Environmental Studies Commons^™

The Impact Of Student Engagement Activities On Future Climate Change Adaptation: The Case Of Student Simulation Models, Bassel Mostafa Elkalaf

Future Journal of Social Science

This paper explores the critical role of student engagement in addressing the growing challenges of climate change, with a focus on the Model United Nations (MUN) as a case study. As climate-related security threats increase globally, educational platforms that prepare youth for effective leadership in climate politics are more essential than ever. MUN, a widely practiced student activity simulating global policy-making, provides a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, peace, and security. By participating in MUN simulations, students engage in debates, develop innovative solutions, and practice diplomatic skills, all while exploring the …

Case Study On Seney National Wildlife Refuge: How The Upper Peninsula Led Wildlife Conservation In The Beginning Of The Twentieth Century, Holly A. Galligan

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

The research presented in this paper will weave together the story of how the Upper Peninsula became a crucial hub for wildlife conservation in the first half of the twentieth century. Seeking to answer the question of how and why this occurred, as well as why it is distinct from the social movement of the 1960s, the research is based on public awareness, photographic research developments, and the concept of the national system for conservation. Hunting played the main role in the motivations for this movement therefore, it is also heavily discussed throughout. The previous research on this subject emerged …

Estimating Medium-Term Regional Monthly Economic Activity Reductions During The Covid-19 Pandemic Using Nighttime Light Data, Ma Flordeliza P. Del Castillo, Toshio Fujimi, Hirokazu Tatano

SOSE Affiliate: Manila Observatory

Economic impact estimates of the initial lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic showed a significant reduction in economic activities globally. However, the succeeding impacts and their spatiotemporal distribution within countries remain unknown. Studies showed that nighttime light data (NTL) has effectively revealed the spatiotemporal dimensions of the economic effects of COVID-19. Thus, this study used NTL data to determine the medium-term regional monthly economic impacts of the pandemic in the Philippines in terms of the Economic Activity Reduction (EAR) index. We generated a spatial error model, regressing pre-pandemic NTL on mean temperature, maximum rainfall, and built-up area. This model explained …

The Effects Of Wildfires On The Mental And Physical Health Of School-Age Children In North America: A Scoping Review, Sarah Oerther, Sarah Manspeaker, Alison Wix, Daniel Oerther, Carmen Marsit

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Wildfires are occurring more often and with greater intensity, leading to longer and harsher fire seasons. As a result, children are more frequently exposed to wildfire smoke, which increases their risk of mental and physical health effects. Purpose: The purpose of our scoping review is to explore the current literature on what is known about the direct and indirect impacts of wildfires on the mental and physical health of school-age children in North America (5 to 18-year-olds). Methods: A health sciences librarian-assisted literature search, with input from the research team, was performed. Results: A total of 16 studies were …

Perspectives Through The Lens Of Educators And Students: Teaching Flood Mitigation And Other Controversial Food, Energy, Water Nexus Issues In The Classroom, Sumaiya Tabassum

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Science and society are inseparably linked, shaping each other in ways that define our world, emphasizing the need to teach science for empowering students capable of taking meaningful action toward building a sustainable and just society. Developing sustainability competencies in students is an important step toward this goal, with controversial socio-scientific issues (SSIs) providing a valuable teaching context, that encourage students in analyzing interdisciplinary evidence while considering the social, economic impacts of potential solutions. However, recognizing the unique perspectives individuals bring to the classroom is prerequisite for tailoring effective, inclusive instruction, as perspectives often shape learning and classroom-engagement. This study …

Getting On Board With Incentivising Esg, Shai Ganu

Asian Management Insights

What gets rewarded gets measured and done. Shai Ganu, Managing Director and Global Leader of the Executive Compensation and Board Advisory business at WTW, discusses the increasing adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics in structuring executive compensation. He explores how incorporating ESG goals into incentive plans drives accountability and aligns leadership performance with long-term sustainability objectives.

Algorithms And Solution To The Problem Of Parametric Identification Of The Gas Composition Of The Atmosphere, Baxodir Asatullayevich Xolxodjayev, Erkin Abduraxmanovich Esanov, Bekjon Abdullayevich Kuralov

Technical science and innovation

This article discusses the problem of identifying the gas composition of the atmosphere, which has important practical significance and allows us to illustrate the advantages of the proposed regularizing solution algorithms. Every еar, human industrial activity increasingly aggravates the problem of environmental protection. Among the diverse human impacts on nature, air pollution occupies a special place. Every еar, up to 500 thousand various pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere. In this regard, the task of monitoring the composition of the atmosphere is very relevant. Numerical studies of the problem of identifying the gas composition of the atmosphere have shown higher …

