Sustainability Commons^™

Typical Pathway To Carbon Neutrality For Urban Smart Energy Systems—Case Study Of Macao Special Administrative Region, Yonghua Song, Hongcai Zhang, Ge Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China's ambitious goal "strive to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060" not only shows China's responsible attitude towards climate change, but also aligns with the upgrade requirement of China's economy and industries. Since cities occupy a dominant position in China's population, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, they are the main battlefield for achieving national carbon neutrality. This study first analyzes the challenges and requirements that cities' energy systems facing in order to realize carbon neutrality. Then, it takes Macao as an example to analyze the characteristics of cities' energy consumption and carbon emissions. Finally, it …

Quantifying The Influence Of Variations In Rock Mass Properties On Stope Stability, Shahé Shnorhokian, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Variations in rock mass properties are well-established in rock mechanics and underground mining. The literature is replete with methods of assessing them and determining values that are used in design or numerical analysis. In this paper, a simplified 3D model is constructed for a tabular orebody in the Canadian Shield and instability is quantified using the ”brittle shear ratio” criterion to calculate the volume at risk. A 1-4-7 stope pillar sequence is implemented on four active levels, and three variations in the properties of the host formation are assessed. It is observed that the locations of ore at risk follow …

Prospects For Thiourea As A Leaching Agent In Colombian Gold Small-Scale Mining: A Comprehensive Review, Johana Borda, Robinson Torres

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Thiourea, as an alternative medium, is one of the most promising leaching agents for gold recovery by its commercial benefits and research challenges associated with performance and environmental impacts. This review article describes the operational conditions for the use of Thiourea vs cyanide, its chemistry, limitations, toxicity factors, environment, and recovery processes. Although thiourea gold extraction processes have not been applied on a large scale due to the instability of the reagent, its potential to overcome the limitations of cyanide is attractive to the process; with pH, potential, oxidant dosage, and temperature control, solubilized gold thiourea species are achieved. These …

Panel Destressing Strategies For Remnant Pillar Extraction, Isaac Vennes, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Large-scale panel destressing is a rockburst mitigation technique employed in deep hard rock mines during remnant pillar extraction. Panels are choke blasted in the pillar footwall to cutoff the far-field major stress in the mining area and deviate them around the pillar. In this study, the effects of panel geometry and far-field stress magnitude are investigated. Destress blast performance is assessed by measuring change to the energy release rate (ERR) of all mining steps during the extraction of a simplified remnant pillar due to destressing. It is demonstrated that the energy release rate (ERR) of critical stopes is reduced by …

Sustaining Communities Through Transformative Justice, Casey Bohrman

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Casey Bohrman, Graduate Social Work - Sustaining Communities through Transformative Justice

Held At Bay: A Case Study Of A Lake Community’S Effort To Prevent A Zebra Mussel Invasion, Benjamin Breske

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This case study was completed in a lake community in the upper midwestern United States. It seeks to understand the social factors that allowed a lake community to establish an effort to protect against a zebra mussel invasion, as well as the perceptions of the different stakeholders and the steps they took to get the effort going. Rural community action is important for the sustainability of many of the world’s natural resources as these communities are often the first line of defense. Understanding how efforts like this one come together is vital for creating similar efforts elsewhere. I conducted a …

Seismic Activity And Flooding Of Hard Coal Mines In The Ostrava-Karvina Coalfield, Petr Konicek, Eva Jirankova, Vlastimil Kajzar, Jan Schreiber, Pavel Malucha, Kristyna Schuchova

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The termination of mining activities often results in post-mining problems and risks. One of these issues is the flooding of mines. Long-term mining in the Ostrava and Petrvald sub-basins in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin finished in 1994. Tens of coal seams were mined here, and the depth of mining reached more than 1000 m below the surface. Flooding of the Ostrava sub-basin started in 1994. The Ostrava and Petrvald sub-basins were flooded from one half only to prevent water from flooding into the Karvina sub-basin, where mining continued. The continual pumping of water has been carried out ever since. …

Numerical Modelling Of Destress Blasting – A State-Of-The-Art Review, Shuting Miao, Petr Konicek, Peng-Zhi Pan, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

As a proactive mine safety measure against the occurrence of rockburst, destress blasting has been applied to numerous mining conditions to precondition highly stressed rock mass to mitigate the risk of rockburst occurrence in deep mines as well as in deep underground constructions. However, the application of destress blasting mostly depends on engineering experience, while its mechanism and efficiency have not been well understood. Rapid advances in computer technology have made numerical simulation an economical and effective method to study the rock blasting effect. Enormous research efforts have been made to numerically investigate the blasting fracture mechanism, optimize blasting design, …

Analysis Of The Application Of Methane-Bearing Capacity Test Methods In The Conditions Of Polish Mining, Marcin Karbownik

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The methane hazard is one of the natural hazards occurring in hard coal mining. The content of natural methane in hard coal seams, the so-called methane-bearing capacity, is one of the key parameters that allow for proper assessment of the methane hazard and the state of the threat of gas and rock outbursts. For safety purposes, there is a constant need to improve the methods for the determination of this parameter. In the conditions of Polish mining, the method used for methane-bearing capacity determination is the direct drill cuttings method. This paper contains a comparative study presenting three different methods …

Proposed Design Fire Scenarios For Underground Hard Rock Mines, Rickard Hansen

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Given the complexity and uniqueness of underground hard rock mines, the application of the design fire scenario approach is recommended when evaluating fire safety in mines. Providing a full set of design fire scenarios – ensuring that several important life safety aspects are covered – for a mine can be challenging. The question is whether a catalogue of potential clusters of design fire scenarios could be developed, covering important aspects found underground? Given the general lack of research into design fires in the mining industry, this paper provides a unique analysis of design fire scenarios in underground hard rock mines. …

The Evolution Of Wildland Fire Risk Management, Matthew Holte

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Wildland Fire risk management has long been a topic of much discussion. In the past we have focused on immediate danger and how to mitigate it, recently we have started to look at risk with a long-term view. Throughout this paper we will discuss the history of wildland fire, wildland fire policy, and how we got to where we are today. We will also look at how the two different styles of risk management and how we need to use them in a complementary fashion to provide safety to our firefighters, public, and the natural resources that we are protecting.

