Environmental Studies Commons^™

Weak-Kneed Media And Festering Corruption In Nigeria, Musibau Olabamiji Oyebode Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Characteristic greed, kleptomaniac behavior, and the impunity of Nigerian elites have become enemies of democratic growth in Nigeria. Corruption in Nigeria has become an issue of concern to scholarship. All domestic and international institutions, as well as legal frameworks put in place to check corruption continue to fail to yield measurable results. Festering corruption brings to the forefront the roles of the media in combating the menace. Using Down’s ‘issue-attention cycle’ as the theoretical lens, this paper undertakes an examination of critical discourse of Nigerian media handling of corruption cases. This discourse analysis is backed up with the scholarly interpretation …

On Pathways That Changed Myanmar: A Précis, Matthew Mullen Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Change in Myanmar came from above, below, within, abroad, and the fore. This précis of Pathways That Changed Myanmar explains how a multidimensional understanding of change in Myanmar can help to explain the military junta’s decision to move towards a pacted transition. Subversion and creation at the grassroots level transformed the distribution of opportunities, leverage, power, incentives, and influences, as did the global effort to name, shame, and sanction the regime. Decades of contention from the National League for Democracy and many ethnic political groups, in combination with the impact of the Third Force, a network that sought to engage …

Deconstructing Internationalization: Advocating Glocalization In International Higher Education, Fay Patel Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Internationalization has become more than a buzz word in recent years. It has become a leading investment, generating substantial revenues, and is regarded as an imperative in its kinship to branding and rankings in international higher education. The author deconstructs internationalization as a western hegemonic perspective and advocates instead glocalization in international higher education. Glocalization focuses on enhancing the quality of learning for local and global learner cohorts through mutual understanding and shared values at a deep level of academic and social engagement. Following a literature review, the romanticized notion of internationalization is deconstructed to expose the inherent development communication …

Butler, J. Gambett, Z. I & L Sabsay (Eds.) Vulnerability In Resistance. Durham And London: Duke University Press, 2016., Pramod K. Nayar Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Vogel, S. Thinking Like A Mall: Environmental Philosophy After The End Of Nature. Cambridge, Ma.: The Mit Press, 2015., Tarique Niazi Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

The Roles Of Activism And Citizen Science In The Area Covered By The East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement, Ian Corbet

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For this Independent Study Project, I have examined the roles of activism and citizen science under the East Gippsland Regional Forestry Act. I conducted the study in the hopes of understanding better how activists have contributed to the overall conservation of the forests of East Gippsland. As the government has recently extended the twenty year agreement for another year, I wanted to determine if the real stakeholders of the conservation movement were taken into account. I sought the perspectives of people involved in the either the administration, implementation or opposition to the RFA. This ended up being eight people in …

The Maine Chance: Private-Public Partnership And The Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument, Char Miller

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The claim of a federal “land grab” in response to the creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine revealed a lack of historical awareness by critics of how two other cherished parks were established there: through private-public partnerships and the donation of land by private citizens.

Soft Power Or Hard Power: Rethinking The United States Foreign Policy In The Arab Middle East, Nima Baghdadi

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Cordesman, A. H. Western strategic interests in Saudi Arabia. London: Routledge, 2015 (originally published in 1987).
• Saleh, L. US Hard Power in the Arab World: Resistance, the Syrian Uprising and the War on Terror. London: Routledge, 2016.

La Lucha Por Kimsakocha: Resistencia Contra La Minería En Azuay, Ecuador \ The Struggle For Kimsakocha: Resistance Against Mining In Azuay, Ecuador, Lydia Petroske

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Ecuador, hay una “reprimarización” de la economía, un fenómeno por el que se produce una creciente dependencia en exportaciones de productos primarios como recursos no renovables. Este fenómeno ha sido acompañado con una retórica estatal sobre pobreza y deuda social. Para el gobierno del estado, la industria extractiva es parte importante de su estrategia y retórica para hacer inversión social y combatir la pobreza, lo cual ha justificado una rápida expansión del sector extractivista. En el sur de Ecuador, la gente de las parroquias de Victoria del Portete y Tarqui ha estado luchando por más de 15 años contra …

Investigating Geothermally-Sourced H2s Pollution In The Reykjavík Area: A Case Study Of Early March 2017., Shawnee Traylor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As geothermal energy becomes more widely implemented globally, it is critical to have an accurate assessment of the costs and benefits this technology may pose in order to plan, prevent, and mitigate pollution. Meteorological data sets from the Icelandic Met Office were analyzed in conjunction with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels in the Reykjavík area as a case study in the meteorological conditions leading to elevated H2S levels (>50 μg m-3) on March 1-3, 2017. Primary variables of interest were wind speed and direction, temperature, atmospheric stability, and humidity. Climate change is predicted to weaken the Gulf Stream, influencing all …

The Environmental Paris-Ite: The Current And Potential Impacts Of The Paris Agreement On Sustainable Finance And The Global Market, Caitlin Boelsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the passing of the Paris Agreement in December of 2015, organizations in relation to sustainable finance have received fresh attention. The purpose of this study revolves around this new legislation and the financial, environmental, political and social impacts it has had on the market and on sustainable finance. It also analyzes the future potential of carbon markets and renewable energy under the environmental pressure produced by the Paris Agreement. The underlying objective is to confirm whether or not the Paris Agreement has made substantial progress in the fight against climate change. This research is a blend of field research …

