Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Salt Basin, Jerold Widdison, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

The Salt Basin of south-central New Mexico presents several problems of resource utilization. The basin is a large but little-known area—dry, inhospitable—but it has a sought-after supply of groundwater and perhaps a supply of natural gas and oil. In addition, the basin features vast stretches of grassland in an essentially intact natural environment. The“hows” and the “whethers” of using and conserving these resources have been vigorously argued for several years.

Water Trust Board, Joanne Hilton, Darcy S. Bushnell

Water Matters!

In 2001, the New Mexico legislature passed the Water Project Finance Act. The stated purpose of the Water Project Finance Act is to provide a financing mechanism to promote water use efficiency, water resource conservation and protection, and fair distribution and allocation of water to all users. The Water Trust Board was created in the Act. Its purpose is to: 1) oversee and administer the Water Trust Fund and Water Project Fund; 2) review and recommend funding for qualifying water projects to the legislature; and 3)pursue additional funding opportunities.

Strategic Water Reserve, Brigette Buynak, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

The Strategic Water Reserve (Reserve) established in 2005 transforms New Mexico’s policies regarding river management. The Reserve is a pool of publicly held water rights dedicated to keeping New Mexico’s rivers flowing to meet the needs of river-dependent endangered species and to fulfill our water delivery obligations to other states. It is a tool for New Mexico to achieve sensible and sustainable water policies by balancing water use between cities, industry, agriculture, and the rivers of the state.

Mass Bays Resource Inventory: Summary And Findings From The Review Of Plans And Assessments, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) contracted with the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston to conduct a review of papers, presentations, reports, and other relevant material produced from 1996 (the last CCMP) to present, that might inform the MBP’s update of their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The review focused on five topics identified as priority topics by the MBP: water quality, invasive species, climate change/vulnerability, continuity of estuarine habitat, and estuarine habitat protection in the geographic region of the Mass Bays Program, particularly the 47 nearshore estuaries and embayments identified in the 2012 MBP …

The Cost Of Green Infrastructure: Worth The Investment?, Martha Sheils

Green Infrastructure

Is GI worth the investment?

• LID techniques often lead to cost savings when we look at WHOLE PROJECT COSTS

• Natural Infrastructure investments for flood control, drinking water protection and wildlife habitat can yield SIGNIFICANT AVOIDED COSTS and additional co-benefits to communitites

Global Fossil Energy Markets And Climate Change Mitigation: An Analysis With Remind, Nico Bauer, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Gunnar Luderer, Lavinia Baumstark, Robert J. Brecha, Ottmar Edenhofer, Elmar Kriegler

Physics Faculty Publications

We analyze the dynamics of global fossil resource markets under different assumptions for the supply of fossil fuel resources, development pathways for energy demand, and climate policy settings. Resource markets, in particular the oil market, are characterized by a large discrepancy between costs of resource extraction and commodity prices on international markets. We explain this observation in terms of (a) the intertemporal scarcity rent, (b) regional price differentials arising from trade and transport costs, (c) heterogeneity and inertia in the extraction sector. These effects are captured by the REMIND model. We use the model to explore economic effects of changes …

Water Access And Security For Mongolian Peri-Urban Communities In The Face Of Climate Change And Development, Heather Cook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The paper attempts to assess how water access and security in Mongolian ger districts is impacted by the competing forces of climate change and development. The development of Mongolia is, understandably, a priority of the government and much of the populace, as are the impacts of climate change, which are well documented and acknowledged. Furthermore, these processes both have potentially adverse impacts on the overall well being of communities. In the context of water access and security, the need to strike this balance becomes even more acute. These factors can all be seen playing out in the city of Sainshand, …

Vulnerability, Environmental Security, And Adaptation Awareness In Samoa, Katie Williams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change remains a prevalent problem for today’s international community, particularly for Pacific Island countries. This study examines the current influence of climate change on Samoa by looking at the three tenets of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. These aspects of climatic change correlate and build off one another, ultimately elucidating the basic vulnerability of any given region. It also analyzes how environmentally secure Samoa is and will be, using Thomas Homer- Dixon’s theory on climate change and conflict. Finally, this paper seeks to outline the current system of adaptation awareness that exists between government, community and foreign aid …

Por Eso Cuidamos Una Investigación Sobre Las Motivaciones Culturales Andinas Que Incentivan A La Gente Indígena Local A Conservar La Naturaleza En El Parque De La Papa, Pisac, Perú., Sarah Yanuck

