Environmental Studies Commons^™

Building A Smoke-Resilient Spokane: Guidance From Community Conversations, Anna Reed, Hannah Mckinley, Dante Jester, Brian G. Henning, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Wildfire season has grown in length and severity in the western United States due to decades of fire suppression and climate change. This trend is projected to continue, worsening air quality and increasing the risk to public health. In response, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, in partnership with the University of Washington, hosted the Smoke Ready Spokane Symposium in July 2024 in Spokane, Washington. The event convened community partners across sectors to reflect on past wildfire smoke events and discuss locally-relevant wildfire smoke exposure reduction strategies. Symposium participants engaged in small group discussions using the World …

Rebuilding Consent: Fear, Trust, And The Future Of Nuclear Energy, Austin Dunham

University Honors Theses

This thesis traces the cultural and emotional roots of nuclear fear in the United States and explores how those inherited anxieties continue to shape public resistance to nuclear energy in the face of a worsening climate crisis. Drawing on personal narrative, risk perception theory, and the history of nuclear discourse - from Hiroshima to Chernobyl to today - the research examines how trust, rather than technology, remains the largest barrier to progress. By analyzing the stories we tell about energy, disaster, control, and overall perceived risk, this work asks what it would take for Americans to imagine nuclear energy not …

Us Food Waste, Kawika Barry

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This essay touches on the food waste problem we have in the US and various ways to help reduce the issue at hand.

From Contamination To Consequence: Tracing Donna Lake’S Human Environmental History, Dean Kyne

Sociology Faculty Publications

The Donna Reservoir and Canal System (Donna Lake) in Texas has been a persistent source of environmental contamination for over a century, exposing surrounding communities to dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Originally built for agricultural irrigation, the system became a recreational fishing site before PCB contamination was discovered during public health investigations in the 1990s. This study examines patterns of demographic vulnerability, evaluates remediation efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and explores residents’ ongoing challenges related to toxic exposure. Using publicly available demographic data, EPA reports, and previous health assessments, the study analyzes variations in community characteristics …

Field Journal: The Excluded Middle, Carrie E. Kouts

Masters Theses

What does it look like to engage with organisms and landscapes at the periphery of anthropocentric value structures? How does one break the internalized myth that the “built” environment is excluded from the natural world? When does a hyper-mobile and hyper-commodified society confront the exponential crisis of animal death? Within this series of journal entries, field notes, collection observations, weird prose, and sensory musings, one will find questions on the nature of being human and the complex narratives of care we encounter in a world shared with more-than-humans. Each handwritten vignette and photograph from daily life weaves a non-linear and …

The Industrial Hemp Supply Chain Solution, Honovi C. Trudell Sir

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Realistically solving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals utilizing an Industrial Hemp supply chain with economy to scale to replace petroleum based plastics and permanently offset carbon emissions produced from other continuously produced hazardous waste.

[2025 Honorable Mention] Racial Marginalization And Pesticide Exposure In Monterey County, Haleigh Fagundes

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This paper examines the concept of environmental racism in the context of harmful pesticides and their disproportionate use in prominently Hispanic communities. These communities continue to face the consequences of exposure despite their activism. The concept of environmental patriotism, as proposed by Anne Todd in Communicating Environmental Patriotism: A Rhetorical History of the American Environmental Movement (2013), is incompatible with the data that supports the existence of environmental racism. In this piece Todd argues that channeling the pride one feels for their country is an effective way of promoting environmental efforts amongst individual citizens. The data to be presented denies …

Learning That Sticks: How Students Remember Invasive Species Through Different Learning Methods, Francesco L. Miniello

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to determine which learning methods are most effective at helping students learn about invasive species. Research through literature reviews showed that active learning methods can best help students learn and retain information regarding aspects of the natural environment. This includes hands-on activities such as participating in discussions, making observations, playing games, and interacting with objects like animals. The experiment tested different active and passive learning methods. This included watching presentations under passive learning or reviewing information online through active learning. Results showed that participants felt more confident about learning the material through active learning and were more …

What Is The Automotive Recycling Industry And Its Prospective Future?, Andres M. Rabago

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

An explanation of the current automotive recycling industry. Looking in depth at aspects such as its sustainability and key businesses involved in the industry and the roles they play in it.

