Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1, 2010 To December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database decreased by 1.17% over the last quarter. The database now contains 6,534 records.
• Results show an average of 836 visits per month, with an average of 2,081 pages viewed per month.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported nineteen volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 1,225 volunteers whom contributed 6,921 hours of service.
• Volunteer fall training has been completed with 61 volunteers attending 3 trainings.
• Fall training has been completed.
• Spring training scheduling is underway.
• Volunteer Orientation Training Automation is scheduled to be completed in February.
• One hundred and thirty-four people …

Model-Based Analysis Of Electric Drive Options For Medium-Duty Parcel Delivery Vehicles, Robb A. Barnitt, Aaron D. Brooker, Laurie Ramroth

Publications (T)

Medium-duty vehicles are used in a broad array of fleet applications, including parcel delivery. These vehicles are excellent candidates for electric drive applications due to their transient-intensive duty cycles, operation in densely populated areas, and relatively high fuel consumption and emissions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a robust assessment of parcel delivery routes and completed a model-based techno-economic analysis of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configurations. First, NREL characterized parcel delivery vehicle usage patterns, most notably daily distance driven and drive-cycle intensity. Second, drive-cycle analysis results framed the selection of drive cycles used …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2010, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

Design Standards Within Constructed Wetlands For The Reduction Of Mosquito Populations In Clark County, Nevada, Phillip C. Bondurant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Wetlands are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many benefits to the environment. However, the slow moving and sometimes stagnant water created by the vegetation in the wetland creates an ideal environment for the proliferation of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the most important insect disease vector worldwide. The presence of mosquitoes within wetlands increases the risk of disease transmission among workers and visitors creating a public health concern. Effective design standards aimed at reducing mosquito breeding habitat should be implemented during the construction and planning phase of wetland development to effectively reduce the mosquito populations. …

Dynamic Indexing, Viswada Sripathi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we report on index constructions for large document collections to facilitate the task of search and retrieval. We first report on classical static index construction methods and their shortcomings. We then report on dynamic index construction techniques and their effectiveness.

Developing A Library Value Indicator For A Disciplinary Population, Jeanne M. Brown

Library Faculty Presentations

Population
- Landscape architecture studio of ten 5th year students
- Use of physical library ranges from 1- 30 times/month
- Use of virtual library ranges from 2-30x/month
- Compared to others in School of Architecture use is moderate
- They self-rate as average or above average on library skills, compared to their peers

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 5, 2010 – January 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District continued curriculum development.
• The team was selected to serve on the litter and recycling work group for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of 12 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 5, 2010 – October 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The street team portion of the media campaign was completed.
• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District continued curriculum development.
• The team was selected to serve on the litter and recycling work group for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of five clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Unlv Magazine, Tony Allen, Shane Bevell, Donna Mcaleer, Ched Whitney, Cate Weeks

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2010 To September 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 0.05% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,669 records.
• Results show an average of 1,060 visits per month, and with an average of 2,597 pages viewed per month.
• Five National Public Lands Day events have been completed.
• The Interagency Volunteer Standard Operations Manual has been updated and revised.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported six volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 630 volunteers whom contributed 3,686 hours of service.
• Preparations for the volunteer recognition banquet continued.

Green Power Marketing In The United States: A Status Report (2009 Data), Lori Bird, Jenny Sumner

Publications (E)

This report documents green power marketing activities and trends in the United States. Aggregate green power sales data for all voluntary purchase markets across the United States are presented for 2009. The data presented in this report are based primarily on figures provided to NREL by utilities and independent renewable energy marketers. Because data cannot be obtained from all market participants, the estimates presented here likely represent an underestimate of the market size. Key trends identified in this year’s report include:
• In 2009, total retail sales of renewable energy in voluntary markets exceeded 30 million MWh, an increase of …

Compressed Natural Gas (Cng) Transit Bus Experience Survey: April 2009—April 2010, R. Adams, D. B. Horne

Publications (T)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) commissioned this survey to collect and analyze experiential data from U.S. transit agencies with varying degrees of compressed natural gas (CNG) bus and station experience. This information helps DOE and NREL determine areas of CNG transit bus success and priority areas for which further technical or other assistance might be required to enable success.

Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) staff and subcontractors developed a battery of questions and identified 10 transit agencies to represent all U.S. transit agencies that use CNG buses, accounting for the diversity in …

Nshe And Nirec: Strengthening Ties To Increase Impact, Li Han Chan

Nevada Renewable Energy Consortium Meeting

The second annual Nevada Renewable Energy Consortium meeting took place at UNLV on August 20. The meeting focused on the current three NVREC program areas: Solar, Biomass and Geothermal. Presentations were made by participating entities and a poster session followed.

Cloud Storage And Online Bin Packing, Swathi Venigella

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cloud storage is the service provided by some corporations (such as Mozy and Carbonite) to store and backup computer files. We study the problem of allocating memory of servers in a data center based on online requests for storage. Over-the-net data backup has become increasingly easy and cheap due to cloud storage. Given an online sequence of storage requests and a cost associated with serving the request by allocating space on a certain server one seeks to select the minimum number of servers as to minimize total cost. We use two different algorithms and propose a third algorithm; we show …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 5, 2010 – July 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• With Board approval, the next phase of the Don’t Trash Nevada marketing campaign began.
• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District began curriculum development.
• The team participated in the strategic planning process for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team met with the Education Director of Keep America Beautiful to begin the process of developing a statewide program.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of 15 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

The Suzuki Diaries: Sustainability In Action, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Publications

Given the number of gloom and doom environmental films flooding the market, the more optimistic approach of The Suzuki Diaries: Sustainability in Action is refreshing. David Suzuki, geneticist, environmentalist, author and broadcaster, takes his daughter, Sarika, around Europe to investigate some of the more proactive approaches various countries have take that lessen their impact on the environment. Suzuki is quick to note that many of these projects were not done to help the environment, per se, but done for practical, economic and quality of life reasons.

Perception Of Ecological Risk To Water Environments And How It Affects Water Consumption And Water Resource Management In Southern Nevada, Tanju Kiriscioglu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Climate is harsh in southern Nevada where there is (and has been) a drought alert in effect for over a decade now (Kerr, 2007; Southern Nevada Water Authority, 2009). Las Vegas Valley is a major center of population in the region (1.9 million people), receiving only 4.5 inches of average annual precipitation yet in need of securing more water resources in the near future (SNWA, 2009). Water resource management in southern Nevada is a challenge, especially when 90% of the area’s water needs are met by a single source, the Colorado River, the flow rates of which have been in …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 the Volgistics database has increased the number of records from 6,226 to a total of 6,536 records at the end of this period.
• Website activity this year averaged 109,216 hits per month, with an average of 10,443 pages viewed per month.
• The team attended 14 community outreach events resulting in 2,588 direct contacts and 300 new mailing list records.
• The Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP) completed a total of 67 volunteer events contributing a total of 15,195 volunteer hours.
• A total of 131 volunteers completed orientations and trainings with the IVP.
• A total …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 6% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,250 records.
• A new tracking method was implemented to provide a more comprehensive analysis of website activity. Results show an average of 1397 visits per month, and with an average of 3,400 pages viewed per month.
• Spring volunteer training has been completed.
• Initial planning for Fall events has begun.
• Preparations and initial planning for the 2,010 volunteer recognition banquet began.
• The Interagency Volunteer Standard Operations Manual has been updated and revised.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported 17 volunteer events in a variety …

Photovoltaics (Pv) As An Eligible Measure In Residential Pace Programs: Benefits And Challenges, Jason Coughlin

Publications (E)

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is one of several new financial models broadening access to clean energy by addressing the barrier of initial capital cost. The majority of the PACE programs in the market today include PV as an eligible measure. PV appeals to homeowners as a way to reduce utility bills, self-generate sustainable power, increase energy independence and demonstrate a commitment to the environment. If substantial state incentives for PV exist, PV projects can be economic under PACE, especially when partnered with good net metering policies. At the same time, PV is expensive relative to other eligible measures …

Examination Of The Regional Supply And Demand Balance For Renewable Electricity In The United States Through 2015: Projecting From 2009 Through 2015 (Revised), Lori Bird, David Hurlbut, Pearl Donohoo, Karlynn Cory, Claire Kreycik

Publications (E)

This report examines the balance between the demand and supply of new renewable electricity in the United States on a regional basis through 2015. It expands on a 2007 NREL study (Swezey et al. 2007) that assessed the supply and demand balance on a national basis. As with the earlier study, this analysis relies on estimates of renewable energy supplies compared to demand for renewable energy generation needed to meet existing state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies in 28 states, as well as demand by consumers who voluntarily purchase renewable energy. However, it does not address demand by utilities that …

Voluntary Green Power Market Forecast Through 2015, Lori Bird, Ed Holt, Jenny Sumner, Claire Kreycik

Publications (E)

Voluntary markets for renewable energy in which consumers purchase renewable energy from their electricity providers or from renewable energy certificate (REC) marketers have existed for more than a decade. Going forward, various factors will influence the development of these markets, including potential climate policies, state and federal renewable portfolio standards (RPS), renewable energy prices, the level of consumer interest in purchasing green power, and the interest on the part of utilities in offering new green options and in continuing to promote existing programs.

