Environmental Studies Commons^™

Sharing The Shore: Hybridity And Developing Environmentalisms In The Indiana Dunes, Olivia Klein

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis centers on the Indiana Dunes National Park, located in Northwestern Indiana, and the implications of this hybrid landscape on modern American environmentalism. Through secondary source research, historical analysis, and interviews with Miller Beach residents and a park ranger, this research concludes that the Indiana Dunes demonstrate an environmentalism that exists outside of the nature-culture binary. By incorporating the park into existing cities and industrial developments, the Indiana Dunes can be seen as a model for an environmental justice-driven space that diverges from the historic elitism of the National Park service. This research concludes that, while hybrid landscapes come …

Animal Sentience In Indian Culture: Colonial And Post-Colonial Changes, Nanditha Krishna

Animal Sentience

The Indian tradition has respected animal sentience and non-injury toward all life. It is repeated consistently in Sanskrit literature and the later literature of the Jains and the Buddhists. Change came with the advent of Islamic rule followed by the British, who built slaughterhouses. The hunting of wildlife increased and several wild predator species were wiped out. The result was the series of legislations for animals which were initially proposed by the SPCAs and later by NGOs. In 1976, the Constitution of India was amended to make the protection of wildlife and compassion for living creatures a fundamental duty. However, …

Sustainability Education At The University Of Montana, Zoe M. Transtrum

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Sustainability education has become increasingly important to prepare the next generation of professionals to address immense challenges such as climate change. Institutions of higher education play a critical role in developing student understanding and perceptions of sustainability through their curricula, specifically in the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy, and society. This research paper explores sustainability education at the University of Montana to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent do sustainability-focused and sustainability-inclusive courses at the University of Montana include themes or concepts from all three pillars of sustainability; (2) Do courses at UM impact student understanding, beliefs, …

Soil Drought Can Mitigate Deadly Heat Stress Thanks To A Reduction Of Air Humidity, Jeremy Pal, Hendrik Wouters, Jessica Keune, Irina Y. Petrova, Chiel C. Van Heerwaarden, Adriaan J. Teuling, Jordi Vilà-Guerau De Arellano, Diego G. Miralles

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Works

Global warming increases the number and severity of deadly heatwaves. Recent heatwaves often coincided with soil droughts that intensify air temperature but lower air humidity. Since lowering air humidity may reduce human heat stress, the net impact of soil desiccation on the morbidity and mortality of heatwaves remains unclear. Combining weather balloon and satellite observations, atmospheric modelling, and meta-analyses of heatwave mortality, we find that soil droughts-despite their warming effect-lead to a mild reduction in heatwave lethality. More specifically, morning dry soils attenuate afternoon heat stress anomaly by ∼5%. This occurs because of reduced surface evaporation and increased entrainment of …

The Essence Of Soil Biodiversity, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil ecologists and conservationists should focus on raising people’s awareness of the essence of soil biodiversity: its complex ecologicalwebs and emergent ecosystemservices that support aboveground life and human well-being. Conservation and communication efforts regarding soil biodiversity must consider local-scale ecological contexts and different audiences. Engaging educational and outreach materials and methods should be prioritized to advance preservation of soil systems and their biodiversity.

Circling The Drain: The Extinction Crisis And The Future Of Humanity, Rodolfo Dirzo, Gerardo Ceballos, Paul R. Ehrlich

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Humanity has triggered the sixth mass extinction episode since the beginning of the Phanerozoic. The complexity of this extinction crisis is centered on the intersection of two complex adaptive systems: human culture and ecosystem functioning, although the significance of this intersection is not properly appreciated. Human beings are part of biodiversity and elements in a global ecosystem. Civilization, and perhaps even the fate of our species, is utterly dependent on that ecosystem’s proper functioning, which society is increasingly degrading. The crisis seems rooted in three factors. First, relatively few people globally are aware of its existence. Second, most people who …

The Nexus Of Climate Change, Biodiversity, And Food Security: A Brazil Case Study, Andrew M. Berger

