Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

From Innovation To Impact: Evaluation Of The Shape Accelerator Cohort, Iryna V. Lendel, Chloe Wieber

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

The Solutions Hub for an Alternative Packaging Ecosystem (SHAPE), a Michigan-Ohio partnership operated by the Michigan State University Research Foundation as part of a National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine, co-funded a special cohort of the NextCycle Accelerator focused on sustainable packaging and circular economy ventures. This report evaluates how the accelerator contributed to firm-level advancement and ecosystem-level change, drawing on program data and interviews with participating companies, program facilitators, stakeholders, and SHAPE management.  Participants most consistently credited coaching, network connections, and the Pitch Showcase with meaningfully impacting their business trajectory, gaining market traction, advancing technology readiness, and gaining access …

Pathways For Coordinating High-Quality Exploitation Of Marine Resources And High-Level Protection Of Marine Ecosystems, Jianping Yin, Peimin Duan, Si Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The ocean serves as a vital strategic space and a reservoir of resources essential for human survival and development, offering robust support for socioeconomic progress. Simultaneously, as a critical component of the Earth’s ecological environment, the ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. In recent years, China has continuously intensified the exploitation and utilization of marine resources, with the growth of the marine economy injecting blue momentum into the nation’s development. Nevertheless, the long-term, high-intensity exploitation of offshore resources, coupled with the ongoing advancement into deep-sea resource development, has led to frequent …

Ecological Gdp Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”, Wang Guangqian, Deyu Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Based on the concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, this study investigates the theoretical connotation and accounting pathways of ecological GDP. (1) The core connotation of ecological value is elucidated from three dimensions—time, space, and civilization—and an economic quantification framework of principal–interest–interest rate is constructed. With four categories of ecological products as the foundation, the Green Certificate as the entitlement instrument, and a 5% annual simple interest rate as the accounting benchmark, ecological value is transformed from qualitative description to quantitative accounting. (2) The concept of ecological new quality productive forces is proposed, revealing its four-dimensional …

Planetary Health: Scientific Frontier For Harmonious Coexistence Between Humans And Nature, Zhu Yongguan, Jue Liu, Hua Zheng, Yaoyang Xu, Weiqi Zhou, Hongliang Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of deeply intertwined global environmental change, biodiversity loss, and health risks, Planetary Health is emerging as a new interdisciplinary field that is gradually becoming the scientific frontier for understanding harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. This study systematically reviews the evolution of Planetary Health from the “Planetary Boundaries” theory to a comprehensive disciplinary framework. Through a paradigmatic comparison with concepts such as public health, global health, and One Health, it reveals that the core breakthrough of Planetary Health lies in redefining human health as an endogenous variable embedded within the stability of Earth’s natural systems. Three major …

Ecological Interest Theory Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” And Its Application In The Yellow River Basin, Guangqian Wang, Deyu Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To address the core challenges of quantifying ecological value and converting it into economic gains, this study proposes a theoretical framework of ecological interest (EI) based on the principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. Three fundamental origins of ecological interest are explained, including the temporal value discount, the spatial ecological compensation, and the civilizational occupation-compensation balance. These three dimensions establish the logical connection between ecological and economic values. Setting a 5% annual simple interest rate as the benchmark and adopting “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains” green certificates as the standardized ecological assets for property rights delineation …

The Cobalt Curse: Cobalt’S Role And Risks, Marley Jackowitz

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper examines the hidden environmental, geopolitical, economic, and social costs of the cobalt supply chain. Fueled by the demand for battery technology and electric vehicles, cobalt has become an essential element to the green energy transition. With the largest share of global cobalt deposits, the Democratic Republic of the Congo bears a disproportionate share of the industry’s harms. Cobalt mining in the DRC is marked by environmentally degrading practices and inhumane working conditions, compromising Congolese health, safety, and well-being. Chapter 1 discusses the environmental impacts of DRC cobalt mining and its adverse effects on public health. Environmentally degrading mining …

Environmental Movements In El Paso And Ciudad Juarez: Possibilities And Limitations Of Cross-Border Organization At The U.S.-Mexico Border, Vanessa Maria Almada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At the U.S.-Mexico border, the anthropogenic and nationalistic construction of the landscape has accelerated urbanization and unequal development without establishing effective binational institutions for governance over a shared commons. Borderlanders, then, contest unsustainable development with the added complexity of navigating a barrier which creates diverse socioeconomic and political realities that challenge cross-border cooperation. This qualitative research analyzes environmental organizations in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. Through ethnographic study of mobilization in response to environmental legislation and administrative action in each city, the immediate barriers to cross-border cooperation and limitations of nationalistic institutions in the borderlands can be better understood.

