Sustainability Commons^™

Chefs' Perceptions Of Zero Waste Cooking In Restaurants, Josephine Reardon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine chefs’ perceptions and practices relative to current and potentially future efforts to decrease food waste. Through qualitative inquiry, this research aims to identify food waste reduction practices in Northwest Arkansas restaurants; chef’s perceptions of these practices and zero waste cooking; the impact these practices have on successfully implementing sustainability; and the biggest challenges in reducing food waste in restaurants. The results of this study will assist chefs and restaurant owners by providing guidance on practices easily utilized in restaurants currently.

An interview protocol, with five sections, was conducted with ten chefs at …

Design Of A Shallow-Aero Ebb And Flow Hydroponics System And Associated Educational Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Julie Halveland

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tri Cycle Farms, whose main mission is to reduce food insecurity in their community, is a non- profit urban farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The “Tri” in their name refers to the three parts of their foundation: giving a third of their yield to volunteers, giving a third to local food pantries, and selling a third to sustain the farm and demonstrate the economy of local food production. They want to expand on the third part and have a vision of building a hydroponic greenhouse with the intention that it will create more crops to sell and give, as well as …

Utilization Of Recycled Filament For 3d Printing For Consumer Goods, Alexa Peterson

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The 3D printing market has been used in a wide variety of manufacturing industries including textile and apparel. Many consumers can now own a personal 3D printer at home for recreational printing. There are even websites dedicated to 3D printing patterns made by consumers. However, the materials used in the 3D printing process pose a problem for the environment due to their plastic-based nature. 3D printing is a layered process with each layer being printed depending on the layer below it for strength and stability. During the 3D printing process, great amounts of waste are produced as a result of …

Irrigation Design In Montana: Accommodating Varying Water Accessibility Across The Continental Divide., John Garrett Lampson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The design work performed in this project was conducted over two summers (2018, 2019) of internship experience with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) across the state of Montana. The first summer’s design work was based out of Glendive, MT, in Dawson County, approximately 50 kilometers from the North Dakota border. The second summer was in Missoula, MT, in Missoula County, near the Idaho border. The two areas differ significantly in topography, weather, and water availability with the main separating geographic influence being the Rocky Mountains.

This paper focuses on the design process and requirements for two farms located outside …

Analyzing The Effects Of Of Seasonal Land Cover And Precipitation On The Sediment Delivery Ratio Of An Agriculture Dominated Watershed., Jonah Liebman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil erosion is of escalating importance as increasing population and climate change have put increasing pressures on agricultural food production. Vegetation and precipitation are two factors that control the amount of soil erosion extant within a region. Sediment delivery ratios (SDRs) assess the ratio of soil eroded from a watershed system that is permanently removed from the system through stream sediment discharge. Using 1) river discharge and sediment concentration data and 2) the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), this thesis analyzes fluctuations in monthly SDRs for an average hydroclimatological crop-harvest season for the Senachwine Creek watershed, IL. Through calculating …

An Assessment Of Renewable Energy Technology Implementation In Storrs, Connecticut: Emissions Reduction And Feasibility Of A Microgrid System At Uconn, Sophie Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this project is to design a clean energy-sourced microgrid for UConn’s main campus that would reduce the university’s energy emissions while remaining within the geographic boundaries of viable UConn-owned land. Economic cost was not considered in this analysis; instead, emissions and space constraints were the optimized measures of value and feasibility. Sources of energy that were considered include photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, hydrokinetic systems, and fuel cells. Energy storage capacity was included in the analysis as well. The overall system was optimized first by ignoring space constraints and for a minimum of 10% reduction from the current …

Sustainable Wastewater Treatment In The American South, Caroline Miles

Master's Theses

Aging infrastructure and changing social and environmental conditions are two factors that are currently pushing wastewater treatment towards more sustainable methods. This thesis investigates what sustainable treatment technologies are being used in the American South through a focused sample of six cities across the region: Austin, Texas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The study assesses the types of sustainable treatment technology utilized at each facility, the perspectives of wastewater professionals about the technology, and the economic and environmental sustainability of each facility. Data was collected through direct observations on tours of the facilities, …

Applications Of Digital Remote Sensing To Quantify Glacier Change In Glacier And Mount Rainier National Parks, Brianna Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital remote sensing and geographic information systems were employed in performing area and volume calculations on glacial landscapes. Characteristics of glaciers from two geographic regions, the Intermountain Region (between the Rocky Mountain and Cascade Ranges) and the Pacific Northwest, were estimated for the years 1985, 2000, and 2015. Glacier National Park was studied for the Intermountain Region whereas Mount Rainier National Park was representative of the glaciers in the Pacific Northwest. Within the thirty year period of the study, the glaciers in Glacier National Park decreased in area by 27.5 percent while those on Mount Rainier only decreased by 5.7 …

