Sustainability Commons^™

The Use Of Non-Traditional Technologies To Improve The Efficiency And Sustainability Of Modern Poultry Production, Christopher Pixley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, major driving factors for the animal agriculture industry have been efficiency and profitability. As demand for efficient food production has increased, the industry has focused research efforts on ways to improve the rearing process. Current market demands are requiring the industry to abandon some of the traditional tools it has used to maximize productivity. However, developing alternative technologies are available which may fill the void. Unfortunately, these alternatives are less well-described and the beneficial impacts they can have are not fully understood. As the animal agriculture industry matures it is becoming evident that consumers will continue to demand methods …

Bottled Water Logistics And Forecasting, Michael Galbreth, Matthew A. Waller, Christopher Vincent, David G. Hyatt

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

CASE OVERVIEW This case presents an interesting and very real dilemma: In 2005, Walmart committed to selling “products that sustain people and the environment.” However, despite environmental and social concerns of the category that include energy required for transport and storage, the plastic used for bottling, the potential lack of purity due to chemicals leeching from the plastic, massive waste, and the cost relative to tap water, consumers want and continue to buy bottled water. Thus the espoused goals of the company are in seeming conflict with its business model. Bottled water is an item under public scrutiny, and producers …

Bottled Water Mini Case, Michael Galbreth, Matthew A. Waller, Christopher Vincent, David G. Hyatt

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

CASE OVERVIEW This case presents an interesting and very real dilemma: In 2005, Walmart committed to selling “products that sustain people and the environment.” However, despite environmental and social concerns of the category that include energy required for transport and storage, the plastic used for bottling, the potential lack of purity due to chemicals leeching from the plastic, massive waste, and the cost relative to tap water, consumers want and continue to buy bottled water. Thus the espoused goals of the company are in seeming conflict with its business model. Bottled water is an item under public scrutiny, and producers …

A Critical Examination Of The Stormwater Education, Based On Sites Parameters, In Landscape Architecture Departments In The Sec, Brandon Doss

Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

The amount of accessible natural resources is dwindling and water could be the next world crisis. One response to this issue is the creation of methodologies which evaluate sustainability of new land development. A system to address the issues is the Sustainable Sites Initiative. This method was created in 2009 by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden. Their primary goal was to create a metric for rating development to encourage a more sustainable approach. A piece of this evaluation is water management. Landscape architecture is poised to address …

Student Motivation For Pursuing A Minor In Environmental Sustainability, Luanne Woods Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental sustainability dominates the global conversation seeking to increase awareness and change the culture of thinking concerning the relationship between humans and the Earth. Because many universities offer programs relative to environmental sustainability, a need exists to understand why students pursue these programs. This study examined student motivation for pursuing an environmental sustainability minor in one institution of higher education. Career, learning, monetary, and Social responsibility were the motivational factors considered in this study. The results of this study indicated significant differences among the motivational factors for pursuing a minor in sustainability among those students surveyed. Significant differences existed for …

Awareness, Use, And Perceptions Of Biodiesel: A Comparison Of Consumers In Belgium And The United States, Maggie Jo Pruitt, Leslie D. Edgar, Donald M. Johnson

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Belgian (N = 61) and American (N = 134) fuel consumers were interviewed in the summer of 2012 to determine their awareness, use, and perceptions of biodiesel. Consumers who were aware of biodiesel were asked their perceptions. A significantly P < 0.0001) higher percentage of Belgian consumers (78.7%) reported owning or driving a diesel vehicle compared to American consumers (9.0%). Belgian and American consumers moderately agreed biodiesel is a high-quality fuel. For both Belgian and American consumers, there was no significant association between owning a diesel vehicle and being aware of biodiesel or having purchased biodiesel. Although Belgian and American consumers agreed that using non-food crops for biodiesel is justified, Belgians were significantly less supportive than American consumers of using food crops for biodiesel. Both Belgian and American consumers disagreed with the statement “I would never use biodiesel”, and the two sets of consumers moderately disagreed that diesel engines would not run properly on biodiesel. Belgian and American consumers agreed that global warming is increasing; however, American consumers were more positive about the potential of biodiesel to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and global warming. Belgian consumers moderately agreed and American consumers agreed that biodiesel is better to use because it is made from renewable resources. Belgian and American consumers generally show similar perceptions of biodiesel, with the exception that American consumers were more positive toward the environmental and renewable aspects of biodiesel use. Recommendations for further research include gaining a better understanding of the potential positive influences that impact consumers’ perceptions of biodiesel.

