Environmental Studies Commons^™

Electric Utility Performance In The Mountain West, Hira Ahmed, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet examines select data from the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) report, “Electric Utility Performance: A State-By-State Review,” which provides information on the affordability, reliability, and environmental responsibility of electric utility energy consumption. The original report provides a comprehensive state-by-state profile of utility performance in the United States. These data were originally reported by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy. This federal entity is responsible for the aggregation and dissemination of information about the American energy industry. This fact sheet highlights energy sources, affordability, reliability, and environmental impact of energy consumption in the Mountain …

Towards Meaningful Research And Engagement: Indigenous Knowledge Systems And Great Lakes Governance, Deborah Mcgregor, Nicole Latulippe, Rod Whitlow, Kristi Leora Gansworth, Lorrilee Mcgregor, Stephanie Allen

Articles & Book Chapters

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples governed their relations in the Great Lakes region, guided by distinct political, legal, governance, and knowledge systems. Despite historic and ongoing exclusion of Indigenous peoples from Great Lakes governance in the Canadian context and other assaults on Indigenous sovereignty, authority, jurisdiction and responsibilities, Indigenous peoples have maintained their relationships with the Great Lakes. In recent years, Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) have made inroads in Great Lakes governance, thanks primarily to First Nation political advocacy. However, it remains a challenge to include Indigenous knowledge and implement approaches that bridge Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. …

Recycling In The Mountain West, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet synthesizes data on rates of recycling from the March 2021 report "50 States of Recycling," sponsored by the Ball Corporation.The information presented in this document focuses on the effectiveness of recycling in total and by recyclable item, as well as the quantity of product recycled specifically within the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Climate Change And Environmental Justice, Clement Loo

Environmental Studies Publications

This chapter provides a broad overview of the relationship between climate change and environmental justice. It provides (1) a brief review of the concept of environmental justice, (2) discussion about how environmental justice applies to climate change, and (3) several examples of how environmental justice has been integrated into climate governance.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (Ioos): A Prototype User Valuation, Charles S. Colgan, Castelletto Anthony

Publications

The Integrated Ocean Observing System of the United States provides a large variety of oceanographic and related data at no charge through 11 Regional Associations. Since the data is distributed without price it is difficult to determine the economic value of the data. That value is useful in explaining and justifying the investment in ocean observing. This study applies discrete choice modeling to determine valuation of the data for users of data through the RA websites. The study found annual values of $190 to $220 million, and these estimates are considered highly conservative. A guide for replication of the valuation …

Environment And Sustainability: March 2023, Environment And Sustainability, Office Of The President

Environment and Sustainability Archives

• Green tips campaign

• Green Events Guide

• Supplier workshop for climate action

• New solar panels in Karachi and Kampala

• Organic vegetables supplied to NFSD, Stadium Road

• And much more…

Collaboration Between Science And Art Through A Special International Symposium For Ecosystem Health And Sustainability, Changwoo Ahn Dr.

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

The collaborations between ecosystem restoration and art practices was epitomized by the eco-artist Jackie Brookner who said: “it is not a matter of the scientists providing the hard-core research and artists the soft outreach; rather, the dynamics engendered in the space between disciplines is full of information necessary to solve complex problems at the systemic level”. This paper reviews and summaries the goals, activities, and lessons learned from a special symposium, which was held at the 12^th INTECOL (International Congress of Ecology) conference in Beijing, China, August 21 through 25, 2017, where about 3000 people attended from 70 countries. …

Environmental Activism: Pro-Environmental Behavior, Consumerism, And Environmental Justice, Kaden Uribe, April Chapman-Ludwig

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This literature review examines established research on the concept of pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) and its subsects: activism and consumerism. There are competing opinions regarding the salience of pro-environmental activist behavior. This dichotomy is characterized by the role of social media, which can be simultaneously used for performative identity signaling and as a platform to facilitate global collective activism. The research shows a stark contrast between pro-environmental activism and pro-environmental consumerism, with the former acknowledging historical injustices and addressing the social, economic, and environmental disparities created by neo-liberal policies designed with the purpose of profit extraction at the expense of marginalized …

Assessing Ecosystem Health Through Contaminants In The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Nancy Torres

Theses

Although the Tijuana River Estuary (TRE) remains the largest, most-intact coastal wetland in Southern California, it has a history of major changes, much of this related to its location immediately north of the US / Mexico Border. One of the primary challenges is cross-border flows from the rapidly growing city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, and the delivery of wastewater, debris, and sediment to sensitive coastal wetland ecosystems. There is a need to more fully investigate these environmental changes to assess the ecosystem health of the Tijuana River Estuary over time, especially related to pollution impacts. This can inform an …

