Sustainability Commons^™

Unlv Stars Unabridged Report, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Reports (USI)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, by earning a 2011 Silver Rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Ratings System (STARS), is ahead of the curve among public universities – and improving.

STARS is a voluntary, self–reporting framework developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to help measure sustainability performance over time and among colleges and universities nationwide. The UNLV Sustainability Council oversaw STARS, which by measuring sustainability can help UNLV to reduce energy consumption and waste, improve education, attract research, and generate jobs.

A rating of Silver puts UNLV in great company – with …

Mapping Conservation Opportunity Areas For The Intertwine's Regional Conservation Strategy, Theresa Burcsu, James S. Kagan

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

As part of efforts to develop the Regional Conservation Strategy (RCS) for the greater Portland-Vancouver region, Oregon State University’s Institute for Natural Resources (INR) was asked to use spatial modeling to identify conservation opportunity areas (COAs). To complete the project, INR analysts proposed a strategy that would map high value areas using a landscape approach that is focused on relatively high spatial resolution data sets available for the whole metropolitan region. The approach creates 2 main metrics: one focused on terrestrial organisms and the other focused on aquatic and riparian organisms. These are combined to create a map of highly …

Interview With Franklin Jones, B-Line, 2011 (Audio), Franklin Jones

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Franklin Jones by Grant Russ at Portland, Oregon on May 31st, 2011.

The interview index is available for download.

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curricula., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Improving Energy Sustainability In Pound Hall, Craig Adams

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This research project deals with improving energy sustainability in Pound Hall dormitory located on the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s (UNL) city campus.  An investigation on the current energy usage of Pound Hall showed that its energy rates worsened between the years of 2009 and 2010.  These combined (electricity, steam, and water) energy rates were compared with those of the newly renovated Othmer Hall to emphasize the lack of sustainability in the older dormitory.  In order to improve Pound Hall’s energy rates, an energy benefit analysis of implementing a green roof was performed.  Having a green roof on this dormitory …

Growing The Urban Ecosystem In Detroit, Michigan, Sean Basalyga

Social Sciences

Many views of the future are seen as bleak and devoid of the life where once stood beauty and abundance. However, the Living Cities Design Competition challenges these views and calls for a vision of the future that inspires hope, biodiversity, and a healthy interaction between human and natural systems. We chose to redesign the city of Detroit, Michigan to be a living city by the year 2035. As the earth scientist on an interdisciplinary team, I acted as an ecological consultant. By developing the urban ecosystem of Detroit, a number of social, economical, and environmental problems can be solved. …

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curriculum., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Factors Influencing Post Consumer Recycling Behaviors Of The Bemidji State University Population, Kaitlin L. Boutelle

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for BSU Honors Program.

Interview With Jim Labbe, Portland Audubon Society, 2011, Jim Labbe

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jim Labbe by Tony Smith on March 11th, 2011.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Jane Pellicciotto, Allegro Design, 2011 (Audio), Jane Pellicciotto

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jane Pellicciotto by Nigel Peltier on March 7th, 2011.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Jim Middaugh, Metro, 2011 (Audio), Jim Middaugh

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jim Middaugh by Teddy Messan on February 25th, 2011.

The interview index is available for download.

Slides: Adapting To Climate Change: Lessons Learnt From The Australian Water Experience, Will Fargher

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Will Fargher, National Water Commission, Australian Government

18 slides [4 have titles only and are missing images]

University Of North Florida Communiting Preferences Survey 2011, Nicolette Chimato, Cheryl Pakidis, Radha Pyati

Campus Sustainability

This report describes the 2011 Commuting Preferences Survey (CPS) of the University of North Florida (UNF). The goal of the survey is to assess the commuting preferences of the UNF community in order to design efficient and sustainable transportation practices. The UNF CPS was written by UNF Environmental Center staff and created using the online survey tool Vovici. Invitations to participate in the survey were sent to all UNF students, faculty, and staff by Institutional Research; the final response rate was 20.52%. The survey opened on March 7, 2011 and closed on April 11, 2011. Three alternative transportation modes were …

The Myth Of Endless Accumulation: A Feminist Inquiry Into Globalization, Growth, And Social Change, Martha Freymann Miser

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This theoretical dissertation examines the concept of growth and its core assumption—that the continual accumulation of wealth is both socially wise and ecologically sustainable. The study challenges and offers alternatives to the myth of endless accumulation, suggesting new directions for leadership and social change. The central question posed in this inquiry: Can we craft a more ethical form of capitalism? To answer this question, the study examines conventional and critical globalization studies; feminist scholarship on standpoint, political economy, and power; and the Enlightenment notions of progress and modernism, drawing on a number of works, including Aristotle on the three intelligences, …

Is Leed A True Leader? Studying The Effectiveness Of Leed Certification In Encouraging Green Building, Megan M. Turner

Pomona Senior Theses

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED) is the most commonly used green building rating system in the United States, bestowing upon LEED certified buildings the prestige of being considered more sustainable than their non-certified neighbors. The public often assumes that LEED certified buildings are completely sustainable or even net-zero with regards to greenhouse gas emissions, but in actuality buildings certified under the most popular version of LEED are only required to be 15% more energy efficient than required by most state building codes – a far cry from the energy usage cuts needed to stave off global warming. …

K–12 Environmental Education Resources, Roxanne Myers Spencer

DLPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Greening Of The Information Systems Curriculum, Patricia Sendall, Li-Jen Shannon, Alan Peslak, Bruce Saulnier

Management Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is related to Green Information Technology (IT), Green Computing, and/or Sustainability (GITS) curriculum initiatives in institutions of higher education in the US and abroad. The purpose of this study is threefold; 1) to evaluate whether GITS academic programs have been initiated in higher educational organizations; 2) to analyze if GITS programs and/or courses are currently in place; and 3) to investigate the conceptual framework of GITS across campuses.