Assessment Of Students’ Crisis Communications Skill Increase Based On Classroom Instruction And Second Life™ Training, Gregory C. Jernigan, Jessica R. England, Leslie D. Edgar

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Crisis communication training and skill development are critical to ensure the sustainability of the agriculture industry. The purpose of this study was to assess students’ perceptions of knowledge, ability, and skills on select crisis-related skills, tasks, and activities in order to identify the potential effectiveness of a Second LifeTM (SL) simulation. Pre- and post-test data were collected to determine the potential changes in skill in the seven crisis communication constructs of (a) related knowledge; (b) mass, group, and intrapersonal communications; (c) contingency planning; (d) use of related supplies and tools; (e) identifying learning and training needs; (f) related areas of …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Andy Ruben And The Design Of Organizational Structures And Systems (B), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The case “Andy Ruben and the Design of Strategic Goals and Processes” flows from the previous discussion, by moving from the development of an ambitious vision to the challenges of adopting strategic policies and processes to reach those aspirations in practice. This case puts students into the role of Andy Ruben, Walmart’s first Vice-President for Sustainability , asking them to make concrete decisions about what should be done, in what order, and by what process if they were to implement an ambitious corporate sustainability strategy. In the case, Ruben confronts specific choices about how to define the responsibilities of the …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Andy Ruben And The Design Of Organizaional Structures And Systems (A), Andrew Spicer, Laura Lambdin

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The case “Andy Ruben and the Design of Strategic Goals and Processes” flows from the previous discussion, by moving from the development of an ambitious vision to the challenges of adopting strategic policies and processes to reach those aspirations in practice. This case puts students into the role of Andy Ruben, Walmart’s first Vice-President for Sustainability , asking them to make concrete decisions about what should be done, in what order, and by what process if they were to implement an ambitious corporate sustainability strategy. In the case, Ruben confronts specific choices about how to define the responsibilities of the …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Defining Sustainable Products (B), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Defining Sustainable Products (A),” we examine Walmart’s search for a systemic solution to define a sustainable product precisely. In this case, Matt Kistler, who succeeded Andy Ruben as the company sustainability leader in 2007, knows that the company is lagging behind on its espoused goal of selling sustainable products. The case asks students step into Kistler’s shoes as he leads Walmart’s sustainability office through a systematic review of the different models and frameworks available for measuring the sustainability of products presently in use. Eventually, the students face a decision about what Walmart should do to make systemic progress with …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Lee Scott's Founding Vision, Andrew Spicer, Laura Lambdin

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The first case—“Lee Scott’s Founding Vision”—takes the perspective from the apex of the organization as Walmart’s CEO, Lee Scott, develops and articulates his vision of what Walmart hopes to achieve by pursuing an aggressive sustainability strategy. This case explores the pressures that led Scott to announce the company’s ambitious sustainability goals: achieving zero waste, 100% renewable energy, and selling sustainable products. It also explores the choices made when defining and communicating the scope of the strategy, particularly through an in-depth analysis of his announcement of Walmart’s new goals in his October 2005, “Twenty-First Century Leadership” speech.

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Defining Sustainable Products (A), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Defining Sustainable Products (A),” we examine Walmart’s search for a systemic solution to define a sustainable product precisely. In this case, Matt Kistler, who succeeded Andy Ruben as the company sustainability leader in 2007, knows that the company is lagging behind on its espoused goal of selling sustainable products. The case asks students step into Kistler’s shoes as he leads Walmart’s sustainability office through a systematic review of the different models and frameworks available for measuring the sustainability of products presently in use. Eventually, the students face a decision about what Walmart should do to make systemic progress with …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Peter Redmond And The Search For Sustainable Seafood, David G. Hyatt

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Peter Redmond and the Search for Sustainable Seafood,” students examine the responses of Peter Redmond, Vice President and Divisional Merchandise Manager of Deli and Seafood, to organizational pressures to make seafood more sustainable at Walmart.

Consumers And Sustainability At Walmart: A Student's Perspective, Kealy Carter, Satish Jayachandran

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

To further encourage students to analyze initial goals in comparison with outcomes over time, we have developed a consumer-oriented case—“Consumers and Sustainability at Walmart: A Student’s Perspective”—that moves beyond the perspective of internal Walmart participants to explores issues of sustainability from the point of view of a typical Walmart shopper. In this case, we examine the experience of a fictional student shopper who goes to Walmart and wants to buy sustainable products, which helps raise questions for students about what Walmart’s actions mean to them as consumers, citizens as well as business professionals. The case also asks students to evaluate …

The Career Closet Upcycling Program: A Business Plan, Brian Mccaster

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2012, the average person living in the United States throws away 70 pounds of clothing, shoes and other household textiles each year. This textile waste goes into landfills where it makes up 10% of all the waste there (http://www.sustainuclothing.com/national-collegiate-clothing-drive-collects-16-tons-of-clothing/). A lack of capacity and water contamination are two problems that are forcing landfills to close, and reducing the waste that goes to these landfills is a very important option to consider. The Career Closet Upcycling Program is one solution to the waste problem. Through this program, the Walton College Career Center partners with the Apparel Studies Department to offer …

