Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring The Spatial Distribution Of Air Pollutants And Covid-19 Death Rate: A Case Study For Los Angeles County, California, Akhil Mandalapu, Junfeng Jiao, Amin Azimian

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

Objective

Since March 2020, COVID-19 has rapidly spread across the world with over 240 million cases and over 5 million deaths as of November 2021. It has been unclear what role air pollutants may play in exacerbating respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 due to their interaction with the respiratory system. The association with air pollutants and COVID-19 severity has been explored at the regional and metropolitan area, however it is unclear if such an association is consistent at the neighborhood level.

Methods

Weekly death rates from COVID-19 from March 2020 to November 2021 were compared using one-sided unpaired t-tests across ...

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Microplastics Management In Oregon, Maya A. Hurst-Mayr

Student Research Symposium

There is currently no federal policy in the United States that specifically addresses microplastics (MPs) pollution. However, states are beginning to act on this issue; California’s SB 1422 initiates measurement of MPs in drinking water resources and Senate Bill 1263 requires the state to adopt a strategy to reduce the ecological impact of MPs in marine ecosystems. Other West Coast states like Oregon and Washington are expected to follow California’s example. It is important to know what the actors who are a part of shaping MPs policy in Oregon would see as barriers and opportunities to doing so ...

Stumbling Into Virtual Worlds. How Resolution Affects Users’ Immersion In Virtual Reality And Implications For Virtual Reality In Therapeutic Applications, Brianna Martinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies of how users experience Virtual Reality (VR) have thus far failed to address the extent to which rendering resolution and rendering frame rate affect users’ sense of immersion in VR, including applications of VR involving simulators, treatments for psychological and mental disorders, explorations of new and nonexistent structures, and ways to better understand the human body in medical applications.

This study investigated if rendering resolution affected users’ sense of immersion in VR. This was conducted by comparing the responses of two groups, relative to two measures of participant immersion: (a) participant’s sense of presence and (b) participant’s ...

Environment And Sustainability: April 2022, Environment And Sustainability, Office Of The President

Environment and Sustainability

-Steps taken on AKU campuses to reduce plastic waste

-Solar panels installed to power AKU’s operations in Karachi

-AKDN’s tool to calculate carbon emissions made public

-Release of ‘AKDN Environment and Climate Commitment Statement’

-Sustainability celebrated at AKU’s recent convocation

-International Women’s Day commemorated with a climate and gender webinar

Home: “People As Place”, Amory Ballantine

MSW Capstones

Crises of climate breakdown, ocean acidification, mass extinction, pollution and other forms of environmental degradation demand global transformation. Direct and clinical social workers are on the front lines of responses to the social consequences of these crises. They have critical skills needed for socially and environmentally sustainable solutions to these problems. Yet for the most part, direct and clinical social workers are not engaged in environmental action and do not see their work as “environmental social work.” Micro-level workers need information and resources in order to integrate environmental health in practice, and particularly tools which center the needs of the ...

Calgreen: California Green Building Standards Code: Blog 3, Gabriella Medina, Darbi Berry M.S., San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

CALGreen encourages local governments to go beyond statewide Energy Code regulations to achieve greater building energy efficiency and cost savings, all while providing the necessary resources to do so. The currently enforced version of CALGreen is the 2019 CALGreen code. Mandates and voluntary provisions in the 2022 CALGreen update will go into effect January 1, 2023.¹ If both the 2022 Energy Code and 2022 CALGreen mandatory and voluntary standards were to be adopted statewide, the carbon reductions would be equivalent to removing 8,000 fuel-powered cars off the road for the first year and 24,000 fuel-powered cars by ...

Polymer Coated Urea Microplastics: Urban Landscape, C. J. Seely, B. T. Geary, B. G. Hopkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

• Polymer Coated Urea (PCU) is an effective fertilizer.
• Microplastics, from a wide range of waste materials, pollute water bodies.
• One potential source of microplastics are from PCU fertilizers if the coatings are transported overland into water bodies.
• Various urban landscape systems vary in the potential for surface runoff.

An Equity-First Approach To Climate Adaptation, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, San Diego Association Of Governments

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The Equity-First Approach to Climate Adaptation guidance document (Equity Guidance; document) serves as a general framework for local agency planners and transportation planning professionals. The Equity Guidance’s overall goal is to provide best practices for designing, planning, and implementing a climate adaptation process that supports equitable outcomes. This document identifies trends, assumptions, emerging practices, indicators, metrics, and implementation opportunities, that support and operationalize an equitable climate adaptation planning process.

