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The 24th Annual Research Conference Abstract Booklet, University Of Gondar, Ethiopia

University of Gondar Research Conferences

The 25th Annual Staff-Student Research Conference of the University of Gondar will be held on June 19 and 20, 2015 at the Science Amba Auditorium. This year's conference is special in that the year marks the Silver Jubilee of the Annual Staff and Student Research Conference. Drawing on the experiences we have accumulated for the past 25 years, we vow to strive to realize the development and transformation of the country through research and community services.

Staff, postgraduate and senior undergraduate students of the University, invited guests, and speakers will participate in the conference. The annual conference of the University …

Challenges And Opportunities For Development Of Sustainable Tourism In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Clifford J. Shultz, Almir Peštek, Eve Geroulis

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

An examination of the challenges of sustainable tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sublime Absence: An Analysis Of The California Drought Discourse, Mitchell Cooledge

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Environmental Social Activism In The San Diego-Tijuana Transborder Region, Christina M. Hirt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the obstacles and opportunities social activists face when attempting to fight environmental injustices in the San Diego-Tijuana transborder region. The study undertakes a case study of the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) - the leading environmental justice organization in the region, which operates on both sides of the US-Mexico Border. The analyses conclude that despite a strong rhetoric of binationalism employed throughout border activists’ campaigns, the strategies that are utilized on the ground have been vastly local and short-term in focus. While activist organizations like the EHC demonstrate a keen awareness of the binational implications of environmental injustices …

Ecodistricts In San Francisco: The Implementation Of Neighborhood Regional Planning And Its Potential Effects On Environmental Resilience, Elizabeth M. Juvera

Master's Projects and Capstones

Ecodistricts, or neighborhood-scale, community-driven areas of sustainable development, have emerged internationally and within the U.S. to create models of adaptive environmental design and advanced urban infrastructure. Central SoMa is the first ecodistrict to be planned and implemented in San Francisco, with the intention of revitalizing and greening this urbanized region of the city. At this time, the Central SoMa area has very low biodiversity levels, inefficient infrastructure, and poor water management capabilities. Through the implementation of ecodistricts in San Francisco, the city can integrate physical and behavioral sustainability measures from existing ecodistricts such as permeable surfaces, green roofs, stormwater management, …

An Analysis Of The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’S Ability To Achieve Sustainability As Defined By The Transportation Index For Sustainable Places, Vanessa Trafas

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper analysis the ability of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority to adhere to sustainability under the Transportation Index for Sustainable Places (TISP). Analysis focuses solely on the environmental domain of the TISP and the criteria included within that domain. Three pieces are analyzed: the Los Angeles Sustainable Implementation Plan, the Sustainable Rail Plan, and the Regional Connector Transit Project. These pieces are found to adhere to the sustainability criteria under the environmental domain of the TISP.

An Exploratory Scenario For San Francisco To Become A Walking, Bicycling And Transit City, Chaowen Huang

Master's Projects and Capstones

The effects of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on global warming and climate change have become increasingly evident, and the transportation sector is a dominant contributor to GHG emissions which responsible for 13% of the world’s total GHG emissions and more than 21% of overall energy-related CO₂ emissions. Cities need sustainable transportation system that integrate new technologies and strategies to provide efficient and effective transit service while reducing its GHG emission and improving its livability. This paper explores a suitable and sustainable transportation scenario for San Francisco to achieve its 2035 goal which is to reduce 1,767,500 metric tons GHG emissions …

Academic Incoherence: The State Of Sustainability Literature Today, Anthony Philip Stine

Student Research Symposium

The traditional tools associated with researching and presenting findings in contemporary sustainability literature include very little representation on moral forms of discourse. In the context of social sustainability this is problematic due to the inherently normative nature of the discourse. A citation analysis reveals very little representation of Christian moral environmental claims in the sustainability literature today despite growing concern amongst Christians for the state of the environment today.

Estimating Stormwater Runoff For Community Gardens In New York City, Mara Gittleman

Theses and Dissertations

While much of the literature cites community gardens as providing urban ecosystem services, there is very little research quantifying these benefits. This thesis compares the stormwater runoff rates of urban vacant lots, community gardens, and residential developments in New York City and evaluates community gardens as green infrastructure.