Building Community Resilience To Extreme Heat: Lessons Learned From Spokane, Wa Community Conversations, Anna Reed, Brian G. Henning, Marina Cortes Espinosa, Hannah Mckinley, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Heat is the primary cause of weather-related mortality in the United States. The 2021 Northwest Heat Dome highlighted this susceptibility. In Washington State, 159 excess deaths were attributed to the 7-day period of unprecedented extreme heat between June 26th and July 2nd. This impact was felt even in some of the more acclimatized parts of the state, like Spokane County, where 19 heat-related deaths were reported. As climate change increases the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme heat events, creating and sustaining heat-resilient communities has become an urgent public health priority. On 6 June 2023, Gonzaga University, in partnership with …

Optimizing Local Access To Information On Saving The Planet!, Sami Garcia

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2024

A poster titled Optimizing Local Access to Information on Saving the Planet! for client Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

The Green Office Initiative: Managing Waste With Purpose, Allison Page, Lauren Smith, Naomi Mark

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2024

A poster titled The Green Office Initiative: Managing Waste with Purpose for client Lincoln Electric System (Katie Gutierrez and Dalton Johnson).

Battery Recycling In Nebraska, Kathryn Singh, Keegan Dunn, Emily Klinger

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2024

A poster titled Battery Recycling in Nebraska for clients Douglas County Environmental Services and Recycling Council.

Local Energy For Local Water: Urban-Rural Collaboration, Meg Brady, Clementine Ewomsan

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2024

A poster titled Local Energy for Local Water: Urban-Rural Collaboration for client James Persson.

How Did The Deer Cross The Road? Reducing Habitat Fragmentation And Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Deaths Through Connective Conservation In The South Mountain Region, Pennsylvania, Jack B. Joiner, Emily R. Kreider, Thomas H. Manning, Madison E. Rowell

Student Publications

While some deleterious effects of road networks and the vehicles that travel them– such as pollution, fossil fuel extraction, and carbon emissions– are widely recognized, their significant role in causing an estimated one million wildlife deaths per day (Shilling et al., 2021) and contributing to habitat loss and degradation, the leading causes of global biodiversity decline (Pinto et al., 2023), has garnered less attention. Connective conservation policies, such as designating wildlife corridors and constructing wildlife crossings on roadways, have been proposed as a means of mitigating these repercussions. This study proposes a connective conservation plan addressing the logistics of a …

Green Defense: Evaluating Potentials And Limitations In Transitioning Military Vehicles To Clean Energy, Aurora M. V. Bellingeri, Danielle M. Drumm, Zoe S. Koutsokostas

Student Publications

Army operations rely on fuel-intensive vehicles and aircraft, which contribute substantially to global emissions and the looming threat of global warming. This study evaluates the potential of transitioning five key U.S. Army vehicles, the M1301 ISV, HMMWV M1165, JLTV M1280, LMTV M1078, and M3A3 Bradley, from traditional diesel and JP8 powertrains to electric vehicle (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technologies. Vehicle specifications including engine power, fuel efficiency, weight, and payload were gathered for each vehicle and compared. Efficiency was estimated for EV and FCV powertrains using linear regressions with data from the AFLEET Online tool, which provided national …

Conducting Structure-From-Motion (Sfm) Modeling Of Freshwater Environments Using Unpiloted Aerial Systems (Uas): Challenges And Lessons Learned, Benjamin T. Fraser, Christine L. Bunyon, Russell G. Congalton

Faculty Publications

The pairing of Unpiloted Aerial Systems (UAS) and Structure from Motion (SfM) has provided new capabilities for modeling freshwater environments. Applications of UAS-SfM range from water quality monitoring to the mapping of aquatic vegetation. The models produced provide users with the ability to analyze features at ultra-high-resolutions and across scales not easily achieved through in situ sampling. Despite the demonstrated benefits of UAS-SfM in freshwater and other natural resource disciplines, there remain fundamental technical challenges in the modeling of environments with homogenous surfaces (e.g., water). In this research, the effectiveness of several image collection and processing approaches for the modelling …

Environmental Justice And Social Work: A Study Across Practice Settings In Three U.S. States, Lisa Reyes Mason, Sierra Roach Coye, Smitha Rao, Amy Krings, Julia Santucci

Graduate School of Social Work: Faculty Scholarship

Environmental justice is essential for improved quality of life and sustainable wellbeing. This study examines how environmental issues and related injustices are surfacing in U.S. social work practice and social work readiness to respond, and what resources social workers are most interested in. Data are from an online survey of U.S. social workers (N = 337) in Colorado, Ohio, and Tennessee. Participants answered questions about their social work background, current job, environmental issues in practice, resources, and demographics. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. For nine issues, at least 30% of participants reported these as surfacing sometimes or often, with …

