Environmental Studies Commons^™

Human Elephant Conflict, Madeleine Johnson, Sara Miller

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Human elephant conflict is a serious issue around the world. There are various cases, all of which problematic, with many different solutions. By comparing human elephant conflict in various countries throughout the world, we seek to find possible solutions for Sri Lankan communities.

Examining Environmental Injustice In Florida, Samuel Wasserman, Jeffrey Vaz

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This project analyzes potential areas of environmental injustice on a census tract level throughout Florida. Data on race and median household income were compiled into ArcGIS 10.2.2 along with Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) locations to determine if communities with low income or large minority population are disproportionately exposed to sources of heavy pollution. Statistical tests found that high minority and low income census tracts were more likely to be within two miles of a TRI site and that census tracts containing two or more TRI sites had significantly lower median household incomes than census tracts with only one or fewer …

Predicting At-Risk Areas For Deforestation In Malawi, Robin Lewis, Andrew Currier

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

One of the poorest nations in Africa, the small country of Malawi has recently experienced severe deforestation. From 1990-2010, Malawi lost 17% of its forest cover (FAO 2013). Malawi also has the 6th highest population growth rate in the world (3.3% per year) (CIA 2014). Given this information, our study aimed to predict areas of future deforestation in Malawi. We constructed a spatial model to predict deforestation using the following parameters: distance from roads, distance from major markets, and population density. Our model predicted tree cover loss from 2000-2010 with some degree of accuracy. We then applied this model to …

Human Activity Impacts On Belize Deforestation (1995-2010) And Future Trend Prediction, Xinyi Zheng, Rui Fan

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Belize is a small country located in Central America. It is known for its high biodiversity and large rainforest coverage. However, as the demand of wood products increases, the vast rainforest is facing the threat of deforestation and land degradation. The tropical rainforest ecosystem is extremely important not only because of the numerous tropical wildlife living there but also because of its medicinal values. What factors, other than human logging of the forest, affect the potential of land degradation of Belize? We propose that such factors may include the ecosystem type of the area, whether it is a national protected …

Identifying Suitable Canada Lynx Habitat In The Northeast, Carla Nyquist, Emily Berry

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a medium-sized predatory cat inhabiting the boreal and montane forests of North America, particularly Canada. However, their range does extend slightly into the subalpine forests of the western US as well as transitional forests in the eastern US. Canada lynx were listed as a federally threatened species in the states at the southern end of their range in 2000, and Maine is currently the only Northeastern state with a resident breeding lynx population, although sightings have been recently reported in New Hampshire and Vermont, which are part of the species historic range. The distribution …

The Utilization Of Spatial Analysis To Predict Areas Of High Shark Attack Risk, Emily Walker, Laurel Whitney

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

In the past twelve months, Australia has faced five fatal shark attacks. Some researchers have attributed this spike in shark attacks to increased populations. Since 1990, the Australian population has increased from 17 million to 23 million. As sharks are relatively common in Australia, the governments of some states have implemented culling as a shark attack mitigation strategy. However, under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, this program is listed as a Key Threatening Processes as it has harmed two or more threatened species listed under those acts, which has rendered it quite controversial …

Impacts Of Sea Level Rise On Plum Island, Ma, Jessica Batchelder

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

ArcGIS 10.2.2 and NAD1983 Massachusetts Stateplane Mainland FIPS 2001 projection was used to model sea level rise on Plum Island, Massachusetts. Under high sea level rise conditions of 3m, 81.9% of the buildings on the island will be inundated in addition to a total of 11.06km2 or 75.44% of the islands land area. 86.5% of the wetlands would be inundated, the most loss of any vegetation type on the island. Based upon elevation data, this model provides a basic analysis of the impacts of extreme sea level rise on Plum Island.

