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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Studies

Examining The City Of Philadelphia’S Proposition Bill #250768 “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” By Addressing Waste Management And Environmental Justice Challenges In Chester City, Pennsylvania And The Philadelphia Region, Dylan Wascavage Oct 2025

Examining The City Of Philadelphia’S Proposition Bill #250768 “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” By Addressing Waste Management And Environmental Justice Challenges In Chester City, Pennsylvania And The Philadelphia Region, Dylan Wascavage

Student Publications

This paper offers a policy analysis of the City of Philadelphia’s "Stop Trashing Our Air Act" by summarizing the reasoning for the bill's call to action, its legislative background, identifying key players and their strategies, and how these strategies reflect philosophies of environmental governance and the policy cycle. It seeks to inform local community members and policymakers of the implications of this bill, to highlight the lack of state and federal intervention on this issue, and to address the environmental justice and pollution concerns of the Covanta waste incinerator in Chester City and its neighboring communities. It also aims to …


Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Reburns In Western Us Forests, Jackson M. Boyle Apr 2025

Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Reburns In Western Us Forests, Jackson M. Boyle

Student Publications

In the Western United States, understanding the role of reburns, or repeat wildfires, has become a topic of increased interest as the damages caused by wildfires have risen. While some forests are adapted to frequent burns, others have fire regimes characterized by few or infrequent burns. While all fires alter ecosystems, reburns have been found to specifically lower seeding probability and accelerate or start the shift from forests to shrublands. Despite these ecological impacts, the temporal and spatial trends of reburns remain understudied. Using Google Earth Engine, I analyzed the Composite Burn Index (CBI) dataset to see if reburns are …


Tracking Phenological Shifts Of Black Guillemots Cepphus Grylle In The Gulf Of Maine, Jocelyn L. Little Apr 2025

Tracking Phenological Shifts Of Black Guillemots Cepphus Grylle In The Gulf Of Maine, Jocelyn L. Little

Student Publications

Rapid warming in the Gulf of Maine has coincided with changes in phenology across trophic levels. Phenological change has yet to be studied in black guillemots (Cepphus grylle), a widely distributed benthic forager that is showing population decline in the region. Because black guillemots nest in burrows, their phenology can be challenging to study. I developed methods to track black guillemot phenology on Petit Manan Island, a seabird breeding colony in the Gulf of Maine. Specifically, I asked Q1) Can daily tower count data be used to predict black guillemot breeding phenology? Q2) How is black guillemot breeding phenology shifting …


Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo) As Bioindicators For Atlantic Herring (Clupea Harengus) Distribution In The Gulf Of Maine, Logan R. Becker Apr 2025

Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo) As Bioindicators For Atlantic Herring (Clupea Harengus) Distribution In The Gulf Of Maine, Logan R. Becker

Student Publications

Effective fisheries management is increasingly challenged by climate-driven shifts in species distribution and by a lack of data on early life stages of key forage fish species. In the Gulf of Maine, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), a once economically dominant fishery species and a key prey species for many dependent predators, has declined due to poor early-stage recruitment and warming waters. Despite this decline, current trawl surveys do not inform early-stage Atlantic herring distribution due to mesh size limitations, leaving critical gaps in our knowledge. To address this knowledge gap, I used common terns (Sterna hirundo) …


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 Oct 2024

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 Oct 2024

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 …


Reimagining Gettysburg: Enhancing Walkability And Bikeability In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Gabriella Germano, Elif Ozturan, Jeanne-Marie Thomas Oct 2024

Reimagining Gettysburg: Enhancing Walkability And Bikeability In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Gabriella Germano, Elif Ozturan, Jeanne-Marie Thomas

Student Publications

The overall goal of this study was to assess 28 selected locations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, score them for walkability and bikeability, and suggest changes to low-ranking locations to improve the infrastructure of the town. We selected these points by focusing on areas of target for residents (grocery shopping, routes to work, schools, etc.), and to ensure we covered a major portion of the town for proper representation. We scored each of our sites using our instrument, which was broken down into two main categories: walkability and bikeability. We also conducted on-site interviews with passersby to collect first-hand accounts about these …


Gettysburg On The Go: A Bike Share Program For A Greener Gettysburg, Rachelle Dale, Emily Hazelrigg, Mishael F. Ohanwadi, Anastasia Volciak Oct 2024

