Environmental Studies Commons^™

Public Support For Environmental Protection, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Carsey Publications

In this fact sheet, author Lawrence Hamilton discusses the results of a New Hampshire poll conducted January 31 to February 8, 2017, that asked residents whether they think environmental protection rules should be reduced, strengthened, or left as they are. He reports that, although President Trump and some Congressional supporters have proposed broad reductions in environmental protection, the New Hampshire survey--which has a record of mirroring national surveys on environmental issues--finds little support for such steps. Almost three-quarters think instead that environmental protection rules should be left as they are or strengthened. Large majorities in every category of age, education, …

Crow Never Dies By Larry Frolick, Kelly Shepherd

The Goose

Review of Larry Frolick's Crow Never Dies.

On Renewable Energy And Climate, Trump Voters Stand Apart, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Larry Hamilton discusses the results of pre- and post-election Polar, Environment, and Science surveys carried out by Carsey School researchers in August and November–December 2016, asking people about their general views on climate change and renewable energy. Almost three-fourths of Americans surveyed said that renewable energy should be a higher national priority than more drilling for oil. About two-thirds agree with the scientific consensus that humans are changing Earth’s climate. Priority for renewable energy development and recognition of human-caused climate change are majority opinions within every voter group except Trump supporters. On renewable energy, the reality …

Housing The Homeless: A Framework For Sustainable, Affordable Housing, Brianna Providence

Student Theses 2015-Present

New York City’s building stock is comprised of nearly one million structures. Buildings are responsible for unconscionable amounts of global energy, water, resources, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Thousands of buildings are annually constructed when the truth is that there is a significant stock of buildings that could stand to be rehabilitated. New green developments present an opportunity to increase efficiency while reducing energy use, resource consumption, and waste. If virgin new green developments provide the aforementioned opportunities, then it logically follows that sustainably retrofitting preexisting buildings represents an even greater opportunity to promote environmental sustainability and reduce inefficiencies. As …

Impact Of Urbanization On Temperature Variation In Big Cities: Measuring Health Risk While Targeting Vulnerable Population, Maryam E. Karimi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Densely populated cities are experiencing Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects and localized hotspots. Cities, such as New York can form heat islands all year round. This is primarily due to land surface modifications, radiative trapping in urban canyons and lack of cooling through evapotranspiration caused by displaced trees and vegetation. UHI refers to an increase in air and surface temperature in cities compared to surrounding suburban and rural areas. Large scale environmental forcing can cause subdivisions of UHI throughout a city. The combined of environmental forcing effects lead to the formation of hot pockets within the cities at micro-scale. The …

Overpopulation And The Impact On The Environment, Doris Baus

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this research paper, the main focus is on the issue of overpopulation and its impact on the environment. The growing size of the global population is not an issue that appeared within the past couple of decades, but its origins come from the prehistoric time and extend to the very present day. Throughout the history, acknowledged scientists introduced the concept of “overpopulation” and predicted the future consequences if the world follows the same behavioral pattern. According to predictions, scientists invented the birth control pill and set population control through eugenics. Despite that, population continued to increase and fight with …

Production Of Energy And Environmental Protection As A Prerequisite For Sustainable Development, Diana Baus

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper explains why renewable energy is a prerequisite for sustainable development. The development of renewable energy sources is important because renewable energy sources have a very important role in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, eradicate poverty and increase the employment rate. In the first section the paper introduces renewable energy sources. The focus is on the function of solar energy, wind power, biomass, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric energy and their implementation globally. The second part of the paper elaborates on the economic, political, and social aspects for the development of renewable energy sources. …

Bioethics In The Work Of Ernest Everett Just: + Missing - Some 400 Pages, Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

Biology + ethics = bioethics. Here we see that Howard University biologist Ernest Everett Just (born 1883, died 1941) connected biology to ethics.

According to Just, various forms of specific biology (including especially cell biology) plus “general biology” are necessary for explaining adequately the origin of ethical behaviors. Social ethical behaviors, especially mutual aid and cooperative interactions with others and the environment, are essential to evolutionary advances among living creatures, ranging from humans to cells. Accordingly, theory of ethics (moral theory) should have roots in biology.

