Environmental Education Commons^™

Developing A Miniature Smart Boat For Marine Research, Michael Isaac Eirinberg

Computer Engineering

This project examines the development of a smart boat which could serve as a possible marine research apparatus. The smart boat consists of a miniature vessel containing a low-cost microcontroller to live stream a camera feed, GPS telemetry, and compass data through its own WiFi access point. The smart boat also has the potential for autonomous navigation. My project captivated the interest of several members of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s (Cal Poly SLO) Marine Science Department faculty, who proposed a variety of fascinating and valuable smart boat applications.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions During The Usage Phase Of Electric Vehicles In The United States, Now And In The Future, Zach Roza

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This is a systematic literature review and a discussion of future trends on the greenhouse gas emissions produced during the usage phase of electric vehicles in the United States now and in the future. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced during the usage phase of an electric vehicle in the US currently and what it is expected to be in the year 2050. The reason that the study was conducted was due to the harmful effects caused by global warming and how large of a role the transportation industry in the …

The Impact Of Interactions Among Native Grassland Species: A Study Of Interactions Between Two Invasive Species (Bromus Tectorum And Setaria Faberi) And Two Native Species (Helianthus Annuus And Rudbeckia Hirta), Nash Leef

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Allelopathy is a description of an interaction between two plant species, usually negative, that impacts their growth or germination. There has been ample data published regarding the impact of allelopathic species in agricultural settings, but little attention has been given to the potential interactions between invasive and native species. Two culprits that have employed allelopathy to great effect in agricultural settings are cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and giant foxtail (Setaria faberi). This study posits that allelopathic interactions, similar to those found in agriculture, are occurring between native and invasive species on the Great Plains.

A set of greenhouse trials was established …

Public Health Impacts Of The Clothing Industry, Schafer Flowerday

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The clothing industry is worth $1.5 trillion dollars and rapidly expanding (Statista, 2021). The industry is dominated by fast fashion, which accounts for clothing that is quickly and cheaply produced, based on ever-changing trends. 90% of textiles produced are made in low-income countries, predominantly in South Asia (Seigel, 2011). This systematic literature review looks into the impact this industry has on these vulnerable populations which are working and living in areas where clothing is produced. Environmental and Occupational health hazards and impacts were researched. Environmental impacts occur at each step of the process. Polyester is the most common textile, and …

Noise Pollution And Its Effects On Human Mental And Physical Health, Seth Anderson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Noise pollution is defined as unwanted sound, capable of causing both mental and physical harm. In order to see if there was a correlation between increasing noise pollution (dB) and (a) increasing Negative Affect Score (NAS), (b) decreasing Positive Affect Score (PAS), and (c) increasing Resting Heart Rate (RHR), research was conducted. Participants were taken to four different testing locations, each with a corresponding dB level, and asked to (a) have their Resting Heart Rate (RHR) taken and (b) fill out a questionnaire based on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) psychological measure. At the conclusion of this study, …

Supercritical Water Gasification And Pyrolysis: Cleaning Up The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Kelly L. Emery

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This research paper is a comparative meta-analysis of gasification of hydrocarbons in supercritical water, specifically concerning the great pacific garbage patch (GPGP). The research explores two ways to clean up the GPGP while also harnessing the waste as biofuel. This research compares the environmental and economic outcomes between supercritical water gasification and pyrolysis. I will be comparing which thermochemical process of converting hydro-pollution into usable, methane-rich gas is most economically beneficial and environmentally sustainable. The relevance of this use of plastic refuse is that it would not just be diverted to a different landfill or back right where it started …

The Accessibility And Sustainability Of Local Foods: A Snapshot From The Food Hubs Of Lincoln, Nebraska, Tess Foxall

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The current state of agriculture in the United States utilizes industrial practices that pose a myriad of risks to both human and environmental health. By focusing on smaller farms and local food systems that utilize more sustainable agriculture practices, communities can benefit in terms of economic, environmental, and social health. Food hubs can play a key role in local food systems to connect local producers with consumers and increase access to local food. The goal of the research was to analyze the accessibility and sustainability of local food from food hubs in Lincoln, Nebraska to find the key barriers to …

