Environmental Studies Commons^™

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Workshop 1 - Summary Report, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

FRED is focused on informing policy on food waste prevention using a total food system sustainability approach.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Food System Stakeholder Needs Identification, Jennifer Attard, Tracey O'Connor, Simon Patterson, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Mina Sadeghzadeh

Publications

Understanding the needs of everyone in the food system is vital to solving the food waste problem. If interventions are misaligned with stakeholder needs, the resultant impact will be highly diminished and/or will result in unintended consequences. We there fore conducted significant stakeholder engagement to identify and prioritise stakeholder needs.

Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub: Consumer Survey Report, Tracey O'Connor, Mina Sadeghzadeh, Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino, Jennifer Attard

Publications

FRED is focused on informing policy on food waste prevention using a total food system sustainability approach.

Consumers sit at a critical point of food value networks as the decision-makers about food purchasing, household storage and management, and (non-)consumption. It was critical therefore to understand the consumer context, their concerns and needs regarding the food system, and their food purchasing and waste attitudes and behaviours.

Humboldt Geographic Issue 3

Humboldt Geographic

This collection of maps showcases the exceptional cartographic work produced by students at Cal Poly Humboldt over the past decade. At the core of the geospatial curriculum, cartography is not just a technical skill but a creative, analytical, and communicative practice that empowers students to visualize data, tell meaningful stories, and engage with the world through spatial thinking. The work featured in this journal represents various styles, formats, and topics, reflecting the rigor and innovation embedded in the department's cartographic training.

Covid-19 In The History Of Capitalism, Victor Wallis

Faculty Works

The obvious role of capital in generating poverty, war, and environmental breakdown has not led to a parallel recognition of how deeply it shapes the ideology and practice of healthcare. Progressives view access to healthcare as a matter of “right,” but with rare exceptions they do not focus attention on the wider determinants of health policy – from the life-conditions that shape public health to the prevalence, in capitalist countries, of market-inspired remedies. Looking at the US experience and noting how capitalist priorities have permeated official policies toward Covid-19, this essay discusses how medical objections to these policies have been …

Data For Research Collaboration And Co-Authorship In The Gulf Of Mexico, 2000–2018, Owen Temby, Dongkyu Kim, Juliet Vallejo

Datasets

This dataset documents research collaboration and co-authorship among organizations engaged in environmental science in the Gulf of Mexico from 2000 to 2018. The data were compiled through bibliometric analysis of scientific articles, with each record containing publication-level and author affiliation information, as well as institutional and country codes. The dataset provides the basis for network analysis of collaborative patterns among institutions in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Variable definitions and data structure are described in the accompanying README file.

Modeling Wild Rice Bed Health: A Dual Metric Approach For Bed Strength And Invasive Impact, Seth Sisneros-Martinez

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Wild rice (mannoomin; Zizania palustris) is an aquatic grain that grows in slow-moving rivers and shallow bays throughout northern Minnesota. In Headquarters Bay on Leech Lake, wild rice has served as a cultural staple for Indigenous communities for centuries. However, its population has declined in recent years due to multiple environmental issues. One potential contributor is Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum; EWM), an invasive species that forms dense mats capable of outcompeting native aquatic vegetation, including wild rice. EWM was first recorded on the southern shoreline of Leech Lake in 2005 and has since become widespread. This study …

The Effect Of Zebra Mussels On Minnesota Fish Communities, Benjamin D. Strei

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha are an aquatic invasive species that has been spreading quickly throughout Minnesota water bodies since 1989. Zebra mussels are known to change certain morphological conditions in lakes such as turbidity, phytoplankton abundance, and aquatic invertebrate populations. However, studies showing impacts of the infestation of zebra mussels on the health of a fish community have been hard to prove due to a lack of repeated surveys and a suite of other confounding variables such as natural and seasonal variability, plant community, and lake morphometry. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine whether zebra mussels have …

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Extreme Precipitation Events In Texas, Anusha Kandi Ravi

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Extreme precipitation events (EPEs) are among the most critical weather hazards in Texas, frequently leading to floods, infrastructure damage, and costly economic losses. Therefore, analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of EPEs is vital, particularly for improving regional climate predictions and hazard preparedness. Although the propagation of EPEs has been previously investigated using complex network theory, the evolution of their climate network has not yet studied. For this purpose, we first collected precipitation data from the NOAA AORC dataset for the 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019, and 2020-2024 periods. The EPEs were identified based on the 95th percentile of wet-day precipitation (≥ 1 …

