Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Solutions Generation, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The Arab Spring, and more recently the Occupy movement, are both indications of growing dissatisfaction with the world?s current plight, especially among the younger generation, who see diminished hope for the future. Anger and protests can be an effective way of bringing the current system into question, and even toppling the existing regime, but they do little by themselves to lead the way to a better future. For that, we need a compelling shared vision and a focus on real solutions.

Climate Change In Cyprus: Impacts And Adaptation Measures, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.

Climate Change In Cyprus – Impacts And Adaptation Policies, Elpida Shoukri, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

This report provides a literature review of climate change facts and projections globally, for Europe, Mediterranean and Cyprus until the end of the 21st century. It focuses on climate change effects in Cyprus by sector and presents specific recommendations on the implementation of a proper adaptation strategy. The report is based on a review of the most important recent studies on climate change, including reports from international organizations as well as European and Mediterranean authorities and research institutions. The report has also benefited from information gathered through personal communication of the authors with public authorities, non-governmental organizations and researchers.

Physicochemical And Microbiological Quality Of Harvested Rainwater From An Agricultural Installation In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender, Anna Reid

Articles

Members of DTC Research Group. Dublin Institute of Technology was commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising rainwater to replace treated mains water for nonpotable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting on a farm. Two monitoring programmes, Regime 1 and Regime 2, examined the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Samples were taken monthly and tested. Regime 1 analysis showed that the microbiological quality of the rainwater from the site did not comply with the requirements of the …

Global Monthly Water Scarcity: Blue Water Footprints Versus Blue Water Availability, Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Mesfin Mekonnen, Ashok K. Chapagain, Ruth E. Mathews, Brian D. Richter

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Freshwater scarcity is a growing concern, placing considerable importance on the accuracy of indicators used to characterize and map water scarcity worldwide. We improve upon past efforts by using estimates of blue water footprints (consumptive use of ground- and surface water flows) rather than water withdrawals, accounting for the flows needed to sustain critical ecological functions and by considering monthly rather than annual values. We analyzed 405 river basins for the period 1996–2005. In 201 basins with 2.67 billion inhabitants there was severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. The ecological and economic consequences of increasing …

The Water Footprint Of Humanity, Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Mesfin Mekonnen

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This study quantifies and maps the water footprint (WF) of humanity at a high spatial resolution. It reports on consumptive use of rainwater (green WF) and ground and surface water (blue WF) and volumes of water polluted (gray WF). Water footprints are estimated per nation from both a production and consumption perspective. International virtual water flows are estimated based on trade in agricultural and industrial commodities. The global annual average WF in the period 1996–2005 was 9,087 Gm3 ∕y (74% green, 11% blue, 15% gray). Agricultural production contributes 92%. About one-fifth of the global WF relates to production for export. …

The Eu, Russia, And Energy Security, Jonathan Jones

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

Project Gaya: A Study Abroad Program Design For Fundación Operación Gaya Internacional, Lauren E. Johanson

Capstone Collection

Since 2008 Fundación Operación GAYA Internacional, a Costa Rican NGO has provided youth training and development programs to local youth in Costa Rica, empowering young people to be “architects” in the development of their own communities and to take the lead in creating a world that is more peaceful and just. Through the implementation of Project GAYA, the foundation will expand its programming to international youth for the first time.

The proposed program offers a comprehensive program design for a short-term study abroad experience for U.S. high school students to Costa Rica. Students will engage in experiential learning and critical …

Ecosystem Services: The Making Of A Metaphor We Live (?) By, Richard B. Norgaard

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

What started as a humble metaphor to help us think about our relation to nature has become integral to how we are addressing the future of humanity and the course of biological evolution. The metaphor of nature as a stock that provides a flow of services is insufficient for the difficulties we are in or the task ahead. Indeed, combined with the mistaken presumption that we can analyze a global problem within a partial equilibrium economic framework and reach a new economy project-by-project without major institutional change, the simplicity of the stock-flow framework blinds us to the complexity of the …

The Steady-State Economy As A Solution To The World’S Problems: A Theoretical Examination Of The Greatest Environmental Problem Facing Human Society, Brianna L. Besch

The Macalester Review

This paper is a theoretical exploration of the questioning, if you were given a magic power to solve one, and only one, of the worlds problem outlined by a classic environmental author, which would you solve, and why? While the field of environmental studies is relatively new, since the publishing of Malthus’ An Essay on the Principles of Population environmental scholars have been debating what should be considered the greatest environmental problem facing humanity. This paper explains how the creation of a steady-state economy to replace our current economic system, as described by Herman Daly, offers a holistic solution to …

Artificial Modifications Of The Coast In Response To The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Quick Solutions Or Long-Term Liabilities?, M. Luisa Martinez, Rusty A. Feagin, Kevin M. Yeager, John W. Day, Robert Costanza, Jim A. Harris, Richard J. Hobbs, Jorge López-Portillo, Ian J. Walker, Eric Higgs, Patricia Moreno-Casasola, Julio Sheinbaum, Alejandro Yáñez-Arancibia

