Environmental Studies Commons^™

The Socio-Political And Economic Causes Of Natural Disasters, Nicole Southard

CMC Senior Theses

To effectively prevent and mitigate the outbreak of natural disasters is a more pressing issue in the twenty-first century than ever before. The frequency and cost of natural disasters is rising globally, most especially in developing countries where the most severe effects of climate change are felt. However, while climate change is indeed a strong force impacting the severity of contemporary catastrophes, it is not directly responsible for the exorbitant cost of the damage and suffering incurred from natural disasters -- both financially and in terms of human life. Rather, the true root causes of natural disasters lie within the …

The Last Best Hope: Are Voluntary Conservation Agreements Effective Tools For Protecting Imperiled Species?, Sophie B. Tsairis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, or CCAAs, are little known, voluntary conservation agreements that protect imperiled wildlife on private lands. These agreements have emerged over the past decade and have had mixed results in providing adequate protections for candidate species.

Landowners, private industries, state and federal agencies, and environmental nonprofits, are using CCAAs as tools to eliminate the need for an endangered species listing. An Endangered Species Act listing can lead to land-use uncertainty for private landowners and this threat is the main incentive to enroll in a CCAA. When landowners enroll in CCAAs they are agreeing to provide specific …

The Economic Impacts Of Cougars In Western Washington, Todd Stoothoff

All Master's Theses

The combination of increasing cougar populations and the rising human population in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas suggests that the number of human-cougar encounters will rise as well. The increase in human-cougar encounters creates potential issues in regard to public safety, public policy, and management of predators. For the purposes of this research, I employ a housing dataset for eleven counties in western Washington in order to quantify the impacts of a confirmed cougar sighting on the sale value of a home. Specifically, I employ the hedonic real estate price model. Results show statistically significant impacts on housing values in the …

Restoring And Sustaining Smallholder Kappaphycus Alvarezii Farming Post-Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda In Molocaboc, Central Philippines, David C. Fenlon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The farming of marine seaweed has the potential to provide both nutritional and financial resources to developing communities such as the Molocaboc Islands in the Philippines. To foster this mariculture development approximately $1,000 USD in grant funds received from the US-Philippines Society was used to purchase materials needed to replace seaweed production infrastructure lost to Typhoon Haiyan (known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). The goal was to restore and expand smallholder farming of the seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (locally known as ‘guso’ in the Visayan dialect) in the Molocaboc Islands, thereby increasing harvest yields as compared to those …

Critical Agrarian Studies In Theory And Practice, Marc Edelman, Wendy Wolford

Publications and Research

Abstract: In this introductory article we argue for renewed attention to life and labor on and of the land—or what we call the field of Critical Agrarian Studies. Empirically rich and theoretically rigorous studies of humanity’s relationship to “soil” remain essential not just for historical analysis but for understanding urgent contemporary crises, including widespread food insecurity, climate change, the proliferation of environmental refugees, growing corporate power and threats to biodiversity. The article introduces an innovative and varied collection of works in Critical Agrarian Studies and also examines the intellectual and political history of this broader field.

Resumen: En este artículo …

Sustaining Uber: Opportunities For Electric Vehicle Integration, David Wagner

Pomona Senior Theses

Uber and Lyft, the “unregulated taxis” that are putting traditional taxi companies out of business, are expanding quickly and changing the landscape of urban transportation as they go. This thesis analyzes the environmental impacts of Transportation Network Companies, particularly in California, with respect to travel behavior, congestion, and fuel efficiency. The analysis suggests that fuel efficient taxis are being replaced by less fuel efficient Uber and Lyft vehicles. Linear regressions were run on data from the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project’s Electric Vehicle Consumer Survey of electric vehicle owners in California. The findings indicate that Uber drivers are more reliant upon …

Lost Opportunities: Ecuador's Yasuní Itt Initiative, Julianna Hitchins

Pomona Senior Theses

In 2007, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador proposed the Yasuní ITT Initiative at the United Nations General Assembly in an effort to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the local preservation of biodiversity. The initiative proposed enacting an indefinite ban on oil exploration and extraction within the Ecuadorian Yasuní National Park so long as the developed world was willing to contribute to half the forgone costs of drilling. However, despite initial support, the Yasuní Initiative was unsuccessful, and due to a lack of financial support, Correa terminated the proposal in August 2013.