Critical Approaches To Climate-Induced Migration Research And Solutions, Rosalyn Negrón, David Hernández, Hossein Ayazi, Pablo Shiladitaya Bose, Nyingilanyeofori Brown, Elora Chowdhury, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Rajini Srikanth, Banu Subramaniam, Farhana Sultana, Patrick Sylvain, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Charles Venator-Santiago

Sustainable Solutions Lab

In this commentary we explore the confluence of factors shaping climate-induced migration and the need for comprehensive solutions grounded in historical and systemic understandings. We argue that climate change, colonial legacies, and geopolitical policies significantly influence migration patterns, particularly for historically marginalised communities. We call for scholars to develop holistic frameworks that consider environmental, political, historical, and economic factors while advocating for the legal recognition and protection of migrants and people displaced by climate impacts. Drawing on examples of internal migration and displacement in the United States and refugee camps globally, we highlight the complexities of resettlement. We propose integrated …

Precipitation, Perceptions, And Participation: An Analysis Of Individual Perceptions Of Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority's Cloud Seeding Pilot Program And Suggestions For Public Outreach And Communications, Rachel A. Rowlee

Pitzer Senior Theses

Cloud seeding is a form of weather modification intended to increase the amount of precipitation by introducing a seeding agent. The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) has implemented a four-year cloud seeding pilot program utilizing silver iodide as a seeding agent during rain storm events. Over the last year, SAWPA received various feedback, much of which exists in the social media realm. This research consists of open-ended interviews with water resource managers, SAWPA employees, and individuals expressing disapproval of the program on social media and Instagram comment analyses. Interview and comment analyses are put into conversation with the theory …

A Song Of Soil And Seeds: The Delicious History Of Tunisian Grain Agriculture And Its Solution To Contemporary Food Scarcity., Ella Schonberger

Scripps Senior Theses

“A Song of Soil and Seeds: The Delicious History of Tunisian Cereal Agriculture and Its Solution to Contemporary Food Scarcity” by Ella Schonberger explores the history of Tunisian grain agriculture as a continuous narrative of adaptation, resilience, and colonial disruption. This thesis traces the historical journey of Tunisian grain agriculture, from its indigenous Amazigh roots through successive waves of Roman, Ottoman, and French agro-colonialism, to the environmental and agricultural pressures of the Green Revolution and today’s climate crisis.

Combining archaeological evidence, historical records, agronomic research, oral interviews, and firsthand culinary experimentation, this paper examines how Tunisia’s heirloom grains—sorghum, millet, and …

Quantifying Riverine Plastic Pollution Using Participatory Science And Trash Traps, Nancy Lauer, Madison Haley, Emily Sutton, Rob Clark, Hannah Woodburn, Emma Crider, Kaity D’Angelo, Cecilia Kammire, Brandon Jones, David Caldwell, Taylor Register, Emily Fritz, Samantha Krop, Riley Lewis, Lisa Rider, Edgar Miller, Stephanie Stephens, Louisa Pitney, Emma Kaufman, Emma Stewart, Jason A. Somarelli, Michelle B. Nowlin

Faculty Scholarship

Local governments and environmental nonprofits are increasingly using trash traps to intercept and remove escaped plastics and other litter from stormwater systems and surface waters. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of these devices for collecting data that provide insights into riverine litter sources and solutions. Between 2021 and 2024, seven Waterkeeper organizations in North Carolina maintained 21 in‐stream trash traps in watersheds across the state and trained staff and volunteers to record the types and quantities of litter during cleanouts. Over this period, Waterkeeper organizations and their volunteers documented 150,750 pieces of litter captured by traps. Captured litter …

The Social Cost Of Plastic To The United States, Nancy Lauer, Tibor Vegh, Michelle Nowlin, John Virdin, Jason Somarelli

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Assessing Understory Along The Elk River (Hikshari') In Headwaters Forest Reserve, Humboldt County, California, Julie R. Meyers, Aliyah M. Ingram, Caleb N. Larkin, Joshua L. Carpenter