This report presents estimates of voluntary market demand for renewable energy or green power through 2015. The …

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 …

Transforming Space Into Place: Development, Rock Climbing, And Interpretation In Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 1960-2010, Megan Sharp Weatherly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though Americans tend to view wilderness as separate from nature, environmental historians have argued that wilderness is a cultural construct more than a quantifiable geographic category. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), a 195,000-acre tract located west of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one such cultural construction. Since 1960, this BLM-managed parcel has served as a local and regional expression of broader, national trends in outdoor recreation, interpretation, and development and thereby forced visitors to engage (often unknowingly) in a cultural dialogue about consumerism, technology, and identity. With information from newspapers, archival collections, oral histories, and government documents, this thesis …

Earthy Bride, Melissa S. Foerster

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are nearly 2.5 million couples getting married in the United States each year (Harrison, 2008, pg. xi). That breaks down to more than 6,300 weddings in a single day. The average wedding in the United States “produces 63 tones of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash” and therefore, newlyweds are creating over 3,500,000 pounds of trash in a single at their weddings (Harrison, 2009, ¶ 2)! The green movement is on the rise and wedding industry needs to implement it to meet new demands. In order to do people need to be informed of the importance, benefits and savings …

Adaptive Management Of Complex Environmental Problems – Comparison Of National Nuclear Waste Management Policies, Carmel Letourneau

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many of today's challenging environmental problems, to the point of manifesting themselves on a scale that has global, political consequences, likely result from long-term evolutionary developmental processes. The degree to which humans can manage the evolution of these problems remains an open question. Faced with such challenges, since the mid 1980s, an increasing number of scholars have developed other forms of management, in particular, adaptive management. Scholars suggest that improving the performance of adaptive management requires that environmental problems be understood as 'complex', open, evolving systems of interacting social and environmental subsystems. To date, narrative has been the primary approach …

Fire On The Mountain: Growth And Conflict In Colorado Ski Country, Michael W. Childers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines the environmental, economic, and cultural conflicts over the private development of ski resorts in Colorado's National Forests between 1910 and 2000. Downhill skiing emerged as an increasingly popular winter activity during the first half of the twentieth century, particularly in western state such as Colorado. A part of the a larger outdoor recreational boom throughout the United States' during the interwar years, downhill skiing challenged the Forest Service's ability to meeting the public's growing appetite for year-round recreational opportunities. These challenges increased following World War II as the nation's growing population and affluence drew millions to their …

A Comparative Study On Text Categorization, Aditya Chainulu Karamcheti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Automated text categorization is a supervised learning task, defined as assigning category labels to new documents based on likelihood suggested by a training set of labeled documents. Two examples of methodology for text categorizations are Naive Bayes and K-Nearest Neighbor.

In this thesis, we implement two categorization engines based on Naive Bayes and K-Nearest Neighbor methodology. We then compare the effectiveness of these two engines by calculating standard precision and recall for a collection of documents. We will further report on time efficiency of these two engines.

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2010, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Each student in his or her senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. The senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real-world solution to an engineering challenge.

A highlight of the year-long senior design project is the senior design competition. This competition, which usually takes place the week before finals each semester, helps focus the senior students on increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects.

Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on innovation, commercial …

Youth Initiative Hector’S Helpers: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering February 11, 2010 – April 15, 2011, Hector's Helpers

Anti-littering Programs

The third quarter has progressed with the Hector’s Helpers program. We took action with hands-on classroom activities and lead three clean-up field trips. Students learned how to protect public lands in Southern Nevada through our anti-litter and desert dumping initiative. West Career Technical Academy students completed various GIS projects and finished the Adopt-A-Block Handbook. The Hector’s Helpers staff also submitted a formal proposal to study pre- and post-program surveys of students participating in the Hector's Helpers program.