With the increasing threat of …

Climate Change Adaptation For Southern California Groundwater Managers: A Case Study Of The Six Basins Aquifer, Frank Lyles

Pomona Senior Theses

Groundwater has been very important to the economic development of Southern California, and will continue to be a crucial resource in the 21st century. However, Climate Change threatens to disrupt many of the physical and economic processes that control the flow of water in and out of aquifers. One groundwater manager, the Six Basins Watermaster in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino Counties, has developed a long-term planning document called the Strategic Plan that mostly fails to address the implications of Climate Change, especially for local water supplies. This thesis presents an in-depth analysis of the Six Basin Watermaster’s …

Roots Of A Movement: Community Action And The Impact Of Urban Agriculture In Chicago, Maia Welbel

Pomona Senior Theses

Efforts to maintain a relationship to food pathways have been consistent throughout U.S. history despite the general evolution towards an increasingly industrialized food system. Urban agriculture serves as a means of reclaiming and furthering knowledge of where food comes from while also addressing larger social, economic, and environmental goals. This has been demonstrated in Chicago where urban farmers have worked to improve food access, increase employment, and revitalize communities all across the city. For many years, federal policies have promoted maximum production of commodity crops and kept supermarket prices low, allowing the government to ignore the impacts these policies are …

From Yosemite To A Global Market: How Patagonia, Inc. Has Created An Environmentally Sustainable And Socially Equitable Model Of Supply-Chain Management, Mary-Clare Bosco

Pomona Senior Theses

There is an urgent pressure of the time (2016) to re-evaluate our patterns of consumption to adapt to changing climates and reduce waste and pollution. Because an immediate restructuring of global production strategies is not likely any time soon, industrial innovators are finding new ways of redesigning supply-chain management in efforts to move towards environmentally sustainable business in which all manufacturing practices are transparent. Patagonia, Inc. is a testament to the often-debated question of economic value in green business practices, and this thesis acts as an outline as to how they arrived at such an impressive presence in the business …

Using Geospatial Analysis For High School Environmental Science Education: A Case Study Of The Jane Goodall Institute's Community-Centered Conservation Approach, Madison G. Vorva

Pomona Senior Theses

Given my experiences as a young conservation advocate, I saw a need to teach students the importance of interconnectedness, cultural awareness and systems-thinking skills through a spatial lens. I believe these skills are required for holistic, equitable and sustainable conservation decision-making in local and international contexts. This thesis uses geospatial tools to teach conservation ecology vocabulary and concepts from high school environmental science curriculum in two online resources. The purpose of my lesson plan is to show students how conservationists address complex conservation and land-use challenges using the Jane Goodall Institute’s community-centered conservation approach as a case-study. My hope is …

Eco-Label Certification: A Case Study Of The Campeche Shrimp Fishery, Mexico, Antonio Di Cintio, Luis Bourillón Moreno

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco—label certifies that seafood comes from a sustainable source. The use of this eco—label lags behind in the developing world, where ecosystem approaches to fishery management have not yet been widely implemented. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization under its REBYC—II LAC project is addressing ecosystem concerns within the shrimp trawl fisheries of a number of developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by helping them to improve management of the negative ecosystem impacts by modifying their gear to reduce by—catch and habitat damage. This study investigates how the potential improvements identified by the …

Potential Of Using Surfactants To Enhance Ammonium And Nitrate Adsorption On Rice Husk And Its Biochar, Lada Mathurasa, Seelawut Damrongsiri

Applied Environmental Research

Inorganic nitrogen fertilizers are widely and heavily used in agriculture. Leaching of these fertilizers is a cause of eutrophication in water bodies. This study examines the use of rice husk and its biochar, their efficiency in adsorption of ammonium and nitrate and the potential of using surfactants, sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), to increase adsorption. Physical and chemical properties of adsorbents were examined through BET, SEM-EDX, and CEC value, respectively. The equilibrium batch adsorption was conducted. The result showed that rice husk was lower in surface area, total pore volume, pore diameter, silica and oxygen …

Prevalence Of Fatigue And Its Determinants Among Chemical Transportation Drivers In Chonburi, Sujee Phatrabuddha, Thitima Wonginta, Nantaporn Phatrabuddha

Applied Environmental Research

Driver fatigue is a recognized risk factor for commercial road transport industry drivers. The aim of this cross-sectional research was to assess the fatigue and its determining factors among 99 chemical transportation drivers in Chonburi. Driving fatigue was assessed by both subjective questionnaire (n = 99) and flicker fusion instrument (n = 88). The association between driving fatigue and related factors were analyzed by Pearson's correlation and Chi-square (?2). The results revealed that the prevalence of fatigue as assessed by critical flicker fusion analyzer, subjective fatigue question and either one of the instruments were 32.32 %, 16.16 % and 43.43 …

