Sustainability Commons^™

Agenda: Natural Resource Industries And The Sustainability Challenge, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment, University Of Colorado Boulder. The Colorado Law Energy Innovation Initiative

Natural Resource Industries and the Sustainability Challenge (Martz Winter Symposium, February 27-28)

"An International Conference hosted by The Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment and The Colorado Law Energy Innovation Initiative."

For more than two decades, sustainability has gained currency as a broad organizing principle for efforts to develop and use energy, natural resources, and the environment in ways that allow society to meet its needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. More recently, sustainability has been embraced by businesses across multiple sectors as part of a broader movement of corporate social responsibility. Hardly a day goes by without news of another corporate initiative …

Slides: Comments Of Jeff Bingaman, Jeff Bingaman

Natural Resource Industries and the Sustainability Challenge (Martz Winter Symposium, February 27-28)

Presenter: Jeff Bingaman, former Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and U.S. Senator from New Mexico

6 slides

Water Metrics, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Jean-Marc Faurès, Poolad Karimi, Wim Bastiaanssen, Meredith Giordano, Vladimir Smakhtin, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Society has a universal need for water that crosses all sectors of activity. We need to be able to measure progress towards sustainable water for all by working towards targets that consider the different dimensions of water resources and use, including water quantity and quality. A suite of indicators that reflect water use by different sectors is needed to measure progress towards the forthcoming SDGs’ [sustainable development goals] water-related targets. Such indicators will need to rely on national data, must consider the variation in data availability, and can be complemented with new cost-effective ways for data collection.

Remote sensing measurements, …

Water-Food-Energy Nexus, Jeremy Bird, Felix Dodds, Peter G. Mccornick, Tushaar Shah

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The proposed SDGs on water, food and energy security all include targets on increasing efficiencies. Yet the water–food–energy nexus has multiple dimensions that, if managed in isolation, will compromise a nation’s ability to achieve the full portfolio of SDGs.

Climate change introduces additional uncertainties, further increasing tensions between sectors for access to water. Conventional energy and food production are emitters of greenhouse gases, but measures to reduce emissions—including renewable energy interventions, such as subsidies for biofuel production—can have adverse consequences on food prices.

To achieve desirable and sustainable outcomes for water, food, and energy requires investigating these elements as an …

Afrontar El Cambio: Cuidar Del Agua, De La Agricultura Y De La Seguridad Alimentaria En Una Era De Incertidumbre Climática, 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

En 1950, la población mundial era apenas superior a los 2500 millones de habitantes. En 2013, ronda los 7 mil millones. Aunque el crecimiento de la población se está ralentizando, se estima que en 2050 se alcanzarán los 9600 millones de habitantes. El aumento de la población será mayor en los países en desarrollo, donde los alimentos a menudo escasean, y la tierra y el agua están sometidas a presión. Para alimentar a la población mundial en 2050, tendrán que producirse más alimentos sin que haya un aumento significativo del terreno de cultivo y contando con un caudal menor de …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F⁻ cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F⁻ measurements. Our results showed that the mean F⁻ concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 ± 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.1–18 mg/L), while those in urine …

The Effect Of Non-Fluoride Factors On Risk Of Dental Fluorosis: Evidence From Rural Populations Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Julia Kravchenko, Tewodros Rango, Igor Akushevich, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, R. Brittany Merola, Christopher Paul, Erika Weinthal, Courtney Harrison, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Elevated level of fluoride (F⁻) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F⁻, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F⁻ elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F⁻ elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F⁻ on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly selected households of 20 rural communities of …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Paul Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which …

Degradable Plastics And Their Potential To Affect Solid Waste Systems, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Plastic waste forms a substantial part of municipal solid waste and has caused environmental concerns, particularly due to chemical contamination of the environment and effects from persistent litter. Plastics also complicate waste management processes, such as by having poor recovery rates through recycling, and causing contamination in composting operations. One potential means to address some of these challenges is through degradable plastics which, unlike conventional plastics, are designed to decompose at an accelerated rate in specific environments. Degradable plastics aim to address the end-of-life of plastic products and are intended to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their use and …

On Target For People And Planet: Setting And Achieving Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Van Der Bliek, Peter G. Mccornick, James Clarke

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Our specific focus in this book is on securing water for sustainable food production. This links to sustainable water resources management, delivering on the water supply and sanitation requirements and provisioning water for energy and the urban sector. A specific intent is to ensure that the realities in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are recognized and to provide practical pathways to change that fit these realities and the aspirations of those countries. This will help to prepare for the next step in the SDG [sustainable development goals] process: devolving the SDGs to the national level. It will …