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La comunidad global ahora enfrenta el reto grande y urgente de conservar la naturaleza. Aunque las consecuencias de la inacción son graves, a mucha gente le falta motivación para actuar. Sin embargo, hay lugares donde personas y comunidades están luchando devotamente con la tarea de vivir sosteniblemente. El Parque de la Papa en Pisac, Perú, es uno de estos lugares. En esta investigación, fui al Parque de la Papa con el objetivo de identificar cuáles son las motivaciones que incentivan a la gente allá a conservar la naturaleza y para determinar cómo estas motivaciones se relacionan a la cultura Andina. …

Mapping The Knowledge Economy Of Medicinal Plants In Northern Madagascar: Information And Resource Flow In Traditional Health Practices, Chanelle Adams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the wake of pharmaceutical success with alkaloid compounds found in the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), there has been increased attention towards identifying medicinal properties in the country’s rich flora. Both native and foreign companies seek profitable use of wild plant species found within Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Many conservation organizations believe that the world’s forests in biological “hot spots” contain cures unknown to modern science and therefore, their preservation essential.

While the protection of these natural resources is important to Western medicine, it is even more vital for local people who depend on the forest as their primary …

Balancing Conservation And Development: A Case Study Of Economic Efficiency In Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, Louisa Dunwiddie, R.Turner Shaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is a comprehensive economic analysis of Queen Elizabeth National Park’s revenue and expenditures. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in Southwest Uganda. It is the most visited park in Uganda, welcoming over 34,000 visitors annually and generating more than $1,705,000 US per year in tourist expenditures. The researchers spent three weeks in the field at Queen Elizabeth National Park, and three weeks in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda to assemble a collection of literature, statistics, and interviews with all stakeholders to fully analyze the national park’s current level of economic efficiency. The study includes data on stakeholder …

Poaching As A Threat To Biodiversity And A Barrier To Sustainable Development In Western Uganda: A Case Study Of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Kibale National Park, And Surrounding Areas, Madeleine Torraca Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite efforts of the international community and individual countries to end poaching activities and target the markets which drive these activities, poaching continues to be a global problem. This paper will discuss the methods, findings, and recommendations that have resulted from a study on poaching in western Uganda. Uganda is both a transit country for illegal animal species and their derivatives from neighboring countries as well as a home to a number of species that are targeted by poachers. This makes Uganda an area of importance to the study of persistent poaching. Many of Uganda’s protected areas and native species, …

Technical Appendix: Economic Impact Of Commercial Fisheries On Local County Economies From Catch In California National Marine Sanctuaries 2010, 2011 And 2012, Vernon R. Leeworthy, Desiree Jerome, Kelsey Schueler

Working Papers

This report documents the data and methods of estimation used in estimating the economic impact of commercial fishing catch from all four National Marine Sanctuaries in California on local county economies in terms of harvest revenue received by fishermen and the associated economic impacts, including multiplier impacts, on total output, value added, income and the number of full- and part-time jobs.

This report is part of a series of reports meeting the priorities in the “Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) West Coast Region Socioeconomic Plan FY 2013 – FY 2014” and “national program priorities” on establishing the connection between …

Juxtaposing Nasa’S Aeronet Aod With Carb Pm Data Over The San Joaquin Valley To Facilitate Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (Misr) Pm Pollution Research, John Kanemoto

STAR Program Research Presentations

Airborne particulate matter (PM) has been shown to increase the risk for asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiopulmonary complications, and respiratory cell membrane damage/infection/leakage. PM levels are currently analyzed from two perspectives: stationary land-based monitoring (LBM) sites and total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) atmospheric column measurements. Both perspectives often leave miles of space between measuring locations and will have a continually increasing cost from introducing/maintaining sites. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) satellite team hopes to begin investigating/archiving PM levels comprehensively via inputting MISR AOD measurements into a function/model which predicts the amount of ground level PM.

In the future, multivariable spatial correlations …

Minor Fitness Benefits For Edge Avoidance In Nesting Grassland Birds In The Northeastern United States, David G. Perkins, Noah G. Perlut, Allan M. Strong

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Grassland birds are often affected negatively by habitat fragmentation. Outcomes include greater nest predation and brood parasitism, decreased colonization rates of small, isolated patches, and greater nest density in remnant core habitats. These effects have been well documented in the Midwest, but little is known about fragmentation and edge effects on grassland birds in the fragmented agricultural fields within the forested landscapes of the northeastern United States. From 2002 to 2010, we assessed how edges and edge types affected nest-site location and daily nest survival (DNS) of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) breeding …

Effective Conservation Of A Rare Amphibian Through Partnerships, Michael Burroughs, Christiana Manville

American Association for the Advancement of Science Pacific Conference

• Local conservation efforts can improve the status of sensitive species, particularly narrow endemics.
• Cooperative, voluntary conservation may benefit some species more than listing.
• Management through regulations should be considered if non-regulatory efforts fail.
• Maintain and monitor compatible land uses.

