Environmental Policy Commons^™

Environmental Protection, The Military, And Preserving The Balance: “Why It Matters, In War And Peace”, Kurt Smith

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law

International military operations around the world are major actors on the world stage of global pollution. The United States military remains subject to federal, state, and local environmental laws. However, many exemptions exist to assist the military despite its status as a global polluter. Many environmental policies have incrementally developed over the last one-hundred years largely as a reaction to the most extreme circumstances. Scientific knowledge continues to increase our awareness of the lasting impacts of policy decisions relating to the environment, giving rise to the precautionary principle, that notion that we should do no lasting harm, in our care …

The Clean Air Act: How It Can Be Localized To Promote Both Environmental And Social Justice, Tate Kirk

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law

Legislators attempt to achieve intended goals by enacting laws that provide for regulatory enforcement. However, many times laws are unable to achieve their stated goals and in some ways may create new or exacerbate existing issues. Luckily, upon review, many of these issues can be fixed with quick modifications to either their implementation or enforcement mechanisms. In its current form, the Clean Air Act does not effectively account for differences in regional climate patterns, and, moreover, it perpetuates environmental injustice. If local governments were given more autonomy to enforce the Clean Air Act, they could shape its enforcement to more …

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

The Virome Of Peony And The Population Structure Of Its Most Prominent Viruses, Cullen Shaffer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peony (Peonia lactiflora, Pall.) is a popular ornamental that has been cultivated for millennia. Due to its popularity, plant material is frequently moved across international borders allowing for the spread of viruses. The virome of several peony plants was investigated and four viruses; namely Amazon lily mild mottle virus (ALiMMV), Cycas necrotic stunt virus (CNSV), Gentian Kobu-sho associated virus (GKaV) and Lychnis mottle virus (LycMoV) were detected for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. Incidence ranged from a few plants for ALiMMV to near universal infection for CNSV. GKaV was found in individuals that were infected with Lemoine’s disease …

Internal And External Determinants Of The Adoption Levels Of Sustainable Development Policies In The Energy, Industry And Agricultural Sectors Of Turkey, The United States, The Russian Federation, And The People’S Republic Of China, Onur Kolcak

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Our planet's natural resources have helped humanity advance and build countless civilizations. We are a fossil fuel civilization and have evolved so that today's production and energy use has become the most crucial part of all modern economies. We cannot function without reliable, resilient, and secure energy sources that help us continuously produce. Human history is full of important events that have tremendously shaped our experience on this planet. These experiences have sometimes forced us to make quick decisions and change our ways, but some of these changes occurred gradually and gave us time to plan and adapt. Adaptability is …

Migration And Inequalities In The Face Of Covid-19: Vulnerable Populations And Support Networks In Mexico And The United States, Claudia Masferrer

Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Research

Our world changed drastically on February 11th 2020 when the World Health Organization announced the name of the new coronavirus disease as COVID-19, and the pandemic was later considered the greatest challenge we have faced since World War II. Although we have started to experience social life in various new ways, the impacts that it will bring are still unknown. In recent years, migration had already undergone different transformations globally, and more changes are expected. How will populations on the move and migrant populations live in the following years post-COVID, and how different actors will respond to these changes, is …

The Costs Of Critical Habitat Or Owl’S Well That Ends Well, Jonathan Klick, J.B. Ruhl

All Faculty Scholarship

When the Fish and Wildlife Service designated land in four counties of Arizona as “critical habitat” necessary for the protection of the endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy‐owl, property values dropped considerably. When the owl was later delisted, property values jumped back up. We use difference-in-difference and synthetic control designs to identify this effect with Zillow property value data. The results provide an estimate of the costs of this critical habitat designation, and they are considerable, contrary to the regulators’ position that critical habitat protection imposes no incremental costs beyond the original endangered species listing.

Green Port Strategies For Sustainable Growth And Development Of Ports In Malaysia, Mohammad Yoshikatriezan Bin Abeng

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Resource Harvest Strategy 2020-2025, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries management papers

No abstract provided.

Estuarine And Nearshore Finfish Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries management papers

No abstract provided.

Saucer Scallop Resource Of Shark Bay Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries management papers

No abstract provided.

Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries management papers

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Tourism For Destinations: Insights From The Gstc Destination Criteria 2.0 For Sustainable Tourism, Jonathon Day, Jennifer Lenore Romanchek

Tourism Insights

This analysis of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Destination Criteria 2.0 organizes criteria into five categories of activity: Planning, Policy, Programs, Performance Management, and destination team development and management.

