Environmental Studies Commons^™

Chesapeake Governance Study: Report Of 2021 Decision Maker Interview Results, D.G. Webster

Dartmouth Scholarship

This report describes the aggregate results from a series of interviews conducted with decision makers involved in governance of the Chesapeake Watershed. Interviews began in June and ended in December of 2021. Information collected will be combined with other data to create and then test a computer model to predict likely policy changes under a range of future scenarios. It is part of a larger project funded by the National Science Foundation called Modeling the Dynamics of Human and Estuarine Systems with Regulatory Feedbacks (Award #2009248). Using the Chesapeake Bay as an example, this project will combine the policy model …

Green On The Map - The Influence Of Conservation Easements On The Naturalness Of Landscapes In The United States, Nakisha Fouch

All Dissertations

Large protected areas have long been the cornerstone of conservation biology, however, in an era branded by the human dominance of ecosystems, regional landscape structure and function are often a consequence of accumulated land-use decisions that may or may not include a nod to conservation planning. With underrepresentation of habitats in publicly protected areas, attention has focused on the function of alternative land conservation mechanisms. Private conservation easements (CEs) have proliferated in the United States, yet assessing landscape-level function is confounded by holder and donor intent, national and regional policy, regional landscape contexts, varying extents, resolution, and temporal scale. Over …

Addressing Mexico City’S Water Crisis Via Wastewater Reclamation In The Mezquital Valley, Holden Nicholas Moore, Duncan Drapeau

Sustainability and Social Justice

Urbanization and climate change are resulting in extensive water scarcity across the globe. Mexico City is a prime example of this relationship. Due to neoliberal water policy reform and exponential urbanization along with inadequate water infrastructure and wastewater management systems, Mexico City is already experiencing issues in terms of water quality and equitable distribution. Climate change is projected to exacerbate these issues due to increasing temperatures and changes in annual precipitation trends resulting in water becoming more scarce or even hazardous through droughts and flooding events. For there to be effective adaptation methods, factors that result in vulnerability need to …

Examining Geographic Variations In Disaster Preparedness Across The United States And Puerto Rico, Forest Kane Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Disaster events, such as floods, wildfires, and earthquakes increasingly cause damage to livelihoods, the economy, and the environment. Preparing for these events to occur is an important part of increasing resilience, however studies have found that households are generally not prepared for these events to happen. When it comes to identifying where these households are, there is typically no related tool or series of maps that can indicate location. In order to fill this gap, we use public survey data from FEMA to create estimates of household preparedness across a number of actions, such as developing an evacuation plan or …

Human Appropriation Of Net Primary Production Through Crops, Grazing, And Forestry In The U.S. From 1997 To 2012, Suman Paudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation conducts a county-level analysis of human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) harvested from crops, timber and grazing in the conterminous United States in the years 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. This study consists of three manuscripts (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). The first study quantifies net primary production in US counties in 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. The detailed HANPP study conducted concludes that HANPP is a valuable footprint tool for analyzing land use intensity and agricultural ecosystems. The second manuscript shows how HANPP is an improved or modernized ecological footprint and is a sustainable indicator as …

Queering Disaster Response: Best Practices For Intentional And Inclusive Disaster Response, Sean Fisher

Environmental Studies Student Work

Climate change is causing an increase in the severity and frequency of extreme weather and climatic disasters. Indigenous, Persons of Color, Women, Queer, Trans, Two Spirit, and Disabled communities will be most impacted by the adverse impacts of these disasters. This disproportionate impact is being examined through vulnerability to adverse impacts. Vulnerability is accrued though pre-existing social, political, and or economic marginalization. Overton comments, “Disaster can thus be seen as social events that reveal the inequalities, vulnerabilities, and coping mechanisms that inform how people negotiate the ‘permanent disaster’ of daily life.” However, current methods of disaster relief and aid don’t …

Changing Course: Increasing Sustainability Of Mn Golf Courses, Jake Vandermeeden

Environmental Studies Student Work

No abstract provided.

