Sustainability Commons^™

Pursue Sustainability, Stay Paranoid In A Post-Covid World, Ho Kwon Ping, Havovi Joshi

Asian Management Insights

Ho Kwon Ping, Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, speaks to Havovi Joshi about making sure sustainability is more than just a buzzword, his optimism regarding Asia’s growth in the future, and the need for youths to think differently about their careers.

Current Vehicle Fleet Inventory And Future Implementation Of A Centralized Electric Fleet At Portland State University, Dane Kovaleski

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

As the effects of climate change continue to impact the world, many institutions have developed climate action goals to reduce their effects on the environment. Portland State University (PSU) has committed to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. A part of this commitment must include looking at the contributions of transportation on campus to reduce carbon emissions. According to a greenhouse gas emissions report done by the Campus Planning and Sustainability Office in 2016, transportation contributed to 12% of total greenhouse gas emissions on campus.

This project aims to evaluate the management …

Nutrient Optimization For Vegetable Production Under Decoupled Aquaponics Using Brackish Water, Salma Walid Hany Ahmed Abdelfattah

Theses and Dissertations

As the world moves to more sustainable agriculture methods in the agribusiness industry, decoupled aquaponics is recognized as one of the newest techniques currently being utilized to achieve more local food security. As the topic is still freshly new within the industry, a finite number of publications and studies have been made that address the topic hands-on with its many variables. Subsequently, in this paper, an experiment was conducted to assess the most optimized production conditions of both lacinato kale (Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia) and Swiss chard Bright Light (Beta vulgaris ssp. Cicla var. flavescens) plants through the utilization of a …

Ecological Governance Of Aral Sea: Important Way To Deepen Scientific And Technological Cooperation With Central Asia, Miao Wu, Jianfang Qiao, Yuanming Zhang, Changyan Tian, Yaoming Li, Yun Hao, Xiaoyun Zhang, Lixian Wang, Jingjing He

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In September 2022, the President of the People’s Republic of China visited Uzbekistan for the first time after the epidemic. In the subsequent joint statement between China and Uzbekistan, China welcomed the adoption of the Aral Sea initiative proposed by Uzbekistan at the General Assembly of the United Nations. The two sides expressed their willingness to actively promote synergy between the Global Development Initiative and projects related to improving the ecological, economic, and social environment of the Aral Sea region under the framework of the United Nations. In this context, this paper describes the current situation of the Aral Sea …

An Integrated Analysis Of Urban Sustainability In Portland: Issues, Indicators, Stakeholders, And Geospatial Assessment, Arun Kumar Pallathadka

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presents three individual studies that collectively explore the concept of urban sustainability. The research is grounded in the recognition that many cities worldwide are striving to achieve sustainable development, yet existing sustainability frameworks often lack comprehensive definition and consideration. Moreover, the existing sustainability frameworks and methods are often not clearly structured to allow for their replication and adaptation to meet the unique needs of diverse local settings. To address this gap, the dissertation utilizes the Social-Ecological-Technological Framework, with particular emphasis on equity, to investigate key issues in urban sustainability, such as indicators, stakeholder engagement, tradeoffs, and assessment. The …

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

Post Wildfire Vegetation Response To The Wildland-Urban Interface: A Case Study Of The Station Fire, Angelo C. De Guzman, Raju Bista, Parveen K. Chhetri

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

In the past, wildfires served as a method for mother nature to promote biodiversity and to help maintain a functioning ecosystem. However, climate change alters the fire regime, significantly impacting vegetation recovery. Human disturbances and increased land use and land cover heighten vegetation disruption and abundance after a fire. Wildland-urban interface (WUI) – the region where the vegetation intermingles with the roads, houses, and human-made structures – threatens vegetation and the human population. Overall vegetation recovery after the Station Fire of 2009 spread through the San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County was observed using Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Normalized Difference …

Energy And Climate Change Issues Around Csudh, Alex E. Perez, Tara B. Jones, Raju Bista, Parveen K. Chhetri

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Climate change is posing significant challenges to California’s energy sector. Extreme weather events (heat and cold) may pressure existing infrastructure. Many studies have indicated that extreme climate events would impact the energy system by affecting peak electricity demand. However, very few studies have been conducted to understand how disadvantaged communities (DACs) will be impacted. Because of unequal access to energy infrastructure (electricity generation and battery storage), DACs are more vulnerable to power outages due to the rising number of significant weather events caused by climate change. To address the issue of how DACs are disproportionately affected by climate change-related energy …

Sust 489 Capstone: Library Of Things Project, Jadyn Ford, Lewis Hall, Dan Hanson, Matthew Helm, Hanah Long, Devin Mcginley, Breana Spinler, Kacy Tubbs

Sustainability & Environment Projects

Each year, the Sustainability 489 Capstone class works with a community partner whose needs align with the initiatives of the Department of Sustainability. This year, the SUST 489 class received a recommendation from Dr. Joe Kantenbacher to work with the Vermilion Public Library. Our class worked with Daniel Burniston, Vermillion Public Library Director, to best identify the needs of the Vermillion community. The class, our library partners, and our professor Dr. Meghann Jarchow worked together to decide upon a Library of Things project, where we will assist the library in providing items for library patrons to check out.