Benefits Cost Anaylsis: Options For Sea Level Rise Adaptation On West Cliff Drive, Charles S. Colgan, Philip King, David Revell

Publications

This report presents the results of a benefit cost analysis of various options for adapting West Cliff Drive (in the City of Santa Cruz, California) to sea level rise as identified through extensive technical analysis and community input. This report has built on previous work completed as part of the West Cliff Drive Adaptation and Management Plan project. The previous work products provided much of the information needed for this benefit cost analysis included an existing conditions inventory, future exposure and vulnerability assessment, and an adaptation alternatives analysis. Since most of the West Cliff Drive corridor is publicly owned by …

The Evolution Of Research On Sustainable Business Models: Implications For Management Scholars, Sandra Rothenberg, Erinn G. Ryen, Anne G. Sherman

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

Business models that lead to reduced consumption of resources and energy and support a Circular Economy can help businesses address the world’s pressing environmental problems. At the same time, they are concepts that have taken decades to garner serious attention in management literature. In this paper we review patterns in scholarship across a wide range of disciplines (sciences, humanities and management) on the Circular Economy and related business models like Extended Producer Responsibility, Product Service Systems, Collaborative Consumption, Sharing Economy, and Voluntary Simplicity. From this review, we discuss how business scholars might learn from these trends, and the implications for …

A Clean Energy Future: The Policy Environment Of Public Service Enterprise Group, Justin T. Letizia

Student Publications

The very nature of environmental policy permeates all areas of society; climate change, in its essence, is inherently a public dilemma. Thus, strategies to address and mitigate the adverse effects of the climate crisis, whether originating from governmental actors or private corporations, must consider and account for the many stakeholders who stand to be impacted by its far-reaching policy. For a company such as PSEG to implement effective climate policy, it is required that they develop, maintain, and leverage relationships with multiple stakeholders at the municipal, county, state, and federal levels, as well as promote a positive reputation among its …

Energy Demand And Economic Growth: Public Opinion And Mutual Exclusivity, Nicholas L. Silvis

Student Publications

The world is currently undergoing an energy transition from primarily fossil fuels to cleaner energy. The developing world is becoming more advanced, spawning relentless economic growth and an increase in energy consumption. Energy demand and economic growth are inextricably linked which poses a paradoxical question about future economic growth during a period of energy transition. Unfortunately, the transition requires large upfront costs with no guaranteed net benefit. A multitude of studies depict the impact of education, party identification, and age on how individuals perceive alternative energy. This study shows that views on governmental spending and party membership have a paradoxical …

Non-Conventional Vehicles As A Way Towards Carbon Neutrality In Iceland, Julia Sokolowska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Paris Agreement’s chief objective is to protect the Earth and its inhabitants from a point of no return, when the effects of climate change will be so intense that they will shift the equilibrium of ecosystems. The distinctiveness of this international environmental treaty is that it does not impose climate change mitigation measures, but rather allows nation states to create their own set of measures, the NDCs, to reach the global warming of ‘well below 2oC’ by the end of the century. Thus, Iceland has submitted its own NDC, the Climate Action Plan 2018-2030, which has an ambitious goal of …

Potentially Terminal Conditions: Economic Globalization And Ecological Footprint, Raymond A. Wiseley

Student Publications

This paper studies the relationship between economic globalization and environmental footprint. It hypothesizes that economic globalization will increase the negative environmental impact. The study covers theories for and against this argument, focusing especially on the validity of an environmental Kuznets curve, market-based solutions, and other suggested policies. It then gathers data and tests the relationship using a regression analysis. The results show a statistically significant positive relationship between economic globalization and ecological impact. The study concludes by discussing these results and proposing future steps.

Asymmetric Benefits Of A Heterospecific Breeding Association Vary With Habitat, Conspecific Abundance And Breeding Stage, Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Erin A. Roche, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, Megan M. Ring

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero- and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero- and conspecifics influence nest and chick survival for two listed (under the U.S. Endangered Species Act) migratory species breeding on the Missouri River, USA. We monitored 2507 piping plover Charadrius melodus nests and 3245 chicks as well as 1060 least tern Sternula antillarum nests and 1374 chicks on …

On Environmental, Climate Change & National Security Law, Mark P. Nevitt

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article offers a new way to think about climate change. Two new climate change assessments — the 2018 Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA) and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel’s Special Report on Climate Change — prominently highlight climate change’s multifaceted national security risks. Indeed, not only is climate change a “super wicked” environmental problem, it also accelerates existing national security threats, acting as both a “threat accelerant” and “catalyst for conflict.” Further, climate change increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events while threatening nations’ territorial integrity and sovereignty through rising sea levels. It causes both internal displacement …