Case Studies Of Turtle Rehabilitation As Implicators Of Legislative Efficacy, Meredith Braun

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Six of the seven species of marine turtles occur in Australias waters. All species of marine turtle are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). International legislation exists for the protection of biodiversity, habitats, and endangered flora and fauna, but the cohesion of these policies leaves much to be questioned. In cooperation with the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, Queensland, Australia, this study aimed to take the stories of four turtles observed in rehabilitation in May of 2014 and use them as a launching pad for investigation and …

Environmental Justice In California: An Analysis On The Correlation Between Toxic Release And Population Distribution, Maria Urrutia

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Field-Based Learning In A New Online Sustainability Course, William Forbes

Bright Ideas Conference

Sustainability is a relatively new field simultaneously addressing economic health, environmental amenities, and social issues. Sustainable Community Assessment and Planning (SUS 350) is a new course in the Sustainable Community Development major, minor, and undergraduate certificate at Stephen F. Austin State University. It is designed to introduce students to: a) varied methods of data collection; b) complex community planning issues; c) synthesis of economic, environmental, and social issues. Distance (online) education is not typically associated with field-based learning. However, field work in sustainability can be encouraged through activities such as: monitoring energy/cost saving; measuring biological status; and citizen social surveys. …

Lawn Dissidents: Performing Whiteness Through Sustainability In Urban Residential Yards, Amy Lebowitz

Geography Honors Projects

“Lawn dissidents” are people who violate norms of turfgrass yards often found in suburbia. This thesis uses ethnographic methods to examine how these subjects’ sustainability-oriented lawn alternatives create meaning by manifesting values and performing identities. I argue that such lawn alternatives operate as positional goods that inscribe exclusion into landscapes. “Green” yardscapes yield social and environmental benefits to “dissidents” while burying the ways capitalism codes lawn alternatives, enacting a regime of whiteness no better for equity and inclusion than suburban lawns. Nonetheless, I turn hopefully to sharing economies as tools to expand sustainability initiatives beyond elite, eco-conscious whiteness.

Sustainability Perceptions In The Brewing Industry: Regional/Regional Craft, Microbreweries And Brewpubs, William B. Pierson

Symposium of Student Scholars

The purpose of this study is to identify sustainability perceptions within the US brewing industry. In 2014, we disseminated an online survey to all regional/regional craft breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs as identified by the Brewer's Association, 2012 (http://www.brewersassociation.org/). We employed statistical analysis to determine if there was a significant difference among the three categories of breweries found in urban and urban clusters regarding their self-assessment of sustainability. Findings indicate that regional/regional craft breweries and microbreweries tend to score higher in their self-assessment when compared to brewpubs.

Identifying Environmentally Burdened Neighborhoods In Minneapolis Through A Cumulative Approach, Chendan Yan

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Environmental problems are not confined to political boundaries and tend to impact population beyond their sources, yet some communities are more impacted than others. This GIS project calculates a Cumulative Impact (CI) Score of environmental hazards for each neighborhood in Minneapolis based on the following four measures: environmental effects, public health effects, sensitive populations, socioeconomic factors. The higher the CI score, the more environmentally burdened a neighborhood is. The scope of this GIS project is limited and it is the hope of many environmental organizations in Minnesota that Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will take the lead and develop a more …

College Of Saint Benedict Marie And Robert Jackson Fellow (2014)-Center For Earth Energy And Democracy, Chendan Yan

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Center for Earth Energy and Democracy was founded by a group of researchers, educators and community activists who saw the need to affirm and revitalize principles of democracy and social justice. CEED’s mission is to work at the intersection of energy, environment and community development to develop solutions that are democratic, sustainable and socially just. As a mapping tool student researcher at CEED, 2014 Jackson Fellow Chendan Yan, an Environmental Studies and Philosophy double major from Shanghai, China, contacted agencies, collected, and analyzed data for Environmental Justice (EJ) Mapping tool. She developed Infographics demonstrating disparities among neighborhoods and created visual …

Creating The Chesapeake Bay Marine Protected Area, Emma Thomson

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Chesapeake Bay provides economic benefits to its surrounding states in the form of tourism, fishing, recreation, and ecosystem services. However it is not sufficiently protected by these states and is suffering the consequences. This precious habitat needs more protection to ensure the long-term survival of the wildlife and services it provides. Creating a Marine Protected Area (MPA) at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and extending out in to the Atlantic Ocean will protect multiple habitats and fish populations, which will in turn improve the health of the Bay (Narula 2014). This MPA will restrict harmful fishing, drilling, dumping, …

Proposal For A Virginia Seed Bank, Casey Schmidt

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Climate change is causing the ranges of native species to shift northward at a pace that outstrips the ability of many plant species to migrate and adapt (Walther et al. 2002; Renwick & Rocca 2014). Although assisted migration, the process of relocating individuals or spread of seeds through human intervention, has been used successfully in some cases to preserve species, it comes saddled with potential ecological damage and legal complications arise when these ranges cross state lines. These complications threaten Virginia’s biodiversity, especially among rare plants and those plants from habitat affected most by climate change. In order to preserve …