Can Renewable Portfolio Standards Explain The U.S. States’ Advancement Of Wind Energy?, Elise Monson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Historic Downtown Streetscape Plan Price City, Utah, Patricia Beckert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The idea of a small-town Main Street has profound meaning within the American culture that has prevailed for the past two centuries. Historically, Main Street serves as the beating heart of a community, a place where economic, social, cultural, and civic activities are centered (Francaviglia, 1996; Main Street America, n.d.). Since the beginning of the 19th century, many factors have led to the decline of Main Streets, and despite a variety of efforts from different stakeholders, that decline has only intensified in recent decades (Isenberg, 2008; Orvell, 2014 Howard, 2015). In 1980, after a three-year project conducted by the National …

The Solidarity Manifesto: A New Network For Future Change, Sofia Calicchio

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Colonialism is a scheme of standpoint; colonizer versus colonized, West versus East, good versus bad. When put in the foreground, the value of what we see heavily relies on our perspective and knowledge. When learning to dissect, deconstruct, and decolonize spaces, we need to start utilizing decolonial thought as an historical tool rather than a true depiction of reality. Decolonizing spaces and recognizing Western colonization practices means challenging the normative structures in colonial history, thus breaking the cycle of oppression through building community and fostering solidarity. Drawing on theories exploring access to public spheres, representation, protection, permanence, cultural displacement and …

Shop Less, Shop Better: Ethical And Sustainability Concerns Throughout The Fast Fashion Supply Chain, Natali Ann Hoeg

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

My capstone project is a series of short essays that describe how fast fashion is having negative impacts on local environments, communities, and supply chains. This research is a review of technical sources describing manufacturing of clothing and certification processes for alternative, sustainable textile production. Additionally, this review incorporates perspectives from journalists and documentarians, visiting and describing farms and factories that are involved with fast fashion production. This project was carried out over the course of a semester, as an independent study. The essays focus on the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion. Each of the six essays approaches …

Industrialization Of Tall Wheatgrass For Construction Of “Coastal Grass Belt”, Hongwei Li, Qi Zheng, Jianlin Wang, Hongyong Sun, Kexin Zhang, Hongman Fang, Xuerong Xing, Weicai Yang, Xiaofeng Cao, Xiaojing Liu, Haichun Jing, Kang Chong, Zhensheng Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia elongata) is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass with high productivity and tolerance to salt and alkali, waterlogging, and drought. Since first introduced into China in 1950s, tall wheatgrass has long been used as a wild parent for distant hybridization with wheat (Triticum aestivum). During 1980s─1990s, a few tall wheatgrass varieties were introduced to China as forage grass, nonetheless, currently they are still not widely cultivated and no variety was certificated. In 2020, Zhensheng Li put forward a proposal to construct “Coastal Grass Belt” on saline and alkaline soils in the Circum-Bohai sea region, which provides an opportunity for …

Research On Offshore Wind Energy Classification: Bottlenecks And Countermeasures, Chongwei Zheng, Chongyin Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Offshore wind energy resource is a key support for the “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”. However, offshore wind energy development still faces the international bottleneck of reasonable energy classification, which is urgently needed in the overall arrangement and accurate site selection. Firstly, this study systematically reviewed the research progress of offshore wind energy classification scheme at home and abroad, and analyzed the six aspects that need to be improved in the traditional energy classification scheme: without comprehensive consideration of resource characteristics, environmental risks and cost-effectiveness, without significant regional difference of energy classification, unable to meet the needs of diversified tasks, …

Deficit Irrigation Management For Irrigated Corn In Nebraska: Economically Viable?, Lia Nogueira, Cory Walters, Emily O'Donnell, E. Wesley F. Peterson, Suat Irmak