Efficiency Analysis Of Harvesting Solar Energy To Perform Mechanical Work, Haden S. Bragg

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The majority of the world’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels; in fact, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) states that the U.S. used fossil fuels to generate 62.7 % of its electricity in 2019 [1]. The goal of this research was to create a system that could perform mechanical work using only renewable resources. We built a solar charging station that uses two solar panels to generate electricity and an electric bicycle whose battery can be charged using the charging station. The efficiency for the type of solar cell used in this project is well established. Therefore, in …

The Research And Analysis Of Potential Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Habitats And Gray Wolf Management In The U.S., Youhan Mei

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) is a keystone species that have significant impacts on the ecosystem where they belong. They used to have a wide range of habitat across the whole of North America. In 1960, the wolves were treated as threats to the safety of humans and livestock. They were wiped out by the government of the day and only had few populations left in Minnesota and Michigan. Today, there are identified in the “Red List) of International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered species all around the U.S. This shows the urgent need for conservation, …

The Impact Of Extreme Heat On Environmental Justice Communities In California: Assessing Equity In Climate Action Plans, Karishma S. Becha

Master's Projects and Capstones

Climate change projections suggest extreme heat events will be more frequent over the next few decades. Extreme heat has both negative environmental and social impacts as it affects energy security, public health by increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses and stresses food and crop supply through prolonged droughts. The impacts of extreme heat will also disproportionately affect communities of low economic status. Because of this, there is a need for better climate action plans that can adapt to and mitigate the impacts brought upon by extreme heat that does not disproportionately impact vulnerable communities. This research analyzed local government Climate …

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Ammonia Volatilization From Soil Amended With Excreta From Ruminants Fed Alternative Forage-Based Diets, Samuel Park

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forage-based ruminant diets supplemented with condensed tannins or polyphenolic-containing legumes may alter nitrogen (N) metabolism in the animal and reduce gas emissions from soil receiving excreta. The objective of the study was to determine if soil receiving urine or manure from sheep fed forage diets supplemented with condensed tannin or polyphenolic-containing legumes would decrease N gas emissions. Two field trials were conducted: in the first trial, sheep were fed alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage diets supplemented with 0, 9, 18, or 27% sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneate [Dumont de Courset] G. Don) (n = 4). In the second trial sheep were …

Tree Removal Analysis Of The 2018-2019 Gambles Mill Eco-Corridor Restoration, Zach Harrell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Trees have been extensively researched, and it has been concluded that they are useful not only useful tools in enhancing biofiltration, as well as managing stormwater and retaining sediment, but they also benefit the health of the ecosystem as a whole. But as the University of Richmond’s Gambles Mill Eco-corridor was restored between 2018 and 2019 in order limit to the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other sediment flowing into the Little Westham Creek; many of the trees that combat these problems were removed. The following research intends to analyze the number of trees actually removed throughout the restoration, as …

Step Pools: Examining The Flow Resistance And Stability Of Artificial Step Pools In Comparison With Their Natural Counterparts, Quinn Kirkpatrick

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This study looked at step pool stream studies, reports, and field data in five catchment areas. The areas of interest include the Rio Cordon catchment area in Italy, the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington, the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, various areas in California, the University of Richmond in Virginia, and the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado. The purpose of this study was to compare the flow resistance and stability after large flooding events of artificial and natural step pool sequences to potentially provide information to improve monitoring of newly installed step pools and the design of future step pool …

Stream Restoration As A Method Of Improving Local Water Quality, Emily George

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Projects of stream restoration are a known Best Management Practice (BMP) to approach stormwater management, and have been adopted globally as a means of improving local hydrology. Urbanization has led to an increase in impervious surfaces, resulting in deteriorated streams, many of which are subject to stream restoration. Stormwater control measures (SCM), such as stream restoration, are considered to be a subset of green infrastructure as a method to reconnect streams with surrounding riparian areas, revitalize original hydrology, and support the local ecosystems. This paper looks into the viability of stream restoration as a way of improving water quality, focusing …

Exploring Options For Mussel Restoration, Henry Hurt

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This paper seeks to explore the feasibility and possible procedures of restoring freshwater mussels to the Little Westham Creek (LWC) as a way to reduce excess organic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus coming from upstream. To this end, the use of mussels in bioremediation and restoration procedures found in scientific literature were reviewed with the goal of creating a guideline of how such a project would be carried out at the Gambles Mill Eco- Corridor. Based on the results of past literature, water data collected by students in this seminar, and data from RES, it was estimated that a …