Changes To Shoreline Hardening Process In The Face Of Climate Change, George Appling

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

As a result of global climate change, sea level has risen and will continue to rise throughout the 21st century. Sea level rise has been higher in Virginia than any other state over the past 100 years (US Climate Change Science Program 2009). Varied projections show that sea level could rise 1.2 to 5.5 feet above 1992 levels by 2100 (Boon et al. 2010; Ezer and Corlette 2012; Sallengar et al. 2012). Sea level rise threatens to drown intertidal wetlands (Craft et al. 2009; FitzGerald et al. 2010; Kirwan and Guntenspergen 2010; Menon et al. 2010). Wetlands are key biodiversity …

Life Cycle Cost Assessment: A Win-Win For Virginia Wetlands, Austen Kelso

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia shorelines are facing some of the highest rates of sea level rise seen over the last 5 millennia and are among the most vulnerable coastlines in the country to the effects of sea level rise such as flooding and storm surge (Down et al. 1994). In the face of these rising sea levels, coastal wetland habitats will be forced to migrate inland to avoid inundation (Akumu et al. 2011). However, increased development on the Virginia coast threatens these critical wetland habitats by blocking their inland movement as the try to avoid rapidly rising sea levels. Without a clear migratory …

Recommendations For Conservation Easement Reform, Amy Murphy

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia has a well-established easement program which offers landowners a state income tax credit in return for donating land rights such as development and subdivision rights. Currently, there are inefficiencies with easements which could be lessened with reform (Owley 2011, Rissman 2011). This paper proposes that Virginia establish statewide conservation priorities and switches from a flat rate credit for easement donations to a tiered system which provides greater incentives for easements on land with high conservation value (McLaughlin and Pidot 2013). Additionally, this paper proposes that Virginia require adaptive language in easement terms and standardizes monitoring procedures.

Poster session prepared …

Branching Out: How Virginia Can Strategically Use Trees To Combat Biodiversity Loss, Taylor Pfeiffer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Biodiversity loss is a particularly concerning effect of climate change because as greenhouse gas emissions increase global temperatures, decreases in the abundance and diversity of species has reduced ecosystem resiliency to these changes (Verchot et al. 2007). Weakened ecosystems and threatened species decrease the environment’s capacity to provide humans with services like safe drinking water, fuel, and protection from natural disasters, just to name a few (US EPA 2013). The agricultural industry plays a unique role in this environmental conversation, as farmland both contributes to climate change and is jeopardized by the negative effects created by the issue in a …

Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, An Oyster Sanctuary, C. Andrew Denney

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Crassostrea virginica population in the Chesapeake Bay is now % of what it was during the 19^th century (Kimmel et al. 2007). This decline is the result of various harmful effects such as disease, nutrient pollution, acidification, hydrological change, habitat loss and over-harvesting (Ermgassen et al. 2013). The Eastern Oyster is particularly threatened by three threats, disease, acidification, and reduced water quality. C. virginicais negatively affected by these problems but is also capable of combating and/or mitigating these injuries toward the health and biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay. The biodiversity of the bay is directly correlated with oyster …

The Adopt-A-Wetland Program, Lindsey Hines

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Wetlands are a “biological super system” hosting a vital reservoir of biodiversity potential. Conserving wetlands and protecting their biodiversity is instrumental in upholding the ecosystem services wetlands provide. These ecosystem services of flood control, food supply, clean water, recreational areas and more are major elements in Virginia’s economy and cultural society. Current models projecting climate change impacts on the Virginian coastline predict sea-level rise to be incompatible with rate of migration and adaptation needed for wetlands. Existing wetland conservation efforts are lacking the required action to combat these imminent problems. Land acquisition is essential to accommodate wetland migration to ensure …

Requiring Responsible Mitigation Banking, Julia Baer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In the national attempt to achieve “no-net-loss” of wetlands, the business of wetland mitigation banking has experienced enormous growth over the past few decades. These banks’ purpose is to compensate for wetland loss due to development through the restoration and creation of wetlands elsewhere. While this mitigates the rate of wetland loss, “no-net-loss” is not truly achieved because development is the only federally recognized force destroying wetlands today. Wetland mitigation banks should be required to take sea level rise into account when selecting new sites, and forbidden from using sites where function losses exceed 5% within 50 years, using the …