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

Northern California’s extensive logging history and lack of forest management has altered old-growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, leaving dense, homogenous second and third-growth forest stands. This has led to the use of modern restoration techniques such as variable density thinning (VDT) which aims to rehabilitate old-growth forest conditions by improving stand heterogeneity and light availability for understory species. Our study was done in Headwaters Forest Reserve (HFR) along the Elk River (Hikshari’) Trail in Humboldt County, California. Initially, the project was supervised by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arcata Field Office. However, the 2025 U.S. government …

Chromium Removal From Tannery Wastewater Via A Hydroponic Technique With Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Ismot Zereen, Zainul Abedin, Siddikur Rahman, Debasish Pandit

Applied Environmental Research

This research aimed to investigate the effects of hydroponically cultivated vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the treatment of tannery wastewater for chromium (Cr) removal in Bangladesh. The field experiment involved 9 containers, which were separated into 3 groups: tannery wastewater with hydroponically planted vetiver, tannery wastewater without vetiver (control), and a group with vetiver grown in tap water. The tap water group was used solely for plant growth assessment, whereas only the control and hydroponic vetiver groups were evaluated for Cr and water quality parameters. Throughout the 45-day trial period, Cr and other water quality parameters were analyzed …

Government Support And Local Residents’ Behavior In E-Waste Management: Evidence From Thailand, Peeranart Kiddee, Somsiri Decharat, Suttiporn Bunmak

Applied Environmental Research

Electronic waste (e-waste) management is a critical global pollution concern. This study investigates government support; local residents' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to e-waste management; and collaborative governance in southern Thailand. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research involves expert government officers who are well versed in e-waste management and local residents. The study utilized in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. The results revealed that the government is responsible for four e-waste management approaches, encompassing various e-waste collection, transportation, and disposal methods. Local residents exhibited low perceptions of e-waste news but possessed substantial knowledge and positive attitudes toward e-waste …

Exploring The Co-Composting Potentials Of Raw Grease Trap And Grease Trap-Derived Soaps: Insights Into Grease Trap Modification, Calcium Supplementation, And Microbial Community Analysis, Pokchat Chutivisut, Panaya Kotchaplai, Bualuang Faiyue, Nattapong Tuntiwiwattanapun

Applied Environmental Research

Managing waste with grease traps poses a challenge because of the potential environmental issues associated with its disposal. In this study, two approaches were investigated to increase the biodegradability of grease trap waste: 1) converting raw grease trap waste into soap and 2) supplementing grease trap soap as inoculum with calcium material. The preparation of grease trap soap was optimized to attain a soap yield of 103% by utilizing a water-to-ethanol ratio of 9:1 at 80 °C for a processing time of 3 hours. A comparison of the composting results revealed higher nitrate yields with increased ratios of grease trap …

Microplastic Contamination In Commercially Important Bivalves Of Sorsogon Bay, Philippines, Sarina M.B. Arciga, Charmaine A. Malon, Kenneth N. Ballaran

Applied Environmental Research

Sorsogon Bay, a key fishing ground in the Philippines, is known for its commercially important bivalve species: Perna viridis, Atrina pectinata, and Paphia undulata. Despite their ecological and economic value, limited research has been conducted on microplastic contamination in bivalves harvested from this area. This study aimed to assess the abundance and types of microplastics in commercially important bivalves (P. viridis, A. pectinata, and P. undulata) from Sorsogon Bay, Philippines. Commercial bivalve samples were randomly collected, digested with 10% w/v potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, filtered (8 µm), and examined under a compound microscope. …

Sediment Grain Size Analysis And Characteristics Of Sedimentation Processes In The Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong Beach, Chumphon Province, Rawadee Meeprasit, Sujaree Bureekul, Suriyan Saramul

Applied Environmental Research

This study investigated the sedimentological characteristics of the Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong beach system, which is located along the western shore of the central Gulf of Thailand, an area that is minimally disturbed by human activity and is ideal for studying natural coastal processes. Sediment samples were collected from both coastal and marine environments across four sampling periods (July 2022, September 2022, April 2023, and June 2023). The analysis focused on the grain size distribution, sorting, skewness, kurtosis, and sediment composition, revealing a predominance of medium sand in coastal sediments and increased silt and clay contents in marine sediments. The …