Also, Just wrote an unpublished book-length manuscript—“some 400 typed pages” (Just 1940)—on seeking the …

Nitrogen Sustainability: Impediments To Action And Communication, Eric E. Jorgensen

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

“Sustainability” is widely used to imply the presence of explicit consideration of environmentally friendly needs and that high societal-value is placed on those needs. However, it is abundantly clear after 30 years that talking about sustainability and achieving it are two entirely different things. The core concept underlying sustainability is that current human practices and activities be conducted so as to not degrade prospects for future generations. With nitrogen, conflicts about sustainability in-theory and sustainability in-practice are close to the surface because of nitrogen’s central role in food production and economic activity. Measures of nitrogen inputs commonly range as high …

Urban Environmental Performance Index: The Quito Pilot Case, Diego C. Manya, Ryan Thomas, Matthew Moroney

Yale Day of Data

In the context of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its indicators, especially Goal 11, the importance of indicators is paramount to the implementation, monitoring and eventual success of the SDG. However, a review of global sustainability indicators reveals major gaps in coverage, including scientific gaps. Indicators are often siloed, meaning at the urban scale where issues often overlap and intersect, existing indicators do not take into consideration cross-sectoral linkages. Finally, many indicators fail to adequately address social equity or inclusion, a high-priority issue identified as central to new definitions of green economy and sustainable development at …

Carsey Perspectives: To Dig, Or Not To Dig?, Tom W. Haines

Carsey Publications

In this Carsey Perspectives brief, author Tom Haines details the ongoing review of federal coal leasing and reflects on its implications for the country’s effort to meet carbon emissions targets in the face of climate change. Haines walked 50 miles across Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, the site of most federal coal production, and uses that on-the-ground research, as well as additional reporting, to form an analysis of the scope of the program and the role of federal coal going forward.

The Gettysburg Economic Review, Volume 10, Spring 2017

Gettysburg Economic Review

No abstract provided.

The Farm In The City In The Recent Past: Thoughts On A More Inclusive Urban Historiography, Ruth Glasser

Urban and Community Studies Faculty Writing

The scholarly and journalistic literature usually treats urban agriculture as a new phenomenon, but it is a neglected dimension of urban history. Some U.S. cities, at least in the Northeast, had food-raising and processing practices not just in colonial times but right up until the relatively recent past. Three areas of history are explored that have mostly omitted discussion of city food production but nonetheless provide important frameworks to explore such production: urban development, agricultural, and immigrant history. Woven throughout this piece is evidence from a study of Waterbury, Connecticut. Local food production did not die when the Industrial Revolution …

Exploring Alternative Funding Methods For The Lead Remediation Program In Scott County, Iowa, Brittany A. Poynor, Layne Porembski, Arielle Bloemer, Brandon Schattner, Sarah Hanson

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

For this project, five students worked to put together five alternative funding solutions for the Scott County Health Department's lead remediation program. With limited government grants available, the health department is now considering local funding in order to address the issue of lead poisoning in Davenport, Iowa. These reports, along with other SWLI research, provide valuable information and are the foundation of the up-and-coming remediation program for the county.

Archaeological Survey At I.B. Magee Park, Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas, Jennifer Hatchett Kimbell

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In April 2017, archaeologists from Coastal Environments, Inc. (CEI) conducted intensive archaeological survey with shovel testing in accordance with Council of Texas Archeologists (CTA) and Texas Historical Commission (THC) guidelines on approximately 131 acres of land at I.B. Magee Park for the Nueces County Coastal Parks System in advance of proposed improvements to the park. The park is located along the shoreline in Port Aransas, Texas at the northern end of Mustang Island, immediately south of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute and the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, also known as Aransas Pass.

Because the proposed improvements may result …

Intensive Archaeological Survey Of Portions Of The Proposed Sand Hills Loop Phase I Pipeline, Reagan And Crockett Counties, Texas, Susan E. Butler, Todd L. Butler

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On behalf of DCP Sand Hills Pipeline, LLC (DCP), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive archaeological survey of portions of the proposed Sand Hills Loop Phase I Pipeline in Reagan and Crockett counties, Texas. Approximately 26 miles of the pipeline (“project”) crosses through land owned by the University of Texas (UT). The majority of the proposed alignment has been previously investigated by Turpin and Sons, Inc. in 2011. As such, only portions of the alignment that deviate outside the 2011 survey corridor were investigated, as well as portions which cross or are adjacent to (within 300 feet) sites that …

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey For The Shell Connection Project Loving County, Texas, Ben Fullerton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

EnLink Midstream contracted with HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) to conduct an intensive cultural resources survey for the Shell Connection Project. The proposed project consists of the construction of approximately nine miles (14.5 kilometers [km]) of pipeline within a 150-foot (ft) (45.7-meter [m]) wide right-of-way (ROW), extending from the Shell University Compressor Station to the Lobo II Plant, in Loving County, Texas. The southern approximate 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of the proposed pipeline falls within Texas public university lands (University Lands) owned by the State of Texas. Therefore, the proposed developments on University Lands are required to be in compliance with …