Cornhusker Economics

In this study we determine the economic value of deficit irrigation management using both technological and methodological advancements. The use of soil moisture probes represents the technological improvement. We provide improvements in the methodology as follows. Regarding data, we employ a field-size study, instead of plots, where the irrigation decision is determined by the moisture level in the soil measured through a soil moisture probe. Regarding the understanding of the yield response to water, although we examine the commonly used quadratic function, we improve upon this specification by also examining an alternative response function, the linear response stochastic plateau. Our …

What's In A Name? The Politics Of Commemoration From The Un-Naming Of The Alexander Graham Bell Dorm At Rit To The Samuel Schmucker Controversy At Wcu, Brent Ruswick

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Brent Ruswick, History - What's in a Name? The Politics of Commemoration from the un-naming of the Alexander Graham Bell dorm at RIT to the Samuel Schmucker controversy at WCU

Consumers And Eco-Labels: A Quantitative Analysis Of The Effects Of Various Sustainability Certification Models On Consumer Opinions, William F. Joseph

Senior Theses

This research consists of an econometric analysis of the efficacy of a privatized sustainability certification model versus a proposed government-endorsed sustainability certification model within the United Sates market. Today, the widely accepted model of sustainability certification is constituted by a large market of private certifiers. By analyzing the effects of the current model and alongside the effects of a hypothetical government-endorsed system on consumer preferences for sustainably produced goods, the thesis aims to motivate further discussion into the possible benefit of adopting a government-sponsored sustainability certification system. In general, analysis of the data suggests much more promising and significant effects …

Evaluating The On-Site Impacts Of The Ambatovy Project Through The Lens Of Environmental Justice, Nick Karlik

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Madagascar, sustainable development has been established and maintained by dominant foreign actors to reconcile neoliberalism with globalized conceptions of environmental protection. The Ambatovy mining and refining project has emerged as a prominent example of this developmental mode; Ambatovy is the largest economic enterprise in the history of the country and one of the largest and most productive mining operations in the world, generating billions of dollars in revenue for a country that remains among the poorest in the world while offsetting its impact on endemic biodiversity and forest habitat through conservation initiatives. At the same time, the evaluative framework …

Women In Sustainable Leadership: A Case Study On The Perspectives, Opportunities, And Challenges Of Biologist And Conservationist Estrela Matilde, Ella Lyons

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite the relatively small population of 8,000 occupants and the minimal international recognition of the Island of Príncipe, located off of the Gulf of Guinea on the Western Coast of Central Africa, the region has increasingly become a leading example of sustainable practices to be taken on a global scale in the near future to combat our current climate crisis. This case study explores the sustainable practices that Príncipe has learned to embrace under the leadership of Portuguese conservation biologist and project manager for the NGO Fundação Príncipe, Estrela Matilde. Estrela integrates social, cultural, and environmental conservation to align with …

Unleash The Heat: Exploring Geothermal Energy Perspectives And Energy Literacy In São Miguel, Azores, Lena Mcdonough

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The green energy transition is moving ahead in EU countries at very different paces, and there are some key challenges that all regions currently face in trying to phase fossil fuels out of their energy mixes. One of these challenges is that most regions simply cannot harness enough renewable energy sources and simultaneously have the storage technology for creating a baseload power source as reliable as oil, coal and natural gas. That is, unless you sit in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the boundary of three tectonic plates, with a continuous and reliable renewable energy source beneath your …

Bridging The Education Gap: Series Of Infographic Guides To Sustainable Living For Low-Income Communities, Brianna Mateo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Low-income communities in Australia face numerous negative impacts, such as health issues, social exclusion, educational disparities, and discrimination, which limit their opportunities to improve their quality of life (The Public Defenders,2022). As a result, students from these communities often have fewer resources and less funding, contributing to poor educational outcomes and underrepresentation in STEM fields, which includes environmental education (Australian Department of Education, 2022).

To address these challenges, I created an 8-page infographic series titled “Sustainable Living: On a Budget.” The series includes a cover page, an overview page, and four infographics covering : climate change, waste, preserving biodiversity, and …

Inside The Wave: How “The 100 Foot Wave” Changed The Lives Of The Local Community In Nazaré, Emilie Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Surfing and surfing tourism are a critical part of Portugal’s economy and culture. Nazaré is a town that embodies a transition from a traditional fishing village to one that lives and breathes surf. Such a quick change in the leading industry of a town raises concerns about the impacts it has on the community. Therefore, the project focuses on the economic, social and cultural, and environmental impacts of tourism intensification on the local community in Nazaré through the perspective of the local people who are directly impacted and witness these changes. Other stakeholders are included, such as the Garrett McNamara …