Gettysburg On The Go: A Bike Share Program For A Greener Gettysburg, Rachelle Dale, Emily Hazelrigg, Mishael F. Ohanwadi, Anastasia Volciak

Student Publications

A bike share program is a shared transportation system that offers convenient short-term bicycle access for a low cost. This study aims to assess the potential for a program in Gettysburg, PA and develop a proposal for implementation. We assessed the potential of a bike share program by administering a survey targeted to locals, tourists, and college students. We conducted a peer-system analysis of three bikeshare programs in cities with similar characteristics to Gettysburg in terms of population, rural areas, tourism levels, and three additional systems in a regional bike share to aid in the creation of a proposal for …


Navigating Car Attitudes: An Analysis Of Transportation Habits, Environmental Views, And Demographics, Caroline J. Jordan, Sydney E. Lucero, Anna L. Imrie Oct 2023

Navigating Car Attitudes: An Analysis Of Transportation Habits, Environmental Views, And Demographics, Caroline J. Jordan, Sydney E. Lucero, Anna L. Imrie

Student Publications

Transportation plays a crucial part in the daily lives of people and society worldwide. Our study examined the transportation habits and environmental attitudes of both Gettysburg College students and individuals across the United States. We conducted a comparative analysis using a sample from students on campus and a national sample collected from the crowdsourcing platform, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Additionally, we compared our findings with two similar studies completed by an Environmental Studies capstone nine years ago. We calculated each respondent's environmental score to gauge environmental attitudes, derived explicitly from their answers to five of the 24 survey questions. Next, we …


Carbon Sequestration Capacities Of Different Land Cover Types And Climate Change, Nicole L. Melnick, Annabel Gorman, Adam F. Warren Apr 2023

Carbon Sequestration Capacities Of Different Land Cover Types And Climate Change, Nicole L. Melnick, Annabel Gorman, Adam F. Warren

Student Publications

Human-caused climate change creates a positive feedback loop that emits more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere instead of being sequestered in the Earth or its oceans. A major contributor to this feedback loop is deforestation in order to use land for agriculture and livestock. This study aims to investigate differences in carbon sequestration capabilities of forests, pastures, and cropland through soil and tree sampling in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The main hypothesis of this study is that forested land will be the most effective at carbon sequestration. The loss on ignition method (LOI) was used to determine the percent organic material in …


The Effects Of Climate Change In Guam, Olga M. Zyzanska, Brooke R. Ashfield, Kate E. Eulberg Apr 2023

The Effects Of Climate Change In Guam, Olga M. Zyzanska, Brooke R. Ashfield, Kate E. Eulberg

Student Publications

The purpose of this project is to dive into the harm that climate change has on Guam and its population. The objectives of our project are centered on highlighting the creative resistance of the CHamoru Indigenous community on Guam to established structures of colonialism and militarization during increasing climate crises. This project explores questions such as: How is Guam being impacted by climate change? Is the impact severe and/or immediate? How is the Indigenous community in Guam affected? How does US policy help or harm the island and its Indigenous population? What is being done to protect the island and …


Cub Plastic Shipping Bag Recycling Program, Samuel M. Arkin, Ethan J. Bruemmer Apr 2023

Cub Plastic Shipping Bag Recycling Program, Samuel M. Arkin, Ethan J. Bruemmer

Student Publications

We implemented a plastic shipping bag recycling program at Gettysburg College. Recycling bags contribute towards contamination within the college's single-stream recycling or end up directly in the landfill via traditional trash collection. The production of plastic bags relies on the continued production of fossil fuel extraction. Plastic bag recycling can decrease fossil fuel extraction and waste entering landfills. To curb Gettysburg College’s generation of waste, we placed four bins in various locations throughout the Center Union Building (CUB) in order to collect plastic shipping bags over a 4.5-week period. We made three hypotheses: that our bins would collect shipping bags …