Tourism In Raja Ampat: New Chances And Challenges, Chloe King

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on the ways in which the tourism industry in Raja Ampat has contributed to local livelihoods and encouraged the preservation of marine resources, looking specifically at the case of a dive operator and a volunteer tourism operation. The study illuminates the challenges that these operators face when engaging with the local community to protect the environment, and recommends more effective strategies for improving relations between tourism operators and the communities in which they reside. The study ultimately makes the case that the legacy of colonial rule in Western Papua must be a consideration in tourism planning, as …

Environmental Education In Post-Green Revolution Punjab, Qing Fan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In India, environmental education (EE) became compulsory for Classes I-XII nationwide in 1991, with curricula designed by central and state governments. Meanwhile, in the interest of food security, the government-promulgated Green Revolution of the 1960s brought about commercial agriculture practices have led to environmental degradation, with negative impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. This paper presents a case study in a rural region in the state of Punjab, the heartland of the Green Revolution. Through interviews with students, teachers and community members as well as a review of school curricula, it seeks to understand how EE in schools is impacting the perceptions …

Vulnerability And Resilience: The Farmers Of Sagara Village, Nick Olkovsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agriculture is a large part of the economy and society of Tanzania, equating to 28% of the country’s GDP. Up to 80% of these farms are owned and worked by 19 million smallholder agriculturalists (FAO, 2015). Smallholder farmers are an inherently vulnerable demographic, due to their high reliance on agriculture for food and income in addition to their limited financial, technological, and labor resources (Morton, 2007). Simultaneously, these farmers are often uniquely adapted for the challenges they face, having developed strategies of addressing and mitigating risks over many generations. This study investigates the adaptative capacity of smallholder farmers in Sagara …

Knowledge Production, Pedagogy And Research In Ir: Perspectives From India, Seema Narain Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

The implications of Eurocentrism in the production of historical and theoretical knowledge have been the subject of debates in multiple disciplines, including anthropology, history, and geography, yet in the field of International Relations (IR), an examination of the implications of Eurocentrism has, until recently, been little studied. Therefore, there is a critical need to revisit pedagogy and research in India to address this gap. This paper looks at knowledge production, pedagogy and research in India from the point of view of countering Eurocentrism in the IR discipline. It first discusses Eurocentrism and highlights the implications of Eurocentrism in the field …

Middle East Research Institute. United Arab Emirates Meri Report. Milton Park: Routledge Revivals, 2015., Gennaro Errichiello

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Food Systems And Security At The University Of Richmond, Kayla Sherman, Donald Edmonds, Yuncheng Liu

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In the past fifteen years, the University has signed multiple national and global sustainability commitments, such as the 2003 Talloires Declaration, the 2007 American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, and the 2015 American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge (OFSb 2017). These commitments set ambitious climate action goals and address the responsibility of colleges and universities not only to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship on campus but also to transform their conventional operational systems into sustainable systems. The University of Richmond’s 2017 Sustainability Report highlights the steps the University has taken to achieve these goals and identifies areas in …

Wsq: At Sea Editors' Note, Cynthia Chris, Matt Brim

Publications and Research

This Editor's Note introduces the WSQ issue "At Sea" co-edited by Terri Gordon-Zolov and Amy Sodaro and Shefali Chandra, which explores the sea as a gendered and radicalized site of violence.

The Methane-Oxidizing Capability Of Pumice Biocovers On Icelandic Landfills, Mitchell P. Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Pumice has been shown in laboratory biofilter experiments to improve the oxidation of methane (Pratt et al. 2012, Pratt, Tate, & Deslippe 2012). Pumice biocovers were tested on two Icelandic landfills, Kirkjuferjuhjáleiga and Álfsnes. Seven biocover plots were dug and filled with a 50:50 blend of pumice and native soil. CH4 and CO2 were measured using the static chamber method before and after biocover placement. After one week, the CH4:CO2 ratio was reduced on four of the seven plots, weakly indicating that pumice biocovers may be an effective way to better oxidize landfill methane.

No A La Tala: Percepciones Sobre Reforestación En Cochabamba, Bolivia / No To La Tala: Perforations On Reforestation In Cochabamba, Bolivia, Kate Raybon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En mi corto estudio quisiera explorar las percepciones sobre reforestación urbana y los espacios verdes en la ciudad de Cochabamba con la pregunta “¿Cuáles son las percepciones de la reforestación en Cochabamba?” Para ello, llevé a cabo entrevistas y encuestas breves con varios grupos directamente involucrados en movimientos de reforestación para recolectar percepciones sobre este tema. Los participantes eran parte de grupos como No a la Tala de los Árboles en Cochabamba, La ONG Gaia Pacha, el Departamento de Medio Ambiente del municipio de Cochabamba, y expertos ambientales. Finalmente, creé un mapa de cuentos en línea que consiste de fotografías …