Disruption To Ems Service During Flood Scenarios In Western North Carolina, Julia Cardwell

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Given that the intensity and frequency of flood events will increase under climate change scenarios, the ability to model potential impacts, such as those to healthcare access, will become increasingly important. This study analyzes EMS response time under both a historical (Tropical Storm Fred in August 2021) and a modeled flood event (FEMA’s 100-yr floodplain) in western North Carolina, a predominantly rural area. The results indicate that network disruption during flood events is a concern in the study area, and while the historical event produced moderate disruption, the 100-yr event produced major disruptions throughout the study area. This research emphasizes …

The Water-Energy Nexus With Alida Cantor, Alida Cantor

PDXPLORES Podcast

In this episode of PDXPLORES, geography professor Alida Cantor discusses the water-energy nexus--the ways water and energy resources are physically, socially, and politically intertwined. Cantor's research focuses on politics, power, decision-making, and environmental justice around water resources.

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Effect Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Volunteerism And Fundraising Management Strategies In Nonprofits And Rebuilding Tactics Of Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Of Chicagoland And Northwest Indiana (Rmhc-Cni), Humza Wolf

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Student Projects

The financial sustainability of nonprofits depends highly on volunteerism and funding strategies which got impacted during Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. This capstone study explores to what extent nonprofits got affected and evaluates the efforts of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC-CNI) to improve the provision of support for underprivileged families of critically ill children. The continual efforts to overcome financial hurdles escalated in pandemic. Mixed method research design was used to collect, analyze, and triangulate both quantitative and qualitative research methods in this single study to understand the research problem. Interpretive approach encompassed the complexities of …

Estimation Of Economic Risk From Coastal Natural Hazards In Louisiana, Rubayet Bin Mostafiz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Louisiana, U.S.A., is among the most vulnerable areas globally to coastal natural hazards, with risk vulnerability likely increasing. The risks associated with non-tropical-cyclone hazards in Louisiana’s coastal zone have been understudied. This research enhances present and future (i.e., 2050) Louisiana risk assessment using locally-weighted, model-based hazard frequency/intensity and population projections.

Results suggest that property risks associated with extreme cold temperature and tornado are and will remain costlier than those for hail and lightning. Property risks of extreme cold temperature and hail are projected to decrease with the expected warming temperatures, with those of all four of these hazards peaking in …

Air Quality In The Mountain West, 2018-2020, Zachary Billot, Zachary Walusek, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet examines the state of air quality, including ozone levels and particle pollution, throughout the Mountain West from 2018 to 2020. Data from the American Lung Association “State of the Air” report is used to determine the quality of air in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Understanding The Economic And Health Benefits Of Agroecology With Leopoldo Rodriguez, Leopoldo Rodriguez

PDXPLORES Podcast

In this episode of PDXPLORES, International and Global Studies professor Leopoldo Rodriguez discusses the sustainable farming practice known as agroecology. Rodriguez is leading a study examining the impact of agroecological practices on environmental, social, and economic sustainability and health outcomes near Buenos Aires, Argentina. To complete this work, Rodriguez has partnered with small-scale farmers, some of whom have adopted agroecology and some who farm using conventional methods.

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Ammonium Adduct Chemical Ionization To Investigate Anthropogenic Oxygenated Gas-Phase Organic Compounds In Urban Air, Peeyush Khare, Jordan E. Krechmer, Jo E. Machesky, Tori Hass-Mitchell, Cong Cao, Junqi Wang, Francesca Majluf, Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker, Sonja Malek, Will Wang, Karl Seltzer, Havala O. T. Pye, Roisin Commane, Brian C. Mcdonald, Ricardo Toledo-Crow, John E. Mak, Drew R. Gentner

Advanced Science Research Center

Volatile chemical products (VCPs) and other non-combustion-related sources have become important for urban air quality, and bottom-up calculations report emissions of a variety of functionalized compounds that remain understudied and uncertain in emissions estimates. Using a new instrumental configuration, we present online measurements of oxygenated organic compounds in a US megacity over a 10 d wintertime sampling period, when biogenic sources and photochemistry were less active. Measurements were conducted at a rooftop observatory in upper Manhattan, New York City, USA using a Vocus chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer, with ammonium (NH as the reagent ion operating at 1 Hz. The …

Dr. Kim Scipes: Building A Network Of Compassion In A World Waiting To Be United, Kayla Vasilko

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

In his career, Dr. Kim Scipes has been globally active in the labor movement for almost 40 years and has published over 240 articles and book reviews. Additionally, Dr. Scipes has authored four books, three of which were completed while Dr. Scipes taught at PNW (the first two while he was teaching four courses a semester); his publication list is accessible via: https://www.pnw.edu/faculty/kim-scipes-ph-d/publications/, a listing that strongly illustrates his impressive range of work and dedication to advancing knowledge not just for the university, but for the world. Dr. Scipes’ Sociology 404 course (Environment and Social Justice) gives students a …