From The Web Into The World: An Analysis Of Millennial Environmentalism, Cherokee Mcanelly

Student Theses 2015-Present

Environmentalism and sustainable lifestyles have steadily increased in popularity in recent years in the United States, especially among the 18-33 year old age group “Millennials, ” also known as Generation Y. Vegetarianism and veganism, involvement in environmental advocacy groups, and the popularity of green products are at record highs. However, research shows that the prevalence of young people living and promoting a sustainable lifestyle online rarely translates into tangible action, a phenomenon known as ‘slacktivism,’ and Generation Y also shows reluctance to identify as environmentalists or activists due to a perceived stigma associated with the term. Through the use of …

Fishing For A Sustainable Future: Aquaponics As A Method Of Food Production, Richard Ramsundar

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis compares and explains the advantages aquaponics farming has over modern industrial intensive farming. Through a comparison natural capital usage, conservation, recycling and cost, the thesis advocates for the expansion of aquaponics usage in urban settings. The thesis also explains the history of intensive farming and aquaponics in America, the science of how aquaponics operates, the economic and environmental costs of modern intensive farming versus aquaponics farming, and the social implications of aquaponics. Lastly, I propose a policy that reallocates farm subsidies by modifying the Farm Bill. Then I propose policies that support creating a new standard of farm …

Impacts Of Consumer Horticulture On Stormwater And Nutrient Management: Investigating Public Perception, Knowledge, And Practices In The Shenandoah River Watershed, Christopher P. Parker

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The South Fork Shenandoah River is a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay that is a significant contributor to nitrogen and phosphorus that enter the Bay and leads to increased eutrophication. These nutrients also cause problems in the South Fork Shenandoah River. The United States Environmental Protection agency has implemented strict regulation to reduce nutrients entering the Bay by developing the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. While the TMDL has strict regulation on wastewater treatment, agriculture, and industry, there are still sources of nutrients entering the Bay through unregulated sources. Urban/suburban runoff is one of these sources, particularly runoff from home owner’s lawns. …

Efficacy According To Viewing Length And Video Content Of Promotional Videos For Sustainability Graduate Education., Bryan T. Ogden

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Sustainability communication opens up a range of perspectives on the definition and theory associated with concepts of sustainability and communication. An overview of the literature dealing with sustainability communication and its measure is presented with a dialogic perspective in mind. Practical matters of the video length, production methods and design are described. The Project is evaluated with the sustainability testing rubric advanced by Polk, Reilly, Servaes, Shi and Yakupitijage. The study compares three videos of different length and environmental images through an online survey. It is hypothesized that related environmental images and a three minute video will prompt more positive …

Emissions From Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations During Wet And Dry Periods In The Southeastern United States, Jesse N. F. Winchester

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Air quality modeling is a recent development in atmospheric science dedicated to simulating the characteristics of surface emissions within the context of a variety of meteorological conditions. In western Kentucky, there are several concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that emit a variety of gases, including sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The hypothesis was that the concentration and spread of SO₂ emissions from these sources would differ between wet and dry periods over the CAFO locations. In this thesis, point emissions from locations representing CAFOs in western Kentucky and the transit of SO₂throughout the southeastern U.S. were simulated …

Do Footprint-Based Cafe Standards Make Car Models Bigger?, Brianna Marie Jean

Economics

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards have historically been set equal across all manufacturer fleets of the same type. Concerns about varying costs across firms and safety implications of standards that are set homogeneously across firms and models resulted in a policy shift towards footprint-based standards. Under this type of standard, individual car models face targets based on the size of the area between the wheelbase and wheel track, so that larger models face less stringent standards, and manufacturers who make, on average, larger cars will face a lighter fleet standard. Theoretical models have shown that this type of policy …

A Chi-Square Analysis Of The Fall 2013 Transportation Survey: Students At The University At Albany, Cassidy Drasser

Publications

There are over 6,500 students at the University at Albany who live off-campus and commute to school. In order to reduce their carbon footprint, the University at Albany must investigate what influences the students’ transportation choices and their alternative transportation literacy. Therefore, the Office of Environmental Sustainability, Geography and Urban Planning Department and the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness conducted a survey in the fall of 2013 for the students at the University at Albany. After examining the results, the gender and minority distributions were not representative of the student population. The significant associations that were prominent were …

Visualization And Interpretation Of Pm10 Monitoring Data Related To Causes Of Haze Episodes In Northern Thailand, Sirapong Sooktawee, Usa Humphries, Aduldech Patpai, Rungrawee Kongsong, Suteera Boonyapitak, Nirun Piemyai

Applied Environmental Research

Monitoring of ambient air quality yields data typically presented as time series plots, tables of summarized statistical values, or other representations. This paper presents an alternative way to visualizing air quality monitoring data by presenting concentrations in the form of a calendar, offering a familiar way for reader to identify air quality trends on various time scales(daily, weekly, or monthly). One of the major air pollution problems in the northern part of Thailand is haze, which is related tothe concentration of airborne particulates less than 10 microns in size (PM10). This paper presents calendars of PM10 concentrations monitored by the …