The Cleaned Approach For Flagging And Addressing Environmental Issues, A. Notenbaert, B. Paul, R. Van Der Hoek, J. Mukiri

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

While livestock presents an important livelihood strategy for many smallholders, it is also held responsible for important environmental impacts. In this paper, we used an online survey to identify the perceptions of global livestock experts on environmental impacts of livestock and how these might be tackled. We then explored how the CLEANED environmental ex-ante assessment tool (Comprehensive Livestock Environmental Assessment for improved Nutrition, a secured Environment and sustainable Development = CLEANED) responds to this and how it can be used to influence decision making towards more environmentally-friendly livestock production.

According to the survey, there was general agreement between researchers, development practitioners ...

Justice For Islands That Suffer Most: Stacy-Ann Robinson, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

Robinson grew up in Jamaica and has seen the destruction levied on the island by extreme storms. A human geographer and assistant professor of environmental studies at Colby, Robinson has also seen firsthand the challenges faced by Jamaica and places like it as they try to obtain resources needed to cope with the brunt of climate change.

Understanding California's 2022 Energy Code: Blog 1, Gabriella Medina, Darbi Berry

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

When thinking about the built environment, it is easy to overlook the influence structures have on our communities' quality of life. Buildings are relics of the past or symbols of modernity. They are tangible evidence of our society's investment in people's health, the environment and a resilient economy. Buildings play a crucial role over energy usage, urban heat impacts, and overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Quick Guide To The 2022 Energy Code: Blog 2, Gabriella Medina, Darbi Berry

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

There are a wide range of updates to the 2022 Energy Code; however, there are four categories of top priority for industry professionals and end-use stakeholders as California strengthens compliance standards: electric heat pump technology, electric-ready requirements, solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage standards, and strong ventilation standards.

Gis Data: Anne Arundel County, Maryland – Living Shoreline Suitability Model Data 2022, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Sharon Killeen, Jessica Hendricks, Catherine R. Duning

Data

This geospatial dataset is the output generated by applying the Maryland Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM), a modification of the Virginia Shoreline Management Model (SMM), developed by the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in the tidal shoreline of Anne Arundel County, MD. The application of the LSSM has the purpose to enhance and streamline regulatory decision making in Maryland by identifying shoreline best management practices for tidal shoreline erosion control.

The LSSM compiles twelve attributes from various databases: land use, shoreline structures, bank height, tidal marshes, beaches, fetch, roads, permanent structures, bathymetry, submerged ...

Gis Data: Calvert County, Maryland – Living Shoreline Suitability Model Data 2022, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Sharon Killeen, Jessica Hendricks, Catherine R. Duning

Data

This geospatial dataset is the output generated by applying the Maryland Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM), a modification of the Virginia Shoreline Management Model (SMM), developed by the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in the tidal shoreline of Calvert County, MD. The application of the LSSM has the purpose to enhance and streamline regulatory decision making in Maryland by identifying shoreline best management practices for tidal shoreline erosion control.

The LSSM compiles twelve attributes from various databases: land use, shoreline structures, bank height, tidal marshes, beaches, fetch, roads, permanent structures, bathymetry, submerged aquatic ...

Gis Data: Talbot County, Maryland – Living Shoreline Suitability Model Data 2022, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Sharon Killeen, Jessica Hendricks, Catherine R. Duning

Data

This geospatial dataset is the output generated by applying the Maryland Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM), a modification of the Virginia Shoreline Management Model (SMM), developed by the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in the tidal shoreline of Talbot County, MD. The application of the LSSM has the purpose to enhance and streamline regulatory decision making in Maryland by identifying shoreline best management practices for tidal shoreline erosion control.

The LSSM compiles twelve attributes from various databases: land use, shoreline structures, bank height, tidal marshes, beaches, fetch, roads, permanent structures, bathymetry, submerged aquatic ...

Gis Data: Dorchester County, Maryland – Living Shoreline Suitability Model Data 2022, Karinna Nunez, Tamia Rudnicky, Sharon Killeen, Jessica Hendricks, Catherine R. Duning

Data

This geospatial dataset is the output generated by applying the Maryland Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM), a modification of the Virginia Shoreline Management Model (SMM), developed by the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in the tidal shoreline of Dorchester County, MD. The application of the LSSM has the purpose to enhance and streamline regulatory decision making in Maryland by identifying shoreline best management practices for tidal shoreline erosion control. The LSSM compiles twelve attributes from various databases: land use, shoreline structures, bank height, tidal marshes, beaches, fetch, roads, permanent structures, bathymetry, submerged aquatic ...

