Environmental Studies Commons^™

The Power Of The Tower: Contesting History At Bear Lodge/Devils Tower National Monument, Anna Marie Kramer

Pomona Senior Theses

Bear Lodge/Devils Tower National Monument, a spectacular rock formation in northeastern Wyoming, has a multiplicity of meanings, not all of which were fully acknowledged until the 1990s. It is widely known as a geologic wonder, the first national monument, a marker of local and pioneer heritage, and a premier rock climbing area. In the 1980s and ‘90s, however, the National Park Service began to acknowledge that the Tower also holds cultural and historical meaning for the Northern Plains tribes, dating back long before the colonization of the American West. Some of the tribes expressed to the Park Service that they …

All’S Whale That Ends Whale: How Correctly Identifying Antarctic-Feeding Grounds Of Oceania Humpbacks Could Save An Endangered Population, Davey Holmes

Pomona Senior Theses

Although major whaling practices have ceased, increasing human involvement and influence in the world’s marine ecosystems continue to adversely effect global whale populations. It is a major concern throughout Antarctic waters, where endangered Oceania Humpback Whales (Megaptera novarangliae) annually feed. This study analyzes the extent to which a proposed marine protected area within the Ross Sea may indirectly harm the last remaining endangered population of Humpbacks. Using current satellite tracks of southern Humpback migrations, this model maps the effects of displaced Toothfish fisheries, and suggests further conservations efforts, based on New Zealand’s Precautionary Approach, to protect these vulnerable whales.

Crossing The Line: Navigating A Polluted Transboundary Watershed, Celia T. Tobin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana’s Lake Koocanusa sits at the end of a river system that drains Canada’s most productive coal country. Today, the waters of the massive lake contain a mineral called selenium, a poorly understood byproduct of mine waste. This summer, the U.S. federal government will be in a position to declare that the selenium in the lake puts Canada in violation of its international treaty with the U.S. The Montana government, however, is preparing to argue otherwise through its own water analysis. The disagreement has U.S. ecologists frustrated with the state’s position, saying they won’t practice science that is slave to …

The Sacrificial Ram, Charles Ebbers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Every January and February, Montana and other western states auction tags to hunt big horn sheep, moose, mountain goats, bears and other big game species to the highest bidder, at a series of hunting shows in Nevada. Some states call them “governor’s tags,” while others like Montana call them auction tags.

The purpose of the auctions is to raise funds for state conservation programs meant to keep wildlife populations healthy. In Montana, the funds raised are species specific, meaning that the proceeds from a bighorn sheep tag must be used to help bighorn sheep. Yet, the revenue from these tags …

A Hybrid Law Model For The Management Of Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment: A Case Of The New Draft Law In Thailand, Panate Manomaivibool, Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee

Applied Environmental Research

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been high on the environmental policy agenda of many countries due to its rapidly increasing volume and concerns over its toxicity and the critical metals it holds. To date, 59 countries have passed laws for WEEE management (ex-cluding State level legislation in the USA and Canada). Most of these laws are based on the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) but their treatment of allocation of respon-sibility and system operation differ considerably. This study reviews the implementation models of EPR which are classified into two broad groups: producer compliance schemes and governmental funds. …

Greenhouse Gas Emission In Jewelry Industry: A Case Study Of Silver Flat Ring, Parnuwat Usapein, Chantra Tongcumpou

Applied Environmental Research

This paper describes an assessment of the carbon footprint (CF) of a silver ring, together with an attempt to measurematerial and energy consumption. The boundary of analyzing CF was defined as Business to Business (B2B). All primary data were obtained from a survey of the case study factory. Acquisition of raw material (silver) was the main GHG contribution to the overall CF and was thus considered as a CF hotspot. Acquisition accounted for 0.9740 kg CO2e or 94.44% of total emissions, followed by production processes (0.0573 kg CO2e) and tran-sportation (0.002 kg CO2e). The total CF amounted to 1.03 kg …

The Econometric Model Of Ship-Generated Operational Waste: The Underlying Tool For Waste Management In Container Port, Chalermpong Senarak