Indigenous Pennsylvania: Past, Present, And Future, Sarah E. Gilsoul Apr 2022

Indigenous Pennsylvania: Past, Present, And Future, Sarah E. Gilsoul

Student Publications

Gettysburg College recently adopted an official Land Acknowledgment Statement. However, there is little publicly accessible media that helps students, or the greater Gettysburg community, understand Indigenous presence in our region. This project, Indigenous Pennsylvania: Past, Present, and Future seeks to address the primary question, “How can we represent Indigenous presence within our region to be informative and inclusive of Indigenous worldviews and perspectives?” The study tackles two sub-questions: a) what are the best digital tools to generate a virtual and informative interactive map that can represent Indigenous senses of space, time, and land relations? and b) what aspects of Indigenous …


Evaluating Human Pressure On Protected Areas In East Africa, Bailey M. Ytterdahl Apr 2022

Evaluating Human Pressure On Protected Areas In East Africa, Bailey M. Ytterdahl

Student Publications

Protected areas (PAs) are crucial to achieving effective conservation goals and mitigate the loss of biodiversity. I investigated the following research questions: How does human pressure threaten PAs in East Africa? Is human pressure associated with the factors of country, ecosystem characteristics, size, or governance type of a PA? For this study, I used a combination of a GIS analysis and case studies to evaluate human pressure on PAs in Tanzania and Kenya. For the GIS analysis, I used 589 terrestrial PAs from the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). Within each PA, I summarized the landform, landcover, moisture level, …


Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs In Coral Reefs: A Global Analysis, Megan E. Keene Apr 2022

Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs In Coral Reefs: A Global Analysis, Megan E. Keene

Student Publications

Coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots that provide humans with extractive ecosystem services like fisheries and non-extractive services like tourism. Though no studies have examined these trade-offs among these services at a global scale, there are now large, open datasets that make this possible. Using these datasets, we asked whether spatial protection and the level of protection (World Database on Protected Areas) impacted coral reef tourism value (Atlas of Ocean Wealth). We also examined whether proximity to regions of high fishing effort, defined as the top 25th percentile of the average annual effort from Global Fishing Watch, impacted tourism values. Since …


Estimating Fish Diet In Lake Turkana, Kenya, Julia G. Sharapi Apr 2022

Estimating Fish Diet In Lake Turkana, Kenya, Julia G. Sharapi

Student Publications

Lake Turkana, located in northern Kenya on the Ethiopian border, is the world’s largest permanent desert lake. Over 90% of its flow originates from the Omo River in Ethiopia, which causes the lake to have seasonal rises and falls in water level. The Omo River has been subject to the construction of five dams (the Gilgel Gibe dams) and several irrigation projects. These developments will impact the amount of water entering the lake, with implications for lake chemistry and productivity, littoral habitat availability, and the breeding biology of the lake’s fishes. Though ongoing upstream changes are likely to have serious …


Logging Impacts On Aquatic Ecosystem Quality In Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania, Sara Baran, Timothy J. Bell, Erick R. Seager Apr 2022

Logging Impacts On Aquatic Ecosystem Quality In Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania, Sara Baran, Timothy J. Bell, Erick R. Seager

Student Publications

Logging can affect freshwater streams around logging sites, even years after the logging has occurred. In this study, we looked into how sustainable logging in Michaux State Forest (in Adams County, Pennsylvania) has affected two streams within the state park: Mountain Creek and Birch Run. Six sites were selected along each stream, with three upstream and three downstream from the logging area. We hypothesized that the water quality would be lower at the stream sites downstream from the logged areas as compared to the upstream sites. At each site, water samples were collected, including pH, water temperature, and turbidity, as …


Sea Level Rise And Public Perceptions Of Climate Change At Otter Point Creek Estuarine Reserve, Md, Haley A. Bechtel, Meghan L. Junis, Keylen Lucero Garcia Apr 2022

Sea Level Rise And Public Perceptions Of Climate Change At Otter Point Creek Estuarine Reserve, Md, Haley A. Bechtel, Meghan L. Junis, Keylen Lucero Garcia

Student Publications

Freshwater tidal marshes are essential stopover points for migratory birds traveling up and down the east coast of North America. Given the importance of these habitats, we examined the effects of sea level rise on vegetation health and vegetation migration at Otter Point Creek Estuarine Reserve. We aimed to test three predictions: 1) vegetation health will decline over time during vegetation growth periods, 2) vegetation migration of less water-tolerant species will occur with movement into higher elevation plots, 3) people will be aware that there are impacts of climate change on species around them and themselves. We used a combination …