Dissertations and Theses

What is referred to as climate change today is the rapid warming of the climate, largely from human actions, and the effects that come with that warming. One study published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2021 argues that, “human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases have caused increases in global average temperatures, changes in precipitation timing and intensity, rising sea levels, and many other changes.” A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study found that when looking at the number of countries exposed to climate extremes in five year periods from 2000 to 2020, the number of countries “exposed …

Is There Value In The Valuation Of Environmental Regulations?, Gage B. Hornung

CMC Senior Theses

Cost-benefit analysis has become one of the principal components in the review process of environmental regulation. However, the valuation of environmental regulation poses a unique challenge, as the benefits of the rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency are often non-monetized, whereas the costs are more readily monetized. To give weight to the very real but non-monetized benefits of environmental regulation, methodologies have been developed to mark the price of the non-marketable. Still, many would claim that certain benefits of environmental regulations are not captured in cost-benefit analysis or are undervalued by the practice. Hence, while the practice is promoted …

The Past And Future Of Migration, Poverty, And Small-Scale Agriculture In Mexico, Kimberly Zamora Delgado

CMC Senior Theses

The conflated pattern between poverty, rurality, and indigeneity in Mexico signifies drastic inequality between populations. Poor, rural communities often do not receive as much public services, infrastructure improvements, and employment opportunities as urban areas, which causes out-migration into the cities. Some of the few jobs available in rural areas are in the agriculture sector, either through small-scale subsistence farming or seasonal employment on a large-scale farm. Historically, certain wealthy states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, and Sonora received greater support to up-scale into modernized agriculture, which made them into the largest agro-exporters. On the other hand, poor states with greater indigenous …

A Hot Conflict Growing Ever Hotter: How Climate Change Provokes Instances Of Violence In South Sudan, Madison Menard

CMC Senior Theses

In South Sudan, people are not engaging in violent altercations because of climate change. People are not deciding to kill other people because the average temperature of the world has risen 1 degree celsius, or harming their neighbor because of irregular rain patterns. Alas the link from climate change to violence is not as direct as that. Rather, climate change has played a non-direct role in the South Sudanese conflict. Within the political marketplace it has subtly altered conditions which later spark or intensify outbreaks of violence. Climate change in this sense should be viewed as a stressor of sorts …

Migration And The Quality Of American Cities, Chase Mendell

CMC Senior Theses

Across the United States, cities are expanding. It is the role of the city leaders to promote policies that benefit both current and incoming residents. While these policies have intended results, the realized benefits and damages are challenging to define because they are the result of individual choices and the unique characteristics of the city. As a result, policymakers need to consider a complex web of factors such as employment, taxation, housing, mobility, and environmental quality. This thesis seeks to analyze these overlapping factors to discuss how policymakers can increase well-being while mitigating potential harms.

Rural Development In Papua New Guinea: Mining, Logging, Agriculture, And Alternatives, Tj Askew

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines multiple approaches to providing rural, indigenous Papuans with improved social services and economic opportunities. Rural Papuans, who make up 80 percent of the population, face below average rates of nutrition, education, disease, crime, and other quality of life indicators. Due to location, land use rights, lack of infrastructure, and minimal access to economic markets, the PNG government has struggled to provide rural communities with basic social services. Historically, the development of resource extraction projects such as mining, logging, and agriculture have been the main strategies used to improve the livelihood of rural Papuans, with limited success. This …

Community Development Supporting Ecological Conversion, As Identified In Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home, Anne Jennings

Theses

In this extraordinary time of multiple, intersecting crises with compounded costs in social, economic, and environmental degradation, calls for transformative change are emerging from all levels of humanity – global to local. Within that setting, my study concentrated on investigating change at a local level to address the research question ’How can community development theory and practice contribute to ecological conversion, as identified in Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home?’