Teak Log Coffins In Northwest Thailand: Dated By Dendrochronology And 14cwiggle Matching, Nathsuda Pumijumnong, Sineenart Wannasri

Applied Environmental Research

Log coffins have been discovered in caves and rockshelters in the Pang Ma Pha district, Mae Hong Son province, Northwestern Thailand. Most are made of teak wood. Many researchers have used the 14C method to determine their age. However, 14C cannot provide as precise a ca-lendar age as dendrochronology. In this paper, we therefore applied dendrochronology analysis to a number of teak log coffins at the Ban Rai Rockshelter to establish a floating chronology and to cross-date the coffins relative to each other. Then, wiggle matching was used for one log cof-fin to derive an approximate but absolute calendar age. …

Best Management Practices For Sustainability In A Small-Scale Community Renewable Energy: Sathya Sai School, Thailand, Panichat Kitisittichai, Ariya Aruninta

Applied Environmental Research

Organizations working towards standardization have defined universal standards for Best Management Practices (BMPs) for renewable energy (RE) projects. However, these universal standards are better suitedto large-scale than small-scale projects such as community renewable energy (CRE) projects. Methods used by CRE projects to achieve BMP status remain to be determined. This paper aims to present various aspects of BMPs for small-scale CRE projects by emphasizing practices that are unrestricted, simple, andadaptable to the surrounding environment, and that will eventually lead to sustainability in the commu-nity. The case study involves RE projects at the 'Sathya Sai School Thailand,' an education-based com-munity which …

An Appropriate Guideline For Participatory Gis: A Result From The Experience Of Joint Management Of Protected Area Project In Thailand, Phonpat Hemwan

Applied Environmental Research

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) process as implemented through the Joint Management of Protected Areas (JoMPA) project. This article analyzes the process of local land use planning using PGIS through demarcation of special use zones. This was demonstrated to be a crucial process in the implemen-tation of conservation projects. Implementation of PGIS involves several operational steps, broughttogether in this study using the method of action research. It is based on collaborative partici-pation by stakeholders in the local area, leading all stakeholders to effective co-management of resources. The means of PGIS is …

Archaeological Tourism Opportunity Spectrum: Experience Based Management And Design As Applied To Archaeological Tourism, Brian Mazzola

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Archaeological sites need a new management and development framework to address the pressures resulting from an increasing interest in archaeological tourism. This new framework needs to address both the imminent threat that increased tourism brings (overuse, crowding and additional wear) to the site as well as the widening range of experiences that tourists expect. Over the last decades, management frameworks have been developed in many fields of tourism to address similar issues. The most widely known of these approaches are the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), the Tourism Opportunity Spectrum (TOS) and the Ecotourism Opportunity Spectrum (ECOS). These frameworks provide several …

Shorebird Migratory Stopover Responses To Local And Regional Change: Habitat Decisions In A Vanishing Landscape, Caitlyn Gillespie

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding the consequences of anthropogenic change for migratory species is challenging because although they have evolved to cope with environmental uncertainty, migrants still rely on predictable relationships within and among habitats to make informed decisions. Calidris shorebirds rely on ephemeral wetlands during northward migration through mid-continental North America, where favorable habitat conditions are annually and regionally unpredictable and increasingly altered by land-use change. During spring 2013 and 2014, we assessed Calidris habitat use in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) and the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) at both local and landscape scales. Although anthropogenic change has altered the wetland landscape in both …

Factors Influencing Solid-Waste Management In The Developing World, Jessica Mcallister

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the world becomes more urbanized and developed consumption rates are on the rise. An inevitable consequence of more consumption is the rapid increase in the amount of solid waste that is produced. Today, solid-waste management (SWM) conditions in the developing world are often quite dire and reminiscent of those found in the developed world several generations ago. The impact of inadequate SWM practices on natural and human environments is now being acknowledged. This report is founded on a comprehensive literature review concerning SWM in developing countries. It also introduces a preliminary research design relevant to a SWM assessment for …

Sustainable Promotion In Hospitality, Anette Isabella Nilsen

Honors College Theses

With the ever-increasing need to reduce our carbon foot print, the necessity to innovate for a more sustainable future has become the responsibility of both individuals and corporations. Sustainable development, which is development that “meets our needs today, without compromising the ability meet the needs of future generations” was first brought to light at the Earth Summit in 1987 (Bärlund, n.d.). With the growing numbers of travelers world wide, the hospitality industry was aware that environmental changes and pollution could potentially paralyze their industry and they became among the first to adopt more sustainable practices in their hotels and restaurants. …