Development Without Energy? Assessing Future Scenarios Of Energy Consumption In Developing Countries, Jan Christof Steckel, Robert J. Brecha, Michael Jakob, Jessica Strefler, Gunnar Luderer

Physics Faculty Publications

We analyze the relationship between economic development and energy consumption in the context of greenhouse gas mitigation. The main contribution of this work is to compare estimates of energy thresholds in the form of minimum energy requirements to reach high levels of development with output projections of per capita final energy supply from a group of integrated assessment models (IAMs). Scenarios project that reductions of carbon emissions in developing countries will be achieved not only by means of decreasing the carbon intensity, but also by making a significant break with the historically observed relationship between energy use and economic growth. …

The Role Of The Ocean Industry In The Chinese National Economy: An Input-Output Analysis, Rui Zhao

Working Papers

The OEAS (Ocean Economy Accounting System) has been established in China for 6 years. However, the economic impact of the ocean economy in China’s national economy has not yet been understood clearly at the national or regional levels. The direct impact of ocean industries in China at national and regional levels has been compiled for the period of 2001-2011, but it is still unclear what the overall economic impacts of ocean industries are in the national economy, and how the ocean industries interact with other industries in the national economy. China is similar to other ocean countries in that, - …

Advocacy For Marine Management: Contributions To A Policy Advocacy Initiative In The Maldives, Neal Collins

Capstone Collection

On June 5, 2009 a 42-­‐km2 area of coral reef situated in the Alif Dhaalu (South Ari) atoll of the Republic of Maldives was designated the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area (S.A. MPA) due to a globally significant whale shark aggregation site. The whale shark is notorious for its gargantuan size and docile nature, which has led to a burgeoning tourist industry that gives people the opportunity to swim with the gentle giants in tropical sites such as the Maldives. The S.A. MPA receives tens of thousands of visitors a year that engage in whale shark excursions, however, there …

Enhancing Coastal Resilience: Perspectives On Valuing Ri Coastal Lands, Kyle Nyskohus

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

This paper discusses coastal resilience as an organizing framework for future policymaking, coastal planning, and insurance decisions, and explores the different perspectives of the value of ecosystems held by various stakeholders in Rhode Island’s coastal communities. A grounded theory approach was used in an effort to abstract general insights from the substantive but isolated areas of coastal management and economics. Special attention is given to the perspectives of municipal decision makers, the National Flood Insurance Program, natural economists, and real estate developers. We have (1) conducted a statistical analysis of environmental spending of RI towns, (2) identified key models for …

Establishment Of The Coral Sea Marine Reserve: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Social And Environmental Impacts Of An Ecosystem-Based Management Approach To Conservation, Grace O’Connor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The proposed Coral Sea Marine Reserve covers approximately 989,842 square kilometers and is in an area that is internationally recognized for rich biodiversity, unique species and important heritage values. The reserve was established to protect and maintain biodiversity and to contribute to international (UNCED) and national obligations (EPBC, NRSMPA). This spatial protection is an ecosystem-based management approach calling for ecologically sustainable use of marine resources, as well as protection of many vulnerable and endangered species. The zoning of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve will drastically limit human use, most notably prohibiting fishing in the majority of the area. Extensive research …

Perdido En La Cadena: Un Análisis Del Impacto Económico Y Ambiental De Cajas De Embalaje En Baños, Ecuador, Zhang Yuan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La cuestión del calentamiento de la atmósfera causa de la pérdida del carbono de la biomasa está una preocupación a nivel mundial. Con la emisión de CO2 por la combustión de los combustibles fósiles, la temperatura ha subido aproximadamente 0.16 °C desde 1990 hasta 2000. El bosque, por otra parte, sirve como un tranque y el regulador de carbono mediante el intercambio de carbono entre la atmósfera y biosfera. Sin embargo, varios usos antropogénicos del bosque ha causado la desaparición de árboles y la gran pérdida de carbono de la biomasa global. Para medir la pérdida de carbono causada por …