Cost Benefit Analysis And Beyond: Stream Restoration In Richmond, Virginia, Claire Powell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This research assessed the costs and benefits of six recent stream restoration projects in Richmond, Virginia within the context of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (CB TMDL) pollutant reduction requirements. In order to meet these requirements, state and local governments promoted stream restoration as an important way to reduce Bay-wide inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The overall intention of this paper was to holistically evaluate the risks and positive impacts associated with stream restoration, with a focus on Little Westham Creek, a stream restoration project located on the University of Richmond campus. I hypothesized that …

Sediment Outflow Under Simulated Rainfall Conditions With Varying Geotechnical Properties, Pranjay Joshi, Akhilesh Kumar, P. V. Singh, Jahangeer Jahangeer

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The vulnerability of soil toward erosion might be reduced by having a good vegetative cover over the soil surface, slope improvement, and improving soil properties so that it is not easily detached and transported. However, the establishment of proper vegetative cover is a long process because it takes time for seeds to germinate and attain maturity. As an alternative approach, if soil resistance was increased by increasing the shear strength of soil against erosive forces offered by eroding agents, the soil system would become capable of withstanding the detachment of its particles on the application of shear stress. To achieve …

Updating Wcu’S Climate Action Plan: Creating A Version 2 For Our Community Of Learners, Bradley Flamm

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

No abstract provided.

Earth Observation And Cloud Computing In Support Of Two Sustainable Development Goals For The River Nile Watershed Countries, Wenzhao Li, Hesham El-Askary, Venkat Lakshmi, Thomas Piechota, Daniele Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In September 2015, the members of United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with universal applicability of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The SDGs are consequential for the development of the countries in the Nile watershed, which are affected by water scarcity and experiencing rapid urbanization associated with population growth. Earth Observation (EO) has become an important tool to monitor the progress and implementation of specific SDG targets through its wide accessibility and global coverage. In addition, the advancement of algorithms and tools deployed in cloud computing platforms provide an equal opportunity to use EO …

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis, Kayla Caldwell

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is accelerating beyond what is natural due to excessive emissions from human activities. The sea level has been rising for many years and is currently at a rate of 3.6 mm/yr. Mangroves are known to only keep pace with a sea level rate of less than 1.2 mm/yr. Mangroves are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels if they are not able to keep pace through vertical sediment accretion or inland migration. To test the vulnerability of the south Florida mangrove ecosystems to sea level rise, this study analyzed changes in the mangrove forest coverage of the Oleta River …

Ato Mode-Based Modular Platform Development Of Variable Luffing Crawler Drilling Rig Used In Underground Coal Mine, Song Haitao, Yao Ningping, Yao Yafeng, Han Jian, Peng Tao

Coal Geology & Exploration

With the continuous popularization of customized crawler rigs in coal mines, the variety and specifications of crawler rigs have been further refined, diversified and complicated, and the modular platform of variable luffing crawler rigs has been successfully developed. The four key steps in the development of modular platform were analyzed: the construction of modular platform, the rational division and development of modular components, the integration and development of modular components, the modular customization model for customers based upon the proposed ATO-based model. The application results show that the establishment of the variable luffing crawler rig modular platform shortens respond to …

Development Situation And Prospect Of Luffing Mechanism Of Drilling Rig In Underground Coal Mine, Yao Yafeng, Yao Ningping, Peng Tao

Coal Geology & Exploration

The luffing mechanism of drilling rig is used to adjust the opening parameters of the borehole, that is, azimuth angle, inclination angle, and height. According to the structural differences of different types of drilling rig and the construction characteristics of borehole in underground coal mine, this paper summarizes the adjustment requirements to opening parameters and proposes the research goal, which can rapidly and accurately adjust the parameters of the borehole and safeguard the stability of drilling construction. It is concluded that the luffing mechanism of drilling rig in underground coal mine has overall characteristics of small size, large adjustment range …

Key Technology For Rapidly Drilling Large Diameter Destressing-Drillhole In Rockburst Coal Seam, Wei Hongchao, Wang Yi, Wang Bo

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to improve the hole forming rate and construction efficiency of large diameter destressing-drillhole in rockburst mine, based on the analysis of the stress characteristics of coal rock in rockburst coal mine, the dynamic instability characteristics of destressing-drillhole and the construction features, the key points for drilling large diameter destressing-drillhole, the efficient discharge of cuttings and fast drilling/lifting were proposed. Combining with the discharge of cuttings method by dual-power, the technology and equipment for rapidly drilling large diameter destressing-drillhole in rockburst coal seam were formed finally after the design and optimization of key equipment, drilling tools, technology and drilling …