Interview With Farhad Ghafarzade, Green Drop Garage, 2010 (Audio), Farhad Ghafarzade

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Farhad Ghafarzade by Jeff Howard in SE Portland, Oregon on August 6th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Hotel Guests’ Perceptions Of Sustainable Hotel Practices In A Mexican Destination, Orie Berezan, Michelle Millar, Carola Raab

Caesars Hospitality Research Summit

Hotel selection and attributes that are important to travelers has been extensively researched using a variety of methods (Dolnicar, 2002). Dolnicar & Otter (2003) confirmed, after reviewing 21studies related to hotel attributes, cleanliness as the top priority, followed by hotel location. In total, 173 attributes were identified that were related to image, price/value, the hotel itself, and service (Lockyer, 2005). None of those attributes, however, were related to environmental attributes of a hotel. For more than a decade, the hospitality industry has been under pressure by government legislation and regulations to implement environmental strategies and thereby reduce their carbon footprint …

Interview With Steve Jones, Us Forest Service, 2010 (Audio), Steve Jones

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Steve Jones by Scott Swenson at Hood River, Oregon on May 25th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Judy Combs, Kaiser Permanente, 2010 (Audio), Judy Combs

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Judy Combs by Nazer Frias at Clackamas, Oregon on May 17th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Jeff Luebbers, Us Forest Service, 2010 (Audio), Jeff Luebbers

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jeff Luebbers by Chelsea Saurman on May 13th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Michael Burri, Us Forest Service, 2010 (Audio), Michael Burri

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Michael Burri by Jeff Pullen-Sayles at Sandy, Oregon on May 9th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

The Integration Of Biomimicry Into A Built Environment Design Process Model: An Alternative Approach Towards Hydro-Infrastructure, Timothy Lee Albertson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current methods and processes that support the planning, design and construction of a sustainable built environment include ambiguous principles (Roseland 2000), lack feedback loops (Van Bueren and Jong 2007) and lack a common language between disciplines (Brandon et al 1997). As a result of 3.8 billion years of "research and development" (evolution), nature provides a set of design blueprints that may be used to guide us to create elegant, sustainable, and innovative designs for human technologies (Benyus 1997). The field of biomimicry analyzes nature's best ideas and adapts them for human use (Benyus 1997). The built environment could benefit from …

Comparative Analysis Of Recycling Programs: A Case Study Of Three Universities, Jenny Jones

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract

The goal of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of three university recycling programs. This study looked at several aspects of the programs that included the diversion rates, per capita ratios of materials recycled and disposed, and the average net costs of waste disposal and waste diversion. The universities included in this study were the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Oregon.

To gather the information necessary for this analysis, I contacted each of the university’s recycling coordinators. To determine the average net costs of waste disposal and waste diversion …

The Impact Of Individual Decision Making On Campus Sustainability Initiatives, Aurali Ella Dade

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) have increasingly committed to become more sustainable in recent years. Despite this commitment, academic publications in the sustainability field assert that progress has been slower at IHEs than expected and that most IHEs have found sustainability initiatives difficult to implement. Comprehensive sustainability initiatives require cooperation from a broad set of constituents with diverse and sometimes conflicting goals. Creating a sustainable IHE also requires changes in both physical infrastructure and individual behavior. Any number of institutional factors can advance or limit progress towards these objectives.

Previous investigations have assessed individual case studies, compared IHEs in a …

Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey 2010 Highlights, Robert Futrell, Christie D. Batson, Barbara G. Brents, Andrea Dassopoulos, Chrissy Nicholas, Mark J. Salvaggio, Candace Griffith

Reports (USI)

UNLV sociologists conducted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey (LVMASS) to identify the socio-spatial distribution of attitudes and attributes relevant to urban sustainability in the Las Vegas Valley. The project goal is to understand how Las Vegas residents think about urban sustainability issues across three dimensions: 1) natural environment; 2) community and quality of life; 3) economy.

Clean, Green, And Not So Mean: Can Business Save The World?, Andy Spackman, Celia Ross, Christy Donaldson, Louise Feldman, Patrick Griffis, Elizabeth Stephan, Laurie Bridges, Baseema Krkoska, Tony Lin, Mark Siciliano

Library Faculty Research

No matter how you define it, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a hot topic. From community investing to business ethics to environmental sustainability and beyond, proponents of CSR view the business landscape through a lens that focuses less on profitability and more on the greater good.

“Doing well by doing good” is the business world’s new mantra. Concepts of CSR, green business, social entrepreneurship, and peace through commerce have become a focus of research and are inspiring the next generation of businesspeople. The 2010 BRASS Program gave attendees an expert’s view of certain niches within the broader realm of ethical …

Toward A Policy Framework For The Design Of Economic Information Packages, Andrew Whitmore

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The emergence of product certifications such as "organic," "fair trade" and "shade grown" has gone far to introduce non-price related product information back into the consumer decision making process thereby reducing information asymmetries and improving market outcomes. Recently, these certifications have been supplemented by the emergence of several web-based consumer decision support systems that are designed to disseminate non-price product information to consumers. Like printed product labels, these new web-based systems present the same informational cues to each consumer regardless of his or her preference for the information and they rate products with fixed weights that are not customized to …

Sustainability Booklet, Paul Andricopulos, Ned Thomas

Publications (SD)

An online booklet highlighting the responsible efforts being made by the City of Henderson to foster a sustainable community.