Sustainability Commons^™

Utilizing New York State’S Distributive Generation Laws For Affordable Housing Organizations, Reuben Jaffe Goldstein

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

The focus of this report is to assist in the deployment of renewable energy in New York City by creating a framework that affordable housing organizations can use to navigate evolving New York regulations to deploy solar PV to their tenants and reduce their tenants’ utility bills. New York’s regulatory environment is trying to make it easier to deploy solar PV through programs such as Shared Solar Program and Remote Net Metering that provide guidance to those who are currently unable to access solar PV. However, incentivizing Solar PV and distributed generation have disproportionately increased costs for utilities, which has …

To Nudge Or Not To Nudge: Promoting Environmentally Beneficial Behaviors, Emma Jean Cooper

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, humans need to change how they act toward the environment. Unfortunately, as much as we may want to act in ways that would be best for us and for the environment, we often struggle to do just that due to cognitive biases. Nudge theory attempts to remedy this problem by helping us make the decision that would be in our best interests. To explore this issue, I conduct an extended review of the literature to examine how well nudge theory can be applied to the realm of environmental policy. Specifically, I …

Eating For The Environment: The Potential Of Dietary Guidelines To Achieve Better Human And Environmental Health Outcomes, Margaret Sova Mccabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

Agriculture and food production contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. Shifting human dietary patterns has the potential to reduce such environmental harms while also promoting human health. Government policy, in the form of the United States Dietary Guidelines (USDG), recommends what Americans should eat and could play an important role in shifting the food system to one that is more sustainable. However, the USDG are an overlooked aspect of U.S. food policy. While many countries have moved to synthesize environmental goals with dietary guidance, the United States has taken the opposite approach. In 2015, despite recommendations from …

Evaluation Of Property Management Agent Performance : A Novel Empirical Model, Yung Yau, Daniel Chi Wing Ho

Faculty of Design & Environment (THEi)

For many different reasons, property management agents (PMAs) are appointed for managing housing developments in both public and private housing sectors in many different cities. While third-party housing management eases the burdens of property owners and tenants in taking care of their properties, it may lead to agency problems. In fact, cases of mismanagement of multi-owned properties are common in Hong Kong and other Asian cities, leading to accelerated urban decay and augmented confrontations between property owners, users and PMAs. To promote better property management services, the performance of PMAs should be evaluated so market players can benchmark the performance …

A Spanner In The Works: Human–Elephant Conflict Complicates The Food–Water–Energy Nexus In Drylands Of Africa, Bruce Schulte, Mwangi Githiru, Urbanus Mutwiwa, Simon Kasaine

Biology Faculty Publications

The two major conservation issues for drylands of Africa are habitat loss or degradation and habitat fragmentation, largely fromagriculture, charcoal production, and infrastructural development. A key question for management is how these landscapes can retain their critical ecological functions and services, while simultaneously supporting resilient livelihoods. It is a clear nexus question involving food (agriculture), water, and energy (fuelwood), which is complicated by human–wildlife conflicts. While these could appear disparate issues, they are closely connected in dryland forest landscapes of Africa where elephants occur close to areas of human habitation. For instance, crop failure, whether due to weather or wildlife …

Pteropus Voeltzkowi And The Understory: A Study Of The Behavioral Impacts Of The Pemba Flying Fox On The Vegetation And Soil Quality Of Pemba Island, Lea Davidson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the impact of Pteropus voeltzkowi , colloquially known as the Pemba Flying Fox, on biodiversity and health of the forest ground layer. Known to serve as reforesters, high concentrations of both fruit seeds and nutrient dense guano are introduced into specific environmental locations due to the bat's behavioral patterns. Working around two roost locations, one in Ngezi Forest and the other at the Kidike conservation site near Mjini Ole, diversity of juvenile vegetation was measured and quantified. In a laboratory setting, soil samples from both sites were analyzed for impacts of guano concentration on soil chemical properties. …

Biometeorological Modelling And Forecasting Of Monthly Ambulancedemand For Hong Kong, H. T. Wong, P. C. Lai, Sissi Si Chen

Faculty of Design & Environment (THEi)

Given the aging population in Hong Kong and the ever rising demand for emergency ambulance services, this study aimed to examine the effects of seasonality and weather on the demand for emergency ambulance services in Hong Kong. The feasibility of using time series models and selected weather factors to forecast average daily ambulance demand over a month was also assessed.

