Sustainability Commons^™

Economical And Environmental Evaluation Of Non-Residential Demand Response In The European Transition To Zero-Carbon Energy, Markus Fleshutz

Theses

To meet climate objectives, major energy consumers with local multi-energy systems (L- MESs) must transition to renewable energy sources soon. The variability of renewable energies requires increased operational flexibility for integration. In this context, demand response (DR), a strategy in which electricity consumers adjust their load profiles in response to incentives, has become crucial, offering cost-effective flexibility. It supports L-MESs in integrating renewable energy, reducing decarbonization costs, and enhancing resilience. However, quantifying the economic DR potentials for L-MESs under carbon emission constraints is complex, especially when considering investment options in distributed energy resources. This complexity hinders the rapid adoption of …

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Maize No-Till Agroecosystems In Southern Brazil Based On A Long-Term Experiment, Guilherme Rosa Da Silva, Adam J. Liska, Cimelio Bayer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Brazilian agriculture is constantly questioned concerning its environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research study used data from a 34-year field experiment to estimate the life cycle GHG emissions intensity of maize production for grain in farming systems under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) combined with Gramineae (oat) and legume (vetch) cover crops in southern Brazil. We applied the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator for modeling the “field-to-farm gate” emissions with measured annual soil N₂O and CH₄ emissions data. For net CO₂ emissions, increases in soil organic C (SOC) were applied as a proxy, …

Growing Up Sustainable? Politics Of Race And Youth In Urbanplan, Copenhagen, Max Ritts, Rebecca Rutt

Geography

This paper considers how racialized youth in Denmark negotiate sustainability amid contexts marked by intersecting forms of economic restructuring, progressive neoliberalism, white ethno-nationalism, and green urban planning. Urbanplan is a low-income, notoriously “troubled” Copenhagen neighborhood where we conducted fieldwork for 7 months (2019-2020) with fifteen male youth, aged 17-21. Using ethnography, policy reviews, and interviews with city social workers, we explore how intimate experiences of nature, group-identity, and place attachment here relate to and depart from the structural forces actively reshaping the neighborhood. Our analysis combines Cindi Katz's intersectional political economy approach with recent work on green gentrification, Critical Utopian …

Optimization Of A Low-Cost Corona Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Plasma Wastewater Treatment System Through Central Composite Design/Response Surface Methodology With Mechanistic And Efficiency Analysis, Yiting Xiao, Yang Tian, Yuanhang Zhan, Jun Zhu

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Water pollution, which is intensified by the release of hard-to-degrade pollutants, poses severe threats to ecosystems, human health, and economic development. The existing advanced oxidation processes often involve high operational costs and can potentially result in secondary pollution, highlighting the necessity for innovative and more sustainable solutions. To address these challenges, our study introduces a cost-effective and eco-friendly corona dielectric-barrier discharge for wastewater treatment. Using the central composite design/response surface methodology, a high decolorization rate of 98% of methylene blue (MB) was achieved within 10 min by optimizing parameters such as pH and voltage. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying the generation …

Rule-In-Use For Community-Based Springs Management Faces Land Use Pressures: Lesson Learned From Manggarai District, Bernadinus Steni, Hariadi Kartodihardjo, Soeryo Adiwibowo, Ruchyat Deni Djakapermana

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

The struggle for water is one of the greatest immediate risks of the climate crisis. Therefore, the institutional challenge of water management is increasingly urgent and requires a number of consensuses to succeed, including community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). A key challenge to the traditional consensus for water conservation is the increasing need for land conversion due to population growth, which in turn deflects decision-making power away from traditional institutions towards external decision-makers such as regional governments. Using Ostrom's conceptual framework of rules of use, this research examines shifting spring water management in the context of Kabupaten Manggarai. The paper …

Review Of Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto, Michael Kirby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of Sustainability, Eva Maleviti