Impact Of Aquaculture On The Livelihoods And Food Security Of Rural Communities, Rajee Olaganathan, Alicia Tang Kar Mun

Publications

Aquaculture production has prospered rapidly since the 1970s and is considered as a part of the rural development program in many countries. The impacts of aquaculture on the rural communities in terms of livelihood and food security are assessed in this paper. Aquaculture contributes to the livelihood of the poor through improved employment and income. Aquaculture creates job opportunities for rural communities, especially for illiterate women to earn side income for the household. With increased financial ability, household manage to reflect stronger purchasing power and have better access to the resources. However, there is a controversy among the researchers whether …

Manganese Removal From Aqueous Solution By Ozonation Process Designed By Box-Behken Design (Bbd), Sunisa Jongdee, Tinnakorn Kumsaen, Kitirote Wantala

Applied Environmental Research

The aim of this research was to investigate interactions in the removal of manganese from contaminated water by oxidation through an ozonation process. The manganese oxidation was used to oxidize manganese ions (Mn2+) in solution to manganese dioxide (MnO2) in its brown solid form, in order to reduce levels of manganese ions in the water to below the acceptable limit for drinking water (0.05 mg L-1). In this study, the independent effects such as the initial concentration of manganese (5, 10 and 15 mg L-1), initial pH of solutions (3, 4 and 5) and ozone concentrations (10.970, 21.945 and 32.920 …

Assessment Of Water Usage And Water Management In Mae Fah Luang University, Yanasinee Suma, Nittaya Pasukphun, Anuttara Hongthong, Vivat Keawdounglek

Applied Environmental Research

A university may be compared by its size of population and activities to a small city, with high water consumption and in need of effective water conservation strategies. This study presents the results of a study of water consumption on the Mae Fah Luang University campus in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Consumption was classified by activity type, water usage and water saving behavior of students and staff. The results suggest strategies for water conservation on campus. With a water conservation plan focusing on residential areas (halls and homes), which accounted for the highest levels of consumption on the campus. The study …

Land - Water - Population Model: Developing An Agricultural Resources Management In The Upper Part Of Pranburi Watershed, Jirattinart Thungngern, Thavivongse Sriburi, Saowanee Wijitkosum

Applied Environmental Research

This research proposes the application of the Land-Water-Population (LWPM) concept in the upper part of the Pranburi Watershed. The objective of the study is to develop a model for agricultural resources management under the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP). The methodology is divided into three parts; 1) evaluate the soil quality in agricultural areas, 2) analyze water quality in agricultural land; and 3) assess farmer practice in agricultural resources management using a questionnaire. The study findings point to problems in soil and water conservation, suggesting that in the area should prioritize agricultural management, as advocated under the SEP, which provides guidelines …

Comparison Of Co2 Emissions From Vehicles In Thailand, Sutthicha Nilrit, Pantawat Sampanpanish, Surat Bualert

Applied Environmental Research

Emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, from typical passenger vehicles in Thailand was investigated using a chassis dynamometer in the Automotive Emission Laboratory. The vehicle running method was controlled under the standard Bangkok driving cycle. CO2 emissions were measured at three different speeds for the following four vehicle types commonly used in Thailand: heavy duty diesel (HDD), light duty diesel (LDD), and light duty gasoline (LDG) vehicles and motorcycles (MC). HDD vehicles had the highest average CO2 emission rate, followed by LDD, LDG and MC at 1,198.8±93.1, 268.4±21.3, 166.1±27.7 and 42.5±6.1 g km-1, respectively; all values were significantly …

Treatment Of Piggery Wastewater By Three Grass Species Growing In A Constructed Wetland, Supaporn Pongthornpruek

Applied Environmental Research

The study aimed to investigate the efficiency of piggery wastewater treatment by the surface flow constructed wetland with three different grass species; bulrush (Scirpus spp.), cattail (Typha angustifoliaL.), and vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides L.). All pilot units were used for wastewater treatment by the flowing surface water system, giving a system carrying capacity of several 0.18 m3 d-1 of HLR with a 5 day hydraulic retention time (HRT). The results showed that the cattail pilot showed improvement in several wastewater quality indicators: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) with efficiencies of 80.59, 84.11 …