Applied Environmental Research

Marine pollution prevention through adequate provision of garbage reception facility (GRF) is a legal obligation of every port. According to MARPOL 73/78, each port authority should explore ways to increase its ability to prevent marine pollution from ship-generated waste. The paper supports this legal requirement by developing an econometric model for estimating the amount of operational waste delivered at GRF. The multiple regression with ordinary least squares technique was used to analyze the relationship between the amount of operational waste per month and two explanatory variables - size of ship and travelling distance from the last port of discharge. Data …

Acidic Recovery From Wastewater Of Automotive Battery Plant Using Membrane Technology, Nantanee Chaimongkalayon, Sudtida P. Thanasupsin

Applied Environmental Research

Diffusion dialysis (DD) equipped with anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is used as an effective tool to recover acidfrom various types of waste acid solutions. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of using the DD process to recover sulfuric acid (HsSO4) from the acidic wastewater from an automotive battery plant. A numbers of experimental runs was conducted to optimize the equipment's operating conditions, particularly variations in feed flow and flow rate ratios . The results showed that H2SO4 permeated well through the AEM, while metal ions were efficiently rejected. The recovery of H2SO4 increased as flow rate …

Using Morphology And Genomic Template Stability (Gts) To Track Herbicide Effect On Some Submersed Aquatic Plants, Kun Silprasit, Arin Ngamniyom, Patarapong Kerksakul, Sirikul Thumajitsakul

Applied Environmental Research

This study aimed to detect the genotoxiceffects of glyphosate on aquatic plants by the RAPD-PCR technique. Native aquatic plants were screened for herbicide testing. The aquatic plant amounts and species were counted and a comparison was made between natural ponds and paddy fields for a total of 17 sites; paddy fields (site 1-10), ponds beside paddy fields (site 11-14), and natural ponds (site 15-17). At each studied site, 5 randomized sampling plots of 2 x 5 m size were performed. Generally, the natural ponds contained more aquatic plant diversity than the paddy fields. However, some species such as Najas gramineaDel. …

Integrating Human Health Into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review Of Health Impact Assessment In Thailand, Phayong Thepaksorn, Wattasit Siriwong, Sathirakorn Pongpanich

Applied Environmental Research

The objective of this paper is to review the integration of health impact assessment (HIA) into environmental health assessment (EIA) or EHIA, existing legal requirements for health risk analyses, and lessons learned for integrating HIA within EIA processes. The authors undertook literature searches for EHIA practices through academic publications, reports, and websites of pub-lic organizations and related agencies in Thailand. We examined and synthesized the HIA system development, regulations, and examples of integrated EHIA. In conclusion, the implementation of EHIA still faces many obstacles, especially in such com-plex sector policy environments. The uncertainties, lack of evidence base, and challenges in …

In Search Of Environmental Sustainability At The Base Of The Pyramid, Mark Heuer, Nancy E. Landrum

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper proposes a revision to Hart and Sharma’s 2004 model for corporate engagement with the base of the pyramid (BoP) by making the BoP community and the natural environment, not the firm, the central focus for engagement. The revised model proposes that core stakeholders must include the BoP community, the poor, weak, and illiterate, as they can benefit most from the community collective action model presented herein to address sustainability in the natural environment. These are the core stakeholders rather than fringe stakeholders, as indicated in the Hart and Sharma model. Our model recognizes the legitimacy of the firm …

Understanding The Influencers Of Second-Hand Apparel Shopping Behavior, Robyn Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Shopping for second-hand apparel is rapidly growing and has become a notable segment of the retail market. The purpose of this study is to determine what influences consumers when shopping second-hand for apparel products in-store and online. According to the existing literature, a number of key factors play significant roles for second-hand apparel shopping consumer decisions. They include: social, costs, trends and environmental influencers. Past research has not concentrated in-depth on the hedonistic and social influences of second-hand apparel shopping, financial factors, and time spent shopping for second-hand apparel. This study has observed the socio-demographic profile of second-hand shoppers, what …

Natural Disasters, Foreign Aid And Economic Development, Valeriu Tomescu

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

What’S The Common Sense Of Just Some Improvement Of Some Welfare For Some Animals?, Liv Baker

Animal Sentience

The goal of Animal Welfare Science to reduce animal suffering is commendable but too modest: Suffering animals need and deserve far more.