Uniting For Important Paws: The Independent Cat Society And S.H.I.N.E., Kayla Vasilko

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Homeless pets outnumber homeless people 5 to 1; only 1 in 10 animals in animal shelters are spayed or neutered; thus, organizations like the Independent Cat Society (ICS), a non-profit, cage-less, no kill cat shelter are vital community resources (Gaille, 2017). At the ICS, every cat admitted is spayed or neutered and updated on any needed medical treatment; feline overpopulation is addressed through trap, neuter, release (TNR), and additional programs to educate the public on responsible animal care practices (“About the ICS,” 2019). Through volunteerism and two Purdue Service-Learning grants, the Purdue University Northwest student organization S.H.I.N.E (students helping ignite …

Introducing Interdisciplinary Curricula Into Conservation Biology: Exploring Changes In Students’ Perceived Proenvironmental Attitudes And Behaviors, Jasmine Janes, Lindsay J. Mccunn

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Today, conserving the natural environment is paramount. Educators have been striving to develop pedagogical approaches that facilitate greater engagement in conservation behaviors. However, many of these reforms have been targeted at an institutional level, without necessarily testing whether changes in proenvironmental perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors occur for students. This step seems important when developing conservation biology courses that provide well-rounded education that may better prepare students for future challenges in biodiverse conservation contexts. Our objective was to assess the proenvironmental attitudes and conservation values of undergraduate students enrolled in an undergraduate conservation biology course before and after instruction to determine …

Cambios Significativos En Los Atractivos Y Recursos Turísticos En La Provincia Sabana De Occidente: Una Mirada Crítica De Sus Habitantes, César Augusto Giraldo Duque, Diana Catherin Martínez Cruz, Ximena Meneses, Miguel Sierra Alvarez, Wendy Katerine García La Rotta, Karen Dayana Sanabria Castañeda, Derly Paola Chisaba Rodríguez, Laura Viviana Sierra Barrera, Angy Julieth Carrillo Fandiño, Sergio Forero Díaz, Andrea Yuliana Díaz Gómez, Andrés Leonardo Rodríguez Beltrán, Manuel Gonzalo Penagos Reyes, Daniela Parra Torres

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

Este documento presenta al lector unos conceptos básicos del turismo y los tipos de turismo que se pueden desarrollar en Colombia.

Una descripción clara del Plan Nacional de Desarrollo de Colombia.

Un Breve análisis del Plan Sectorial de Turismo Nacional.

Instrumentos normativos nacionales e internacionales que regulan la protección del turismo y los bienes inmateriales y culturales.

Las normas leyes y decretos que regulan el turismo en Colombia.

En relación con los municipios que se estudiaron se encuentra Bojacá, Facatativá, Funza, El Rosal, Subachoque, Zipacón, Madrid y Mosquera.

Breve historia de cada uno de los municipios.

Ficha técnica de los …

Percepción De Los Servicios Ecosistémicos De Provisión Ofertados En Agroecosistemas Campesinos En La Provincia De Sumapaz (Cundinamarca-Colombia), Nelson Enrique Fonseca Carreño

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

La acelerada transformación de los ecosistemas, provocada principalmente por actividades antrópicas como la ganadería extensiva y la agricultura convencional, han contribuido a generar fenómenos como la variabilidad climática, acentuando la pérdida de biodiversidad. Bajo esta premisa, el objetivo del estudio fue identificar y evaluar la percepción de los productores agropecuarios y su interacción con los Servicios Ecosistémicos (se) de provisión en los municipios de Cabrera, Pasca, San Bernardo y Granada ubicados en la provincia de Sumapaz en Cundinamarca, a través de las características socioeconómicas y biofísicas de cada territorio. Para ello, se propone el desarrollo de una metodología basada en …

Injustice Within Renewable Energy Life Cycles: Can Irena Offer A Solution?, G. Webster Ross

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

This paper explores case studies of green colonialism, supply chain injustices, and poor e-waste management within renewable energy life cycles, and investigates how the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) may be the best suited organization to address and mitigate these issues on a global scale. While renewable energy technology is often heralded as the key to a sustainable future, the life cycle of these technologies is riddled with human rights violations and other injustices. To begin with, many of the minerals required for assembling the hardware are mined in unregulated environments, resulting in several injustices such as health and safety …