Developing Ecological Security Pattern For Coastal Wetlands Based On “Three-Line Integration” Spatial Strategy, Xiaowen Li, Liehui Zhi, Tiantian Ma, Zengli Liu, Baoshan Cui, Dongdong Shao, Yu Cao, Yonglin Mu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Coastal wetlands function as key socioeconomic resources as well as ecological barriers for sustainable development in coastal regions. Although previous research and practices indicate that restoration of degraded wetlands needs combination with intact natural wetlands to achieve best integrated ecosystem services, this kind of integration is still lacking both in research and practice. In the past decades, increased land reclamation coupling with climate change (e.g. sea level rise) have led considerable coastal squeeze effects and intensified degradation and loss in coastal wetlands along Chinese coastline, restoration of damaged coastal wetlands is therefore urgently needed to enhance the overall ecological functions …

Queer Ecologies: A Final Syllabus/Zine Product Of Our Independent Study, Yeh Seo Jung, Ray Craig

Crossings: Swarthmore Undergraduate Feminist Research Journal

This zine is the product of our independent study course Queer Ecologies, which is an exploration of bio-social systems using a queer and feminist theoretical lens. We aim to look critically at knowledge formation and construct alternative visions for more just and sustainable relationships between science, nature, and ourselves. While queer theory most directly interrogates the normative structure of heterosexuality both in humans and in biology more broadly, these studies include analyses of hierarchy, power, and value. Queer Ecology can be used to examine phenomena such as climate change, extinction, pollution, species hierarchies, agricultural practices, resource extraction, and human population …

Research@Smu: Sustainable Living, Singapore Management University

Research Collection Office of Research

Sustainable Living is one of the three key priorities of the SMU 2025 Strategy, and the University is committed to develop it into an area of cross-disciplinary strength. The articles in this booklet highlight impactful sustainability research accomplishments at SMU, which spans five broad pillars: Sustainable Business Operations; Sustainable Finance and Impact Assessment; Sustainable Ageing and Wellness; Sustainable Urban Infrastructure; and Sustainable Agro-business and Food Consumption.

Contents:

Sustainable Business Operations

• Managing the Load on Loading Bays
• Going the Last-mile
• Feeding a Growing World
• Pooling the Benefits of Sharing a Ride

Sustainable Finance and Impact Assessment

• When Going Green Becomes a …

My Encounters With Paradise: The Evolution Of Natural Beauty And Luminist Aesthetics In Central Florida, Jeremy Laplanche

Honors Program Theses

Historically, the marshes and swamps of Central Florida have been depicted as a paradise in artwork by naturalists such as William Bartram and Luminist landscape painters like Martin Johnson Heade. Today, the image of Florida’s tourism centers around theme parks and beaches. However, state parks in Central Florida preserve and restore unique ecosystems. This thesis analyzes the effectiveness of Wekiwa Springs State Park and Blue Spring State Park’s management practices for maintaining the Luminist and naturalist aesthetics. Previous research has identified the role of landscape paintings, particularly from the Hudson River School and the American West, in establishing America’s appreciation …

Polytech To Polytek: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Science, And The Future Forward Polytechnic University, Cutcha Risling Baldy, Kaitlin P. Reed, Kayla Begay

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

It is clear from Cal Poly Humboldt’s Polytechnic Prospectus that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous communities are key parts of what elevates Humboldt’s development of a polytechnic university for the next century. The prospectus demonstrates Humboldt's proposed framework for a different comprehensive polytechnic "will also be informed by Indigenous communities and ways of knowing, as many Native peoples have lived sustainably in their places since time immemorial” (19). There are many considerations when engaging with TEK, especially around sustainable use. It is also important that engagement with TEK and Indigenous science not only center knowledge sharing, but also how …

Preface : Fruit And Vegetable Waste Utilization And Sustainability, Sachin A. Mandavgane, Ipsita Chakravarty, Amit Jaiswal

Books/Book Chapters

Fruits and vegetables are an important source of nutrition and a key element of a healthy balanced diet. Several organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), and Food Health England suggest consuming more than 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day (roughly five portions per day) to improve overall health and reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer; subsequently, consumption and production of fruits and vegetables are on the rise. The increased consumption/production of fruits and vegetables has resulted in huge quantities of waste (approximately 42% of the …

Assessment Of Microplastics In The Surface Water Of Sitio Pulo, Navotas, Metro Manila, Mark Lester C. Galicia, Carl Luis P. Flestado, Jeff Ryan S. Magalong, Ronald Benz L. Rivera, Kim M. Villacorte, William Peter G. Sarmiento, Chester C. Deocaris

Applied Environmental Research

Microplastics are synthetic polymer particles with a length of 5 mm or less with no well-defined lower boundary. These debris particles are known to affect marine and aquatic organisms which poses a threat to biodiversity and marine resources. In this study, the isolated microplastic from the coastal and lagoon surface waters of Sitio Pulo is described. Sitio Pulo is a barrier island mangrove sanctuary located at Brgy. Tanza I, Navotas City surrounded by Manila Bay. The samples collected last July 4 and 25, 2019, were isolated, profiled, and analyzed. A total of four hundred forty-nine (449) microplastic fragments were isolated …