When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …

Powering The Machine, Draining The Planet: Whether U.S. Environmental Law Is Equipped To Regulate The Energy And Water Demands Of Ai Data Centers, Michael Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers have become one of the United States' fastest-growing and least-regulated sources of environmental stress. In 2024 alone, U.S. data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity more than the entire nation of Pakistan and consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water (IEA, 2025; Berkeley Lab, 2024). By 2030, electricity demand from these facilities is projected to reach 426 TWh, a 133% increase in six years (Pew Research Center, 2025). This paper examines whether the existing U.S. environmental regulatory framework put by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the …

Assessing Climate Change Impacts On Wildfire Risk In Central Appalachian Forests Of The Eastern United States, Imiya Mudiyanselage Chathuranika, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Wildfire risk is increasing in the eastern U.S., yet spatial and climate-driven assessments remain limited. This study evaluates climate change impacts on wildfire risk in the Upper James Watershed (UJW) using baseline (2000–2019), near-future (2021–2040), and far-future (2061–2080) projections from a 12-model CMIP6 global climate model (GCM) ensemble under SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5. A wildfire risk model was developed in ArcGIS Pro using nine key factors and validated with MODIS hotspot data, showing good agreement between modeled risk patterns and observed fire occurrences (NOF = 0.21, RMSE = 4.20, MAE = 3.37). Baseline risk was primarily driven by land cover, fire-lookout …

From Reviews To Value: Harnessing Crowdsourced Data To Capture Visitor Perceptions And Economic Benefits Of Recreation, Laura Costadone, Shan Zhang

ODU Articles

Quantifying the recreational value of protected natural areas is essential for sustainable management, conservation financing, and informed decision-making. Traditional approaches, such as on-site surveys, are often costly, spatially limited, and constrained by regulatory barriers. This study evaluates the potential of crowdsourced user-generated data to jointly assess visitor perceptions and the economic value of nature-based recreation, using Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Virginia, USA) as a case study. We integrated georeferenced photographs and textual content from four platforms (Flickr, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and AllTrails) with supplementary survey data to analyze visitation patterns, visitor sentiment, cultural ecosystem services, and recreational value using the …

The Colorado River: Searching For Solutions In The Face Of Uncertainty: Conference Summary, Emilia Endara, Douglas Kenney

Books, Reports, and Studies

The Colorado River is facing unprecedented change and uncertainty. Average annual flows continue to decline, and negotiations to craft post-2026 guidelines to manage the river have repeatedly bogged down in disagreements about delivery obligations, sharing shortages, and mandatory conservation. While some clarity may emerge in the coming months, the ability to sustain many existing municipal and agricultural water users is already being compromised. Meanwhile, there is growing recognition that a durable resolution must also address the water rights of sovereign Tribal Nations and better integrate environmental values into river management. All sovereigns, stakeholders, and sectors must work together now more …

Thirst For Data: State Responses To Data Center Water Use, Daniel Anderson, Sydney Stellato

Books, Reports, and Studies

No abstract provided.

Technological Interventions For Reducing Climate Change Impacts On Health: An Overview Of Future Possibilities, Sujatha Alla, Vijay Kumar Chattu, Bawa Singh

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Globally, over five million deaths annually are attributed to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, such as heatwaves, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and floods, which create health crises and economic losses. The 2015 Paris Declaration emphasized climate technology mechanisms, including research and development, to enhance resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biotechnological advancements have mitigated about 20% of economic losses since the 1960s, highlighting technology’s potential to address climate-induced health risks.

