Environmental Studies Commons^™

Bridging The Green Divide: Sustainable Community Development And Climate Resilience In Altadena, Ca, Katie Brosnan

Pitzer Senior Theses

Sustainable Community Development (SCD) is widely debated as a climate mitigation strategy, with recognized benefits such as reducing carbon footprints, enhancing public health, and fostering economic resilience. However, a major critique is its limited accessibility to marginalized communities. In particular, the resilience embedded in rebuilding plans does not necessarily translate to real access for those whose insurance coverage may not be sufficient to afford conventional design services or reconstruction costs. This thesis argues that while SCD is an effective tool for climate mitigation, its success depends on equitable access—not just in principle, but in the material capacity to participate in …

Mapping The Tren Maya’S Mark On Mérida, Diego Tamayo

Pitzer Senior Theses

Mapping the Tren Maya’s Mark on Mérida investigates whether the Tren Maya railway is ushering in new sustainable development which provides economic and social benefits for the residents of Mérida, Mexico. The Mexican government has spearheaded the megaproject’s construction in a mere four years with the goal of boosting economic growth in an environmentally and socially conscious manner. The following investigation highlights where this vision, articulated in technocratically-constructed public documents and amplified in reporting, has been fulfilled in Mérida. Through geospatial, physical, and journalistic investigations and analysis, it is revealed the Tren Maya has brought a host of impacts upon …

Anthropogenic Prairies Of The Southern Salish Sea: Ethnographic And Archaeological Landscapes, South Puget Sound, Washington., Jamey D. Taylor Ms.

All Graduate Projects

This project report has been completed to fulfill requirements of the Master of Applied Science of Cultural and Environmental Resource Management (MAS-CERM) at Central Washington University. The project models the cultural landscapes of the southern Salish Sea. These landscapes include anthropogenic prairies, travel routes (trails and roads), salmon runs, and archaeological sites. This study maps the historic boundaries of prairies and recent data sets for key plant species. The locations of prairies and indicator species are overlaid with ethnohistoric settlements, archaeological site locations, and trail systems. The spatial correlations of these data are used to interpret the prominence of anthropogenic …

The Massachusetts Proactive Coastal Relocation Workshop: Summary Report & Proceedings, Kristin Uiterwyk, Kimberly Starbuck, Emma Gildsgame, Andrew Laquerre, Melissa Ocana, Elisa Rivero

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

On June 3rd, the project team held the “Massachusetts Coastal Relocation Workshop” which provided the first opportunity for the Coastal Relocation Network members to come together in-person. More than 70 people attended and, among other things, (1) made new connections through activities designed to encourage engagement; (2) learned about new and forthcoming plans, tools, and resources; and (3) were encouraged to think deeply about planning for retreat, engaging communities, and using data to inform decisions

Swansea Waterways Plan, Kimberly Starbuck, Kristin Uiterwyk, Shannon Hogan, Allison Novelly

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

UHI worked with the Town of Swansea to engage members of the public in waterways planning activities. The plan covered a wide range of topics including public access, water quality, natural resources, commercial and recreational uses, and climate change.

Consumption Pressure In Estuaries Peaks At Intermediate Salinities, Catherine E. De Rivera, Amy A. Larson, Benjamin G. Rubinoff, Luna R. Soto, Seth L. Wright, Edwin D. Grosholz, Gregory M. Ruiz, Andrew L. Chang

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The nature and strength of biotic interactions change along stress gradients, but the importance of these interactions across estuarine gradients is under studied. Here, we examined how consumption varies across estuarine salinity gradients by deploying standardized baits (‘squidpops’) to measure consumption pressure along the gradients of five estuaries in Oregon, USA. The relationship between consumption and stress was nonlinear: consumption pressure peaked slightly at mid salinity and decreased at low salinity, especially as temperature increased, in the five estuaries studied. This finding does not support either of two existing models for consumption across gradients, including the Consumer Stress Model and …

The Dirt Underneath My Fingernails: The American Pastoral And 21st-Century Food System Reform, Annabella Isaacson

Scripps Senior Theses

The following is an amalgamation of my experiences personally and vested interests academically, and is meant to be read as just that. As a thesis that combines Environmental Analysis and Writing & Rhetoric degrees, this project challenges traditional academic forms by integrating creative nonfiction and poetry with academic writing and analysis. This thesis attempts to fuse the academic and personal essay into one cohesive piece. The inconclusive nature of the narratives and explorations that follow are intended to represent my process in grappling with the histories and significance of American pastoral literature through the ways in which this genre has …

Lands Lost: Tracing Displacement And Ecological Degradation Amongst The Tataviam, Kawaiisu, Kitanemuk, And Vanyume People Of Antelope Valley, Calif., Daisy Alvarez

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the historic and ongoing impact of settler colonialism in the Antelope Valley, this thesis argues the Tataviam, Kawaiisu, Kitanemuk, and Vanyume, the aboriginal tribes of the valley, are effectively erased from the valley’s narrative and imagination. Through a series of genocidal and colonization efforts, first from Mission San Fernando and then from the California State Government and arrival of Anglo American settlers, the valley’s tribes can be subjugated to acculturation, displacement, massacres, and marginalization. Recognizing the valley's moral responsibility to platform their living descendants, the thesis proposes a path forward through decolonization, calling out local governments (Lancaster and Palmdale) …

The Paradox Of Survival: Gendered Food Insecurity, Labor Inequalities, And Coping Strategies During The 2023/4 Drought In Eastern Ethiopia, Meron E. Lemma

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In drought-prone regions of Eastern Ethiopia, recurring droughts profoundly reshape everyday life in ways that deepen existing gendered inequalities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Fedis district, including semi-structured interviews with women, project implementers, and government officials, as well as group discussions with community members, this study explores how women experience, navigate, and resist the gendered impacts of drought. By attending to the sociopolitical dynamics of drought and the development interventions that accompany it, I analyze how these forces restructure labor, land, food systems, and authority in ways that reproduce and exacerbate existing inequalities. Women’s coping strategies, ranging from begging and …

Analysis Of Safety Investment : Economic Benefit In Arctic Shipping To Shipping Companies And The Arctic Coastal States, Junjie Wan

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Global warming severely affects the Arctic region, including ice coverage and thickness. In contrast, it allows unprecedented navigation opportunities for more extended periods each year, attracting maritime stakeholders because of the potential distance reduction compared to shipping corridor routes. However, mitigating Arctic navigation hazards requires safety investments, especially from shipowners and Arctic coastal states. When allocating limited resources to safety, decision-makers should efficiently prioritize their investments. This research aims to determine how to optimize shipping companies and Arctic coastal states’ safety investments. It begins with a comprehensive analysis of safety investments and safety economic benefits in Arctic shipping. Then, an …

Charting A Sustainable Course Beyond Carbon : A Critical Carbon-Water-Energy Assessment Of Net-Zero Shipping Scenarios With Synthetic Fuels And Ghc Offsetting, Alexandre Bellot

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

This thesis extends the scope of IMO maritime decarbonization studies by incorporating cradle-to-grave approaches. This study advocates for an approach incorporating cradle-to-grave resource efficiency and carbon neutrality, assessing cumulative energy demand and net freshwater withdrawal as key sustainability metrics. The thesis specifically addresses the question of the sustainability of decarbonization strategies centred on substituting fossil fuels with synthetic alternatives and offsetting the remaining carbon footprint. Advanced ship energy modelling: The thesis first introduces a ship energy model capable of evaluating ships’ fuel consumption with various propulsion and energy generation options. The model simulates energy transfers across a concept ship’s systems, …

Evaluating Visitor Valuation Of Urban Green Spaces By Modality, Vicky J. Gao, Adam Fulton, Ross Andrew

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Abstract: Urban green spaces play a critical role in enhancing the well-being of city residents by providing recreational opportunities, environmental benefits, and a social setting. While still in its early stages—focused on analyzing findings from a pilot survey—this study aims to investigate how visitors value urban green spaces through surveys conducted in Warner Parks in Nashville, with plans to expand to other significant urban green spaces in neighboring states.

For the purposes of SPARK, this study presents the findings of the pilot survey. The survey collected data on variables such as primary park activity, distance travelled to local parks, perceived …

Do Environmental Risks Explain The Sovereign Sukuk Yields In Malaysia?, Roslina Mohamad Shafi, Norhasimah Shaharuddin, Norsaliza Abu Bakar, Amirul Afif Muhamat, Mosab I. Tabash

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

Given the increasing risks posed by environmental degradation, severe climate change, and recent pandemics, the establishment of a sustainable economy has become a priority for numerous nations. From this perspective, it is crucial to emphasize sustainable finance since it has the potential to serve as a vehicle for accomplishing a green economic agenda. Sovereign sukuk held a prominent position in the sukuk market, both domestically and internationally, but its influence was particularly significant inside the domestic sphere. The study seeks to examine the link between environmental risks and the yield performance of sovereign sukuk. Sukuk performed less favourably compared to …

Adaptation And Resilience: How Beginning Farmers Navigate Land And Climate Crises In Western Montana, Kyla Ivana Fugate

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana is home to a growing number of beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers (BSDFRs), yet they face substantial barriers to accessing resources, from farmland to federal farm support programs. Rising land prices and climate-induced drought further exacerbate the challenges that farmers already face, posing a “twin crisis” that is especially severe for beginning farmers who have operated their farms for fewer than 10 years. This research draws on ethnographic data, including 24 in-depth interviews with BSDFRs and five informational interviews with farm service providers in Western Montana. I find that while federal USDA programs support farmers on paper, they often …

Holy Cross Green Guide, Maggie Mccracken, Julia Barton, Nick Corsentino, Olivia Dubin, Shane Fitzpatrick, Sheila Hulseman, Abbie Lane, Keely Lavin, Max Matterazzo, Molly Mccracken, Erin O'Donovan, Courtney Yockel, Justin Mcalister

Department of Environmental Studies Student Scholarship

Holy Cross resides on Pakachoag Hill, part of the traditional lands of the Nipmuc people. We are grateful for their historic stewardship of this place we all share.

Foucauldian Discourses At The Intersection Of Climate-Induced Migration And Cultural Heritage, Samantha L. Stuhlmiller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The worsening climate crisis has created and exacerbated issues of migration, cultural heritage and power relations issues. States and communities worldwide face large-scale challenges that must be addressed to protect individuals and ensure the longevity of nations and their cultures. This thesis utilizes Foucauldian theories of power through a critical discourse analysis of relevant documents in international law, state policy, and research to assess how discourses impact the design and implementation of policies and practices that are intended to mitigate and solve these issues in Kiribati, Tuvalu, and for the Rohingya. When there are discrepancies between discourses created and reinforced …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 26 2025, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Jeff Edwards

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Humans Among Giants: Urban Vitality And Implications Of Vertical Development In Hong Kong, Laura Jaramillo

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis explores the complex relationship between vertical urbanism and street life, using Hong Kong as a case study to investigate how human-scale urbanism persists and adapts amidst the dominance of skyscrapers. While vertical structures symbolize modernity, economic growth, and global influence, they often overshadow the vibrancy and social connectivity that characterize ground-level spaces. This research draws on the theoretical frameworks of Jane Jacobs, David Harvey, and David Sibley to examine the interplay between vertical urbanism and street life, focusing on how spatial design impacts community engagement and cultural vibrancy. By analyzing the coexistence of modern skyscrapers and traditional street-level …

The New Urbanism In New York City: A Case Study Comparing Battery Park City And Alphabet City, Lena Farley

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis examines two Manhattan neighborhoods, Battery Park City and Alphabet City, through the lens of New Urbanism—an urban planning approach developed in the 1990s. New Urbanist principles prioritize walkability, connectivity, mixed-use development, diversity, varied housing options, architectural quality, green transportation, sustainability, and accessible green spaces. While Battery Park City represents a top-down, master-planned New Urbanist neighborhood based on a 1979 plan, Alphabet City emerged from the 1811 Manhattan grid with significant community-driven design, notably through community gardens and grassroots initiatives. Using a mixed-methods approach including residential surveys, qualitative, and quantitative analyses, this research investigates how these neighborhoods embody New …

Huchum: The Legacy Of Fire Suppression, Indigenous Land Management, And Media Representation, Carolyn Coyne

Pomona Senior Theses

In my thesis, I examine how various forms of news media from the 1900s to present day in Ohlone territory have framed a particular hegemonic ideology around fire that matches early colonial journal entries – an ideology that is fueled by fear, sensationalism, and exclusion and directly commits violence against the Ohlone people. I investigate this time period because this is when modern news corporations, like The New York Times, rose into prominence. Specifically, I question how media representations of fire inform regulations over controlled burns; what are the similarities in discourse between media framing and policy? What tactics are …

Fire History, Ecological History, And Historical Human-Environment Interactions In The Northern Great Plains, James Victor Benes

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores the spatiotemporal signatures of fire in North American grassland ecosystems. In three chapters, I explore different aspects of fire history in the northern Great Plains. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 focuses on the Euro-American Settlement Period (ca. 1850–1950 C.E.). Fire histories from six different lakes in the Nebraska Sandhills are compared with two periods of historic drought and the establishment of United States Post Offices. Five of the six records show increased levels of biomass burning during the initial phases of Euro-American Settlement. Chapter 3 is a long-term (ca. 15,000 years), high-resolution fire history and …

Space For The Departed: Burial, Land Scarcity, And Bone-Ash Apartments In China, Xinyi Wu

Pitzer Senior Theses

The rise of bone ash apartments in China reflects a layered response to urban land scarcity, shifting funeral policies, and real estate speculation. As the state mandates cremation and restricts private cemetery development, traditional burial customs are increasingly reshaped by spatial limitations, economic pressures, and political regulation.

For some families, bone ash apartments function as modern ancestral halls—domestic spaces for remembrance and ritual continuity. For others, they represent a pragmatic investment strategy, offering long-term storage of ashes within assets that retain market value.

This thesis examines how urban planning, state funeral policy, real estate dynamics, and the disintegration of neighborhood …

Beyond The Bin: Transforming Relationships With Waste Through A Collaborative Inquiry-Based Environmental Education Curriculum, Kaylee V. Morris

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis presents Beyond the Bin, a collaborative inquiry-based environmental education curriculum designed to transform how young learners understand and interact with waste. Motivated by the limitations of current downstream waste education—focused primarily on consumer behavior and individual disposal practices—this project argues for an upstream approach that identifies the underlying cause of these prevalent systems of disposability. Grounded in environmental education theory, affective learning, and ecological literacy, the curriculum encourages students to rethink waste as a material with creative potential rather than something to discard. Through creative engagement, experiential learning, and community-based initiatives, the curriculum fosters collaboration between students, teachers, …

The Solar Maya: Resilience And Strength In The Face Of Climate Change, Anna Frances Paradise

Pitzer Senior Theses

The solar maya of Yucatán, Mexico is an example of a sustainable agroecosystem that holds the potential to embed resilience in the livelihoods of those who utilize it. However, this traditional and indigenous system of agriculture is threatened by the immense forces of urbanization and modernization imposed on the area. I conducted research that included 14 different in-person and online interviews of academic and local personnel in Mérida and in nearby Yucatecan municipalities as well as visited seven different solares mayas, documenting my findings through audio recordings and photographs. With this collection of qualitative data, I found trends in the …

Public Land And Political Identity: Problematizing Open Space Preserves In Marin County, California, Samantha Gottsegen

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis is an interdisciplinary exploration of the role of protected natural areas—namely county-run open space preserves—in shaping political identity in Marin County, California. I critically examine the politicization of public lands and the sociorelational dynamics that emerge within local communities surrounding protected open space. I seek to deconstruct dominant understandings of landscape and nature as apolitical, neutral, or untouched, instead approaching public land as a site of ongoing meaning-making, identity formation, and power negotiation. I further place emphasis on the role of the state, through county governing bodies and affiliated organizations, in mediating access, constructing narratives of ownership, and …

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Kelly Loftin, Eva Berryhill

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

I To I (Insights Into Islamic) Financial Literacy Among Secondary School Students, Nur Syamilah Md Noor, Nor Hanim Elias, Mardziyah Mohd Isa Mohd Isa, Muhammad Abrar Bahaman, Razinda Tasnim Abdul Rahim

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

Financial literacy is a crucial life skill that enables individuals to manage resources responsibly and make informed economic decisions. In the context of secondary school students, early exposure to financial education provides a foundation for future financial stability and resilience. This study, Insights into Islamic (I to I) Financial Literacy Among Secondary School Students in Perlis, explores the level of awareness, understanding, and practice of financial literacy from an Islamic perspective. The research emphasizes core Islamic financial principles such as the balance between needs and wants, the significance of saving and investing through permissible means, and the prohibition of riba …

Governance And Innovation In Plastic Waste Management: The Case Of Japan, Minoo Tehrani, Yu Cui

Business Faculty Publications

This study investigates plastic waste management, focusing on Japan. The volume of plastic waste in Japan is more than eight million tons, and less than a quarter of the plastic waste is subjected to recycling. Considering that Japan is an archipelago consisting of a combination of four large islands and numerous smaller ones, plastic waste that enters the ocean poses significant threats to marine life, birds, other living beings, and beach pollution. This research explores the underlying factors that have made Japan one of the highest users of plastic. In addition, this study evaluates different strategies that are utilized in …

Green Cities Conference 2025--Program Booklet, Minoo Tehrani

Business Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.