An Urban Tree (Tabebuia Argentea) Exhibits Higher Sensitivity To Environmental Conditions Than An Urban Palm (Ptychosperma Macarthurii) Growing In The Same Roof Garden: An Implication For Sustainable Urban Water Use, Ratchanon Ampornpitak, Prangwilai Khobpee, Weerapong Unawong, Nisa Leksungnoen, Pantana Tor-Ngern

Applied Environmental Research

Roof gardening is popular for increasing green space in cities due to the restricted urban areas. However, when watering plants on a roof garden, one should consider loading capacity of the roof, which may limit water supply to the plants therein. To improve the efficiency in irrigating trees in a roof garden, we evaluated plant water status, represented by midday leaf water potential (ΨL), and leaf gas exchange parameters including stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis (An) of a tree (Tabebuia argentea, Ta) and a palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii, Pm) species, which dominate the garden. …

Impact Of Covid-19 Nationwide Lockdowns And Unlock Phases In India On River Water Quality Of Upper Part Of The Ganga River, Dhara Kakwani, Abha Kumari, Kumar Suranjit Prasad, Bablu Prasad

Applied Environmental Research

The river water quality index (RWQI) of the upper Ganga canal has been computed to assess the effect of lockdown and unlock phases lead down by COVID-19 in India. Geospatial distribution of RWQI from January 2019 to December 2021 in the study area revealed significant impacts of lockdown on water quality. However, unlock phases (post lockdown) have deteriorated water quality since August 2020 and reached to actual conditions of the river by August 2021. To evaluate the lockdown as a management strategy to clean the river, other factors were reviewed including rainfall data, migration, and other activities. The results revealed …

The Combination Of Activated Sludge And A Constructed Wetland For Treating Soybean Wastewater, Tri Nguyen Minh, Nhan Nguyen Thi, Hoan Le Thi-Hai, Thanh Pham Van

Applied Environmental Research

Soybean is a nutritious and popular material in the Vietnamese food industry. Soybean processing wastewater contains a significant amount of organic compounds, which have a negative impact on aquatic life due to light penetration and oxygen consumption limitations. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine whether the combination of activated sludge and a constructed wetland using VA06 grass could be effective in treating soybean wastewater. Various amounts of activated sludge were investigated. To be specific, a 20% additional sludge percentage resulted in the shortest treatment time for chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and phosphorus (TP). Additionally, the …

Riverine Microplastics Pollution In Vietnam: A Review Of Current Scientific Knowledge And Legal Policies, Sang Truong Tran Nguyen, Emilie Strady, Thuy Chung Kieu Le, Thi Minh Tam Le, Phuoc Dan Nguyen, Ngoc Bao Pham, Yukako Inamura

Applied Environmental Research

Plastic litter and microplastic pollution in the aquatic environment have become a major concern since scientists, politicians, and citizens began to learn about the impacts in recent years. This in-depth desk review of scientific papers and Vietnamese policies aims to state the current knowledge, legal framework, and action plan relative to microplastic assessment, release, and control in Vietnamese aquatic environments, especially rivers. Regarding scientific literature, this paper focuses on (i) the occurrence of microplastics in riverine surface water and sediments, (ii) the fate and transfer of microplastics in Vietnam’s canals-riverine- estuarine systems, (iii) their accumulation in biota, and (iv) effects …

Breakwater: Anti-Blackness In Geoscience Lessons From Long Beach, Ca, Christina Marsh

Pomona Senior Theses

Breakwaters are more than just physical structures that protect against storm surges and in the context of Long Beach, CA, my hometown, they are actualizations of economic, social, environmental, geologic, and policy challenges. Inspired by Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy, and Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks, I use an extended metaphor and autoethnographic approach to connect a chronology of my educational life to the physical structure of a breakwater. Where the breakwater also acts as a signifier of my personal experiences of seeing it, questioning its purpose, and not always finding an answer. …

Unequal Trust: Bottled Water Consumption, Distrust In Tap Water, And Economic And Racial Inequality In The United States, Daniel Jaffee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviewing public health, nutrition, and social science literature, this article examines how bottled water consumption and spending in the United States differ along lines of race, ethnicity, and income, how these consumption patterns have changed in recent years, and how those shifts map onto perceptions of the safety and trustworthiness of tap water supplies, both before and since the Flint water disaster. It also addresses the differential impact of bottled water spending on household income. The findings challenge the truism that bottled water consumption is positively correlated with income, instead showing a bimodal racial and class consumption pattern that reflects …