Spatial Resilience Of Coastal Zones From Landscape Pattern Perspective: Connotation, Characteristics, Key Elements, And Pathways For Enhancement, Haixing Meng, Congchun Wang, Shufeng Ye

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The coastal zone is a critical ecological barrier at the land–sea interface. Nevertheless, its defensive and regulatory functions have been severely undermined by climate change and intensified human activities, which have caused landscape fragmentation and reduced connectivity. From the perspective of landscape pattern, this study defines the concept of coastal zone spatial resilience and develops a three-dimensional framework of “structure–process–function”, elucidating its attributes of stability, adaptability, recoverability, and dynamic evolution. By coupling ecological spatial resilience theory, the study identifies key landscape elements shaping spatial resilience and proposes an assessment framework consisting of sensitivity, structure, and ecological vitality and services. Building …

Institutional Safeguards And International Experience For Construction Of Coastal Ecological Barrier, Jiayu Bai, Yalei Qing, Shufeng Ye

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The coastal zone is a transitional area shaped by the interaction between land and sea, and it holds significant importance for national ecological security as well as economic and social development. Against the backdrop of advancing Chinese modernization, the research on institutional safeguards for the construction of coastal ecological barrier is essential for building a comprehensive framework for ecological conservation from the mountaintop to the ocean, implementing the major projects to protect and restore key ecosystems and the “dual carbon” goals, and promoting ecological civilization and the construction of a Beautiful China. At present, China’s institutional safeguards for coastal ecological …

Exploring Ecological Zonation Of The Yellow River Estuary Coastal Zone Based On Nitrogen And Phosphorus Criteria, Dejuan Jiang, Song Qin, Zhengyi Liu, Ruiteng Sun, Xiaoshuai Hang, Tao Zou, Xiaoguang Li, Lijuan Li, Shichao Tian, Yanfang Li, Yongming Luo, Chuanyuan Wang, Yuan Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Estuaries, as ecologically sensitive brackish water mixing zones, face a critical bottleneck in refined management because traditional zonation based on socioeconomic attributes overlooks the ecological heterogeneity driven by salinity gradients and nutrient stoichiometry, leading to a disconnect between management measures and conservation needs. This study proposes a novel approach to coastal zonation using nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient criteria as an ecological benchmark. Overall ecological criteria are established for the Yellow River estuary (dissolved inorganic nitrogen: 0.258 mg/L; phosphate: 0.015 mg/L) and a differentiated management scheme is constructed based on a salinity gradient (26.5 PSU boundary). It is recommended to integrate …

Ecological Barrier Of Coastal Zone In China: Concept, Functions, And Construction Theory, Guangxuan Han, Xiaoli Bi, Xiyong Hou, Xiaoli Zhang, Qianguo Xing, Yuan Li, Haiqing Ma, Ting Wang, Song Qin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The ecological barrier of coastal zone serves as a critical defense line for safeguarding coastal ecological security and sustainable socio-economic development, with multifaceted functions including wave attenuation, shoreline stabilization, and climate regulation. This study systematically elaborates on the concept and essence of ecological barriers of coastal zone, highlighting their core as land-sea continuums that synergistically leverage ecosystem integrity, hydrological connectivity, and biodiversity to provide systemic deliver protective functions. Nevertheless, China’s coastal ecological barrier construction faces four major challenges, namely, (1) theoretical frameworks, often derived from inland models, inadequately represent the complex land-sea interactions and socio-economic drivers; (2) the absence of …

Coastal Zone Ecological Barrier Construction: Holistic Governance And Its Promotion Path, Xiurong Huang, Aihua Jiang, Dou Xiaodong Dou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The coastal zone is the frontier of the interaction between sea and land. As a special geographical unit, it has dual values of ecological security and economic development. It has become an important proposition to promote the resilience construction of coastal zone ecological barrier. In response to the current regulatory dilemma of “Kowloon Sea Governance”, structural contradictions in laws and norms, and complex conflicts of related interests, the construction of coastal zone ecological barrier must move from static protection to dynamic governance. In the goal dimension, the shift from “passive defense” to “resilient system construction” should be realized; in the …

Long-Term Ecological Research Provides Theoretical And Technical Support For Ecological Restoration And High-Quality Development In Agro-Pastoral Ecotone, Wenming Bai, Cunzheng Wei, Longyu Hou, Linghao Li, Xingguo Han, Wenhao Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since its establishment in 2001, the Duolun Restoration Ecology Station, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Duolun Station) has been dedicated to addressing severe grassland degradation and slow economic development in the agro-pastoral ecotone, north of Beijing. A series of systematic studies were conducted on the degraded grassland ecosystem in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Duolun County, Inner Mongolia. The major research findings are summarized as follows. (1) Elucidated that species-specific trait of plant roots, along with the changes in soil properties, are the primary drivers determining how plant and microbial community structure and function respond to anthropogenic disturbances and …

Duolun Restoration Ecology Station, Institute Of Botany, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Institute Of Botany, Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Safety, Security, And… Beavers? An Engineer's Low-Tech Climate Strategy, Matt Mullins