Deforestation For Pasture Development – Has It Been Worth It?, W. H. Burrows

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

Differing scenarios leading to deforestation for pasture development in savanna (woodland) and closed forest communities in the tropics – sub-tropics are compared and contrasted. Australian and Brazilian examples are highlighted. No simple answer is given to the question of whether deforestation for pasture development has been worth it, since both commercial and non-commercial values have equal validity and need to be taken into account. These issues are addressed in the context of land assigned by governments for agricultural purposes. It is concluded that technology and ecological understanding are now available to maintain sustainable production from converted forest systems. However emphasis should ...

Maine Won't Wait One-Year Progress Report, 2021, Maine Climate Council, Governor's Office Of Policy Innovation And The Future, Ivan Fernandez, Stephen Dickson, Susie Arnold, Cassaundra Rose, Troy Jackson, Russell Black, Nicole Grohski, Amanda Collamore, Linda Bacon, Brian Beal, Sean Birkel, Alix Contosta, Amanda Cross, Adam Daigneault, Phillips Demaynadier, Susan Elias, Glenn Hodgkins, Joe Kelley, Glen Koehler, Rebecca Lincoln, Pamela Lombard, Brandfield Lyon, Nicole Price, Jonathan Rubin, Joseph Salisbury, Peter Slovinsky, Alyssa Soucy, Robert Steneck, Sally Stockwell, Richard Wahle, Aaron Weiskittel, Carl Wilson

General University of Maine Publications

This document, an “Maine Climate Science Update 2021”, is an interim communication to the Maine Climate Council and the public about the ongoing work of the scientific community and recent events associated with climate change. It is divided into three sections: (1) current events that reflect the acceleration of extreme weather events in Maine and elsewhere with possible connections to climate change; (2) noteworthy scientific reports with national and international scope released in 2021; and (3) examples of recent peer-reviewed publications from the ongoing work of the scientific community to understand climate change in Maine.

A 60- Year Record Of The Demotechnic Index Of States, 1960-2019, Gavin James Kellough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A country’s dependency on energy resources can be interpreted through the calculation of energy indices. The Demotechnic Index (DI) was used to determine the trajectory of energy efficiency of each state in the United States over the period 1960-2019. The DI serves as a measure of the energy intensity of states and a proxy for energy sustainability of each state.The DI is the ratio of total energy use to total metabolic energy demand of a population. Mathematically, DI = (E_T-E_M)/E_M E_T represents the total energy used (metabolic energy + technological energy in kilojoules annually, kJ/y), while EM represents ...

First Person, Colby College, Lokesh Todi

Colby Magazine

No abstract provided.

Bolstering Juliana: Enforceability Of Environmental Claims Through International Treaty Obligations In U.S. Courts, Lindsey Laielli

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract forthcoming.

Management Changes And Strategies To Improve The Environmental Services From Grasslands In Northern China And Mongolia, David R. Kemp, J. Addison, K. Behrendt, G. Udval, D. Lkhagvaa, Guodong Han, Zhiguo Li, P. Li

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

The grasslands of Mongolia and northern China are part of the vast Eurasian grasslands that extend from east Asia to eastern Europe, with many common problems. Grassland degradation and herder livelihoods in the steppe regions of China and Mongolia are widely acknowledged as major issues that need to be improved. The core problem is too many animals are now grazing grasslands, initially driven by significant policy changes, and decisions that assumed more animals would lift herder incomes. Problems are accentuated by poorly defined property rights over the land. The effectiveness of current Government Programs aimed at reducing grazing pressures has ...