Intensive Archeological Survey Of Fm 1488 From Existing Fm 1488 West Of Magnolia To Proposed Sh 249 Montgomery County, Texas, Brett Lang

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) proposes to construct a new roadway on primarily undeveloped land around the north side of the City of Magnolia in Montgomery County, Texas. The proposed roadway will be the Farm-to-Market (FM) 1488 Magnolia Relief Route extending from the existing FM 1488 west of Magnolia to the proposed State Highway (SH) 249 east of Magnolia. The proposed project would be approximately 5.4 miles (8.7 kilometers) in length. The proposed roadway will consist of four lanes, two in each direction, separated by a median. This project will also include grade-separated overpasses at …

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey Of Proposed Improvements To Farm-To-Market Road 16 From 4.0 Miles West Of Farm-To-Market Road 849, East To United States Highway 69, Smith County, Texas, Dan Rodriguez, Mary Rodriguez, Brandon S. Young

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

At the request of Arredondo, Zepeda, & Brunz, LLC (ABZ), and on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tyler District, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of proposed improvements (i.e., widening the existing two-lane road) to approximately 23,232.08 linear feet (4.4 miles) of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 16 from 4.0 miles west of FM 849 east to U.S. Highway 69 (US 69) in Lindale, Smith County, Texas (CSJ: 0522-04-032). The project would consist of widening FM 16 within existing and proposed right-of-way (ROW). The proposed project includes approximately 39.1 acres of existing FM 16 ROW, …

Archeological Survey Of The Fm 723 Expansion Project From Avenue D To Fm 1093, Fort Bend County, Texas, Bruce A. Darnell, Julian A. Sitters, Heath Bentley, Amma Terra

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In June 2015, AmaTerra Environmental, Inc. began an intensive archeological survey for the Farm-toMarket (FM) 723 expansion project, north of the City of Rosenberg, Fort Bend County, Texas (CSJ# 0188-09-040). Work was delayed due to a lack of right-of-entry (ROE) into portions of the project area. After ROE was granted, archaeological survey was completed in late August of 2017. The total project length is approximately 9.3 miles, or about 228.11 acres, of which 97.9 acres are proposed new Rightof-Way (ROW). AmaTerra conducted the archeological survey under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7293.

Archeological investigations consisted of a pedestrian survey, the manual …

Archaeological Survey For The State Highway 36 Expansion Project In Austin And Fort Bend Counties, Texas, Charles E. Bludau

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In June 2015, HRA Gray & Pape, LLC., of Houston, Texas, at the request of HNTB Corporation, conducted intensive pedestrian archaeological investigations within approximately 24 kilometers (14.7 miles) of property proposed for the expansion of the State Highway 36 corridor between Highway 90 and Farm-to-Market Road 1952 in Fort Bend and Austin Counties, Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation has been identified as the Lead Agency for this project. Work for this project will be completed as part of the Texas Department of Transportation Project CSJ Numbers 0187-05-049 and 0187- 04-029 by the Houston and Yoakum Districts.

The goals of …

Intensive Archeological Survey For Proposed City Of Muleshoe Sanitary Landfill, Bailey County, Texas, Haley Rush, Rebecca Schultz, David Sandrock

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The City of Muleshoe, Texas, proposes to expand an existing municipal landfill by adding a permit area to the south of the existing landfill. The existing city landfill and the proposed expansion are located in northwestern Bailey County, Texas just southeast of the City of Muleshoe.

In October 2017, an intensive archeological survey was completed in order to inventory and evaluate archeological resources within the footprint of the landfill expansion area. The archeological area of potential effects (APE) is defined as the entire 60-acre (24.28-hectare) parcel where the landfill is planned. The APE is located in an undeveloped parcel immediately …

Intensive Archaeological Survey For The Lake Leon Dam Improvements Project, Megan Koszarek, Kristin Morgan

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Eastland County Water Supply District has contracted with HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) to conduct an intensive archaeological survey in advance of the proposed improvements to the Lake Leon Dam in Eastland County, Texas (Figure 1). The Area of Potential Effects (APE) includes an approximately 6-acre emergency spillway area located east of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 2461, approximately 400 feet (ft; 122 meters [m]) south of its intersection with County Road (CR) 569, in Eastland County, Texas. Correspondence with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) recommended that a survey be conducted within the emergency spillway area on the east side of FM 2461, …

Report On The Cultural Resource Investigations For The Abilene Regional Airport, Taylor County, Texas, Gregg Cestaro, Elizabeth Porterfield, Josh Haefner