The Role Of It In Campus Sustainability Efforts: Model Sustainability In It Operations, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, And Teaching And Learning, J. T. Singh, Kevin Partridge, Teresa Hudson, Pete Calvert

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

JT Singh (and colleagues), WCU Information Services and Technology - The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts

Surviving A Broken System: Synergies Between Solidarity Economies And Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Beach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capitalism has created problems including wealth polarization, rapid depletion of natural resources, and pervasive systemic societal issues. Hard work is not enough to solve the unequal distribution and barriers preventing access to necessities. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created to remedy the harsh reality of global inequities and negative environmental impacts by working towards a more just and equitable future for all. Solidarity Economies (SE) offer an alternative framework to achieve these goals.

This research used multiple qualitative methods to investigate the synergies between SE and SDGs in a growing urban environment. St. Petersburg, FL struggles with affordable housing, food …

Effect Of Mining And Geology On Mining-Induced Seismicity – A Case Study, Heba Khalil, Tuo Chen, Yu-Hang Xu, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mining-induced seismicity is a commonly occurring phenomenon in underground mines. This poses a greater challenge to the safety of the mining operation. This paper presents a case study of the Young-Davidson mine in northern Ontario, Canada, where seismic events of magnitude Mn 2.0+ have been observed at mining depths of 600 to 800 m below the surface. The occurrence of large seismic events at such shallow depths is the key issue of this study. A comprehensive study of the microseismic database has been conducted to discern the root causes for the unusually strong seismic activities recorded at shallow depths. The …

Shaft Liquidation Method Adjusted For High Precipitation Associated With Climate Change Impact, Jan Szymała, Joanna Całus Moszko, Ewa Janson, Dagmara Sobczak, Stanisław Konsek

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In connection with the implementation of the international project TEXMIN within the framework of the RFCS fund, a project for the liquidation of the Głowacki Shaft in Rybnik (Poland) was undertaken, which takes into account the effects of climate change, i.e. evaluation of the increase of precipitation in the region. In addition to the standard research undertaken before liquidation activities, precipitation data recorded by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management from 1995 to 2019 was collected and the precipitation variability was analysed. As a result, a method for liquidation of the shaft was selected consisting of constructing a permeable …

How Impervious Are Solar Arrays? On The Need For Geomorphic Assessment Of Energy Transition Technologies, Charles Shobe

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Staying within manageable global temperature rise scenarios (i.e., 1.5° C) requires rapid decarbonization of energy sources. Research on the energy transition typically focuses on engineering, socioeconomic, and political challenges related to implementation of renewable energy technologies. Yet many facets of the energy transition are intricately intertwined with earth surface processes. Projects that advance the energy transition affect surface hydrology, sediment transport, and landscape evolution. Geomorphic processes likewise set the feasibility of energy transition projects. Here I use the lens of a recent policy debate to examine a case study that illustrates the key role of surface processes in determining the …

Our Need For Seed: How News Media Framed The Pandemic Gardening Boom, Roger Gatchet, Amanda Davis Gatchet

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Roger Gatchet, Communication and Media, and Professor Amanda Davis Gatchet, Department of Communication Studies, Montgomery County Community College - Our Need for Seed: How News Media Framed the Pandemic Gardening Boom

Wagin Townsite Borefield: Review Of Aquifer Performance, Rockwater

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Wagin Borefield was established by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia in 2000-2007 to control groundwater levels in the town that had risen to critical levels as a result of increased recharge and runoff following the clearing of native vegetation for urban development and agriculture. Similar investigations were conducted as part of the Rural Towns Program and Rural Towns-Liquid Assets projects in 41 other wheatbelt towns, but none, except perhaps from Merredin, have been as comprehensively implemented, operated and monitored as Wagin.

The Wagin Borefield comprises 8 production bores, of which only 3 have been operated. To …

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - November 2022, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

This issue of our newsletter includes new resources for recycling and environmental justice, information about an environmental proposal you will see on election day, and tips to have a sustainable Thanksgiving! Even read about how you can minimize your impacts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Review Of The Energy And Social Impact Of Bitcoin Mining And Transactions And Its Potential Use As A Productive Use Of Energy (Pue) To Aid Equitable Investment In Solar Micro And Mini Grids Worldwide, Kevin Hallinan, Lu Hao, Rydge Mulford, Lauren Bower, Kaitlin Russell, Austin Mitchell, Alan Schroeder, Rustam Kuzhin, Mohammad Ehsan Naikkhua, Rohulla Arya, Sayed Ehsani, Rishabh Shukla

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Working Papers

Despite the climate commitments made by countries in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015, and reinforced during COP 21, world carbon emissions have increased in both 2021 and 2022. It is increasingly unlikely that the world can achieve the targeted 50% carbon reduction by 2030; the reduction approximately needed for reducing global temperature rise since the beginning of the industrial revolution to less than 1.5 deg. C. At the same time, the carbon intensive loads associated with bitcoin mining have grown, thereby contributing to growing worldwide carbon emissions. In this context, the role of cryptocurrency and particularly bitcoin is …