Balancing Sustainability And Profitability, Cristian Mateo Guzman

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Big corporations tend to prioritize profitability and cost-cutting practices. However, this Chapter will explore companies that demonstrate the benefits of balancing ethical and sustainable sourcing with long-term profitability. These companies are Patagonia, Unilever, Danone, and ThredUp. By implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), good labor practices, and eco-friendly policies, big corporations can strengthen brand loyalty, drive innovation, and obtain long-term profitability in global supply chains. Prioritizing ethical and sustainable business practices will improve environmental well-being and long-term sustainability. The global supply chain faces pressure to endure sustainable practices while balancing and maintaining profitability. The fashion industry uses low-cost workers to produce …

Integrating A Stakeholder-Centric Approach Into Dynamic Adaptation Policy Pathways For Equitable Coastal Flood Risk Management In East Boston, Shailee M. Desai

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research aims to illustrate a methodology incorporating diverse stakeholder values in adaptation planning to promote equitable outcomes using a hypothetical case study of the Lower Border Street area in East Boston, using the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP) framework for managing coastal flood risk. It offers three significant contributions to the field of adaptation planning: (i) It demonstrates how to integrate a stakeholder-specific assessment within the DAPP framework and illustrates individual impacts to a variety of stakeholders, including high- and low-income residents, commercial actors, government actors, and coastal landowners hoping that the planning process remains transparent and motivates local …

Sustainability Challenges In The Semiconductor Industry Due To Geopolitical Tension, Malcolm M. Williams

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This work examines how the valuable and sensitive semiconductor industry demonstrates the intersectionality of geopolitics, economic strategy, and environmental sustainability. It traces historical developments in semiconductor supply chains, highlights the global impact of U.S.-China tensions, and explores how sustainability goals are being reshaped by regional security policies. Using frameworks like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the Triple Bottom Line, and Impact Assessment, the chapter assesses the industry’s water and energy demands, carbon emissions, and trade disruptions. The analysis culminates in a discussion of policy recommendations aimed at balancing national security with sustainable innovation. Readers are encouraged to consider the broader consequences …

Participatory Science Newsletter 2025_05_20, Mairi Poisson, Malin Clyde, Alyson L. Eberhardt

Participatory Science News

In this edition of the UNH Participatory Sciences Newsletter, we offer news and resources on The Power of Participatory Sciences. These include a story about UNH graduate student Lauren White's work using participatory science data about horseshoe crab spawning in the Great Bay. Another story highlights UNH's Coastal Research Volunteers Beach Profiling Project and another outlines how many UNH researchers at UNH are working with local communities to find solutions to environmental problems. A final article shares information about the 2025 conference for the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences and the poster presented by scholars and students from UNH.

Forced Labor In Apple's Iphone Supply Chain, Frederick Jozaitis

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

A deep dive into forced labor in Apple's supply chain process

Utah People And Environment Poll 2024/25 Descriptive Report, Jessica Schad, Sydney Fisk, Zubair Barkat

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

In spring of 2023, faculty and graduate students at Utah State University (USU) started the Utah People and Environment Poll, or UPEP, to survey adult Utah residents about their perceptions on environmental issues of importance to the state. From November 2024 to January 2025 the second iteration of the survey was conducted. While some questions remained the same, others were added to account for new interests of the team and emergent environmental issues of interest.

"War In Kyrgyzstan And Tajikistan: Freshwater Scarcity And The Path To Peace", Ava Janelle Leonard

Senior Theses

As climate change intensifies, its effects on the natural environment are becoming increasingly visible. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. This transformation of the environment threatens access to natural resources, limits economic growth, and increases the vulnerability of a nation’s ecological, political, and social stability. Freshwater is one of the most essential natural resources. This paper addresses how inadequate access to freshwater in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has impacted stability within and across borders. Chapter one introduces freshwater as a limited resource, highlighting how the scarcity of it threatens environmental sustainability and …

Healing Our Relations Emergent Folk Art Creation Community Project For Cultural Healing And Reconciliation, Renna Fir