Publications

Fundamentals of Sustainable Aviation is the frst textbook to survey the critical feld of sustainability within the aviation industry. Taking a systems thinking approach, it presents the foundational principles of sustainability and methodically applies them to diferent aviation sectors. Opening with the basics of sustainability, emphasising the Sustainable Development Goals, the book then considers the environmental, economic and social dimensions of aviation. The following chapters apply these insights to aviation design, supply chains, operations, maintenance and facilities. The fnal chapter examines the concept of resilience in sustainable aviation. Overall, the textbook shows how future sustainability can be achieved by making …

Identifying Accessibility Improvement Opportunities For Global Environmental Communication Websites, Alicia Mason, Josh Compton, Sakshi Bhati

Faculty Submissions

Digital environmental information presented with low web accessibility reduces parti-cipation in environmental advocacy and information seeking behaviors for many people with disabilities, creating a consequential digital divide. We use WEB AIM computer automated analysis of web accessibility to assess the general accessibility of online environmental communication messages. Results show 95.3% of the popular websites in our sample had indicators of potentially critical accessibility errors. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing digital environmental information accessibility shortcomings so that educational, informational and persuasive environ-mental messages can increase environmental literacy of vulnerable populations and help to bridge the digital divide.

Wmu Roundtable On Port Energy Transition And Stakeholders Engagement, Aykut Ölçer, Fabio Ballini, Alessandro Schönborn, Monica Canepa, Anas Alamoush, Peyman Ghaforian, Natalia Calderón

Marener Reports

Shipping is the backbone of international trade. With a contribution of more than 80 per cent of cargo by volume and 70 per cent by value, it is the most efficient mode of transportation. The vital cargo it transports includes medical supplies and equipment, as well as food, energy, raw materials, and manufactured goods. At the same time, shipping contributes to approximately 3 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that is expected to rise if no action is taken to reduce emissions. The 2023 International Maritime Organization Strategy on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions sets out …

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Construction Process In A Mass Timber Structure, Mahboobeh Hemmati, Tahar Messadi, Hongmei Gu

Architecture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Today, the application of green materials in the building industry is the norm rather than the exception and reflects an attempt to mitigate the sector’s environmental impacts. Mass timber is growing rapidly in the construction field because of its long span, speed of installation, lightness and toughness, carbon sequestration capabilities, renewability, fire rating, acoustic isolation, and thermal resistance. Mass timber is close to overtaking steel and concrete as the preferred material. The endeavor of this research is to quantitatively assess the ability of this green material to leverage the abatement of carbon emissions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a leading …

Three Essays On Energy Related To State Policies And Low Carbon Transitions, Pinky Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays on energy-related state policies and energy transition. Each paragraph below refers to the three abstracts for the three chapters in this dissertation, respectively.

The first essay is entitled: “Impacts of State Tax and Resource Ownership Policies on Extraction: Evidence from U.S. Natural Gas Production”. The innovation of combined use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies during the 2000s has allowed natural gas producers in the United States to extract natural gas and liquids from deep shale formations in a cost-efficient manner. This essay evaluates whether unconventional gas production responds to tax changes, and …

Mapping With The Land: Co-Developing A Cumulative Impact Monitoring And Land Stewardship Framework With Sambaa K’E First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada, Michael S. Mcphee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Across the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, Indigenous populations are striving to achieve effective environmental protection, whilst navigating complex methods, policies, and research relationships within co-management contexts. This thesis seeks to identify how differing cultural systems, environmental change, and fractured partnerships may be unified to align with the needs of the Sambaa K’e First Nation (SKFN), a remote Dehcho Dene community. Indigenous methodologies guided co-development of research questions with SKFN leadership which yielded objectives a) develop a GIS-based method to manage, organize and mobilize cultural and environmental data; b) develop a new stewardship monitoring procedure so that users can apply the …

Enhancing A Computer Model To Evaluate Rainwater Harvesting And Reuse Strategies For Landscape Irrigation Under Current And Future Climate Conditions, Siyu Li