Co-Occurrence Of The Cyanotoxins Bmaa, Daba And Anatoxin-A In Nebraska Reservoirs, Fish, And Aquatic Plants, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak, Kyle D. Hoagland, David A. Cassada, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Several groups of microorganisms are capable of producing toxins in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are prevalent blue green algae in freshwater systems, and many species produce cyanotoxins which include a variety of chemical irritants, hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Production and occurrence of potent neurotoxic cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), 2,4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with environmental implications to public and animal health. Biomagnification, though not well understood in aquatic systems, is potentially relevant to both human and animal health effects. Because little is known regarding their presence in fresh water, we investigated the occurrence and potential for bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins …

Quantitative Assessments Of Municipal Waste Management Systems: Using Different Indicators To Compare And Rank Programs In New York State, Krista L. Greene, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

The primary objective of waste management technologies and policies in theUnited Statesis to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of waste, particularly those relating to energy consumption and climate change. Performance indicators are frequently used to evaluate the environmental quality of municipal waste systems, as well as to compare and rank programs relative to each other in terms of environmental performance. However, there currently is no consensus on the best indicator for performing these environmental evaluations. The purpose of this study is to examine the common performance indicators used to assess the environmental benefits of municipal waste systems to determine if …

A Review Of The Hyporheic Zone, Stream Restoration, And Means To Enhance Denitrification, Leanne Merill, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

The hyporheic zone is the subsurface area below and adjacent to a stream where groundwater mixes with stream water, through vertical, lateral, and longitudinal flows. The hyporheic zone connects the stream to uplands and other terrestrial environments. It is a zone of distinct faunal communities, high biological diversity and ecological complexity, and is the site of chemical processing and transformations of ground- and stream waters. The hyporheic zone is important to the overall ecosystem ecology of the stream, and it can influence stream water chemistry. Flows, reactions, and biota in the hyporheic zone are heterogeneous and patchy, making it difficult …

Achieving ‘Net Zero Energy’ Performance Through Retrofitting Of Residential Buildings In Ireland., M. Alan Costello

Theses

A Net Zero Energy Building (nZEB) is a residential or commercial building that consumes net zero energy over a set period of time, usually taken as one year. In short, for every unit of energy the building consumes over a year, it must generate a unit of energy to maintain an overall net balance. This is achieved by reducing the operational energy usage to a very low level through energy efficient design, and then providing renewable generation technologies on site to cater for the remaining energy demand.

Energy use in all sectors of society is under scrutiny at present, largely …

Enzyme Optimization For Lignocellulose Hydrolysis Using Mechanistic Modeling, Adam S. Marlowe

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

A novel mechanistic model for the saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose is utilized to predict the products of hydrolysis over a range of enzyme loadings and times. The mechanistic model considers the morphology of the substrate and the kinetics of enzymes to optimize enzyme concentrations for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose simultaneously. Substrates are modeled based on their fraction of accessible sites, glucan content, xylan content, and degree of polymerizations. This enzyme optimization model takes into account the kinetics of six core enzymes for lignocellulose hydrolysis: endoglucanase I (EG1), cellobiohydrolase I (CBH1), cellobiohydrolase II (CBH2), and endo-xylanase (EX) …

The 6th Mode Of Transportation, Robert O. Walton

Publications

The five modes of freight transportation are normally characterized as motor carriers, railroads, airlines, water carriers, and pipelines. This paper will attempt to position the Internet as the sixth mode of transportation. This paper compares the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional five modes of transportation against the proposed 6th mode of the Internet. Without including the Internet as a mode of transportation, and tracking the economic value that it adds to the economy, the economic impact of the Internet as a mode is not considered. The recommendation of this study is that the Internet should be added to the …

2013 Fall Engr333 Project Final Report, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

During the fall of 2013, the Engineering 333 class was asked the question, “what would it take for Calvin College to operate a biofuel vehicle from campus resources?” The three primary considerations included:

• Determining the optimal biofuel feedstock in terms of availability, transportation, and processing.
• Selecting a biofuel vehicle for conversion or purchase to operate on the selected feedstock.
• Designing the infrastructure and process required for operating the selected biofuel vehicle. The design and research described below proposes an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective method for integrating a biofuel vehicle into Calvin’s existing infrastructure.

2013 Fall Engr333 Student Seminar Presentation, Claire Philippi, Karl Bratt, Mike Houtman, Brandon Koster

ENGR 333

File for student presentation, given by students in the Fall 2013 class of ENGR333.

2013 Fall Engr333 Vehicle Poster, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

Waste vegetable oil (WVO) was chosen by the class as the best fuel source for the Calvin Biofuel Vehicle Project. The class then considered vehicle options and selected a lawnmower to be powered by WVO.