Since its release, Laudato Si’ has provoked considerable academic/theological and scientific/environmental debate that does not necessarily contain local people’s views and everyday lived experiences, given their often-limited access …

Re-Storying Grant Creek: A Case Study Of Relational Dynamics On A Degraded Montana Stream, Seamus Rucci Land

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration began in 2021, and after a history of contentious ethical debates, ecological restoration is increasingly portrayed as a viable framework for combating environmental degradation and supporting more healthy and stable social-ecological systems. The proposed ecological restoration of Grant Creek, a degraded stream near Missoula, Montana, offers an opportunity to connect a restoration site to the broader, rapidly growing field of restoration practice. It also allows the opportunity to forward the ‘relational turn’ proposed by many in the sustainability sciences as an ontological and methodological means to move beyond positivist portrayals of social-ecological systems, which …

Conserving And Sharing Freshwater In The West, Kelsea Harris-Capuano

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There are infinite stories to be told about water in the West. As an essential and finite resource, countries, states, tribal nations and neighbors must figure out how to manage this shared resource, whether for ecosystem sustainability, agricultural, household, or recreational use.

The Flathead Lake Biological Station in Polson, MT is one of the oldest active biological research stations in the United States. One of its former faculty, Dr. Mark Lorang, has been working on Flathead Lake’s erosion problem for over 30 years. As a result of seasonal lake level fluctuations controlled by the dam, erosion over the years has …

Impact Of Prairie Restoration On Geochemistry And Microbial Communities In Groundwater, Kayla Koenig

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prairie restoration is important for reversing the loss of biodiversity and repairing ecosystem functions humanity is dependent on diverse ecosystems. This study looks at the impact of the beginning phases of prairie restoration on groundwater geochemistry and microbial communities the relationship between them. This research project studied the geochemistry and microbial communities in five wells before, during, and after the beginning phases of the first year of a prairie restoration on the Northern Illinois University campus. Water samples were collected bimonthly for a year and analyzed on an Ion Chromatograph. Microbial samples were collected monthly and underwent DNA extraction, amplification, …

Marx, Critical Theory, And The Treadmill Of Production Of Value: Why Environmental Sociology Needs A Critique Of Capital, Alex Stoner

Journal Articles

This chapter explores the domestication of Marx’s critique of political economy within Marxist-oriented environmental sociology, and treadmill of production (ToP) theory, in particular. The aim is to explicate the theoretical resources for a rigorous critique of capital-induced planetary degradation. Shortcomings of ToP theory pertaining to the conceptualization of capital and value are identified. The reasons for these shortcomings, including how they might be addressed, are elaborated by reconsidering key aspects of Marx’s critical theory of modern capitalist society. The chapter contributes to current discussions in both critical theory and environmental sociology by demonstrating the continued relevance of Marx’s critical theory …

Voices Of The Often Unheard: The Environmental Impacts Of Catastrophic Wildfire Events On Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Mary Madison Mckenzie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Thomas Fire for a time was the largest wildfire in California history, burning 281,893 acres and destroying 1,063 structures. Within three years, the August Complex Fire, at 1,032,649 acres, almost quadrupled that record. Climate related disasters such as these have impelled social science researchers to heed calls for a paradigm shift in understanding the risks climate change poses to the social world, in particular, disaster risks for vulnerable groups. Existing research tends to focus on disasters such as hurricanes, featuring risks for vulnerable populations by race, class, and/or individuals with disabilities in general, but not for individuals with developmental …

Keeping What You Sow: Intellectual Property Rights For Plant Breeders And Seed Growers, Paulina B. Jenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last 150 years, the food system in the present-day United States has undergone a transformational restructuring, from a diversified, decentralized, network of farmers and seed growers, to one in which the majority of crop production is controlled by a few industrial corporations. The consolidation of power has been under-girded by the application of intellectual property rights (IPR)—especially utility patents—to plant varieties and genetic traits, which are leveraged to exclude small-scale seed growers from accessing quality germplasm. Patents and restrictive licensing agreements recapitulate colonial structures by appropriating common and traditionally community-held resources for profit, and by creating reliance on …

Collaborating In Cattle Country: Developing A Collaborative Process To Protect The Ecological, Economic, And Cultural Integrity Of Ranching In The Northern Rockies, Emily Jochem

