activities are explored.
Biofuels Development In Maine: Using Trees To Oil The Wheels Of Sustainabilty, Caroline L. Noblet, Mario F. Teisl, Katherine H. Farrow, Jonathan Rubin
Biofuels Development In Maine: Using Trees To Oil The Wheels Of Sustainabilty, Caroline L. Noblet, Mario F. Teisl, Katherine H. Farrow, Jonathan Rubin
Maine Policy Review
As national standards require increased use of renewable transportation fuels by 2022, Maine is positioned to be a leader in wood-based cellulosic ethanol production and use. Caroline Noblet, Mario Teisl, Katherine Farrow, and Jonathan Rubin consider Mainers’ willingness to accept and use biofuels. They document the current level of consumer knowledge and behavior and identify factors (environmental, economic, and energy security) that may assist or constrain drivers from purchasing biofuels.
Interview With Robert Kates, Pathfinder In Sustainability Science, Bridie Mcgreavy, Robert Kates
Interview With Robert Kates, Pathfinder In Sustainability Science, Bridie Mcgreavy, Robert Kates
Maine Policy Review
In this interview, Robert Kates discusses the challenges of sustainability science in moving from what scientists know to actions that can provide solutions to pressing environmental and development problems. Kates notes that sustainability science has the dual mission of addressing core scientific and intellectual questions, while at the same time addressing development in particular places. He suggests that one of the key questions is how to address long-term trends and transition to a “better synthesis between environment and society.”
Wicked Tools: The Value Of Scientific Models For Solving Maine’S Wicked Problems, Tim Waring
Wicked Tools: The Value Of Scientific Models For Solving Maine’S Wicked Problems, Tim Waring
Maine Policy Review
“Wicked problems” are urgent, high-stake socioeconomic-environmental challenges that often involve ideological conflict and have no “best solutions.” Using examples from Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative projects, Tim Waring describes how scientific models can be used to address these kinds of problems. When well-constructed and tested models are used to address policy-relevant issues, include input from stakeholders, and integrate social, economic and environmental dynamics, they can become “wicked tools” to address some of society’s biggest challenges.
The Path To Sustainable Water Resources Solutions, John Peckenham, David Hart, Sean Smith, Shaleen Jain, Whitney King
The Path To Sustainable Water Resources Solutions, John Peckenham, David Hart, Sean Smith, Shaleen Jain, Whitney King
Maine Policy Review
Water is essential both to human survival and to the ecosystems on which people depend. Although Maine is blessed with abundant water sources, managing them is crucial for both short and long-term uses. The authors describe the varying time and spatial scales involved in managing water resources, pointing out that policy decisions made at one time can have far-reaching consequences. They provide illustrations of water-resource projects from Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, ranging in size from Sebago Laketo vernal pools on individual properties.
Place-Based Approaches To Alternative Energy: The Potential For Forest And Grass Biomass For Aroostook County, Jason Johnston, Soraya Cardenas
Place-Based Approaches To Alternative Energy: The Potential For Forest And Grass Biomass For Aroostook County, Jason Johnston, Soraya Cardenas
Maine Policy Review
Teams at the University of Maine Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Forth Kent are engaged in evaluating the potential for forest and grass biomass energy in Aroostook County, funded through Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative. The article discusses how this potential is being evaluated and the possible ways in which expanding grass and wood biomass might benefit farmers and residents of The County. It suggests that using some of Maine’s farmland for fuel might be sustainable with appropriate management and with consideration for potential environmental and socioeconomic drawbacks
Introduction, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy, Brittany Cline, Laura Lindenfeld
Introduction, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy, Brittany Cline, Laura Lindenfeld
Maine Policy Review
Introduces special issue of Maine Policy Review focused on Maine's "Sustainability Solutions Initiative," an NSF/EPSCoR-funded project that brings together faculty from higher education institutions around the state to work with stakeholders on sustainability issues through the lens of sustainability science.
Reaching Into The Past For Future Resilience: Recovery Efforts In Maine Rivers And Coastal Waters, John Lichter, Ted Ames
Reaching Into The Past For Future Resilience: Recovery Efforts In Maine Rivers And Coastal Waters, John Lichter, Ted Ames
Maine Policy Review
John Lichter and Ted Ames discuss how analysis of environmental histories of human activities affecting Maine’s estuary, river, and coastal marine ecosystems can shed light on the role key fish species may play. Through Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, a group of researchers from Bowdoin, Bates, University of Southern Maine, and Penobscot East Resource Center have teamed up to examine ecological recovery in the state’s waterways and coastal fisheries. Several river restoration efforts were already underway, and others are being planned as a direct result of this interdisciplinary project.