E-Waste Impact On The Health Of Guiyu, China Citizens: A Comparison Pre And Post China’S Prohibition Of Foreign Garbage Imports, Oliva Hultman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Electronic Waste (E-waste) is an inevitable product in our society. At the end of a technological products lifespan, this waste is commonly exported from the Western World to places like Guiyu, China. There the waste has been recycled by melting and dissection of devices. However, these devices contain harmful materials like Lead (Pb) and other heavy metals. These components of the technology process, when not properly dealt with, leach into the citizens’ lives. In 2017, China issued a Prohibition on Foreign Garbage Imports where, while focusing on plastics, limited the waste being brought into the country. This study will compare …

Apparent Temperature And Relative Humidity In Nebraska: A Comparative Analysis On Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (Wbgt) Tools, Rachel T. Hines

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Heat waves can lead to illness and death, particularly among older adults, the very young, and other vulnerable populations. More frequent severe heat waves are expected to impact Nebraska. Looking specifically into Lincoln, NE for future climate trends, over the next 100 years, “the number of hot days would increase by 13-22 days during a given summer (depending upon the scenario), and the number of warm nights would increase by 20-35 nights each summer” Bathke et al. (2014). These higher summer temperatures will “increase electricity use, causing higher summer peak loads” as well as “pose physical and mental health challenges…outdoor …

The Effects Of Human Activity On Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Populations, Justine Cherovsky

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Since the decimation of North America’s bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations due to human impacts, translocations have been the primary conservation strategy to repopulate the native habitat. Following the extirpation of the species in Nebraska, bighorns were reintroduced with the hope to establish a stable population, but nearly four decades of management has resulted in large-scale die-offs and unstable herds. Ongoing human impacts have created similar results across the country as reintroductions struggle to establish independent bighorn herds. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze current human related effects, evaluate the effectiveness of management practices, and compare these findings …

University Of Nebraska Sustainability Recommendations, Kat Woerner

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In August 2020, the University of Nebraska (NU) system published a 5-year strategic plan with a point to “set and achieve University-wide sustainability goals.” Sustainability efforts at the University of Nebraska are well established as each campus has developed a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) over the course of the last six years. With limited resources, a system-wide, coordinated effort is critical and requires a hierarchy of actions that are based on: clear goals and metrics that support the university mission, effective tracking systems, policies, strategies, actions, practices that support the goals, and organizational structure to oversee and support implementation.

The …

How Can Stakeholders In Food Sovereignty Achieve More Political Power?, Micah Dierks

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Food sovereignty (FSv) is a peasant-driven, transnational movement that emerged in response to land-grabbing and the consolidation of power in food production. It advocates for the rights of people to define their own food practices and systems. To provide targeted feedback for movement reflexivity, 21 ecological conflicts referencing food sovereignty were sampled from the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice (the EJAtlas). Involved groups of actors and their forms of mobilization were correlated with interpretations of success from the EJAtlas. I recommend that stakeholders in food sovereignty pursue the acquisition of greater political power through improving messaging, leveraging or disrupting existing …

Land-Use And Potential Effects On The Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Mavortium), Emily Zappia

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Humans have altered 40% of land across the globefor cropland, rangeland, and pastureland, which, in turn, affects amphibious species like the western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium; WTS)and their viable habitats.Since intensive agriculture increased throughout eastern Nebraska in the 1980’s, the distribution ofA. mavortiumhas declined and the species can no longer be found in the southeast corner of the state, while populations are thriving in the pastures of the Sandhills region. Here we explorethe potential factors contributing to the decline ofA. mavortiumthrough the analysis of climaticand soil characteristic data across the geographic distribution of WTS. Data indicated that precipitation rates, soil …

Reintroduction Of The Grey Wolf, Cody Willers

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A comprehensive literature review of the topic of the reintroduction of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) into the lower 48 states has been conducted to determine the viability of the grey wolf as a method for managing the overgrowth of medium to large ungulate populations. Due to the overgrowth of medium to large ungulate populations without the presence of the grey wolf, detrimental environmental impacts were being seen on many ecosystems such as Yellowstone in North America. Through predation and the fear of predation, the presence of the grey wolf in these ecosystems can provide a solution to the negative …

