Environmental Studies Commons^™

Community, Renewables, And Development: An Analysis Of Placemaking And Sense Of Place In Community Responses To Large Scale Solar Developments, A Spotsylvania Case Study Report, Kidest Gebre

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

With the ever increasing threat of climate change, many nations are committing to decreasing their dependence on fossil fuels and turning to renewable energy development. The U.S is in the top ten list of nations that are solar-powered and the Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project is one of the largest utility solar farms in the U.S. With this project, my intention is to analyze the role community folks play as major stakeholders in large-scale energy project development, such as the Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project. I will use the Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project can be a case study to analyze community attitudes …

The Current And Future Land Assessment Analysis And Property Taxes Analysis Of The Land Of Proposed Solar Farm In Spotsylvania County, Evelyn Jeong

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Anthropogenic global climate change is threatening our planet. Human energy demand and consumption has been rapidly increasing throughout the world. In order to combat global climate change from greenhouse gases emissions, increase in renewable energy development is crucial. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world and in the United States. In Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a solar energy company called sPower proposed one of the biggest solar farms in the East Coast. Because of the size, scale, economic viability, environmental concerns, and more, there has been push back from the concerned citizens of the …

Watershed Environmental Analysis: Waterflow Function And Vulnerabilities, Olivia Hubert

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The environmental impacts on the proposed area for the sPower solar panels has been a primary concern from the citizens of Spotsylvania County during the special use permit process. This project will discuss the function of watersheds, specifically within the sPower Spotsylvania County solar panel farm sites, to effectively present the findings from sPower’s permitting process and the concerned citizens of Spotsylvania to answer the following questions: How do the sPower solar farm watersheds function, what are their vulnerabilities, and how is sPower addressing them? The information presented is a collection and analysis of data using ArcGIS software and written …

Is Wind Energy A Better Option For The University Of Richmond?, Steven Yu

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The purpose of this assignment is to answer the question of: Is Wind Energy the Better Option for the University of Richmond? This question is more than simply if wind power will supply the campus the greatest amount of energy, but also looks at the educational, social, environmental and political benefits that would also be associated with it. In order to understand the feasibility of wind power on the University of Richmond campus, I looked at factors such as: energy production from wind turbines, past wind patterns in Richmond, VA, impacts to the environment. This is only one part of …

Beyond The Site: An Analysis Of The Perceived Economic Impact To The Spotsylvania Community, Kate Wickersham

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

New solar farm development can bring support and opposition as evident by the planned sPower solar farm in Spotsylvania county, Virginia. Of significant concern for such development is the economic impacts to the local and county level including real estate values, tax revenue and general project feasibility. In an analysis of the economic impacts, primary and secondary research included outlining the arguments presented by the two opposing sides; the Concerned Citizens of Spotsylvania County and sPower. Research further included an analysis of the projected change in real estate values the nearby Fawn Lake residential development. The real estate analysis concluded …

The Financial Climate And Economic Mechanisms That Facilitated The Usa And Ur’S Shift Towards Solar Power, Monica Stack

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The University of Richmond (UR) has been committed to sustainability and environmental innovation for many years. However, in the pursuit of carbon neutrality they have had had to weigh economic interests with their commitment to environmentalism. Due to a shifting national energy climate and the emergence of financial mechanisms by which an entity can participate in the renewable energy market, UR was recently able to invest in a 20MW portion of a nearby solar array to offset emissions from 100% of their purchased electricity. This report details the financial forces which have made solar prominent and affordable. It then explains …

Erosion And Storm Water Runoff: Spower Solar Farm Project: Watershed Environmental Analysis, Stanford Lee

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The University of Richmond has announced their partnership with sPower’s Spotsylvania Solar Energy Center that is to be developed in the next two years to contribute to their 2050 carbon neutrality goals. The university is supposed to have 20 MWs of the 500 MW solar development, which should produce enough energy to account for 100% of the electricity usage on campus. This will make the University of Richmond the first institution of higher education in the southeast to match 100% of its electricity needs with solar energy and will decrease the university’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60% (University of Richmond …