Leveraging Land Easements For Grassland Bird Habitat Conservation, Amy N. Marigliano, Hayden E. Dubniczki, Sarah W. Westrick Apr 2022

Leveraging Land Easements For Grassland Bird Habitat Conservation, Amy N. Marigliano, Hayden E. Dubniczki, Sarah W. Westrick

Student Publications

In addressing the decline of North American grassland bird populations, it is important to consider the various interdisciplinary approaches that can be employed in their conservation. OECMs, or “other effective area-based conservation measures” encompass a wide array of strategies which can be leveraged to conserve natural landscapes and species. Land easements implemented by the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) are an example of one such strategy. The LCAC seeks primarily to preserve the rural character of Adams County but has more recently turned their focus toward environmental conservation. In partnering with the Land Conservancy, this case study aimed to …


Greenhouse Gas Inventory Of Transportation And Driving Habits At Gettysburg College, Flavia Soctto D'Antuono, Megan G. Wojnar Oct 2021

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Of Transportation And Driving Habits At Gettysburg College, Flavia Soctto D'Antuono, Megan G. Wojnar

Student Publications

By tracking the overall emissions put out by a college campus, mitigation strategies can be researched to lower total emissions. This study utilized a survey for both the student body and faculty and staff members at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This survey allowed this study to answer three research questions; what is the total number of Scope 3 emissions at Gettysburg College, how do these findings compare to findings from 2009 and the 2016 STARS report for Gettysburg College, and if any potential mitigation strategies are welcomed by the campus community. This study examined five major driving related emission …


Analyzing Alternative Modes Of Transportation & Carbon Footprint In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Sean M. Gallagher, Paul C. Krakoviak Oct 2021

Analyzing Alternative Modes Of Transportation & Carbon Footprint In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Sean M. Gallagher, Paul C. Krakoviak

Student Publications

As millions of students embark on their journey of college, many use different forms of transportation in and around their respective areas. The aim of this study incorporates the analysis of various forms of transportation, as well as each transportation method's marginal greenhouse gas emissions and marginal cost per mile in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Data was collected by testing each mode of transportation on a short trip to the local Walmart. The results show that the two modes of transportation that contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions were biking and walking. The results for other modes of transportation that constitute …


Masculinity, Car Culture, And Carbon Emissions, Benjamin C. Hasenkopf, Robert F. Steiner Ii Oct 2021

Masculinity, Car Culture, And Carbon Emissions, Benjamin C. Hasenkopf, Robert F. Steiner Ii

Student Publications

Car culture is a subculture that exists in which people value the aesthetic, cultural, or historical significance of certain vehicles, and who often use their own vehicle as a means of self expression. We assumed that car culture was a dominantly male subculture and wanted to evaluate whether gender in advertising was related to fuel efficiency. We wanted to see how each decade would differ in the terms of the number of gender targeted advertisements. We also wanted to see how fuel economies and marketing strategies changed over time. We also wanted to compare fuel economies of cars that were …


Transportation Barriers Affecting Migrant Workers In Adams County, Pennsylvania, Anna H. Bochenek, Christopher Trilleras Oct 2021

Transportation Barriers Affecting Migrant Workers In Adams County, Pennsylvania, Anna H. Bochenek, Christopher Trilleras

Student Publications

This study examines the transportation patterns and potential barriers among migrant families and workers in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The objective of this study is to determine whether barriers to transportation exist in the county, and if so, how these barriers impact the population facing them. Our study examines solutions such as more universal license policies or a potential public transportation option. To collect data and carry out our project, we distributed surveys in English and Spanish families through the Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College. We had the potential to receive responses from around 70 families, and ultimately received …


Field Study Of Potential Relocation Sites For The Adams County Farmers’ Market, Patrick J. Canty, Michael S. Iodice Oct 2021

Field Study Of Potential Relocation Sites For The Adams County Farmers’ Market, Patrick J. Canty, Michael S. Iodice

Student Publications

Farmers markets are an essential part of a community's culture and provide a vital service to all of its members. Currently, the Adam’s County Farmers Market is at a crossroads, as the lease it has on its current location is up and they must consider where they will go next. The purpose of this study is to assist the market in finding the best location in Gettysburg by analyzing the potential sites and providing a numerical score to compare each site. Four potential locations were used in this study: Constitution Lot, Lutheran Seminary, Recreation Park and the Existing site location. …