Environmental Soft Law As A Governance Strategy, Cary Coglianese

All Faculty Scholarship

Soft law governance relies on nongovernmental institutions that establish and implement voluntary standards. Compared with traditional hard law solutions to societal and economic problems, soft law alternatives promise to be more politically feasible to establish and then easier to adapt in the face of changing circumstances. They may also seem more likely to be flexible in what they demand of targeted businesses and other entities. But can soft law actually work to solve major problems? This Article considers the value of soft law governance through the lens of three major voluntary, nongovernmental initiatives that address environmental concerns: (1) ISO 14001 …

Human Confusion: Why There Must Be Justice For Non-Humans, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the last twelve millennia—since agriculture first emerged—humans have increased their exploitation and efforts to control other species and to colonize the Earth. Human on human hierarchy and colonization of other humans follows on the colonization of the natural world. The task of conservation is to undo that colonial relationship. We have been causing the extinction of other life-forms, including hominid species, since we left Africa at least 60,000 years ago. In the last 50 years, or just about two human generations, nearly 68% of all vertebrate animals have disappeared due to human activity (WWF 2020). Humans go into an …

Environmental Gentrification In Chicago: Perceptions, Dilemmas And Paths Forward, Colette Copic, Tania Schusler, Amy Krings

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This research sheds light on perceptions of environmental gentrification in Chicago. It also identifies policies and practices that hold potential to promote environmentally healthy neighborhoods and equitable development without displacement.

Executive Summary

Purpose

Access to greenspace, clean air, water, food, and safe, affordable, and stable housing are all important to good health. Yet, low income and communities of color endure disproportionate pollution burdens that negatively affect health. While cleaning up contamination or implementing “green” improvements like parks, playgrounds, bike trails, and other greenspaces can reduce health disparities, these environmental improvements sometimes contribute to rising rents and property values, which can …

Land Use In Nevada: Counties And The Bureau Of Land Management (Blm), Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kelliann Beavers, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This Fact Sheet compares land ownership in the State of Nevada, and its 17 counties. Drawn from an original report by Headwaters Economics, the figures and tables that follow provide each jurisdiction’s total land acreage, 2019 population estimates, and a breakdown of land ownership categories, including: private lands, federal lands, state lands, tribal lands, and land owned by cities, counties, or other jurisdictions.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Paleontological Resources Management Plan (Public Version), Scott Kottkamp, Vincent L. Santucci, Justin S. Tweet, Jessica De Smet, Ellen Stark

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Since Agate Springs Ranch was founded by James H. Cook in 1887, exquisite examples of transitional Miocene mammalian fauna have been found along this stretch of the Niobrara River valley. Collectively these paleontological discoveries, along with the existing archeological and historical Native American collection, were the basis for establishing Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) as a unit of the National Park System (NPS). The fossil remains from the Harrison and Anderson Ranch formations span a short, but important, time period within the Miocene Epoch. AGFO has provided science with an intimate look into North American mammalian evolution …

Covid-19 And The Environment: Reflections On The Pandemic In Asia, Hao Huang

EnviroLab Asia

The idea of planetary health as a form of scholarly analysis and scientific investigation has particular relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic and to Asia, where the outbreak of the novel coronavirus was first reported. Over the past three decades, the continent’s rapid urbanization and industrialization have played a significant role in the region’s economic growth, increase in per capita income and the concentration of wealth, and the creation of some of the world’s fast-growing cities. These profound benefits have come with some serious consequences, however, and planetary-health experts have stressed that one of them has been the sharp uptick in …

Analysis Of The Benefits Of Green Streets, Christopher E. Ferrell, John M. Eells, Richard W. Lee, Reyhane Hosseinzade

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

Green streets offer many potential benefits that include improving water quality, absorbing carbon (sequestration), and reducing urban heat island effects. This report summarizes: (1) the research team’s analysis of 14 tools calculating green streets benefits; and (2) the results of applying the most promising calculators to a select group of green streets case studies. The researchers are affiliated with the Mineta Transportation Institute, which serves the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”). The report presents the results of the case study analyses, with an emphasis on carbon sequestration benefits and improvements to pedestrian levels of service (PLOS).

Trees absorb carbon dioxide …

Relating Green Space Characteristics To Student Housing Habits, Joshua Randall

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

African Wildlife, Eco-Tourism & Covid, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

African wildlife conservation faces increasing economic pressure as a result of the loss of tourism due to the pandemic and other looming threats.