Incorporating Community Solar At The University Of Richmond To Reach Sustainability Goals, Maribel Sabino

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

An analysis of the scale pertaining to sustainability efforts by the University of Richmond concerning the solar farm in Spotsylvania and alternative solar options is imperative to understanding and encouraging sustainability at the University of Richmond. Solar energy as a renewable energy has high potential to help institutions of higher education reach sustainability goals. Considering solar power at various scales will help understand if solar is a viable option to reach these goals. This project examines community solar under a lens of sustainability as a potential contender to meeting the sustainability and carbon neutrality goals of the University of Richmond. …

Understanding The Stake Of The Government And Government Officials In The Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project, Haley Neuenfeldt

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project is a proposal to build a 500 megawatt solar farm in Livingston in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The project is managed by Spower with various investors such as Dominion, the University of Richmond, Microsoft, Apple, Etsy, Swiss-Re, and Akamai. However, there are many stakeholders outside of the main investment groups. These stakeholders include the citizens in Spotsylvania where the solar farm will be located, climate activists advocating for increased renewable energy usage, and local, state, and federal government representatives. Across the scale of government representatives, there have been initiatives to increase, decrease, and regulate solar power …

Hydropower As A Feasible Option Of The University Of Richmond, Gershom Ejoni

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

As the University of Richmond moves forward in achieving its sustainability goals, it made a decision to invest into a solar array in Spotsylvania, VA in order to offset their energy consumption with renewable energy. However, this solar array has been controversial for many of the residents in Spotsylvania. My senior seminar class has tasked itself with investigating all aspects of the University’s decision to partner with sPower. This paper will analyze the potential alternative energy sources that the University can possible consider, in particular, hydropower; thereby, determining if hydropower is a potential viable option the University of Richmond can …

The Most Environmentally Beneficial Option: An Analysis On Spower’S Solar Project In Relation To The Endangered Species Act, Victoria Williams

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Today, the current impacts of high greenhouse gas emissions due to energy production have been widely discussed in scholarly literature. In 2018, the University of Richmond (UR) announced a goal to match 100% of the campus' electricity demand with solar energy to decrease its carbon footprint. UR partnered with sPower to construct a 500-megawatt solar array in which UR will receive the 20-megawatts worth of energy from the site in Spotsylvania, Virginia. sPower’s solar project engendered various environmental concerns surrounding Fawn Lake and the endangered species found in the proximity of the project. Acknowledging the environmental concerns, the objective of …

Spotsylvania Solar Farm: Watershed Environmental Analysis: Material And Chemical Impacts, Colby Prokop

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The purpose of this compiled review is to answer the research question: What are the implications of the materials being used in the Spotsylvania sPower solar farm and the impacts of any contributing chemicals? I will approach this question using a theoretical framework to investigate the public participation (PP) process (Munch-Petersen, 2017) in the preliminary environmental analysis research done by sPower (in accordance with their special use permit [SUP]). This will be a context-specific framework, in which I will navigate the discrepancies between the environmental SUP information and citizen concerns about the chemicals and materials used in the sPower solar …

Spotsylvania Solar: A Stakeholder Analysis Of Corporate Involvement, Merissa Shebell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This report investigates the major corporations that hold a stake in sPower’s 500-Megawatt Spotsylvania Solar Project through the framework of corporate social responsibility. The major corporations include the investors in the project, Microsoft, Apple in collaboration with Akamai, Etsy, and Swiss Re, and the University of Richmond, as well as the energy provides and distributors, Dominion Energy and PJM Interconnection. Through an evaluation of the investors’ sustainability and environmental reports, the motivations behind their agreements with sPower can be attributed to a desire to meet their renewable energy goals. By purchasing a portion of the electricity generated by the solar …