Wildfires And Prescribed Fires: Do They Impact Soil Quality?, Kate Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Globally, climate change has had an adverse effect on natural phenomena and ecosystem trends, including drastically increasing the number of wildfires that occur annually. As a result, the number of wildfires in the western United States have doubled since 1984. More specifically, ideal wildfire conditions have also prolonged the wildfire season in California. The objectives of this study were to determine if wildfires had an effect on soil quality and determine if wildfires and prescribed fires had different impacts on soil quality in northern California. A literature review was conducted to address the knowledge gaps and understand the perceived changes …

Pack It Out Utah: Usu Water Quality Extension Leads Utah’S Statewide Trails And Waterways Cleanup, Lauren Houskeeper, Hope Braithwaite

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah’s public lands have experienced a surge in outdoor recreation which has led to an increase in garbage on trails, parks, neighborhoods, and eventually, in our waterways. In response, Utah State University Water Quality Extension initiated an annual statewide cleanup to raise awareness and facilitate the proper disposal of litter. During the cleanup events in 2020 and 2021, over 11,000 pounds of trash were removed from our public lands and waterways.

Energy Literacy In Portugal: A System Map And Framework To Increase Energy Literacy Through The Renewable Energy Transition, Molly S. Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Western society lives with a great dependence and an almost simultaneous ignorance of energy consumption (van den Broek, 2019). The systemic landscape of energy knowledge and dissemination is more critical than ever as Portugal races to meet decarbonization goals. This paper fills a knowledge gap by updating the current social landscape of energy literacy in Portugal through a comprehensive system map and framework to increase energy literacy levels through the renewable energy transition. By conducting a semi-systematic literature review, meta-narratives and themes were identified and used to create theoretical concepts, a framework, and a system map. This research found that …

Sea Level Rise And Public Perceptions Of Climate Change At Otter Point Creek Estuarine Reserve, Md, Haley A. Bechtel, Meghan L. Junis, Keylen Lucero Garcia

Student Publications

Freshwater tidal marshes are essential stopover points for migratory birds traveling up and down the east coast of North America. Given the importance of these habitats, we examined the effects of sea level rise on vegetation health and vegetation migration at Otter Point Creek Estuarine Reserve. We aimed to test three predictions: 1) vegetation health will decline over time during vegetation growth periods, 2) vegetation migration of less water-tolerant species will occur with movement into higher elevation plots, 3) people will be aware that there are impacts of climate change on species around them and themselves. We used a combination …

The Design Of An Agricultural Youth-Centered Rural Development Program In Rwanda, Laetitia Igiraneza Sinyigenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Rwanda is primarily a rural, young, and agriculture-based country. The referred variables- agriculture, rural population, and youth- can be creatively merged to engage and empower youth for rural development. This paper indicates the utilization of cross-disciplinary knowledge to design an agricultural youth-centered rural development program in Rwanda. The program uses the interdependence of economic sectors (agriculture and education) with resources (environmental & natural resources and human resources) to boost rural community development. The program’s main activities- mentorship, agribusiness training, tutoring, exposure visits, and community work- highly reflect the requirement for advancing the selected main economic sectors and resources. There is …

Climate Change Adaptation, Migration, And Promising Developments For Pacific Island States, Ashley Jonas

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The people of the Pacific Islands face an existential crisis due to climate change, despite the fact that they are the least responsible for contributing to carbon emissions. The effects of climate change, namely sea-level rise, pose a verified threat to low-lying islands, infiltrating water supplies, crops, and infrastructure. As a result, there is a need for improved solutions for adapting to the impacts of climate change and for easier access to legal migration pathways when the consequences are insurmountable. Through comparative discourse analysis of scholarly sources, intergovernmental policies, and non-governmental organizations, the thesis finds that Small Island Developing States …

Agricultural Carbon Markets: How Could They Work?, Andrew Havens

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The resurgence of voluntary markets in which consumers can purchase carbon credits generated by agricultural carbon sequestration has brought up many questions for farmers looking to potentially enter the market. Past carbon markets, such as the Chicago Climate Exchange, ended when a recession hit, causing demand for credits to swiftly decline. How can modern voluntary markets face these challenges along with new ones and be successful? This research paper, completed as an undergraduate thesis project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, examines the economic and scientific factors behind soil carbon sequestration credits. An extended literature review combined with estimation of a …

Plastic Recycling Is Inefficient And Expensive, Clark S. Adomaitis

Capstones

Plastics production and incineration contributes more than 850 million metric tons to the emissions that are causing climate change. Emissions are growing at a moment when scientists and world leaders are in agreement that they need to dramatically decrease. Environmentalists say that plastic production makes up 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. New plastic plants opening in the U.S. do not line up with emission reduction goals.