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores the creation of a collaborative group that is being convened by Future West, a nonprofit organization based out of Bozeman, MT, to address issues surrounding the loss of ranchlands to alternative land uses in the Northern Rockies. Using literature and theory on collaboration this paper outlines a framework for the development of a collaborative group that includes seven ranchers as advisors to Future West in the development of their program. This framework includes the following elements:

1. A survey that was administered to each participant to assesses their ability to represent their community, and to gauge their initial …

Traversing Paradigms: An Environmental Journey To Body And Mind, Martin Ceja Mejia

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Traumatic life experiences altered the way I perceive the world. As a result, I embark on a journey to reshape my relationship to self, the built and natural world; to environment. In this thesis I ask: How do I want to relate to the environment? Considering I am a doubly colonized agent, I also aim to decolonize my relationship to environment along the process. Therefore, this work aims to formulate a new, personal, relationship to environment through academic literature, history, psychology, Indigenous knowledge and science, and literary studies, among other fields of knowledge. This work is interdisciplinary in nature; life …

Market Surveillance To Support Quality Assurance And Consumer Protection For The Solar Payg Products Market In East And West Africa, Hamidah Naishur Nakimuli

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Off-grid Pay As You Go (PAYG) solar products have become one of the fastest-growing approaches to providing basic electricity services to off-grid households not only in Sub-Saharan Africa but also in many other parts of the world with limited or no access to the grid connection. However, sustainably growing the PAYG solar industry requires paying close attention to product quality from the point of manufacturing to the end user. This research examines how to best design market surveillance programs that ensure quality in off-grid PAYG solar products and strengthen the implementation and enforcement of quality standards in the off-grid solar …

Puffins, The Charismatic Clowns Of The Sea: Examining The Relationship Between Community Identity And The Social Construction Of Animals, Megan Henry Tuennerman

Senior Independent Study Theses

This study analyzes the factors, internal and external, that affect the relationship between community identity and the social construction of animals, and the ways in which that social construction impacts the environment. Studied through the lens of the relationship between Atlantic Puffins and the human communities they live near, these questions situate our understanding of human societies as within, as opposed to above, the environment. Without this perspective, enacting environmental protections across the globe is ineffective. The study was conducted using ethnographic methods, including 11 formal interviews with community members and experts, along with observations in Iceland and Canada. Results …

Modelling Of Radiological Health Risk In Water From Abstraction Well Close To A Hypothetical Radioactive Waste Repository In The Accra Plains, Paul Essel, Mark Amo-Boateng, Dominic Otoo, Thomas Tetteh Akiti

Applied Environmental Research

This study evaluated the integrity of the geosphere of the Accra Plains to host a radioactive waste disposal facility for Ghana’s radioactive waste materials. The study thus assessed the migration of radioactive contaminant from a hypothetical radioactive waste disposal facility through the geosphere to the biosphere in the Accra Plains. The Accra Plains is predominantly underlain by schist rocks, hence the hydrogeologic parameters of schist rock from literature were used as input data. AMBER software was used to develop a model to estimate the peak total annual effective dose from all the radionuclides at various receptor locations. The endpoint of …

Effects Of Substrate Types On Nitrogen Removal Efficacy And Growth Of Canna Indica L., Arunothai Jampeetong, Pakawat Janyasupab

Applied Environmental Research

Constructed wetlands (CWs), a cost effective technology for wastewater treatment, consist of substrates and wetland plants, which should be selected carefully to gain highest treatment efficiency. However, studies on plant growth and responses to different types of substrates are very few. This study aims to assess the effects of substrate types on growth and root morphology of Canna indica L. and nitrogen (N) removal. Twenty-four similar sized approximately 1 month old C. indica plants were selected and grown on different substrates (gravel, pumice and biochar). All plants were supplied with a standard growth medium to which 14 mg L-1 NH4+, …

Rs-Gis Approach On Biomass Energy Potential Estimation Of Sugarcane Residues In Medellin, Cebu, Wenyville Nabor Galang, Ian Dominic Tabañag, Michael Loretero