Expressive Therapies Theses

Settler colonial disconnection from place perpetuates ongoing harm to Indigenous communities, ecosystems, and cultural systems through extraction, displacement, and erasure. This community engagement project explores how communities can develop emergent cultural practices that acknowledge historical and ongoing harms while building toward repair and right relationship. Through a series of five participatory workshops combining movement, storytelling, and folk dance creation; seven community members and three culture bearers, understood as "elders" explored their relationship with place through embodied practice. The research utilized an anti-colonial arts-based methodology centered on community wisdom while documenting the process through multiple complementary methods. Findings demonstrate that folk …

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

A Comparative Lifecycle Analysis Of The Ford Toyota Rav4 And Tesla Model Y, Nicholas R. Loughead

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This report presents a comprehensive comparative lifecycle analysis of the Toyota RAV4, the best-selling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, and the Tesla Model Y, the best-selling electric vehicle (EV). The analysis evaluates each vehicle's environmental impact across all stages of its lifecycle: raw material extraction, manufacturing, use phase, and end-of-life. Key factors examined include greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and material sustainability, with special attention to battery production, vehicle efficiency, and recycling practices. By contrasting the emissions profiles and long-term sustainability of the RAV4 and Model Y, this report aims to assess whether electric vehicles offer a significantly lower environmental …

Green Logistics: A Brief Look At Cutting Carbon In Global Supply Chains, Maria F. Navarro

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This chapter looks at how companies are making their supply chains more eco-friendly by using green logistics. It explains how businesses are trying to lower their carbon footprint by improving things like transportation, packaging, and warehouse operations. Some of the main strategies include using electric trucks, planning better delivery routes, and using less energy in storage. It also talks about how new technologies like AI and automation can help make logistics both smarter and more sustainable. Overall, the chapter shows that being environmentally responsible is becoming more important for companies around the world.

Closing The Loop: Dell Technologies And The Future Of E-Waste Management, Elijah M. Atkinson Mr.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

The exponential growth of electronic waste—exceeding 50 million metric tons annually—poses a formidable challenge at the intersection of environmental sustainability, global equity, and corporate responsibility. This study critically examines Dell Technologies’ approach to circular economy implementation, with a focus on product modularity, ethical supply chain management, and reverse logistics infrastructure. Anchored in a comparative framework alongside Apple, HP, and Lenovo, the analysis evaluates the scalability, transparency, and material impact of Dell’s initiatives, including the Concept Luna prototype and the Dell Reconnect program. Findings underscore the structural shortcomings of voluntary corporate action in the absence of robust global regulation, consistent product …

Enhancing Water Supply Resilience & Sustainability: Potential Solutions To Address Water Scarcity In Bogotá, Colombia, Sophia Alvarez Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Municipal water utilities are in urgent need of adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change and population growth—key drivers of urban water scarcity worldwide. In rapidly expanding cities like Bogota, Colombia, these pressures have contributed to a severe water crisis driven by prolonged droughts, ecosystem degradation, increasing water demands, and overdependence on limited water sources. This study explores potential adaptation and management strategies that utilities can implement to sustainably strengthen supply system resilience and enhance water security, in the context of low- to middle-income regions. A series of comparative and case study analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility …

Sustainability In Professional Sports: A New Nexus Of Profit And Social Responsibility, Matthew Teplitz

Master's Theses

The world is facing a climate crisis – corrective action that will improve our collective situation is needed, now. Those with the power to do so, in the capitalist structure under which we live, are largely the individuals, corporations, and governments with financial resources and the platform to inspire others to act. Two such entities, complete with the financial heft to make a difference and inspiration to spare, are North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) and Spain’s La Liga. This thesis seeks to understand what distinguishes the NBA’s approach to sustainability from La Liga, and by employing each league as …

Cannabis Impacts On Native Lands: On The Need For Inclusion Of Native Perspectives In Extension Work, Jeremy Sorgen, Seth Larosa, Jennifer Sowerwine, Van Butsic, Peter Nelson, Melanie Mccavour, Shasta Gaughen, Anna Starkey

Journal of Extension

This article highlights the need for Cooperative Extension to increase awareness of Tribal concerns around activities that impact land, natural resources, and water. A research team at UC Berkeley worked with a Tribal Advisory Committee to conduct a survey of Tribal representatives’ perceptions of cannabis impacts on Native lands and cultural resources. The results show that there is widespread concern among Native communities about the environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation, especially to water quality, access, and availability. These concerns underscore the need to include Native communities in Extension’s agricultural and natural resource activities across all regions and sectors.

