Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Democracy And The Environment In Latin America, Javier Albert Escamilla

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the ability of democratic and non-democratic states alike to protect the environment. Democracy has long been an important concept in the study of politics and environmental protection is an increasingly important issue in world politics. Advocates of democracy claim democratic states are better able to protect the environment than non-democracies. In contrast there are those that argue democracy's emphasis on individual rights leads to excessive resource consumption. This thesis employs a mixed methods approach to determine if democratic countries protect the environment more than their non-democratic counterparts. In short democracies do protect the environment better than non-democracies …

Agenda: Best Practices For Community And Environmental Protection, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Colorado. Oil And Gas Conservation Commission

Best Practices for Community and Environmental Protection (October 14)

The first Intermountain BMP Project workshop, sponsored by the Natural Resources Law Center and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, was held in Rifle, Colorado on October 14, 2009 at the Garfield County Fairground for over 170 participants.

Speakers from Federal, state and local governments, the community, industry and environmental consultants, and conservation groups focused presentations and discussion on a greater understanding of what Best Management Practices (BMPs) are appropriate to the western slope of Colorado and how they are integrated into developments.

Slides: Comprehensive Drilling Plans, Dave Neslin

Best Practices for Community and Environmental Protection (October 14)

Presenter: Dave Neslin, Director, Colorado OIl and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC)

8 slides

New Generation Of Catalytic Technologies For Environmental Protection On The Base Of Fiber-Glass Catalysts, Bair S. Balzhinimaev, Andrey N. Zagoruiko

Andrey N Zagoruiko

Novel glass-fiber based catalysts containing extra-low amounts of noble metals (0.01-0.02% mass of Pt or Pd) demonstrate unique performance in many catalytic reactions, resulted from the ability of the glass fibers to stabilize the transient metals in the glass bulk in a highly-dispersed form. Moreover, specific heat/mass transfer properties, original geometry, high flexibility and high mechanical strength of such catalysts give the way to develop really new catalytic processes and novel reactor designs. The paper is dedicated to the successful research and development (from fundamental research issues to pilot and semi-industrial tests) of different catalytic oxidation processes based on application …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint, Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This paper examines the context and meaning of the term ‘sustainability’, the factors that determine and govern climate on Earth, the population of the Earth and its trends and influencers, the requirements for sustaining life and the options that are available to humankind. Some viewpoints are presented that are alternative to ‘conventional alternative’ thinking. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’ and also argues that humankind needs to face …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Slides: Rethinking Western Water Law: Restoring The Public Interest In Western Water Law, Mark Squillace

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Mark Squillace, Director, Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado Law School

20 slides

Ecotourism In Dominica: Studying The Potential For Economic Development, Environmental Protection And Cultural Conservation, Vanessa Slinger-Friedman

Faculty and Research Publications

Over the last 20 years, the government of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica has pursued the development of ecotourism on the island. The hope is that this industry will promote dispersed economic development while providing environmental protection and cultural conservation. However, not enough has been done to determine whether or not the industry is achieving the desired results. To this end, this study explores the growth of the tourism industry on Dominica and shows that, while not perfect, ecotourism is providing some definite benefits to the island in this regard.

We Owe It To The Earth: The Importance Of Environmentally-Friendly Lifestyle Changes During The Transitional College Years, Jessica E. Clark

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

This paper aims to explain and justify my choice of film as the medium employed to persuade my audience of the need for environmentally-friendly lifestyle changes to be made by individuals. In order to effectively stimulate action by college students, the target audience, film was used to communicate the necessity of developing green habits. During these years students in higher education develop intellectually and mature into adults. It is a prime time to learn simple green lifestyle changes and translate them into their daily behavioral repertoire. To begin my project I researched current information about the state of our environment, …

A Green Endeavor; The Role Of Bryant University’S Faculty On An Environmentally Responsible Campus, Justine M. Boucher

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

This thesis researches and analyzes Bryant University faculty practices and motivations with regards to consumption and recycling paper. The project incorporated survey instrumentation to gather quantitative data on which to base conclusions. In addition, paper usage was directly observed, along with analysis of faculty feedback to an online survey. A marketing campaign addressed faculty practices and encouraged faculty reduction of paper. Results show that paper recycling in the targeted faculty suite increased slightly in the short-term following the marketing campaign, either through heightened awareness or seasonal office disposal; however, measurement over a greater span of time with sustained marketing might …

The 2009 Unlv Campus Sustainability Survey Report, Mark J. Salvaggio

Reports (USI)

In an effort to understand environmental awareness, concerns, practices, and values at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the Urban Sustainability Initiative (USI) conducted its first campus environmental sustainability survey during the months of March, April, and May 2009. This pilot study was developed to collect baseline data from students, faculty, and staff members at the UNLV campus to be used in a longitudinal study that assesses attitudes and preferences towards environmental sustainability issues. This research project is guided by one of the major goals of USI, which involves reaching out to the academic community to help find workable …

Planetary Boundaries: Exploring The Safe Operating Space For Humanity, Johan Rockström, W. L. Steffen, Kevin Noone, Åsa Persson, F. Stuart Chapin Iii, Eric Lambin, Timothy M. Lenton, Marten Scheffer, Carl Folke, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Björn Nykvist, Cynthia A. De Wit, Terry Hughes, Sander Van Der Leeuw, Henning Rodhe, Sverker Sörlin, Peter K. Snyder, Robert Costanza, Uno Svedin, Malin Falkenmark, Louise Karlberg, Robert W. Corell, Victoria J. Fabry, James Hansen, Brian Walker, Diana Liverman, Katherine Richardson, Paul Crutzen, Jonathan Foley

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Anthropogenic pressures on the Earth System have reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. We propose a new approach to global sustainability in which we define planetary boundaries within which we expect that humanity can operate safely. Transgressing one or more planetary boundaries may be deleterious or even catastrophic due to the risk of crossing thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt environmental change within continental- to planetary-scale systems. We have identified nine planetary boundaries and, drawing upon current scientific understanding, we propose quantifications for seven of them. These seven are climate change (CO2 concentration …

Nike Considered: Getting Traction On Sustainability, Christopher Lyddy, Rebecca Henderson, Richard M. Locke, Cate Reavis

School of Business Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.