Maintaining Productive Efficiency Of Solar Arrays, Grant Woods

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

With the onset of climate change people are demanding better business behavior. As a result, many companies seek to diversify their public presence by acquiring technologies and behaviors that ultimately strive toward a goal of reducing environmental impacts. One particular focus of this transition has been the acquisition of clean energy technology. Solar photovoltaic arrays are one such technology that companies and homeowners continue to adopt to meet their environmental goals whether those goals are specific, measureable, impactful or whether they are more for self satisfaction and peace of mind. Administration and the Office for Sustainability at University of Richmond …

Natural Gas: Analyzing The Relationship Between The University Of Richmond's Corporate Social Responsibility And Natural Gas As An Alternative Energy Source, Sophia M. Tailor

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

On April 9, 2019, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors approved a permit to begin construction on a 500 megawatt solar array managed by Sustainable Power Group (sPower) in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. A roughly $615 million project, sPower’s solar array will cover almost 6,300 acres of Spotsylvania County and is set to be the largest such project east of the Rocky Mountains (Shenk, 2019). Alongside big players such as Microsoft and Etsy, the University of Richmond also has a stake in the project. 20 MW of the Spotsylvania solar array will be designated for the University of Richmond and is …

Analyzing Nuclear Power And Its Present And Future Role As A Low Carbon Emissions Energy Source, Maria Seitz

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This report takes look at nuclear power and its current use around the world and its potential as a key player in the current global climate crisis. Through the analysis of surveys, articles, and research papers, this essay explores how nuclear power plants compare to other low emission energies and how their use can lead to global reductions in carbon emissions. It examines the pros and cons of nuclear and its ultimate role in helping to reduce global carbon emissions.

Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Kitchen

Mapa De Amenazas A Territorios Indígenas Y Áreas Protegidas En Las Fronteras Amazónicas En Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Amenazas a Territorios Indígenas y Áreas protegidas en las fronteras amazónicas en Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Threats to Indigenous Territories and Protected Areas at the Amazonian borders in Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

Mapa De Zonas Vulnerables En Las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Zonas Vulnerables en las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Vulnerable Areas in the Amazonian Borders Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

Mapa De Territorios Indígenas Y Áreas Naturales Protegidas En Las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Territorios Indígenas y Áreas Naturales Protegidas en las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Indigenous Territories and Protected Natural Areas in the Amazonian Borders Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

Towards Food Justice: Strategies Of Community Engagement For Local Food Nonprofits, Garrett Stern

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Over the past two decades there had been a significant shift in American values around food and health. The increase of diet-related illness and the growing awareness of the local food movement have helped to shape the discourse on healthy, nutritious, sustainably grown food. Food justice advocates and organization have inserted social justice principals of equity and self-determination into the dialogue of health and food. There has been a similar shift in the nonprofit sector in regard to local food programing, with local food nonprofits advocating for equity and inclusion in nonprofit food programing. Community engagement is key to putting …

Mapa De Cambios Climáticos Proyectados 2016 - 2039 En Las Fronteras Amazónicas Entre Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Cambios Climáticos Proyectados 2016 - 2039 en las Fronteras Amazónicas entre Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Projected Climate Changes 2016 - 2039 in the Amazonian Borders between Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

Mapa De Territorios Indígenas Y Diversidad Cultural En Las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Territorios Indígenas y Diversidad Cultural en las Fronteras Amazónicas Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Indigenous Territories and Cultural Diversity in the Amazonian Borders Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

A Proposal For A Minor In Sustainability, Quinn Egner

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

It is nearly undeniable that humans are altering the earth and rapidly depleting natural resources, compromising the future of generations to come. Thus, the importance of sustainability and sustainable practices is becoming increasingly important and relevant. While the world is working to innovate and prioritize sustainability, it is important that the University of Richmond must do the same. This proposal is for the addition of a minor in sustainability added to the university’s available education opportunities. The minor will be a total of six classes; three core sustainability classes and three additional classes to effectively cover the three pillars of …