The Solution To Plastic Pollution: A Dissection Of The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, Nadine M. Snyder Apr 2021

The Solution To Plastic Pollution: A Dissection Of The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, Nadine M. Snyder

Student Publications

Ever since the development of plastic in the 1900s, it has become one of the most commonly used materials in the world. Its flexibility and durability allow it to be used in a wide variety of materials from clothing to packaging to toothbrushes. However, plastic’s durability has caused environmental damage as well, as plastic particles have been found in everything from waterways to human bodies. This paper explains the history and science of plastic production and examines studies on the environmental and public health impacts of plastics. It then examines various policies that have been enacted to control plastic pollution …


Place Me In Gettysburg: Relating Sexuality To Environment, Kylie R. Mandeville Apr 2021

Place Me In Gettysburg: Relating Sexuality To Environment, Kylie R. Mandeville

Student Publications

This project links sexuality and environmental issues in the context of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It considers how I, a queer student at Gettysburg College, can be in “right relations” with this environment. While queer ecological scholarship defines “right relations” as relationships where all beings—people of all identities, as well as animals, plants, and the land—can flourish through their interactions, I inquire whether such flourishing is possible for me, and others like me, here in this place. To answer this question, the project links queer ecological scholarship with environmental history scholarship specific to the Gettysburg battlefield and civil war. It also involves …


Distinction Between Indigenous And Western Cultural Conceptions Of The Earth And Its Relation To The Environment, John M. Zak Oct 2020

Distinction Between Indigenous And Western Cultural Conceptions Of The Earth And Its Relation To The Environment, John M. Zak

Student Publications

The differences between Indigenous and Western cultural conceptions of the Earth is a major cleavage between both communities and a source of tension and misunderstanding. Native American religious beliefs in communal ethics, the belief in the Earth and nature more broadly being a source of spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment, has encouraged Native Americans to work to safeguard the environment they feel a spiritual connection to. This is contrasted in Western notions of human centrality that encourages Western consumer economies to exploit resources for commercial profit that has led to the dispossession of Native lands and desecration of its sacredness in …


The Role And Impact Of The Environment In Saving Private Ryan, Bailey M. Ytterdahl, Paul C. Krakoviak Oct 2020

The Role And Impact Of The Environment In Saving Private Ryan, Bailey M. Ytterdahl, Paul C. Krakoviak

Student Publications

Although certain films may not be explicitly labeled as environmental film, we approach Saving Private Ryan through an ecocritical analysis. We evaluate how the film not only displays the physical and mental tolls of war in several bloody battles, but we also explore the environmental costs. By examining the genre of historical realism, we demonstrate how the film outlines the unique role of the environment in war but also enables the viewers to consider the impacts of war on the surrounding environment. To understand the environmental message in Saving Private Ryan, we used a concept called the “Three Ecologies” by …


Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff Oct 2020

Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff

Student Publications

Environmental regulation is often viewed as conflicting with economic needs. This paper examines under what personal and contextual economic conditions individuals support increased environmental protection efforts. Data from the 2017 World Values Survey is analyzed to determine the probability that an individual will prioritize environmental protection over economic growth at varying levels of household income with a comparison between the context of an economically secure country and an economically insecure country. The results indicate that, across all income levels, individuals in economically secure countries are more likely to prioritize the environment than those in economically insecure countries. In a comparison …


Energy Demand And Economic Growth: Public Opinion And Mutual Exclusivity, Nicholas L. Silvis Oct 2020

Energy Demand And Economic Growth: Public Opinion And Mutual Exclusivity, Nicholas L. Silvis

Student Publications

The world is currently undergoing an energy transition from primarily fossil fuels to cleaner energy. The developing world is becoming more advanced, spawning relentless economic growth and an increase in energy consumption. Energy demand and economic growth are inextricably linked which poses a paradoxical question about future economic growth during a period of energy transition. Unfortunately, the transition requires large upfront costs with no guaranteed net benefit. A multitude of studies depict the impact of education, party identification, and age on how individuals perceive alternative energy. This study shows that views on governmental spending and party membership have a paradoxical …