"One Narrow Thread Of Green": The Vision Of May Theilgaard Watts, The Creation Of The Illinois Prairie Path, And A Community's Crusade For Open Space In Chicago's Suburbs, Anne M. Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Women's environmental activism prior to the early 1960s in America focused on women's roles as municipal housekeepers or emphasized wilderness conservation. I offer in this dissertation the story of the Illinois Prairie Path, the country's first rails-to-trails conversion to apply for National Recreation Trail status, and the innovative women who fought for nature preservation in a suburban setting rather than in a wilderness area. Led by renowned writer and naturalist, May Theilgaard Watts, these women built support for the public footpath project by fostering an ecological awareness throughout their region. I place them in the tradition of Chicago female reformers …

Collaboration In Conservation Networks: Regional Conservation Partnerships In New England, Jill L. Weiss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Environmental problems are becoming increasingly complex and harder for any one discipline or approach to address. In the case of land conservation, there is an incongruity between how we view and manage social and natural systems even though each is reliant on the other. Adaptive co-management of these socio-ecological landscapes by a cross section of stakeholders and disciplines is necessary. In New England this is happening through Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCPs). RCPs are conservation networks comprised of land trusts, local governments, landowners, and localized conservation action groups. The geographic range of each RCP varies in size from a few hundred …

Nature As Spiritual Lived Experience: How Five Christian Theologians Encounter The Spirit In And Through The Natural World, Brad A. Martell

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study explored five Western Christian theologians’ religious lived experience of God’s Spirit in and through Nature. The hermeneutic phenomenological research method was utilized. Rich descriptions of lived experience were collected through 60-90 minute long phenomenological interviews which were recorded and transcribed verbatim into a text for analysis. Analysis included repeated readings of the text, identification of themes, and validation and/or correction of themes. Synthesis looked at the research as a whole and established implications and applications for Christian theology, particularly ecotheology. The study contributes to the literature of phenomenology and theology, calls for a place for lived experience …

Building & Measuring Psychological Capacity For Biodiversity Conservation, Kayla A. Cranston

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Capacity building has become the centerpiece of recent attempts to strengthen regional biodiversity conservation. Many conservation organizations aim to increase this capacity by training local conservation professionals. While many practitioners will agree that these trainings presumably have a psychological effect on their participants that may benefit long-term local action toward conservation goals, there also seems to be a resignation that these effects are difficult if not impossible to measure and target, especially within diverse cultures. The common result is a perfunctory evaluation of observable behaviors or basic knowledge, which may be easy to count but undoubtedly fails to represent the …

Making Meaning Together: The Role Of Interpretation During A Short-Term Nature Excursion, Kate Jurow

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Interpretive nature walks are an important tool for conservation organizations, which use them to educate, and to connect visitors with their sites. Interpretive studies often focus on program outcomes. However, less research exists on how the experience itself is perceived by visitors. Is it primarily a learning process? What role does the guide play, and how does the process of interpretation affect the visitor experience? What implications might this have for interpretive techniques, and for organizations seeking to build supportive stewardship communities? The purpose of this study was to explore how the process of interpretation affects a short-term nature experience …

Positive Organizational Leadership And Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Phenomenon Of Institutional Fossil Fuel Divestment, Abigail Abrash Walton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change is one of the most significant dynamics of our time.The predominant contributor to climate change is combustion of fossil fuels by humans.This study deepened understanding of organizational leaders’ role in enacting one approach to addressing climate change:institutional fossil fuel divestment.The study used a qualitative research design to explore U.S.-based foundation leaders’ readiness to pursue fossil fuel divestment by their institutions.The study examined leaders’ motivations and actions in pursuing divestment, while simultaneously exercising their fiduciary duty to steward institutional assets.Research questions focused on the divestment behavior change process and the outcomes of divestment on leaders and their organizations.Data collection …