Nunca Han Visitado, No Han Vivido Ecoturismo Comunitario: Una Alternativa Sostenible Y Constitucional De Desarrollo En La Zona De Intag, Jenny Johnston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Durante mi estudio en Ecuador y a través de todas mis clases, conversaciones, y experiencias, han habido muchos temas nuevos e interesantes. Aunque todas me han enseñado mucho, la experiencia que me impactó más fue mi semana en Intag. Durante toda mi vida siempre tuve una fascinación con el bosque nublado con la combinación de palabras más mística y romántica. La verdad es que antes de llegar en Intag la mi primera vez, no sabía nada sobre el poder de la belleza de los bosques, la naturaleza, y también sobre la lucha en contra de la minería. A través de …

Bioremediation Mariculture In Zanzibar, Tanzania: A Viability Assessment Of Using Bath Sponge And Pearl Oyster Farms To Filter Highly Olluted Waters In The Zanzibar Channel, Hayley Oakland

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Bioremediation of polluted water off the coastline of the urban center of Zanzibar—Stone Town, Unguja—was assessed for implementation feasibility through bath sponge and pearl oyster mariculture. A vast research base of the city’s coastal area exists, including the pollution concentrations at various locations, the ramifications of this pollution on the fringing ecosystems, and the relevant water circulation system of eddies and passageways produced by the north flowing East African Counter Current. In following the experimental examples of bioremediation projects around the world, this study tested facets of the filtration abilities of marine sponges and oysters. Both organisms suggested strong pollution …

Pollinator Habitat Availability And Diversity In Various Tropical Agroforestry Management Systems Of Coffea Arabica In Santa Clara, Chiriqui, Julia Brokaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Habitat loss due to increasing agricultural intensification and chemical use may result in the loss of biodiversity of bee species. This has implications for global economies and food security for people world wide. Focusing on coffee cultivation, an important cash crop in the tropics, this study aims to understand the availability for pollinator habitat resources in a management gradient from shade-grown coffee agroforestry to conventional farming systems that employ both organic and non-organic management practices. I examined the influence of farming and land-use practices on the availability and quality of habitats for social and solitary bee species through observations of …

Shifting Sands, Clay Arnold, Joel Stocker, Juliana Barrett

Wrack Lines

Tells the story of Griswold Point and shoreline change.

Ten Reasons To Take Peak Oil Seriously, Robert Brecha

Physics Faculty Publications

Forty years ago, the results of modeling, as presented in The Limits to Growth, reinvigorated a discussion about exponentially growing consumption of natural resources, ranging from metals to fossil fuels to atmospheric capacity, and how such consumption could not continue far into the future. Fifteen years earlier, M. King Hubbert had made the projection that petroleum production in the continental United States would likely reach a maximum around 1970, followed by a world production maximum a few decades later. The debate about “peak oil," as it has come to be called, is accompanied by some of the same vociferous …

2013 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link, Joe Kenning

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain good quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on the over 16,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, our greater than 148,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, and the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

Tackling Change: Future-Proofing Water, Agriculture, And Food Security In An Era Of Climate Uncertainty, Peter G. Mccornick, Vladimir Smakhtin, Luna Bharati, Robyn Johnston, Matthew Mccartney, Fraser Sugden, Floriane Clement, Beverly Mcintyre

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

In 1950 the global population was just over 2.5 billion. Now, in 2013, it is around 7 billion. Although population growth is slowing, the world is projected to have around 9.6 billion inhabitants by 2050. Most of the population increase will be in developing countries where food is often scarce, and land and water are under pressure. To feed the global population in 2050 the world will have to produce more food without significantly expanding the area of cultivated land and, because of competition between a greater number of water users, with less freshwater. On top of land and water …

Evaluating The Roles Of Visual Openness And Edge Effects On Nest-Site Selection And Reproductive Success In Grassland Birds, Alexander C. Keyel, Allan M. Strong, Noah G. Perlut, J. Michael Reed

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In some species, habitat edges (ecotones) affect nest-site selection and nesting success. Openness, or how visually open a habitat is, has recently been shown to influence grassland bird density and may affect nest-site selection, possibly by reducing the risk of predation on adults, nests, or both. Because edge and openness are correlated, it is possible that effects of openness have been overlooked or inappropriately ascribed to edge effects. We tested the roles of edges and visual openness in nest-site selection and nesting success of two grassland passerines, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), …