Foam Drilling Technology And Application For Broken Soft Coal Seam In Underground Coal Mine, Ji Qianhui, Dong Mengmeng, Liu Jianlin, Shi Lei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Aiming at the limitation of middle pressure air drilling for gas drainage in soft and broken coal seam, such as limited drill cutting removal capacity, and dust pollution, foam drilling technique research in underground coal mines was carried out. CFD simulation of the flow field during the drilling process was conducted to obtain the optimized drilling tool structure parameters for efficient drill cutting transportation. Optimal structural parameters of wide-blade milled auger drill rod with the number of heads 3, the groove width 26 mm, and the pitch 110 mm were determined. A foam perfusion system suitable for underground coal mining …

Development Of Small Diameter Hydraulic Agitator With Cable For Directional Drilling In Underground Coal Mine, Wang Li, Xu Baolong, Wang Yi, Huang Hanjing, Jia Mingqun, Ma Bin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Aiming at the problems of large drilling pressure, low drilling efficiency and limited hole depth caused by the backing effect of drill string during deep hole directional drilling in underground coal mine, the technical idea of using hydraulic agitator was proposed. The ø89 mm small diameter hydriculic agitator was designed based on valve principle, the exciting force, excitation frequency were identified, and the cabled sub was developed. The performance parameters of hydraulic agitator with disc spring and cylindrical spring were tested. The results show that when the flow rate of 300 L/min the disc spring hydraulic agitator has the maximum …

Distribution And Resource Prospect Of Metal Ore Spots(Deposits) In Coal Of Different Coal-Forming Ages In Northern China, Ning Shuzheng, Huang Shaoqing, Zhang Li, Huang Wenhui, Cao Daiyong, Yuan Jianjiang, Zhang Jianqiang, Zhu Shifei, Yan Deyu, Liu Kang

Coal Geology & Exploration

In some cases, metals such as germanium, gallium, lithium and rare earth elements can be enriched in coal, which is an important potential source of these metals. There are abundant coal resources in northern China, and a large number of coal-metal ore spots(deposits) have been found, and the distribution of these ore spots(deposits) shows certain temporal and spatial characteristics: Metals in Permo-Carboniferous coal occur mainly as gallium and lithium-enriched ore spots, mainly are distributed in the northern coalfields of North China coal bearing regions and mining areas such as Pingshuo and Jincheng in Shanxi Province; the metal enrichment in Early-Middle …

Discussion And Application Of Geological Evaluation Index Of Scarce Coal Injected Into Blast Furnace, Qiao Junwei, Li Zhengyue, Chen Meiying, Lyu Jun’E

Coal Geology & Exploration

Coal injected into blast furnace can reduce the use of coke, is an important technical measure to reduce the production cost and improve the economic benefit of modern blast furnace. From the influential factors of quality of coal injected into blast furnace and on the basis of evaluation of quality of high-quality coal and scarce coal, the geological evaluation indexes and the grading parameters of scarce coal injected into blast furnace were discussed. The evaluation indexes of coal quality for blast furnace are divided into process index and economic index. Process index is the key index to determine whether coal …

Solid-Liquid Migration Of Molybdenum In Stone Coal And Coal Ash In Southern Shaanxi, Zhang Weiguo, Li Huantong, Wang Feng, Yang Fu, Teng Jinxiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Molybdenum is a typical environmental sensitive element, and also a potential rare metal element. In order to find out the content characteristics of molybdenum in raw stone coal and coal ash and the migration rule between solid and liquid, stone coal and coal ash in southern Shaanxi Province were selected as the research object, and the molybdenum content in samples was analyzed by ICP-MS. To analyse the leaching rate of molybdenum from stone coal and coal ash in four different liquids, pure water, scid, alkaline and mine drainage were selected to simulate soaking experiment. The results show that the content …

Causes Of Anomaly Of Rare Earth Elements Of Seam 2 Of Yan’An Formation In The Northern Margin Of Ordos Basin And Its Geological Significance, Yang Yi, Lyu Dawei, Zhang Jianqiang, Wu Dun

Coal Geology & Exploration

The cause of rare earth elements(REE) anomalies in No.2 coal seam of the Yan’an Formation in the northern margin of the Ordos basin has been controversial. This paper takes Dahaize coal mine, Yulin area with well developed No.2 coal as an example to analyze REE, mineralogical characteristics of coal and partings, and to reveal the causes of anomaly of REE by Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(ICP-MS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM). The results show that the total rare earth element(∑REE) concentration in the coal samples ranges from 3.71 to 46.21 μg/g. Light rare earths elements(LREE, La-Eu) are more abundant than heavy …