Reactive Dye Wash-Off Processing Of Cotton Fabrics Using Polymer Dye Transfer Inhibitors For Sustainable Dyeing, Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Tuba Toprak-Cavdur, Safiqul Islam, Fatema Tarannum, Keisha Walters

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cotton fiber consumption is higher than any other natural fiber due to its superior mechanical and physical properties. In the conventional reactive dyeing process, the dye undergoes hydrolysis due to hydrogen bonding and weak Van der Waals forces, yielding poor washing color fastness. Additionally, the post-dyeing wash-off process consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and time in order to remove the unreacted and hydrolyzed dye. Therefore, reactive dyes are predominantly utilized to color cotton fabrics as the covalent bond formed between dye and fiber results in excellent washing fastness for a wide range of colors, and improved ease of use. …

Beyond Environmental Harm: Industry Claims, Lived Experiences, And The Impacts Of Gas Extraction, Martina Angela Caretta, Melissa Haeffner, Ryan Emanuel, Racheal Hood, Julia Seydel

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The peer-reviewed literature presents overwhelming evidence that fossil fuel based energy infrastructure projects are responsible for lower residential property values, environmental destruction and pollution that decrease residents' quality of life. These projects also challenge local people's sense of identity and even the threat of such a project can make residents question their sense of place. As evidence, we first present a bibliographic analysis of the environmental impact statements for the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia and the Jordan Cove Energy Project in Oregon. We find that their approval processes relies on non-peer-reviewed, industry-funded claims that pipelines will bring economic …

Reclaiming Healing Spaces: A Phenomenological Study On The Transformative Power Of Outdoor Therapy From The Lived Experiences Of Black Clinicians Working With Black Clients, Lynn Murphy

Dissertations

This phenomenological study involved assessing the experiences of Black therapists who engaged Black clients in outdoor therapeutic contexts. The study was founded on the existing literature that shows the quality of the therapeutic relationship is pivotal for client retention and the Western standards that have historically favored treatment within indoor environments. To contextualize this research, a comprehensive literature review was commenced, covering topics such as the decolonization of therapy, the historical and present-day relationship between Blacks and the outdoors in the United States, sedentary lifestyles, the psychological benefits of time spent in nature, various types of outdoor therapy, and the …

Understanding Associations Between Disasters And Sustainability, Resilience, And Poverty: An Empirical Study Of The Last Two Decades, Dean Kyne, Dominic Kyei

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study investigates the impact of disasters on sustainability, resilience, and poverty, using data from the “Sustainable Development Report” and the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) from 2000 to 2023. Regression models assessed the effects of disasters, deaths, injuries, affected individuals, and economic damage on normalized values of the dependent variables with lag periods of one, two, and three years of independent variables. The results reveal that disasters consistently negatively impact sustainability and resilience, highlighting the need for robust disaster risk reduction strategies and resilient infrastructure. Higher mortality rates significantly hindered development, emphasizing the importance of improving early warning systems, emergency …

Application Of Participatory Process Mapping To Evaluate Environmental Decision-Making And Implementation, Karissa Courtney, Emily Rabung, Jennifer Brousseau, Antony S. Cheng, A. Paige Fischer, Harrison Fried, Matthew Hamilton, Federico Holm, Jordan Inskeep, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental governance outcomes hinge on the design and implementation of management decisions. Yet, available research methodologies can be limited in their ability to capture the complexity of decision-making and implementation processes and in turn predict and explain environmental governance outcomes. We present participatory process mapping as a method for examining the pathways that emerge and evolve over time that result in natural resource management decisions and on-the-ground outcomes, as perceived by participants in collaborative processes. The approach leverages a large-N comparative design, participatory diagraming within semi-structured interviews, and mental modeling toward a method that can fit into both quantitative and …

Key Largo Mangrove Population Monitoring: A Remote Sensing Analysis And Classification Methodology Review, David Lackajs

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Mangrove forests are some of the world's most bio-diverse habitats, providing essential services to the surrounding coasts. Removal of these habitats has a devastating impact on the ecosystems within them. The Florida Keys are some of the last areas in the United States with extensive mangrove populations. One specific area, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, has been under state protection since 1959. For that reason, mangrove forest habitats there are less fragmented. This study uses remotely sensed imagery to quantify and analyze mangrove populations in this area using two methods: sub-pixel analysis and supervised classification. The …

Impact Of Shale Oil And Gas Exploration In The Permian Basin: Public Finances, House Prices, Migration, And Household Income, Bamadou Ouattara

Economics ETDs

This dissertation examines the impacts of shale oil and gas exploration in the Permian Basin, focusing on housing, socio-demographics, petroleum exploration, and environmental effects. It addresses three key research areas: New Mexico's public finances, inter-county migration and household income, and the influence on house prices.