Healthy Lakes And Vibrant Economies: Linking History, Sense Of Place, And Watershed Protection In The Belgrade Lakes Region, James Rodger Fleming, Erin A. Love
Healthy Lakes And Vibrant Economies: Linking History, Sense Of Place, And Watershed Protection In The Belgrade Lakes Region, James Rodger Fleming, Erin A. Love
Maine Policy Review
Using interviews, targeted questionnaires, and historical documents, James Fleming and Erin Love show how history and “sense of place” can help encourage individuals to support environmental protection. The project they describe focuses on watershed protection in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, and is part of a larger Sustainability Solutions Initiative project in that region. They argue that “connection to place leads to caring about it.”
Sustainability And Workforce Development In Maine, Catherine S. Renault, Linda Silka, James (Jake) S. Ward
Sustainability And Workforce Development In Maine, Catherine S. Renault, Linda Silka, James (Jake) S. Ward
Maine Policy Review
Maine is facing challenges in terms of its workforce: education levels lag behind those in the other New England states; population growth is slow; and the economy is undergoing a change that has shifted from manufacturing to more knowledge-based jobs. Catherine Renault, Linda Silka and Jake Ward discuss these challenges, looking at what employers want in their employees and at the kinds of jobs the state is likely to see in the future. They point out that the Sustainability Solutions Initiative, with its emphasis on a boundary-crossing approach to education, is an example of a way to train today’s students …
Economic Development And Maine’S Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Caroline L. Noblet, Kathleen P. Bell, Charles Colgan, Mario Teisl
Economic Development And Maine’S Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Caroline L. Noblet, Kathleen P. Bell, Charles Colgan, Mario Teisl
Maine Policy Review
The authors discuss how Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) can contribute to economic development in the state. SSI research is covering five of the seven targeted technology areas identified in recent reports as being important for economic development in the state (forestry and agriculture, environmental, information, composites, marine and aquaculture). The authors note how the broad scope of research carried out through SSI provides opportunities to catalyze new commercial opportunities. As important, SSI is providing many students with a unique learning environment that will prepare them for the new knowledge-based economy.
Advancing Science And Improving Quality Of Place: Linking Knowledge With Action In Maine’S Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Damon Hall, Linda Silka, Laura Lindenfeld
Advancing Science And Improving Quality Of Place: Linking Knowledge With Action In Maine’S Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Damon Hall, Linda Silka, Laura Lindenfeld
Maine Policy Review
The authors give an overview of how research carried out through Maine’s Sustainabilty Solutions Initiative (SSI) improves traditional models of science by providing a fuller picture of the interaction between social and ecological systems. They provide examples of university-community research partnerships, where there is a continuous communication and feedback process that identifies problems and develops projects with a solutions-oriented focus. SSI projects, they argue, “focus on issues that may make lasting improvements to Maine’s quality of place.”
Student Perspective: Margaret Chase Smith Library 2011 Essay Contest:, Zoe Anderson, Ali Clift, Allaina Murphy
Student Perspective: Margaret Chase Smith Library 2011 Essay Contest:, Zoe Anderson, Ali Clift, Allaina Murphy
Maine Policy Review
Each year, the Margaret Chase Smith Library sponsors an essay contest for Maine high school seniors. The focus of the 2011 contest was environmental protection. The essay prompt quoted a 1972 statement from Sen. Smith: “We must recognize that we’re not going to eliminate pollution overnight. It’s going to be a hard, long fight. It’s going to take a long time and a lot of sacrifice on the part of each one of us.” By happy coincidence, the essay contest topic fits perfectly with the subject matter of this special issue of Maine Policy Review on sustainability. We feature here …
Attitudes Toward Offshore Wind Power In The Midcoast Region Of Maine, James Acheson
Attitudes Toward Offshore Wind Power In The Midcoast Region Of Maine, James Acheson
Maine Policy Review
Given the likelihood of the development of offshore wind farms in Maine and the increasingly politicized nature of discussions about wind power in general, there is a need for more systematic information on Mainers’ opinions about offshore wind power. In this article, James Acheson provides information on the range of public opinion about offshore wind power based on a survey of fishermen, tourism-related business owners and coastal property owners in Midcoast Maine. He assesses the accuracy of some public concerns and discusses the broader policy issues raised about offshore wind development.
Letter From The Editor, Ann Acheson
Sustainability: The Challenges And The Promise, George J. Mitchell
Sustainability: The Challenges And The Promise, George J. Mitchell
Maine Policy Review
Senator George J. Mitchell’s Margaret Chase Essay reflects on sustainable development. He discusses how teams of Maine faculty and students are working in partnerships across business, government and non-governmental organizations to seek solutions for a wide range of ecological and economic challenges.