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Pursuant to the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC’s) recommendation regarding the City of Abilene’s compliance responsibilities for the Abilene Regional Airport (Attachment A: letter, William Martin to Ryan Mountain, October 21, 2016), Hicks & Company archeologists, working on behalf of the City of Abilene (the City), conducted a 100-percent archeology survey for the proposed Abilene Regional Airport located along State Highway 322 and Navajo Circle (Figure 1). A Hicks & Company historian also conducted a desktop review of previously identified or designated historic resources and a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) evaluation of existing historic-age resources within the project area …

Testing And Data Recovery Excavations At Prehistoric Occupation Site 41hr1114, Harris County, Texas, David Driver, Roger G. Moore, H. Blaine Ensor, Charles Frederick

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

This report documents the National Register significance testing and data recovery investigations conducted from February 27-March 15, 2012 (testing), and June 11-25, 2012 (data recovery), at the site of 41HR1114 by Moore Archeological Consulting, Inc. The site is located just west of Lower Mayde Creek, in west Harris County, Texas. The site had been first located during a February, 2012 survey conducted by Moore Archeological Consulting, Inc. in preparation for a proposed extension of the Park Row Boulevard Right-of-Way (Moore and Driver 2012). The survey alignment was privately owned at the time of the survey, and therefore, neither the Antiquities …

Intensive Archaeological Survey For The City Of Midland Water Pollution Control Plant Rehabilitation Project, Melanie Johnson, Diana Garnett, Kristin Morgan

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The City of Midland is proposing to install a new 12-inch (in; 30.5-centimeter [cm]) water pipeline at the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) located south of the intersection of IH 20 and Farm-to-Market (FM) 307 on the east side of the City of Midland in Midland County, Texas (Figure 1-1). This pipeline installation is part of the 2017 WPCP Rehabilitation Project. In advance of the proposed project, the City of Midland contracted HDR, Inc. (HDR) to conduct an intensive archaeological survey of the project area in order to be in compliance with Chapter 191 of the Texas Natural Resources Code, …

Archeological Investigations At The Old Pecos Cemetery (41rv127), Reeves County, Texas, Amy M. Goldstein, Rachel Feit

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

This report summarizes the results of archeological and historical investigations for the Old Pecos Cemetery in Pecos City, Reeves County, Texas. Colgate Energy plans to purchase the area around the cemetery and construct oil and gas facilities on that property. The Old Pecos Cemetery contains graves interred from 1881 to around 1910. It occupies an area of about 0.33 acres and is known to contain many unmarked burials. Colgate Energy hired AmaTerra in August 2017 to investigate outside the fenced limits of the cemetery, to determine whether any unmarked graves are located outside it, and if so, determine the extent …

2015 Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey At The Alamo, Bexar County, Texas, Tiffany Osburn

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) investigation was conducted by members of the Archeology Division of the Texas Historical Commission at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas on December 2, 2015. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether GPR is a suitable technology for mapping subsurface features on the site in advance of future archeological investigations or development. Nine separate GPR grids were surveyed to provide a broad sample of the areas that may retain buried historical features. The General Land Office of Texas owns and manages the Alamo. In compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas, the work …

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey Of The Tnmp Worsham To Wickett Transmission Line Improvements Project, Melanie Johnson, Ann Keen

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Texas and New Mexico Power Company (TNMP) is proposing to rebuild a 69 kV transmission line from the Worsham substation to the Wickett substation consisting of approximately 28 miles (mi; 45 kilometers [km]) of line in Ward and Reeves counties, Texas. In advance of the proposed project, TNMP contracted HDR, Inc. (HDR) to conduct a cultural resources survey of the portion of the project that crosses land owned by the University of Texas under the Antiquities Code of Texas (13 Texas Administrative Code [TAC] 26.12)

The Area of Potential Effects (APE) included the 100-foot (ft; 30.5 meter [m])) wide …

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey Of The Proposed Bagdad Road At County Road 278 Improvements Project, Williamson County, Texas, Mercedes C. Cody, Christina Nielsen, Victoria Myers

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

At the request of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., and on behalf of Williamson County, Texas, SWCA Environmental Consultants conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of the proposed approximately 4,500-foot-long (1371.6 meters [m]) Bagdad Road (County Road [CR] 279) Improvements Project extending 1,000 feet (304.8 m) north and south of CR 278 and 2,500 feet (762.0 m) west-southwest of CR 278 in western Williamson County, Texas. The project area is located between the communities of Liberty Hill and Leander along the intersection of CR 279, also known as Bagdad Road, and CR 278. Since the project involves lands that will …