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Urbanization and climate change have detrimental impacts on water quantity and quality. Rainwater harvesting/reuse for landscape irrigation with rain barrels/cisterns, which can assist urban hydrological/water quality restoration and provide a beneficial resource for irrigating landscape, holds significant potentials in urban areas under current and future climates. However, the impacts of rainwater harvesting/reuse strategies for landscape irrigation under a changing climate need to be comprehensively evaluated to assist decision-making. In addition, a comprehensive tool is needed to help stakeholders develop efficient strategies to harvest rainwater for landscape irrigation with rain barrels/cisterns.

To address the needs, the simulation of the sub-daily hydrological …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Critical Links And Development Trends Of Research On Active Tectonics, Yuan Daoyang, Wang Youlin, Li Shuwu, Wang Wanhe, Li Linyuan, Zou Xiaobo, Wen Yameng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Following a brief introduction of the general characteristics of active tectonics in China, this study analyzed two new features of large earthquakes with M_s ≥ 7 that have struck continental China since the beginning of the 21st century: (1) Large earthquakes occur primarily in clusters along the boundary fault zone of the Bayanhar active tectonic block—part of the Qinghai-Tibet ateau active tectonic block. (2) Reverse fault-fold earthquakes have occurred multiple times within active basins or at basin-mountain boundaries. In response to the new seismic activity features and the new demand for disaster prevention and mitigation of engineering construction and …

Critical Links And Development Trends Of Research On Active Tectonics, Yuan Daoyang, Wang Youlin, Li Shuwu, Wang Wanhe, Li Linyuan, Zou Xiaobo, Wen Yameng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Following a brief introduction of the general characteristics of active tectonics in China, this study analyzed two new features of large earthquakes with M_s ≥ 7 that have struck continental China since the beginning of the 21st century: (1) Large earthquakes occur primarily in clusters along the boundary fault zone of the Bayanhar active tectonic block—part of the Qinghai-Tibet ateau active tectonic block. (2) Reverse fault-fold earthquakes have occurred multiple times within active basins or at basin-mountain boundaries. In response to the new seismic activity features and the new demand for disaster prevention and mitigation of engineering construction and …

New Evidence For Holocene Activity Of The Northern Segment Of The Puqian-Qinglan Fault In Northern Hainan Province, Liu Huaguo, Li Feng, Jia Qichao, Wang Zhicheng, Zhang Pan, Lin Zhen, Zhang Jiehan, Shi Chunhua, Zhang Yanbo, Jia Wei, Li Changlong

Coal Geology & Exploration

The Puqian-Qinglan fault, located in northern Hainan Province, is closely related to the judgment of the seismogenic structure of the Qiongshan M7½ earthquake in 1605. To accurately determine the latest activity characteristics of this fault, this study, adopting artificial shallow seismic exploration with large-tonnage seismic sources combined with small-spacing cross-well stratigraphic correlation, investigated the sedimentary geological conditions of the Quaternary basalt cover and significantly thick marine sand layers in northern Hainan Province through exploration at Qishantou and Dongzhai villages in the Sanjiang Town, Jiangdong New Area, Haikou. Key results are as follows: (1) the Puqian-Qinglan fault dislocates multiple marker …

Activity Variations Of The Shanzuokou-Sihong Fault Within The Jiangsu Segment Of The Tancheng-Lujiang Fault Zone And Their Origins, Zhang Hao, Li Wei, Li Limei, Yan Yunxiang, Jiang Xin, Wang Jinyan, Zhao Qiguang, Gu Qinping, Xu Hangang

Coal Geology & Exploration

The Shanzuokou-Sihong fault, having undergone the entire evolutionary process of the Tancheng-Lujiang fault zone, exhibits segmentation during the latest activity epoch. Determining the location and origin of its activity segmentation will provide a significant reference for exploring the activity variations of its branch faults and their origins. This study investigated the activity of the Shanzuokou-Sihong fault using a three-dimensional approach combining field geological surveys, shallow seismic exploration, and cross-well stratigraphic correlation. The results show that the Shanzuokou-Sihong fault is a Late Pleistocene active fault on the east side of the North Maling Mountain and a Middle Pleistocene fault in Xinyi …