Analyzing Ballast Water Treatments, Invasive Species, And Pathogens, And A Decade-Long Analysis On The San Francisco And Baltimore Ports, Jasmin Ibarra-Cortes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Installation of advanced technologies to treat ballast water on ships is necessary to meet current ballast water management standards and reduce the secondary spread of invasive species during intracoastal voyages. This research includes a literature review on non-native aquatic species, particularly diapausing eggs, and available treatment methods for installation. A comparative analysis from 2014 - 2024 on bulker, tanker, and container vessels arriving coastwise to the ports of San Francisco and Baltimore was performed to evaluate treatment installation trends, traffic patterns, and the effectiveness of treatment(s) on targeting diapausing eggs. Use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation combined with filtration has increased …

The Politics Of Being Heard: Communication And Power Struggles In Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Caroline Trejo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The environmental and public health challenges in Bayview-Hunters Point have catalyzed widespread community activism, as residents and advocates respond to the ongoing fallout from radiological contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Communication plays a vital role in bridging the gap between affected communities and government entities throughout the cleanup process. This research asks: how have the communication strategies of advocacy groups influenced government actions and policies during the Bayview-Hunters Point Shipyard cleanup? To explore this question, I conducted semi-structured interviews with three community advocates, two former members of a non-partisan civil jury, one independent researcher, and one government official. …

Climate Change Anxiety And Hope Both Predict Action: A Moderation Analysis, Yuhan Bi, Grace Hyde, Orei Z. Odents, Kai Okagawa, Cassandra Hoffman, Kimberly A. Barchard

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Climate change is associated with extreme weather events that have devastating effects on communities worldwide. These events disrupt ecosystems, damage infrastructure, and influence physical and mental well-being. Urgent action is needed. Prior studies demonstrate that people are more likely to take action if they feel anxious about climate change and if they feel hopeful they can make a difference. However, we hypothesized that anxiety and hope would interact: that anxiety would only predict action when people felt hopeful. Therefore, we used path analysis to determine if hope moderates the relation between anxiety and action.

In a cross-sectional design, 500 United …

Passive Envelope Retrofits As Climate Justice Infrastructure Against Extreme Heat: A Gis-Guided Approach For Outdated Single-Family Homes In Urban California, Mert Oztekin Mr.

Master's Projects and Capstones

I examined the opportunities to enhance equity in energy performance, climate resilience, and environmental adaptation through climate-resilient envelope retrofitting and spatially guided implementation strategies (via mappings of the Urban Heat Island -UHI- and socio-economic vulnerability indicators). Passive envelope retrofits of attic insulation; high-performance windows; cool roofs; and green roofs / walls, are examined across multiple climate zones of California' aged single-family housing stock, focusing on the Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). Through spatial analysis, strong overlap between Urban Heat Island(UHI) exposure; pre-1980 housing; socioeconomic disadvantage, and thus the need for spatially-directed action is underlined. The policy landscape analysis provides confirmation of the …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Co-Located Floating Solar And Offshore Wind, Danela Sadikaj, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Is combining floating solar and offshore wind platforms feasible for increasing energy capacity while displacing the environmental impacts that each of these systems has independently? In recent years offshore wind has become a very popular option to decarbonize the energy sector without overtaking valuable land. While floating solar is not a new technology, using solar in a marine environment is still in an experimental phase. This research proposes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model of co-located solar technology within the proposed offshore wind farms near New Jersey’s coastline. While both technologies themselves are zero-emission while operating, they each require a …

Reducing Emissions And Increasing Resource Efficiency In Offshore Wind Turbines: Insight From Life Cycle Analysis, Jean Claire Pineda, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Globally, offshore wind (OSW) has been identified as a key technology for decarbonization. While OSW’s development timeline remains uncertain in the United States, New Jersey has set the ambitious goal of 11 GW by 2040. OSW produces zero carbon emissions; however, it relies heavily on resource-intensive materials like steel, rare earth elements, and copper, and manufacturing those materials have numerous environmental impacts, including carbon emissions. Supply chain disruptions—from COVID-19, rising material costs, and geopolitical challenges—add further complexity. Previous research modelled the environmental impacts of Atlantic Shores OSW South Project with an established domestic supply chain, producing 0.013kg CO2 per kWh. …