Applied Environmental Research

The need to use alternative energy sources is driven by the continued rise in fossil fuel price, increasing population and energy demand most particularly in a developing country like the Philippines. Biomass resources such as sugarcane residues provide alternative means to utilize its untapped potential for renewable energy. The use of remote sensing technology and geo-graphic information system enables detailed assessment on the quantification of its distribution, abundance and quality that will yield an effective and efficient use of its potential. Available energy potential measurement was conducted in the town of Medellin, part of Bogo-Medellin mill district, in the northern …

Petrogenic And Biogenic Inputs Of N-Alkanes Along Shoreline Of The Caspian Sea In The Mazandaran Province, North Of Iran, Seyed Raheb Hosseini Bizaki, Ahmad Reza Rabbani, Alireza Riyahi Bakhtiari, Mitra Cheraghi, Parisa Babaie

Applied Environmental Research

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world and is facing an increasing risk of contamination. Sea-based and land-based hydrocarbons inputs are the most critical pollutants of the Caspian Sea. In the present study, n-alkanes and related diagnostic ratios were used to identify the sources of hydrocarbon contaminants in surface sediments along the southern coastal area of the Caspian Sea in Mazandaran province. 27 surface sediment samples were collected from a depth of 5 meters under sea level. Contaminant’s compositions were extracted by Soxhlet apparatus and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. According to the results, the total …

A Fuzzy Ahp Approach To Assess Flood Hazard For Area Of Bang Rakam Model 60 Project In Yom River Basin, Northern Thailand, Aphittha Yodying, Nattapon Mahavik, Sarintip Tantanee, Charatdao Kongmuang, Agbesi Kwadzo Keteku, Polpreecha Chidburee, Kamonchat Seejata, Sasithon Chatsudarat

Applied Environmental Research

The Thai government developed the “Bang Rakam Model 60” to solve flood issues in low-lying areas (Phitsanulok and Sukhothai Provinces). In the project, farmers will have to start planting in early April and harvest in July. This research proposes a methodology for assessing flood hazard using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP) relied on Chang’s extent analysis. It was employed to derive the weight for factor ranking and create a flood hazard map. Eight hazard factors are considered in the methodology: average annual rainfall, drainage density, distance from drainage network, soil water infiltration, land use, elevation, slope, and flow …

Risk Assessment Of Total Mercury (T-Hg) In Commercial Seafood Marketed In Bangkok, Thailand, Irwan Ramadhan Ritonga, Sujaree Bureekul, Penjai Sompongchaiyakul

Applied Environmental Research

Seafood is recognized as the high protein source of human consumption. However, it is hampered by mercury contamination. The objectives of this study are to determine total mercury (T-Hg) levels in edible portions of commercial seafood available in Bangkok’s supermarkets, and to evaluate the potential risks from mercury through seafood consumption. Total 32 species, including 22 fish, 4 cephalopod and 6 shellfish, were purchased from super-markets. Fish samples were dissected in 3 parts comprised of flesh, gill and viscera. While, cephalopod and shellfish were separated for edible tissues. The samples were digested in hot acid and were determined using cold-vapor …

Prediction Of Groundwater Quality Index In The Selected Divisions Of Srikakulam Using Artificial Neural Networks Approach, Santhosh Kumar Nadikatla, Mushini Venkata Subbarao, M.P.S. Murali Krishna

Applied Environmental Research

Applicability of artificial neural network (ANN) modelling in predicting the water quality index (WQI) and in turn to ascertain the suitability of the water for human consumption has been presented in the paper. In the light of the present study, seventy-nine (79) groundwater samples were collected from two mandals (divisions) Veeraghattam (VGT) and Palakonda (PLKD) and analyzed for physicochemical parameters during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of 2015 and 2016. In computing the WQI, physicochemical parameters such as  pH, EC, TDS, TH, Ca, Mg, chlorine, fluoride, nitrite, DO and TA have been considered. From the results it was found that …