Activity Of The Liyang-Nandu Fault In Southern Jiangsu, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Ping, Chen Huogen, Xu Shugang, Gong Xulong, Xu Hangang, Li Limei, Feng Wenli, He Zongnan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Located in the central part of the Sunan Modernization Construction Demonstration Area—one of the areas with the densest population and urban areas and the most developed economy in China, the Liyang-Nandu fault is an important concealed fault with a nearly E-W strike in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China. This fault serves as an important regional geomorphic and neotectonic boundary. However, there is a lack of systematic research on this fault, and its latest activity era is yet to be ascertained. Using seismic exploration P-waves and S-waves and cross-well stratigraphic correlation, this study investigated the spatial distribution and Quaternary …

Theory And Application Of Setback Distance From Active Faults, Wei Leiming, Xu Xiwei, Li Feng, Cao Jun, Ren Junjie, Cheng Jia, Zhang Xianbing, Jia Qichao, Chen Guihua, Wu Xiyan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Determining setbacks from active faults is the “last 1 km” from active fault surveys to their application to seismic disaster mitigation. It is also a technique for blocking the risk sources of earthquake-induced chains of geologic hazards. Field investigations and experimental studies have demonstrated that buildings and structures can be free from catastrophic destruction caused by coseismic ruptures and offset of active faults provided they are kept at a certain finite distance from the active fault traces. Therefore, determining setbacks from active faults serves as an ultimate goal of the surveys and precise localization of active faults. Based on the …

Revealing Fine-Scale Crustal Structure And Tectonic Features In The Xiong’An New Area And Its Periphery Using Deep Seismic Reflection Profiling, Yue Hangyu, Wang Kai, Wang Xiaojiang, Zhang Baowei, Zhang Kai

Coal Geology & Exploration

As an effective method to accurately reveal the deep geological structures and tectonic features of the Earth, deep seismic reflection profiling has been increasingly applied to the exploration of the continental and oceanic crusts, as well as the upper mantle of the lithosphere, making it internationally recognized pioneer technique for deep Earth exploration. This study examined the deep seismic reflection profile spanning across the Xiong’an New Area in Hebei Province, aiming to reveal the crustal structure and tectonic features of the study area. Key findings are as follows: (1) The crust in the study area can be divided into the …

Revealing The Upper Crustal Structure In The Fujian Region Using Deep Seismic Profiling, Li Pei, Ren Congrong, Li Haiyan, Wang Shanxiong

Coal Geology & Exploration

The Fujian region, located along the southeastern margin of the Chinese continent, constitutes an active tectonic belt along the coastal area in southeast China, with complex formation and evolution histories. To understand the characteristics of upper crustal structures and basement structures in the Fujian, this study collected the Pg travel time data from four NE-trending deep seismic sounding (DSS) survey lines in the region. Employing finite-difference tomography, this study obtained the fine-scale velocity structure of the upper crust along the four profiles, revealing the lateral variations in the upper crustal velocity structure, basement structures, and shallow fault characteristics in the …

Analogue Modeling Of Love-Type Channel Waves And Their Response To Faults, Liu Qiang, Hu Jiwu, Wang Pan, Shi Xianxin, Jia Qian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Owing to its high resolution and low energy attenuation, channel wave-based seismic exploration has been widely applied in the geophysical prospecting of hidden disaster-causing factors in underground coal mines. However, its accuracy fails to meet the requirements of intelligent mine mining presently. At present, the analogue modeling of channel waves mostly focuses on Rayleigh-type channel waves using 2D models, leading to a lack of research on Love-type channel waves. To explore the propagation law of Love-type channel waves, this study investigated the waves in the 3D analogue modeling of channel waves. Firstly, the wave and particle vibration characteristics of Love-type …