The introductory chapter reviews the boomtown impact model and advocates for its adaptation to current social, economic, and financial landscapes. The second chapter analyzes New Mexico's public finances from 2010-2021, emphasizing oil and gas tax revenues and the need for financial prudence due to industry volatility.

The third chapter uses causal effect techniques to assess …

Groundwater Modeling Of The Ogallala Aquifer: Use Of Machine Learning For Model Parameterization And Sustainability Assessment, Tewodros Aboret Tilahun

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Addressing groundwater depletion problems in heterogeneous aquifer systems is a challenge. The heterogeneous Ogallala Aquifer, a critical source of groundwater in the central United States, has undergone decades of decline in water levels due to pumping. This project aims to build a robust groundwater model to evaluate optimal scenarios for sustainable use of the groundwater resource within a section of the Ogallala aquifer located in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD). This study follows a comprehensive approach involving parameterization, construction, and optimization. The model is parametrized using hydraulic conductivity and recharge values obtained from a random forest-based machine learning …

Solar Photovoltaics As Climate Change Adaptations For Farmers In West Bengal, India: Barriers Within A Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach, Emily Rochford

Capstone Collection

This capstone research project seeks to identify and address barriers to the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) as an adaptation method to climate change for farmers in West Bengal, India. These barriers are examined within the context of the food-water-energy nexus, particularly concerning the ability of many small holder farmers to produce their own food and sustain their livelihoods. Previous studies have examined both energy access and renewable energy development in West Bengal, and also the food-water-energy nexus in its application to climate change. However, there is minimal literature on how renewable energy development should be applied within the nexus …

Beat The Heat: Community Perspectives Around Extreme Heat In Spokane, Wa, Post-2021 Northwest Heat Dome, Jason J. Lau, Brian G. Henning, Kate Tokareva, Kaitlan Ducken, Faisal S. Malik, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Extreme heat events are the leading weather-related causes of death in the United States. Despite heat familiarity in eastern Washington, at least 19 heat-related deaths occurred in Spokane County during the 2021 “heat dome” in the Northwest. To assess heat concerns among vulnerable groups and identify cooling access barriers, surveys were conducted with Spokane County residents from July to November 2022. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression characterized perceptions of heat, access to home cooling, and interest in public cooling for vulnerable populations. A total of 1477 adults completed the survey. Demographics were comparable to the Spokane County US Census: …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

How Can Event Attribution Science Underpin Financial Decisions On Loss And Damage?, Dim Coumou, Paola A. Arias, Ana Bastos, Charlotte Kendra Z. Gotangco Gonzales, Gabriele C. Hegerl, Pandora Hope, Christopher Jack, Friederike Otto, Fahad Saeed, Olivia Serdeczny, Theodore G. Shepherd, Robert Vautard

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

With climate extremes hitting nations across the globe, disproportionately burdening vulnerable developing countries, the prompt operation of the Loss and Damage fund is of paramount importance. As decisions on resource disbursement at the international level, and investment strategies at the national level, loom, the climate science community’s role in providing fair and effective evidence is crucial. Attribution science can provide useful information for decision makers, but both ethical implications and deep uncertainty cannot be ignored. Considering these aspects, we articulate a vision that integrates established attribution methods and multiple lines of evidence within a coherent logical framework.

Lca Operational Carbon Reduction Based On Energy Strategies Analysis In A Mass Timber Building, Moein Hemmati, Tahar Messadi, Hongmei Gu, Mahboobeh Hemmati

Architecture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Buildings play a significant role in the rise of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Building operations are responsible for 28% of the world’s carbon emissions. It is crucial, therefore, to evaluate the environmental impact of various buildings’ operational phase in order to implement sustainable strategies for the mitigation of their energy usage and associated carbon footprint. While numerous studies have been conducted to determine the carbon footprint of conventional building operation phases, there are still a lack of actual data on the operational carbon (OC) emissions of mass timber buildings. There is also a lack of research pertaining to the …

Sustainability Measures Of The Apparel Industry: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Apparel Corporations’ Sustainability Efforts, Lance Cheramie, Mahendran Balasubramanian

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is a paramount challenge of our era, with profound implications for various sectors, including the apparel industry, known for its extensive environmental footprint throughout the entire clothing lifecycle. This study assesses the industry’s carbon emission trends using six years of data (2017–2022) focusing on Scope 1 and Scope 2. Employing a one-way repeated measures ANOVA, this study evaluates the impact of sustainability strategies on emissions. The results indicate a notable decrease in Scope 2 and overall carbon emissions, while Scope 1 emissions remain relatively unchanged despite a downward trend. These findings underscore the success of current sustainability measures …