University College: Environmental Policy and Management Capstones

Colorado’s headwaters are the source of drinking water to millions and are a key pillar of the state’s tourism industry. Consequently, they are some of the most vulnerable areas to natural disasters including wildfires, droughts and flooding. Climate change will increase the severity and frequency of these natural disasters. This project focuses on some of the most vulnerable areas from an economic and climate change perspective of Colorado’s headwaters including the Big Thompson River, and the Colorado River. These headwaters located in and around Estes Park, Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park are currently severely impaired. Low-tech process-based restoration …

The State Of Municipal Scale Highest Use Urban Wood Reclamation Projects, Bradley C. Almond

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Millions of urban trees are downed annually for various reasons, such as storms, disease, or development. We are all witnesses to the loss of trees as we see the piles of woody waste assembled on the curbside, ready for public works pickup. Today, most urban wood waste ends up in landfills, mulching/chipping facilities, or firewood production. Each of these alternatives results in the release of sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.

The initial research led to successful diversion from landfills to mulch and firewood operations. Then, the research shifted to converting urban wood waste for its best use, which outlined …

Institutions, Indigenous Peoples, And The Structure Of Power In Columbia River Basin Salmon Governance, Christopher Michael Page

Dissertations and Theses

As broad patterns of behavior influenced by norms and rules, institutions structure many aspects of modern society through coordination and the distribution of power. Due to the importance of common-pool natural resources to many aspects of society, they usually involve competition and lie at the intersection of multiple institutions. This combination of institutions, power disparities, and a competitive interest is what scholars have referred to as a "field." Fields can be complex, and the coordination among interests is generally done through a form of governance involving a wide array of laws, regulations, and actors. When at least one of these …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

Community Land Governance In Liberia: Implications For Tenure Security And Land Concessions, Julia R. Entwistle, Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong

Geography and the Environment: Faculty Scholarship

Throughout rural Africa, the intersection of customary traditions and statutory governance has often led to overlapping jurisdictions and conflicts over community land rights. In Liberia, this dynamic is particularly evident in the rise of commercial land concessions. This article examines the Liberian government’s approach to community land rights and its impacts on land tenure security, especially in the context of these concessions. This study employs a discourse analysis of Liberian land use policies alongside qualitative data from in-depth interviews with community members living near large-scale plantations. Despite historical erosion of community land rights, Liberian communities have adapted statutory frameworks to …

Turning Farm Waste Into Energy: Pragmatic Approaches For Cleaner Midwestern American Communities, Rebecca Gaisie

Selected or Submitted Student Research Papers/Projects

Mismanagement of farm waste in the Midwest of the United States has resulted in significant methane emissions, water contamination, and public health concerns. The present manure management rules are still inconsistent, underfunded, and insufficient to motivate individuals to behave in a way that benefits the environment, despite increasing concerns about the environment. This policy study investigates anaerobic digestion as a potential means to convert waste into energy that could support rural and environmental development. Some of the problems with the federal and state legislation examined in this study under an EPI framework are a lack of incentives, inadequate technical support, …

Huchum: The Legacy Of Fire Suppression, Indigenous Land Management, And Media Representation, Carolyn Coyne

Pomona Senior Theses

In my thesis, I examine how various forms of news media from the 1900s to present day in Ohlone territory have framed a particular hegemonic ideology around fire that matches early colonial journal entries – an ideology that is fueled by fear, sensationalism, and exclusion and directly commits violence against the Ohlone people. I investigate this time period because this is when modern news corporations, like The New York Times, rose into prominence. Specifically, I question how media representations of fire inform regulations over controlled burns; what are the similarities in discourse between media framing and policy? What tactics are …

The Strategic And Governance Implications Of Solar Radiation Modification: Perspectives From Delegates Of International Climate Negotiations, Todd L. Cherry, Steffen Kallbekken, David M. Mcevoy, Wai Yan Siu

ODU Articles

The lack of progress in addressing climate change has led to increased interest in solar radiation modification (SRM)—a collection of large-scale interventions that cool the planet by managing the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth. SRM complicates climate change governance because, in addition to advancing collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, governance needs to restrain unilateral SRM action while balancing diverging actor interests, ethical risks and scientific uncertainty. We survey international climate policy experts for their assessments of the potential for effective global governance of SRM and the likelihood of possible international responses to unilateral SRM scenarios. …

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …