Environmental Studies Commons^™

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

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

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Local Knowledge In Climate Change Research, Ryan E. Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation addresses the growing need within climate research for improvements in regional and local climate information. I argue that knowledge gaps in regional climate information constitute a form of climate injustice in which harm largely falls on regions most vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, I show that our current methods for garnering regional climate information fail to provide information on place-specific factors, such as local culture, socio-economic systems, and ecology, which mediate climate change impacts. In order to address these knowledge gaps, as well as provide information necessary for effective mitigation and adaptation, I argue for the inclusion of …

Woven Life Systems, Melanie Olde

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

What is it like to be at the intersection between the natural and technological? I see plants as living cloth – can we build cloth using human-evolved technology (weaving) and natural life systems? In this practice-as-research, I take growth models from plants such as algae, then process these codes on a loom to exploring the emergence and narrative that develop.

Looms are tools and technology evolved with humans to organise systems of strands, connecting in myriad ways to form something new. Plants are systems of organised cells, dividing and branching creating functional entities. The commonalities are individual elements and rules …

Perception And Prospects Of Art Of Clothing Maintenance As A Sustainable Fashion, Boiso Maria Owodiong-Idemeko, Adetona Sekinat Ajoke, Udom Owodiong

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The study focused on the perception of the art of clothing maintenance and its prospects as a sustainable fashion for consumers in Lagos state. 250 respondents were involved. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Two hypotheses were formulated and a thirty-one (31) item questionnaire was the main instrument used to collect data for the study. The statistical tools used were, percentages, mean and Friedman’s test. The result revealed that, 200 (80%) perceived ripped clothes bring dismay to the wearer, 198 (79%), perceived ripped clothes needed to be reconstructed, 200 (80%) perceived consumers lack practical ability to repair clothes. 241 (96%) …

Environmental Metrics In Action: Exploring U.S. Superfund Sites Affiliated With The Fashion Industry, Nidia K. Trejo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Little is known of Superfund sites, long-term clean up sites, affiliated with the apparel and footwear supply chain in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) manages the clean up of contaminated sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment under the Superfund program. A site can become contaminated if hazardous waste from industrial operations are mismanaged or dumped into the environment, in an uncontrolled manner. In this study, a proposed Superfund site (Mohawk Tannery in Nashua, New Hampshire), an active Superfund site (Ciba-Geigy Corp. in Toms River, New Jersery), and a …

Suburbanization Of California's Deserts, Mike Kohout

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Changes In Values And Perception Of Life: Natural Disaster Devastates A Mountain Community, Sharifullah Baig, Abida Begum

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

The mountain communities of Karakorum and the Himalayas in Pakistan are frequently experiencing climate change-induced natural disasters, which are inflicting irreparable losses to their generation's old value system and socio-economic life. Focusing on the value system, this small-scale study explored the change in values and perceptions of a disaster-affected mountain community about natural hazards and its implications for their future lives. Twenty participants from the affected community, including local political activists, religious leaders, teachers, and youth activists, were thoroughly interviewed. The study explored significant deviations from their traditional values of connectedness to each other and with their ancestors' land. The …

A Study Of Multimodal Accessibility Equity And Spatio-Temporal Relationships Between Transit, Job Density And Modal Split, Seyedsoheil Sharifiasl

Planning Dissertations - Archive

In North American cities, the land use and transportation systems are associated with low-density, suburban-type urban development, where the built environment contributes to a mobility pattern that is extremely reliant on automobiles. Several studies in the past decades have documented noticeable and concerning patterns of unjust and unsustainable transportation in this context. As a result, for those population groups with limited access to private transportation, this form of urban structure is equivalent to limited access to opportunities, leading to various environmental and social problems. These problems exacerbate inequities in access to transportation, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. From a sustainable development …

Roadblocks Ahead: High-Speed Rail Setbacks In The United States—Reflections And Ramifications, Sophie Dorn

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes the current state of High-Speed Rail (HSR) development within the United States and the reasoning behind its historical failure. Through frameworks such as funding and organizational structure of public or private entities (or both), this paper focuses on three case studies: The Northeast Corridor Improvement Project, Florida’s Brightline, and the California High-Speed Rail Project. With an additional scope of organizational studies, this thesis assesses the current state of HSR within the U.S. and considers approaches that could work best, given well-documented hindrances. Although originally hypothesized that a public-private partnership would be the most successful strategy for U.S. …

Understanding The Impact Of Food Insecurity Among First-Generation College Students On The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison Price, Jennie S. Popp Ph.D., Nathan Paul Kemper, Louise Michelle Hancox

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

The purpose of this study was to: 1) better understand food insecurity among first-generation college students and how it might differ from that of other college students, and 2) gather opinions from students that may serve as solutions to alleviate food insecurity. This study was conducted with a mixed-methods survey that included both open-ended and closed-ended questions. This survey had 670 responses. Nearly 10% of respondents stated that they were experiencing food insecurity. Almost 18% stated they were first-generation college students. A greater percentage of African American (P = 0.0022) and Hispanic Latino (P < 0.0001) students were first-generation compared to all other students, while a lower percentage (P < 0.0001) of Caucasian students were first-generation compared to other students. The results suggested that first-generation students were more likely to experience nine food insecurity impacts than non first-generation students. Further, both first-generation and non first-generation students indicated low levels of knowledge and/or use of existing resources on the University of Arkansas campus that can help address food insecurity needs. Finally, both first-generation and non first-generation respondents overwhelmingly favored food insecurity solutions centered around expanding access to campus food programs through lower costs and increased awareness of existing campus resources via improved advertising.

Stream Restoration Effectiveness In Mullins Creek In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amadeo Scott, Shannon Speir

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

Lotic waterways are vital for habitat, food, water, and flood protection, but urbanization poses a major threat to their integrity. Runoff from urban surfaces leads to pollution, flashiness, loss of biodiversity, and other symptoms, also known as Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). Streams can be restored in order to combat USS, but most restorations are not monitored, so their long-term effectiveness is unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a decade-old stream restoration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to assess its effectiveness in combating USS and achieving set restoration goals, and to gain insights for future restoration projects. Restoration goals included decreasing erosion and sedimentation, …

Evaluating Efficiency And Accuracy Of Three Texture Analysis Methods For Blackberry Fruit, Rhys M. Brock, Carmen Johns, Katelyn Lust-Moore, Margaret Worthington

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

A major objective of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA) Fruit Breeding program is to improve the texture of blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson). Blackberry varieties with improved fruit firmness transport and store well and may maintain superior quality under challenging postharvest conditions than softer varieties. Increased firmness may also make cultivars less susceptible to red drupelet reversion (RDR), a postharvest disorder of blackberries in which fully black drupelets revert to red after harvest. This research project aims to assess the efficiency and accuracy of three methods applied in evaluating blackberry firmness. The study compares instrumental analysis …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

The Relationship Between Offshore Wind Farms And Marine Wildlife In Rhode Island, Hanna Lloyd, Ashley Caputo, Brendan Foley, Catherine Chadwick, Savannah Szamborski

ENV 334 Environmental Justice

Despite political and environmental controversy, research has shown that not only do offshore wind farms have minimal impact on birds, whales, and benthic organisms, but they can actually be beneficial to marine ecosystems. However, many Rhode Island and Massachusetts citizens are concerned that the construction of the Revolution wind farm will decrease the biodiversity of marine ecosystems. Current research refutes these claims on the negative impacts of offshore wind farms, stating that their construction benefits benthic communities, has little to no impact on the health of whales, and only temporarily impacts migrating bird species. New and innovative technology has found …

Addressing Issues In Global Food Systems Contributing To Food Injustice And Waste On A Local Level In Missoula, Mt, Jocelyn Stansberry, Devin Jacaruso, Abbe Feilzer, Gabby Adams, Rianna Bowers, Livi Lackland-Henry

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Food waste and insecurity are two of the most pressing issues of our time. We, as a planet, produce more food than necessary-- enough to feed the entire global population and then some. Yet, millions of people still struggle to find reliable access to food due to inefficient distribution within our global systems. As people face the incredible struggle of starvation and malnourishment produced, in part, by these global systems, they often are forced to notice the lack of meaningful support from within their communities, separating those in need from those that could help. Food waste and community resilience are …

Environmental Sustainability, Healthcare Workers And Healthcare Students: A Literature Review Of Attitudes And Learning Approaches, Pamela R. Mccauley, Kavita Mathur, Reza Kamali Miab, Nina Cohen, Kedena Henriques-Thompson, Jyo Gopinath

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Today, increased attention has been placed on the healthcare industry and its workers in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in facemask production, personal protective equipment, and the number of patients admitted into hospitals have resulted in a sharp rise in medical waste and environmental concerns. This has led to a greater interest by the research community to study the type of training and education that healthcare workers and students receive which could facilitate the implementation of sustainability activities during their work.

Design/Methodology: We have conducted a literature review (2010 to 2024) on healthcare worker …

Sensing, Knowing, And Making Water Quality Along Marikina River In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Anita Hardon

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Water quality is a major concern around the world, but assessments of quality often privilege producers, regulators and experts over consumers. With water supplies and sources constantly in flux, how do ordinary people experience and “sense” quality? How do they define “good” or “good enough” water, and what practices do they engage in to “make” good water? In this article, we attend to these questions by presenting findings from an open-ended qualitative study carried out along the Marikina River, Manila, the Philippines – a waterway that courses from rural and mountainous villages to highly urbanized communities. First, we describe the …

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Austin Jones, Ashley Dowling, Baylie Day

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

No abstract provided.

Using Biological Parameters And Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Study The Status Of Spirinchus Starksi (Night Smelt) In Northern California, Z. Zenobia

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Night smelt spawns from central California to southeast Alaska, on the shore of sandy beach surf zones at night. This species is a vital part of regional food webs and, in California, is fished commercially primarily in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. It has cultural importance for dietary and subsistence needs to the Tribes across the coast, as well as inland. The objectives of this thesis are as follow: study the status of the population of night smelt in Humboldt and Del Norte counties by (A) comparing the abundance, length, weight, age, sex ratio, and timing of reproduction of the …

Deforestation, Trade Liberalization, And Environmental Politics In The Brazilian Amazon: 1990-2022, Kerin Debany

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

This paper explores the relationship between trade liberalization and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from the beginnings of widespread trade liberalization in the 1990s to 2022. This paper, through an analysis of deforestation from soy and beef production, concludes that trade openness and foreign direct investment (FDI) alone cannot fully explain the rapid environmental degradation occurring in the Brazilian Amazon. Despite Brazil’s efforts to integrate into global markets, the levels of trade and FDI are relatively low. Instead, the policies of Brazil’s government play a decisive role in shaping deforestation trends. The contrasting presidencies of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva …

Performance And Policy Indexes In Carbon Pricing Efficacy: A Cross-Country Analysis Of Policy Impact (2012-2020), Ke (Zoky) Zhou

Honors Theses

Climate change poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and human societies, driven largely by CO2 emissions from various economic activities. This macroeconomic cross-country study empirically assesses the effectiveness of carbon pricing in reducing CO2 emissions across three periods: 2012-2017, 2015-2019, and 2015-2020. Building on the foundational research by Best et al. (2020), the analysis extends to more recent data, capturing the evolving impacts of carbon pricing amid changing global economic and policy landscapes. A key advancement in this research is the creation and integration of two comprehensive indexes—a performance index and a policy index—constructed from 14 environmental performance or …

Is Energy Localized Or Gone With The Wind? An Analysis Of Iberdrola’S Wind Energy Localization Initiatives In Burgos, Spain, Mia Cromwell

Honors Theses

While renewable energy systems offer solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable development, and foster a just energy transition, certain energy projects account for local needs while others do not. While community energy projects are known to provide localized energy benefits, less is known about large-scale companies’ abilities to foster just transitions through their energy systems. To better understand how global actors can promote a just and sustainable transition through renewable energy deployment, I explore the following research question with a focus on the global electric utility Iberdrola: To what degree does Iberdrola implement energy localization initiatives through wind …

Felling For Photovoltaics: Remote Sensing For The Detection Of Solar Facilities In Maine, James A. Lane

Honors Theses

Solar power is an area with increasing development in the State of Maine. Photovoltaic solar, which uses large arrays of panels constructed on facilities of several hectares, is an ideal renewable energy source for Maine, because of its low population density and small proportion of conserved lands. Since most of the state of Maine is forested, the development of photovoltaic solar will require increasing amounts of deforestation. Environmental impacts of this deforestation include loss of carbon sequestration, erosion, damage to habitat, and inhibition of other forest benefits. This study uses Landsat data and remote sensing to analyze a large portion …

Black Rhino Conservation And Ranger Wellness In Namibia, Terra Gallo

Honors Theses

Wildlife rangers play an essential role in conserving biodiversity worldwide. Until recently, little was known about ranger working conditions and welfare. In 2019 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released a report that summarized survey results about ranger wellness from 7,110 rangers across multiple continents. However, the WWF study had geographic gaps and did not survey rangers from southern Africa, including the Republic of Namibia. In Namibia, rangers in the Kunene region are central to the conservation of the desert-adapted black rhino. Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) is a Namibian organization that supports rhino rangers and black rhino conservation. The aim …

“What Planet Are You On” - Making Meaning Of Sustainability Through Storytelling, Nancy T. Ladeinde

Masters Theses

The term “Sustainability” has come to stay as it is deeply integrated into our everyday life, although it seems complex to understand and engage with. The purpose of this thesis is to know how Unilever, a global consumer goods organization, makes meaning of its sustainability efforts. The method used to achieve this is a thematic analysis of Unilever’s campaign “What Planet Are You On?” a brand campaign documenting their sustainability efforts. Building on storytelling as a theoretical framework, it delves into the strategic use of stories as a communication tool for sustainability efforts, emphasizing its impact on brand narrative, stakeholder …

Write Things Right: How To Communicate Most Effectively About Climate Change, Lara Beckius

Economics Honors Papers

As the climate change crisis worsens, it is more important than ever that communicators understand the role that specific messaging plays in the formation of public opinion and the overall strength of the call for action. This study seeks to determine the most effective methods of communicating climate change-induced environmental issues to the general public to raise awareness of the issue and encourage solution-focused behavioral change. A review of current climate change communication techniques reveals that it is up to communicators to understand the limitations of their chosen media and the most effective tactics for communicating the complex issue with …

(Plant)Ing Traditional Roots: Exploring An Impact Of Environmental Shifts On Traditional Phytotherapy Practices In The Cusco Region Of Perú, Nicole Elizabeth Wilmot

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the potential outcomes of environmental shifts on plant-based medical practices in the Cusco region of Peru. Located in the Andes mountain range, at a high elevation, the environment varies immensely, specifically in the various types of native plants in the region. Historically, using plants as natural forms of medicine or healthcare has been deeply rooted in many indigenous communities, traditions, and cultures globally. Environmentally, there have been potential changes and shifts in temperature, water, and soil that affect the nutrition and health of plants to maintain their beneficial properties. Due to various factors, adaptations or shifts to …

A Road Map For Place Based Collaboration For Conflict Reduction, Joseph L. Zecher

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

One Man's Trash - Montana Kaimen - April 11, 2024 | Volume 126 | Issue No. 26, Isabella Jasper Rain Chambers

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Fashioning Sustainability At Scripps: An Analysis Of Scripps College Students' Clothing Acquisition And Disposal Habits In The Era Of The Free Closet, Serena David

Scripps Senior Theses

The fast fashion industry presents an array of environmental and humanitarian concerns,

and, while this is not the fault of individual consumers, collective action can help to mitigate the negative impacts of the industry. At Scripps College, the Scripps Free Closet seeks to aid in this action by accepting clothing donations from students and providing clothing to students free of charge. A survey among Scripps students sought to answer the question “Is the Scripps Free Closet an effective sustainability initiative on campus by a) decreasing the amount of clothing students buy and/or b) decreasing the amount of clothing students dispose …