At the end of plastics’ lives, a lot of what we’re putting into our recycling bins isn’t getting recycled. In fact, only 18% of trash from New York City homes is actually recycled. …

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

Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Benefit To Climate-Displaced And Host Communities, Gül Aktürk, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Climate change is borderless, and its impacts are not shared equally by all communities. It causes an imbalance between people by creating a more desirable living environment for some societies while erasing settlements and shelters of some others. Due to floods, sea level rise, destructive storms, drought, and slow-onset factors such as salinization of water and soil, people lose their lands, homes, and natural resources. Catastrophic events force people to move voluntarily or involuntarily. The relocation of communities is a debatable climate adaptation measure which requires utmost care with human rights, ethics, and psychological well-being of individuals upon the issues …

Examining Natural Resource Conservation: In The Classroom, Through Collaborative Conservation, And Across Public Communication Platforms, Shauni Seccombe

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Solutions Human Centered Approach To Conservation, Illustration Department, History, Philosophy, + The Social Sciences Department

Illustration Course Work & Materials

"These essays were were written and illustrated by students at the Rhode Island school of Design in February, 2021. Their perspectives are entirely personal and reflect their efforts within a 5.5-week fused studio/seminar course that was centered on the Sixth Mass Extinction and how biodiversity is changing because of humans. Discovering that science communication is more than delivering just the facts, students were invited to research a topic of personal interest that is relevant to human impacts on biodiversity. Through analysis of data and other scientific information, each sought to synthesize their research and opinions on their topic through a …

No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project, Danna Boshak

All Graduate Projects

Orangutans are critically endangered and if action is not taken, their extinction is imminent. Zoological institutions worldwide serve as an educational means to engage the broader public in conservation awareness and action behaviors. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative to provide zoos with a platform to expand conservation efforts beyond their institutions. In collaboration with the Orangutan SAFE (OSAFE) education committee, the No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project develops educational activity resources that provide information about orangutan behavior and ecology as well as action items that individuals can take …

Diversification Of Angiosperms During The Cretaceous Period, Sakia Fields

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The topic of the Angiosperms relatively sudden appearance and diversification is a topic that has puzzled plenty of biologists and is even referred to as an “abominable mystery” by Charles Darwin. Up to date, many hypotheses have been proposed using various forms of data to form them. The available knowledge used to evaluate this topic has changed over the years, which has created some theme shifts. Some of the best supported of these hypotheses are more recent, but this does not make older articles unworthy of being evaluated, as they still often have relevant information. In the past, their appearance …

How Is Remote Sensing Being Used To Prevent Wildfires Today?, Luke Lauby

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Wildfires frequencies and severities are on the rise. To properly combat and contain them, artificial intelligence should be utilized. An in-depth literature review was conducted in order to evaluate the current state of artificial intelligence specifically relating to wildfire prevention and suppression efforts. The findings in this research sheds further light on the helpful implications that these technologies (both satellites and UAVs) do, and can have on wildfire suppression. If further adopted in wildfire suppression efforts, artificial intelligence can play a more effective role. Through this, fires can become better prevented, more controllable, and better understood using modern technology.

The Effect Of Agkistrodon Contortrix And Crotalus Horridus Venom Toxicity On Strike Locations With Live Prey, Chase Giese

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This paper aims to uncover if there is a significant difference in the strike location of snake species that have different values of LD50% venom. It is thought that most snakes strike their prey in the anterior (head) area in order for their venom to work quicker in killing them. Venom toxicity is measured by its LD50% value, which is the amount of venom, in mg/kg, to kill 50% of a test population. The Copperhead has an LD50% value of 10.9 mg/kg, and the Timber Rattlesnake has an LD50% value of 1.64 mg/kg. The hypothesis was that if venom toxicity …