2013 Fall Engr333 Fuel And Facilities Poster, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

The objective of the project was to answer the question: “What would it take for Calvin College to operate a biofuel vehicle from campus resources.” The class split into 3 teams:

• Fuel/Feedstock
• Facilities/Infrastructure
• Vehicle

A Case Study Of Zero Energy Home Built For Solar Decathlon Competition 2013, Sanjib Mulepati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Energy consumption in residential homes has been a subject of research related to sustainability. Reduction in the consumption of energy is a goal of sustainable construction. The Department of Energy (DOE) started a Solar Decathlon competition in 2002 in which the students from different universities around the globe build an energy efficient and affordable home suitable for their climate and location. The main goal of this competition is to select the best home that is designed and built in a sustainable way. In this study, the home designed and constructed for participation in the competition by the students at University …

Improving Global Impact: How The Integration Of Remotely Reporting Sensors In Water Projects May Demonstrate And Enhance Positive Change, Evan A. Thomas

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article argues that improved feedback on the actual impact of development programs may ensure the success of poverty reduction interventions such as water filters, water pumps, latrines, and cookstoves.

Developing A Framework For Determining The Contribution Of Transportation Project To Sustainable Development, Karim Ahmed Abdel Warith

Open Access Dissertations

In the past few years, stakeholders in the transportation industry have been concerned with sustainability. However, transportation decision makers have had difficulty incorporating sustainability into transportation infrastructure decisions. This is mainly attributed to the vagueness of the term. Incorporating sustainability into transportation decision making has been a desire put forth by engineers for that past 10 years. However, with no apparent method of defining sustainability, designers and decision makers have not been able to fulfill this desire.

This investigation attempts to define sustainability in a comprehensive and quantitative manner. The research proposes a new methodology that relies on the objective …

Energy Systems Analysis For A Solar Economy, Dharik Sanchan Mallapragada

Open Access Dissertations

The use of solar energy for human needs faces challenges owing to its relatively low energy intensity and intermittent availability, coupled with the constrained availability of renewable carbon and land resources. This study uses systems analysis tools to identify carbon and energy efficient transformations of solar energy for different purposes, including transportation fuels and grid-scale energy storage. These efforts have been complemented with a feasibility analysis of existing fossil-energy and other hybrid pathways.

In an era of limited fossil resources, liquid fuels from sustainably available (SA) biomass could meet the energy needs of the transportation sector. We present a method …

2013 Fall Engr333 Project Assignment, Matthew K. Heun

ENGR 333

The Fall 2013 ENGR333 project focused on production and use of biofuels at Calvin University.

I asked the students “What would it take for Calvin College to operate a biofuel vehicle from campus resources?”

Customer

The customer for this project was Calvin’s Physical Plant director Phil Beezhold.

Social Capital And Walkability As Social Aspects Of Sustainability, Shannon Rogers, Kevin Gardner, Cynthia Carlson

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The concepts of sustainability and sustainable development are frequently described as having three main components, sometimes referred to as the three pillars or the triple bottom line: environmental, economic, and social. Because of an historical focus in the sustainability field on correcting environmental problems, much consideration has been given to environmental issues, especially how they interface with economic ones. Frequently mentioned but rarely examined, the social aspects of sustainability have been considered the weakest and least described pillar. After a brief review of existing concepts and theories, this paper uses a case study approach to examine the third pillar more …

Sustainable Design Education Through A Self-Directed Online System, Jeremy Faludi, Adam Menter

Dartmouth Scholarship

Sustainable design and engineering is an important topic, yet it is under-represented in educational institutions; moreover, it must be taught to practicing professionals, not just students. A free online system has been created to address both problems at once, providing educational materials for educators and also providing a self-paced program for professionals or students to earn a certificate in sustainable design. Called the Autodesk Sustainability Workshop, it is a collection of video tutorials and supporting materials (PDF reference guides, slide decks, quizzes, and other resources) that can be used either by individuals themselves or by educators (either in schools or …

Agenda: Water, Oil And Gas: Recycling And Reuse Of Water, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, Sturm College Of Law, University Of Denver, Colorado Bar Association, Natural Resources & Energy Section

Water, Oil and Gas: Recycling and Reuse of Water (June 11)

Program co-chairs: Sarah Klahn, Matthew Sura; planning committee: Susan Daggett, Kathryn Mutz.

Co-sponsored by: Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School, Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, Sturm College of Law, University of Denver, Natural Resources & Energy Section of the Colorado Bar Association.

This program is the second in a 3-part series focusing on critical water, oil and gas issues in Colorado. This second program focuses on the technology behind the recycling of produced water and hydraulic back fracturing flowback fluid and the issue of mandatory recycling. It also addresses the legal implications …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2013, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Senior Design Experience

Part of every UNLV engineering student's academic experience, the Senior Design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. Working in teams, the senior design project encourages students to use everything learned in the engineering and computer design programs to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

Beyond the classroom ...

Because of the requirement to work in teams, students also build good communication skills, presentation skills and even business writing skills. They also have to …

Energy And Climate Interactions In The Urban Environment, David J. Sailor

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on sustainable design choices and characteristics