Occurrence Of Trichodesmium Erythraeum (Cyanophyte) Bloom And Its Effects On The Fish Catch During April 2013, In The Andaman Sea, Arun Kumar, Gadi Padmavati, Hosahalli Pradeep

Applied Environmental Research

A highly intense bloom of the nitrogen fixing Cyanobacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum(~7,000 filaments l-1) was observed during April 2013 (for a period of 5 days) in the Andaman Sea, at Lat.10°-13°N and Long. 93°-95°E.This is the first report of this bloom in the open waters of this region. Atmospheric temperature at the time ranged from 27 to 30.5 °C, sea surface temperature ranged from 29 to 34 °C, and salinity values ranged from 32.5 to 34 psu. However, there was no significant variation in pH (8.1-8.3), and DO concentrations ranged from 4.7 to 5.5 mg L-1during the studyperiod. Phosphate values ranged …

An Institutional Analysis Of Climate Finance In Thailand, Kanittha Tambunlertchai, Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, Buntoon Srethasirote

Applied Environmental Research

While the institutional infrastructure to coordinate climate change policy in Thailand alreadyexists, previous studies have identified an important gap in this infrastructure. An institutional arrangement/coordinating mechanism is needed to oversee coordination of resource allocation and utilization among government agenciesin order to achieve the national goal of a low carbon and resilient society. This paper reviews current policies and institutions related to climate changeand recommends a new Sub-committee on Climate Finance be established under the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC). Alternatively, the existing sub-committee could be renamedas a Sub-committee on Climate Finance and Planning. Having a specific coordinating mecha-nism on climate …

Groundwater Recharge Potential Using Gis Around The Land Development Facilities Of Chulalongkorn University At Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province, Thailand, Srilert Chotpantarat, Jaturon Konkul, Satika Boonkaewwan, Thanop Thitimakorn

Applied Environmental Research

KaengKhoi District (SaraburiProvince, Thailand) suffers from a surface water shortage due to increasing demand from domestic use and crop production, particularly in the drought season. Groundwater resources are an additional source of freshwater in this area, especially for agricul-tural purposes, but to be sustainable its usage should not exceed long-term groundwater recharge. Evaluation of the groundwater recharge potential is therefore essential to determine the sustain-able use level for groundwater resources. This study aimed to determine the groundwater re-charge potential using the geographic information system (GIS) around the Land Development Facilities of Chulalongkorn University at KaengKhoi District, Thailand. The hydrologic and …

Potential Of Producing Refuse Derived Fuel (Rdf) From Municipal Solid Waste At Rajamangala University Of Technology Isan Surin Campus, Tiammanee Weerasak, Sompop Sanongraj

Applied Environmental Research

The objective of this study is to explore the potential of producing energy from open-dump solidwaste from Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Surin Campus. Heating value as well as thephysical and chemical compositions were analyzed. The composition and heating value were comparedto refuse-derived fuel quality standard. All waste samples were separated into combustible and non-com-bustible matter. Paper, plastic, food residue, textiles, rubber and leather were classified as combustible. In excess of ninety-nine (99%) of open dump waste consisted of combustible matteras follows: mixed plastic (45%), textile (19%), food residue (18%), paper (14%), and leather and rubber (3%). Non-combustible composted inert …

Using Network Models To Predict Steelhead Abundance, Middle Fork John Day, Or, Monica R. Blanchard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important in the management of threatened and endangered species to have informed population estimates. Population estimates are used to gage whether or not recovery goals are being met. When assessing Pacific salmonids this assessment involves sampling a small subset of the population and then scaling up to estimate larger populations units. This is complicated by the fact that fish populations are not evenly distributed along river systems but respond to fluctuating physical and biological stream properties. We used rapid assessment survey methods and the River Styles classification to explore fish-habitat relationships. River Styles is a classification system that …

Cultural, Demographic, And Environmental Influences On Risk Perception And Mitigation In The Wildland-Urban Interface, Voravee Saengawut Chakreeyarat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Protecting human communities and natural environments from wildfire is growing more complex as more people move to fire-prone areas across the United States. This study integrates cultural, psychological, and environmental information to reach a better understanding of the linkages between perceptions of risk from wildfire and people’s behaviors to reduce that risk. Through studies in fire-prone communities in Arizona, California, and New Mexico, I investigated factors that influence peoples’ decisions whether to undertake wildfire hazard mitigation activities such as clearing dead vegetation around the house. The social and ecological characteristics of individual properties were investigated to understand how they are …