Role Of Vegetation And Environmental Characteristics On Slope Stability In Northwest Arkansas, Michael Maguigan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Slope failure continues to pose risks to society because knowledge of environmental factors and their interactions are unclear and possibly misunderstood. This misunderstanding leads to generalizations about slope failure susceptibility mapping, despite knowing that slope failures are likely the result of an extensively complex set of interactions among a number of environmental, edaphic, and geomorphic characteristics. Therefore a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of slope, soil texture, vegetation cover, bedrock permeability, and compaction,. A wooden flume with a slope face 1 m wide by 1.5 m long with a 10 cm toe was constructed to contain …

Identifying Optimal Cellulosic Biomass Feedstock Supply Areas For Potential Biorefineries In Arkansas, Mark Cooper

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In February 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the revised Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), mandating at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be produced annually in America, and blended into all on/off road, locomotive, and marine gasoline and diesel by the year 2022. America's existing biorefineries fall significantly short of being able to meet this mandate, resulting in the need for rapid expansion in the near future if this goal is to be met. The state of Arkansas has abundant resources to offer the renewable energy industry, if properly utilized. The goal of this thesis is to …

Subcritical Water Hydrolysis Of Whey Proteins, Ashley Dawn Espinoza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydrolyzing food by-products is a unique approach to potentially increase by-product value and reduce waste. An abundant by-product of cheese production, whey, contains all essential amino acids and some distinctive peptides with functional and nutraceutical properties. Typically, proteins from whey are tailored for specific uses by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis; however, subcritical water hydrolysis is a novel alternative used successfully to hydrolyze various substrates. Nevertheless, minimal research exists on: (1) the hydrolysis of whey protein; (2) the incorporation of additives; (3) the hydrolysis of whole whey; and (4) the production of volatiles when using subcritical water hydrolysis.

Therefore, whey protein …

Implementing A Food Waste To Compost Program At The University Of Arkansas: An Economic Feasibility Analysis, Zoe Teague

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

The University of Arkansas Fayetteville (UAF) is actively pursuing ways to increase sustainability on campus. Through the establishment of the Sustainability Council and campus centers, multiple projects are attempting to reduce the carbon footprint at UAF. One particular study is designed to eliminate food waste on campus through composting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and project the economic savings of implementing a food waste composting system using Earth Tubs. Earth Tubs are an in-vessel electrical composting system capable of diverting up to 150 pounds of organic material daily with minimal odor. Results suggest that composting food waste …

Dna Sequence Analysis Of Freshwater Eustigmatophyceae, A Potential Source Of Essential Fatty Acids, Sara E. Prior, M. W. Fawley, K. P. Fawley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Freshwater Eustigmatophyceae are a group of microalgae that are considered rare and of low diversity, with only a few genera and species in a single order. Some Eustigmatophyceae produce fatty acids that are important nutrients for aquaculture, as well as for human food consumption. In addition, some Eustigmatophyceae produce hydrocarbons that may be useful in biofuel production. In our studies of the diversity of coccoid algae from Itasca State Park, Minnesota, we discovered several isolates that we tentatively identified as Eustigmatophyceae. Preliminary molecular characterization indicated that these isolates were highly diverse and probably represented species new to science. In this …

Biological And Economic Considerations In Establishing A Short-Rotation Bioenergy Plantation, Jamie L. Schuler, M. Pelkki, Chris Stuhlinger

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops grown specifically for energy production. These woody feedstocks typically involve fast-growing species (e.g., Salix spp., Populus spp.) planted at high densities using short rotations and intensive cultural practices like weed control and fertilization. Under ideal conditions, this type of system can produce 20 dry Mg/ha/yr, which is substantially higher than the 2.5-4 dry Mg/ha/yr produced by pine plantations in the southern U.S. Many of these plantings are projected to be established on lower quality agricultural lands. Recent attempts at establishing these plantations have highlighted some of …

Economic Impacts Of Future Biorefineries In The State Of Arkansas: An Input-Output Analysis, Sayeed R. Mehmood, M. H. Pelkki

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Conceptual Basis For An Index Of Forest Integrity For Upland Coastal Plain Ecosystems, Nicholas R. Brown, Brian Roy Lockhart, Philip A. Tappe, Lynne C. Thompson, Robert C. Weih Jr., Richard A. Williams

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Following the recent trend to manage natural resources for "sustainability," ecologists, resource managers and policymakers are beginning to think of the management of forest ecosystems in terms of "ecosystem health" or "ecosystem integrity." Biologists are increasingly recognizing that use of chemical assays in assessing the condition of an ecosystem has limited value, and that biological factors, e.g., species diversity and composition, can be useful characters in the analysis of "biotic integrity." An index of biotic integrity (IBI) has been developed for riverine ecosystems in the Midwest U.S., using fish species diversity, indicator population analysis, trophic structure assessment, and physiological abnormalities …