Unlv Solar Decathlon 2017: Team Charter And Mission Statement, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

Sinatra Living: Competition Materials

This document has the Mission Statement for Team Las Vegas, as well as the goals (Team Charter) for the Solar Decathlon 2017 project.

Las Vegas: Water Jury Feedback, Solar Decathlon Jury

Sinatra Living: Competition Materials

A document containing the evaluation and feedback of the Team Las Vegas project house (Sinatra Living) by the Water Jury. The Water Jury is responsible for determining the winners of the Water category for the 2017 Solar Decathlon.

Synapse: Association Of Energy Engineers Presentation, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

Sinatra Living: Marketing and Promotion

This document is a slide presentation, as presented to the Association of Energy Engineers, to gain support for Team Las Vegas's project. Uses project name "Synapse".

Fisheries Management Paper No.283 - Abalone Resource Of Western Australia Harvest Strategy 2106 - 2021, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and Section 9 of the Aquatic Resources Management Act, which will replace the FRMA once proclaimed.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes for the management of specified aquatic resources publicly transparent and provide …

Analysis Of Impacts To Ecosystem Services Of Tree Replacement - Recommendations For Broadway Arboretum Phase One, Kim Brown, Joaquin Moore, Jeffrey J. Gerwing

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Broadway Arboretum Project is a coordinated effort between the Campus Planning Office (CPO), Campus Sustainability Office (CSO), and the Facilities and Property Management team (FPM) that seeks to increase diversity and resilience of PSU’s urban forest by replacing the existing trees lining Broadway Ave. between I-405 and SW Market Street (currently consisting of almost entirely a single variety, Norway Maple) with a variety of trees that showcase those currently approved by the City for street tree planting while also providing a testing ground for additional varieties that might by resilient to the challenges of growing and surviving in Portland’s …

High Plains Regional Climate Center (Poster)

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

The HPRCC provides the public with several ways to access climate data and information. Whether via direct contact, website access, or through a subscription to one of HPRCC’s online services, users can acquire a variety of climate data products, such as: • Near Real-Time and Historical Climate Data • National and Regional Climate Data Maps • Agricultural Climate Products • Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Regional Climate Summaries

Assessing Sustainability Literacy, Mary Ellen Mallia, Cassidy Drasser, Elizabet Genis

Presentations

Presented for the US Society for Ecological Economics

The Prairie Post Quarterly Newsletter Of The High Plains Regional Climate Center- January 2017, Natalie Umphlett, Jamie Lahowetz, Bill Sorensen, Crystal J. Stiles

Prairie Post: Quarterly Newsletter of the High Plains Regional Climate Center

Inside this issue:

Message from the interim director........................................1

30th anniversary......................1

Stakeholder engagement activities......................................2

Product highlights..................3

AWDN information.................4

Update on regional climate conditions..................................4

Services update........................5

Recent and upcoming travel and activities.............................6

Tourism Business Resilience For Coastal Virginia Assessment Report, Lindsay E. Usher, Michelle Covi, Juita-Elena Wie Yusuf, Kaitlin Giles, Elizabeth Armistead Andrews, Angela King, Sashenka Brauer, Rebecca Ribley

Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (CCRFR): Reports

This report summarizes the results of the Tourism Business Resilience Project conducted by the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency and Virginia Sea Grant. This project was a joint effort by faculty and students from the Old Dominion University Resilience Collaborative and the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the William & Mary Law School.

Local To Global: Developing Solutions And Creating Impacts. Annual Report Fy 2017, Robert B. Daugherty Water For Food Global Institute

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

FOREWORD - Hank M. Bounds, President, University of Nebraska

PREFACE - Peter G. McCornick, Executive Director

Focus Areas: Where we are headed We are committed to helping the world efficiently use its limited freshwater resources to ensure food security for current and future generations. The diversity of projects and activities in this report reflects the complexity of the challenges we face in achieving this goal through technical and policy research, education and communication. Our research and policy development efforts are focused within five areas to maximize the expertise of DWFI staff, our colleagues at the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) …

Sinatra Living: Project Abstract And Primary Team Members, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

Sinatra Living: Competition Materials

This document is the final project abstract for Team Las Vegas.

Sinatra Living: Team Las Vegas Proposal (Full Packet), University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

Sinatra Living: Competition Materials

This packet is the final proposal for the Team Las Vegas project, containing a number of project overview documents.

Synapse: Construction Education Committee Presentation, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

Sinatra Living: Marketing and Promotion

This document is a slide presentation, as presented on May 5, 2016 to the Construction Education Committee, to gain support for Team Las Vegas's project. Uses project name "Synapse".