Considerations For Solar Development: Comprehensive Assessment Of Solar Production Benefits And Consequences In Portugal, Jonathan Ramos Marcuse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper, the potential for solar energy development in Portugal is explored, with a focus on the Alentejo region of Portugal. The Fernando Pessoa Photovoltaic plant that is approved for construction in the Santiago do Cacém municipality is analyzed. The size of the plant and the location are considered when studying the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the project. The possibility of a centralized solar array in Sines is also explored as an alternative, taking into account the environmental and social impacts on local communities. Additionally, the feasibility and benefits of implementing a decentralized energy grid, utilizing scattered …

Dairy & Development: An Investigation Into The Economic And Sociopolitical Dynamics Of Yak Cheesemaking In Nepal, Audrey Peiker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cheesemaking in Nepal is full of love, passion, and creativity. What began as a Swiss development project in the 1950s has now grown into a full-fledged industry, providing jobs, creative outlets, and cultural expression for many. Nepal’s Dairy Development Corporation owns several factories throughout the country, setting the tone for the industry by establishing the standard price for milk and process for cheesemaking. From there, privately held factories innovate and compete, bringing new products to the market and increasing wages, but also struggle with consistency and reliability. Now, Nepal’s cheesemaking market is at a turning point—much of the herding population …

Ecological Living In Nepali Food Systems: A Synthesis Of Circular Nutrient And Knowledge Flows In The Kathmandu Valley, Kaitlyn Feely

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Researching food-systems in Nepal can feel like drinking from a fire hydrant. Sixty-six percent of the population is directly involved in agriculture and a diverse set of ecocultural understandings influence the practice across the country’s landscapes, ranging from the Himalayas to urban centers to southern plains. In the Kathmandu Valley and peripheral hills where I conducted my research, seemingly any spare land was under cultivation, enabled by fertile ground, optimal climate, and market potential. But despite the prevalence of farming in daily life throughout the country, Nepal’s food system is not domestically self-sufficient. A complex web of imports and exports …

A Multi-Factorial Analysis Of The Sustainability Of Non-Governmental Organizations’ Psychosocial Support Programs In Jordan, Dina Abdalla

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper aims to explore the factors that affect the sustainability of psychosocial support (PSS) programs provided by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Jordan. NGOs in Jordan are facing a significant issue when it comes to the sustainability of their programs, and they provide crucial programs for refugees and underserviced populations. So, it is crucial to investigate the factors affecting and solutions to sustainability. It is hypothesized that sustainability is a multi- factorial concept, affected by financial, organizational, and environmental factors. It is predicted that NGO characteristics, program effectiveness, and program type can affect sustainability. To combat sustainability issues, it …

A Gravity Model Integrating Land-Use And Transportation Policies For Sustainable Development: Case Study Of Fresno, California, Chih-Hao Wang, Na Chen

Mineta Transportation Institute

The idea of urban compaction has been long proposed and promoted to address the problem of urban sprawl in many American cities. However, there are still rare successful cases of such implementation in the United States. This study uses a classic gravity model, TELEM (Transpiration, Economic, and Land-Use Model) to examine to what extent a land-use or transportation policy must be regulated to make the urban compaction occur in a typical auto-dependent city—Fresno, California. Five scenarios are considered (BL, L1, L2, T1, and T2), in which the baseline (BL) is a natural growth scenario. Without any policy interventions, the city …

Using Satellites To Map The Urban Heat Island Effect And Using Products To Generate Public Action In Harrisonburg, Trevor Brooks, Timothy A. Kreps

ASPIRE 2023

The Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) is a phenomenon where urban centers are hotter than their surrounding rural counterparts. Ever since it was first discovered there have been a variety of methods of mapping this effect from using terrestrial sensors to satellites. This study attempts to evaluate different mapping methods, specifically two different satellite methods (ECOSTRESS and MODIS). As well as a community driven mapping method that involved terrestrial sensors attached to cars. This study then discusses remedies to the UHI and documents efforts to remedy it through a partnership between researchers, the community, and the city of Harrisonburg as …

Carbon Farming: A Preliminary Economic Analysis Of Carbon Credits For No-Till And Cover Crops, Drew Havens, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Cornhusker Economics

Summary Based on experimental data about the amount of carbon sequestered and estimated implementation costs, our preliminary results show that the average cost of sequestering carbon via no-till (about $22 per ton of CO₂e) appears to be much lower than the $51 per ton social value of sequestering that ton. In contrast, our preliminary results show that the average costs of sequestration via adoption of cover crops is much higher, about $60 per ton. Depending on how accurate soil carbon models are in predicting sequestration on individual fields to qualify them for enrollment, reimbursement costs for planting cover …