Climate Change And Invasive Species: Invasive Management Teams, Virginia Fredliani

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In Virginia, invasive species cost the state approximately $1 billion annually due to forest loss and crop damage (Pimentel et al. 2005). There are approximately 38 invasive species and suffer as a result, which affects biodiversity (Tausch 2008). Invasive species alter the balance of ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and ecosystem health (Gamfeldt et al. 2008). Climate change is another driver in the success of invasive species as they are better adapted to withstand climate changes over native species (Duke and Mooney 1999). To combat invasive species in Virginia this recommendation proposes the establishment of early detection and rapid response Invasive Management …

Nature, Virginia's Economy, And The Climate Threat, Casey Schmidt, Taylor Pfeiffe, Amy Murphy, Virginia Frediani, Natalya Ares, George Appling, Emma Thomson, Austen Kelso, Julia Baer, Lindsey Hines, Andrew Denney

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Commission's charge is to propose solutions to you for climate-related issues facing the Commonwealth. Our Symposium today also takes up that challenge. In this booklet you will find research and recommendations for you -- and all of Virginia's governing bodies – for how best to protect our state's priceless and economically essential natural heritage as climate changes disrupt our ecosystems.

Paper prepared for Environmental Studies Senior Seminar.

Faculty advisers: Dr. Peter D. Smallwood and Stephen P. Nash

Assessing Vulnerability Mapping Of Nitrate Contamination Among The Private Well Owners Of Black Hawk County, Ia, Junu Shrestha, Sushil Tuladhar

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

The main objective of this study is to find potential sites that might be vulnerable to nitrate contamination by doing weighted overlay analysis using ArcGIS Software and compare those sites with current nitrate contaminated sites.

Supplier Selection Criteria For Sustainable Supply Chains, Amy Terracciano

Honors Projects in Management

In today’s global business environment, suppliers can have a significant impact on the buyer’s supply chain. Selecting the right supplier can be a critical decision for manufacturers and distributors, and to aid in the supplier selection decision making process a large number of selection criteria have been proposed in the literature. Supplier selection criteria have traditionally focused on metrics that impact the buyer’s costs. But due to increased business awareness of the importance of sustainability, supplier selection criteria have now come to include measures on environmental and social performance. While environmental metrics for supplier selection have received some attention in …

Habitat Fragmenta-On In The Sebago Lake Watershed, Jared Lank

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The goal of this research was to evaluate the extent of land use change occurring in the Sebago lake watershed of southern Maine. The primary data set used was Landsat 7 Near Infrared satellite imagery of the region which was analyzed with ESRI’s ArcGIS soQware. Data was clipped to the Portland Water District’s sub watershed shape file and analyzed with the soQware’s image analysis ‘difference’ tool which calculates the differences in pixel values between to raster datasets. The 2013 Landsat reclassifica-on was compared to 1987, 1995 and 2009 reclassifica-ons. NOAA’s Habitat Priority Planner plugin tool was also u-lized in order …

Whom Do You Trust? Doubt And Conspiracy Theories In The 2009 Influenza Pandemic, Shawn C. Smallman Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

The 2009 pandemic of H1N1 influenza led people around the globe to create narratives about the epidemic defined by the question of trust; these narratives ranged from true conspiracy theories to simply accounts in which mistrust and betrayal formed a motif. In particular, most of these narratives reflected a fear of capitalism and globalization, although in specific regions, other issues—such as religion—played a more central role. These stories were not unique to the H1N1 pandemic but rather have appeared with every contemporary outbreak of infectious disease. This paper will examine conspiracy theories and moral panics related to the H1N1 pandemic …

From “The Silent Spring” To The Globalization Of The Environmental Movement, Habibul H. Khondker Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

This paper traces the history of environmental movement and the growing awareness of sustainable living in the past half a century. Taking The Silent Spring of Rachel Spring (published in 1962) as a point of departure, this paper navigates through the interplay of awareness and consciousness raising, knowledge production, institution building, environmental movement and its globalization. The paper examines the lack of development of a holistic understating of environmental challenges of the world in the face of issue-based social movements. The paper presents the transformation of the conceptualization of development from a narrow “economic development” as measured in income growth …