Pagebrook Property Solar Power Initiative, Mary Kate Jaromin

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The University of Richmond has established an ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by the year 2050 (Office for Sustainability 2015). The University’s current emissions reductions are at 18 percent from 2009 baseline levels; in order the achieve the last 82 percent of the reductions by 2050, the University must take aggressive action (R. Andrejewski, personal communication, March 1, 2018). The University owns land off campus, including the Pagebrook Property, which is around a 15-minute drive from campus and has 47 acres of flat, clear cut land that is currently unused (Love & Owens, 2014). This land would be an ideal …

Campus Thrift Store: A Small Step Towards Big Change, Ashley James

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Production and consumption associated with the textile industry exhausts water and fossil fuel resources, and significantly contributes to global waste burden. Studies have shown that U.S. college students produce millions of tons of solid waste every year, much of which could have been diverted. This project describes the benefits of second-hand markets as a tool to achieve waste diversion and sustainability, and proposes a campus thrift store at the University of Richmond (UR). Supporting literature, previous successful reuse initiatives at UR, and a review of best thrift store practices at other universities are provided as justification for the proposal. The …

A Campus Sustainability Service Program In The General Education Curriculum, Callie Rountree-Jablin

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This poster describes a proposal for the addition of a sustainability-based community service requirement to the general education curriculum to encourage systemic involvement in on-campus sustainability projects. Current support for the University of Richmond’s (UR) goal to integrate sustainability across various University functions is limited and this poster outlines the Campus Sustainability Service (CSS) program as an option for addressing the issue to ensure the success of the UR Sustainability Strategic Plan. It presents a framework for the CSS program and a strategy for piloting the initiative that can support phasing in a complete version of the program over time. …

Proposal For The Expansion Of The University Of Richmond’S Campus Garden, Ganon Hingst

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In today’s society the growing, buying and consuming of local foods is skyrocketing in demand. It provides for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle that the University has stated its interest in promoting. This project to expand the current community garden on campus would not only promote the University’s strives in sustainable practices, but also draw the community and campus together. This garden could produce foods that could be sold to the current dining services, and to the local community generating some profit from this community garden while also reducing the University’s spending on food for the dining hall. Furthermore, …

Riverfront Ur: Proposal And Student Well-Being, Harleen Bal

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In an effort to improve student well-being, connection to nature, and community engagement with nature and green spaces, the following paper details a proposal for Riverfront UR (RFUR), an initiative to acquire property along the James River for use by University of Richmond students. The proposal began in Dr. Salisbury’s fall Geography 345 class, and this analysis builds upon that proposal by delving into the connection between student health and quality of life with time spent outdoors and in natural spaces. Indeed, a riverfront off-campus property would be competitively advantageous for the University and would likely improve our STARS ratings, …

Improving Biodiversity Management At The University Of Richmond: An Ecological Approach To Sustainability, Maria Psarakis

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This proposal outlines a plan for the monitoring, management, and conservation of vulnerable species and habitats on the University of Richmond’s main campus and its nearby properties. It develops a strategy for the coordinated planning and implementation of biodiversity management by conceptualizing centralized leadership, pathways for student involvement, and the creation of community partnerships with the Virginia state government and local wildlife groups. Additionally, it highlights key justifications for the execution of this project. These reasons include the successful examples of such schemes in competitor institutions, the standing of the University of Richmond in national sustainability rankings, formal University commitments …

Green Dining Proposal, Caroline Jones

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

University of Richmond has slowly but steadily introduced efforts to reduce its campus-wide, local, and national environmental impact, most notably with its commitments to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to divert 75 percent of waste from landfills by 2025. Yet most eateries on campus offer their food and beverages to the hundreds of customers they serve every day only with single-use serve ware, an incredibly expensive practice in terms of cost, energy use, and environmental impacts. This proposal suggests introducing a “for-here” option–serving food and beverages with reusable serve ware–at all eateries on campus that currently do not offer …