Warehouses In The Inland Empire: Displacing Land And Life, Katherine Gelsey

Pomona Senior Theses

The Inland Empire in Southern California embodies unique spatial and social configurations as a consequence of how settler colonialism has manifested locally in the region since the Spanish Mission Period. This work uses GIS software to estimate patterns of land conversion for residential, agricultural, and warehouse land from 2012 to 2022. Preliminary analysis suggests that thousands of people have been displaced by warehouse expansion over the ten-year period. In the twenty-first century, the Southern California logistics industry continues processes of land dispossession and racialized labor exploitation through displacing agricultural and residential land, exposing disproportionately low-income Black and Latine communities living …

Teaching Agroecology: Preparing Students For Navigating Uncharted Territory, Charles A. Francis, Steve Gliessman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agroecologists understand that farming and food systems are more complex than the aggregation of their components. This realization drives our choices of learning strategies and activities that will prepare students for complexity and uncertainty. Our quest for a just, sustainable, and nutritious food system adequate to equitably serve everyone on the planet today and into the future is an enormous challenge. An undertaking of this magnitude will be met only with major adjustments informed by thoughtful teaching and practicing problem solving skills through a new educational lens. The principles of agroecology help us focus this lens on the wicked problems …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Quantifying The Carbon Stored And Sequestered By The Trees On Pomona College’S Campus, Paola A. Giron-Carson

Scripps Senior Theses

We are experiencing a climate crisis that must be confronted with strategic mitigation. Pomona College contributes to the climate crisis through its emissions for which there is a baseline record. However there is no baseline record of the climate mitigation currently performed by the trees on Pomona’s campus through carbon storage. This study seeks to determine a current baseline quantity of carbon stored and sequestrated by Pomona’s trees as well as possible courses of climate mitigation for Pomona College to take. Initial information gathering was conducted through interviews with several stakeholders. This study was conducted using data collected prior to …

An Unmanned Aircraft System For Marking Live Power Lines To Prevent Bird Collisions, Mattheuns D. Pretorius, Lourens Leeuwner, Kaajial Durgapersad, Constant Hoogstad, Peter Beckedahl, Michael D. Michael, Kishaylin Chetty

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions with overhead power lines represent a significant cause of mortality for a number of large bird species worldwide. Certain threatened species are severely impacted by power line collisions, particularly those for which there are no other known significant threats. In South Africa, bird collisions with overhead power line cables, including collisions with phase conductors and shield wires, contribute significantly to annual threatened bird species mortalities associated with Eskom power lines. The most practical mitigation measure is to attach bird anti-collision devices as markers on the cables. Current marking methods involve installations by hand, where linemen are hoisted up to …

Assessing The Knowledge On Sustainability And Barriers To Daily Sustainable Practices Among Faculty And Students In Higher Education: The Case Of Eastern Illinois University, Joel Edem Holison

Masters Theses

The concept of sustainable development gained prominence with the publication of the Brundtland Report, which emphasized economic progress without jeopardizing future generations' well-being. Following that, the Education for Sustainability (EfS) program was created by the United Nations to raise sustainability awareness. However, the transition to sustainable living is fraught with difficulties, including a lack of knowledge, financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, and political ideologies. This study focuses on sustainable practices among Eastern Illinois University (EIU) students and faculty, as well as the barriers to daily sustainable behaviors. As independent variables influencing sustainable practices, the study evaluates sustainability knowledge/awareness, personal financial situation, …

Socio-Economic Comparative Analysis Of Front-Of-The-Meter And Behind-The-Meter Microgrids For Panamnik, Olivia C. Amann Mcshea

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In Northern California, the Karuk Tribe is feeling the effects of climate change on inadequate energy infrastructures leading to unreliable power supply. Improving energy reliability in a way that also increases energy sovereignty is necessary. Renewable energy microgrids have emerged as a pathway forward.

Modeling ownership structures and cash flows for different microgrid configurations can support the Tribe’s implementation of a microgrid in Orleans, CA that maximizes community benefits. This thesis considers a front-of-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM) configuration, both approximately 2 MW solar PV and 3 MW/12 MWh battery energy storage. Cash flows including capital costs, operations and maintenance …

The Effects Of The Preparation Factors On The Properties Of Co2 Capture Sorbent Derived From Local Waste Eggshell, Janjeera Chuanchob, Pornpote Piumsomboon, Benjapon Chalermsinsuwan, Saowaluck Chanchairoek

Applied Environmental Research

In this study, the CaO adsorbent was prepared by using local waste eggshell as a raw material. The influence of preparation parameters including calcination temperature, calcination time and particle size of eggshell powder on the adsorption surface area were investigated. By means of statistically experiment design, the interesting parameters were investigated by a full 23 factorial design. The prepared sorbent material was characterized by X–ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET). The results showed the particle size of eggshell powder greatly affected the BET surface area. By applying the prepared condition of 149 μm in particle …