Multipoint Sources-Based High-Resolution Electrical Detection Of The Water-Rich Areas Near Mining Faces Of Coal Mine Roadways, Wu Rongxin, Xu Hui

Coal Geology & Exploration

To accurately explore the spatial distribution of water-rich areas near mining faces of mine roadways, this study proposed a multipoint sources-based high-resolution electrical detection technology. A multi-channel electrode observation system was arranged behind a roadway mining face, with electrodes at a distance of 1/4 measuring lines behind the mining face as point source electrodes sequentially. Data were collected using a monopole-dipole device, with the obtained apparent resistivity considered the sounding data of multipoint sources-based electrical detection. The images of multipoint sources-based electrical sounding allow for quickly determining the presence of water-rich areas and their locations relative to the mining faces …

Application Of Integrated Geophysical Surveys In The Identification Of Hidden Fire Sources In Spontaneous Combustion Zones In Coal Seams, Ma Zijun, Yang Haiyan, Li Wenyu, Xu Yunlei, He Yunlan, Liu Zhuoming, Li Peng, Huang Jiu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Spontaneous combustion in coal seams, a factor influencing the development of many mining areas in China, can cause severe coal resource loss and environmental pollution. The positioning and distribution identification of hidden fire sources can provide an important basis for coal mine enterprises to prepare prevention and control measures. They are also a hot research topic and challenge in the field of coal fire disasters. Suitable channels for ventilation and oxygen supply are necessary for spontaneous combustion in coal seams. When the oxidative heat release rate of coals exceeds the heat dissipation rate, coal temperature will rise until the occurrence …

Chromium-Contaminated Sites: Migration Characteristics And Monitoring Using Dual-Frequency Ip Method, Wei Kaiyao, Liu Zhimin, Liang Chen, Zhang Jie, Ma Qiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Given that the migration process of chromium-contaminated sites is subjected to various uncertainties, it is difficult to investigate the migration characteristics and explore the monitoring process using experiments. Based on the basic law of groundwater flow and the migration mechanisms of pollutants, this study conducted a simulation analysis of the migration characteristics of static chromium contamination sources and the law of changes in the migration characteristics using the COMSOL software. Then, this study verified the reliability and accuracy of numerical forward simulations through physical simulation experiments on a static soil bin. Specifically, using the model of chromium contamination source migration …

Dual-Frequency Transmission Radio Wave-Based Exploration Method And Its Application, Fu Xianjie, Hu Ze'an, Wu Rongxin, Li Peng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Coal seams can act as the guided wave layers of high-frequency electromagnetic waves, and radio wave perspective technology can be used to detect geological structures within coal seams of a working face. Presently, radio wave perspective methods usually use a single frequency, leading to some problems such as improper frequency selection and limited detection accuracy in the exploration of mining faces. In response, this study developed a dual-frequency transmission radio wave-based exploration method. Based on theoretical analysis, as well as the field strength of dual-frequency perspective and attenuation coefficient, this study derived the calculation formula for the absorption factor γ …

The Application Of The Opposing Coils Transient Electromagnetic Method And Microtremor Survey Method In Shallow Karst Detection, Zhang Xueliang, Xie Tao, Zhou Wei, Gao Hui, Deng Dong, Qu Jingyi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Concealed karsts frequently lead to disasters such as ground collapse, water reservoir seepage, and tunnel water inrush. Identifying the distribution and development of karsts in advance holds great significance for guiding engineering design and construction in karst areas. Geophysical methods rank among the most effective methods for karst detection. Given the problems of karst development, limited space, and serious electromagnetic interference in the tank farms of the Longkou Port, Shandong Province, this study explored shallow karsts in these farms through the joint application of the opposing coils transient electromagnetic (OCTEM) method and the microtremor survey method. Firstly, surface scanning was …