The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist’S Guide To Nebraska, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book includes the locations, descriptions, and points of biological, historical, geological, or paleontological interest of nearly 350 sites in Nebraska, most of which are free to access. Its 53,000 words include accounts of 9 state historical parks, 8 state parks, 2 national forests, 2 national monuments, and 7 national wildlife refuges as well as 181 wildlife management areas, 56 waterfowl production areas, and 54 state recreation areas. It also includes 48 state and county maps, 18 drawings, 33 photographs, and nearly 200 literature citations.

doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1305

Climatic Factors, Acid Detergent Fiber, Neutral Detergent Fiber And Crude Protein Contents In Digitgrass, C. S. Chen, S. M. Wang, Y. K. Chang

International Grassland Congress Proceedings

Digitgrass (Digitaria Xumifolia) was treated according to a set of programmed harvest cycles to study the impact of climatic factors on the quality of the grass. It is found that seasonal changes have greater effect on the quality of the grass than does the length of the harvest cycle. The highest correlation coefficient (0.81) between the ADF content and accumulated temperature is attained when the base temperature is set to 15.5 , while the highest correlation coefficient (0.88) between CP and is attained at a base temperature of 15.0 . The determination coefficient of regression (R² ) for ...

The Right To Repair: (Re)Building A Better Future, Jumana Labib

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The goal of this research project was to take a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach to research and examine the Right to Repair movement’s progress, current repair practices, impediments, and imperatives, and the various large-scale implications (environmental, economic, social, etc.) stemming from diminished consumer freedom as a result of increased corporate greed and lack of governmental regulations with regards to repair and the environment. This poster exhibits the highlights of my general research project on the Right to Repair movement over the course of this four month internship, and aims to disseminate information about the movement to the wider public in ...

Effect Of E-Learning On Public Health And Environment During Covid-19 Lockdown, Avani Agarwal, Sahil Sharma, Vijay Kumar, Manjit Kaur

Big Data Mining and Analytics

E-learning is the most promising venture in the entire world. During the COVID-19 lockdown, e-learning is successfully providing potential information to the students and researchers. In developing nations like India, with limited resources, e-learning tools and platforms provide a chance to make education available to middle and low income households. This paper gives insights about three different online services, namely Google Classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams being used by three different educational institutions. We aim to analyze the efficiency and acceptability of e-learning tools among Indian students during the COVID-19 lockdown. The paper also aims to evaluate the impact of ...

Geospatial Technology In Sustainable Cities And Communities: Introduction To The Special Issue, Siti Aekbal Salleh, Zulkiflee Abd Latif, Nazri Che Dom

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

This special issue aims to demonstrate how we could leverage geospatial technology for sustainable cities and communities. Contributions on a wide range of geospatial technologies (e.g., GIS, remote sensing, spatial statistics, photogrammetry, and geomatics) as well as issues addressing better cities and communities for a sustainable future are encouraged. This issue contains selected papers from the 7th International Conference on Geomatics and Geospatial Technology (GGT) 2021, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24th March 2021. The five articles selected for this special issue demonstrate how geospatial technology can be used to create more sustainable cities and communities ...

Learning From The Seed: Illuminating Black Girlhood In Sustainable Living Paradigms, Toni Powell Powell Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The contemporary image of sustainable living presents a culturally narrow view of its participants and the manner of engaging in sustainable living paradigms. Through crystallization (Ellingson, 2009) I present a mixed methods approach that emphasizes participant observation, visual, mediated, and discursive analyses, as well as demonstrates the efficacy of Culture Centered Black Feminist Auto/Ethnography. This project seeks to highlight and place within historical context, the ways in which African American girls, who are largely left out of the prevailing image of sustainability, perform and articulate sustainability for themselves, in their homes, and throughout their home communities.

In their everyday ...

Comparative Study Of Leachate Characterization: Implication For Sustainable Environmental Management, Osakpolor Marvellous Omorogieva, Victory Itua Igberase

Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding the sources of environmental stressors, the role of geology, climate and technology would provide a guide to solving the problems posed by such stressor. The study examine the sources of wastes in Ikhueniro open dumpsite located in Benin city, Nigeria and characterize the leachate emanating from it. This will assist in adequate design of managerial scheme to tackle the menace posed by it while putting into consideration the role of geology, climate and technology. The key objectives are to carry out field study, characterize wastes in the dumpsite and collect raw leachate emanating from the wastes heap in order ...

What Spatial Environments Mean, Thora Tenbrink

Journal of Spatial Information Science

Language is one of the most prominent means of representing human thought. Spatial cognition research has made use of this fact for decades, exploring how humans perceive and understand their spatial environments through language analysis. So far, this research has mainly focused on generic cognitive aspects underlying everyday purposes such as knowing where objects are, how they relate to each other, and how to find one's way to a familiar or unfamiliar location. However, human concepts about space can be threatened by change, as the environment changes. Across the globe, people become increasingly aware of climate-change related threats to ...