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill threatened many coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico during the spring and summer of 2010. Mitigation strategies included the construction of barrier sand berms, the restriction or blocking of inlets, and the diversion of freshwater from rivers to the coastal marshes and into the ocean, in order to flush away the oil, on the premise that these measures could reduce the quantity of oil reaching sensitive coastal environments such as wetlands or estuaries. These projects result in changes to the ecosystems that they were intended to protect. Long-term effects include alterations of the hydrological …

Developing An Integrated History And Future Of People On Earth (Ihope), Robert Costanza, Ida Kubiszewski, Scott Heckbert, Kathy A. Hibbard, Sander Van Der Leeuw, Steve Aulenbach, Simon Brewer, Michael Burek, Sarah Cornell, Carole L. Crumley, Lisa J. Graumlich, Michelle Hegmon, Stephen T. Jackson, Paul Sinclair, Sverker Sörlin, W. L. Steffen, Carl Folke, J. A. Dearing, Vernon Scarborough

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The Integrated History and future of People of Earth (IHOPE) initiative is a global network of researchers and research projects with its International Program Office (IPO) now based at the Stockholm Resilience Center (SRC), Upsalla University, Arizona State University, Portland State University, and the Australian National University. Research linked to IHOPE demonstrates that Earth system changes in the past have been strongly associated with changes in the coupled human-environment system. IHOPE supports integrating knowledge and resources from the biophysical and the social sciences and the humanities to address analytical and interpretive issues associated with coupled human-earth system dynamics. This integration …

Students Designing Sustainability Literacy And Systemic Change Agent Leadership Curricula: An Interconnected Web Approach At Portland State University, Angela L. Hamilton, Heather E. Spalding

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This article profiles unique programs in which students play direct roles in curriculum design, highlights factors that have contributed to programmatic successes, and provides some recommendations for other postsecondary institutions based on lessons learned.

Volatilizable Biogenic Organic Compounds (Vbocs) With Two Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (Gc × Gc-Tofms): Sampling Methods, Vboc Complexity, And Chromatographic Retention Data, James F. Pankow, Wentai Luo, Andrea Natalie Melnychenko, Kelley Barsanti, Lorne M. Isabelle, C. Chen, Alex B. Guenther, Todd N. Rosenstiel

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article discusses the application of two dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) with detection by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) in the analysis of air samples containing volatilizable biogenic organic compounds (VBOCs) from leaves of Cedrus atlantica and Calycolpus moritzianus trees. It describes some of the VBOC analytical methods. Also explored are the conditions for sampling with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers and adsorption/thermal desorption (ATD) cartridges.

Team Las Vegas Solar Decathlon 2013: Team Selection Celebration, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

DesertSol: Marketing and Promotion

This is a flyer for a celebration of UNLV being selected to participate in the 2013 Solar Decathlon competition.

Shoreline Evolution: King George County, Virginia Potomac River And Rappahannock River Shorelines, Donna A. Milligan, Christine Wilcox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Mary C. Cox

Reports

King George County is situated along the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers (Figure 1). Through time, the County’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future. Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides, and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments.

The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of King George County has evolved since 1937. Aerial imagery was taken for most of the Bay …

Why Are People So Unkind? Unravelling Community Responses To Floodplain And Emergency Management (Powerpoint), Neil Dufty, Mel Taylor, Garry Stevens

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Pankaj Maheshwari, Alexander Paz, Pushkin Kachroo

Graduate Publications & Presentations

What is sustainable transportation system?

Fulfill the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations

Utilize resources without compromising their health and productivity Leads to development that improves quality of life

Assimilate economic, ecological, social, and bio-physical components of resource ecosystems

Minimize the use of renewable and non-renewable resources, provide affordability and equity between generations

A Global Assessment Of The Water Footprint Of Farm Animal Products, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The increase in the consumption of animal products is likely to put further pressure on the world’s freshwater resources. This paper provides a comprehensive account of the water footprint of animal products, considering different production systems and feed composition per animal type and country. Nearly one-third of the total water footprint of agriculture in the world is related to the production of animal products. The water footprint of any animal product is larger than the water footprint of crop products with equivalent nutritional value. The average water footprint per calorie for beef is 20 times larger than for cereals and …

Take Pride In America Phase Iii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 25, 2011-January 24, 2012, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The GIS database was shared with the Mojave Desert Ecosystem Project.
• Total attendance during Hector’s Helpers meetings exceeded 250.
• America Recycles Day involved over 25,000 people.
• Recruiting procedures were developed for the volunteer monitoring program.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas Public Lands Institute (PLI) has designed the Take Pride in America (TPIA) Phase III work plan based on the strategic plan developed by the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) anti-litter and desert dumping team during Phase II of the program.

Slides: Natural Gas: Game Changer Or Runner Left On Base? Working To Get It Right In Co!, Gary Graham

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Dr. Gary Graham, Director, Lands Program, Western Resource Advocates

21 slides

Slides: Jisea Natural Gas Study: Potential U.S. Electric Power Futures, Jeffrey Logan

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Jeffrey Logan, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

4 slides

Slides: Drawing The Blueprint For A Sustainable Natural Gas Future, Mark K. Boling

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Mark. K. Boling, Executive Vice-President and General Counsel, Southwestern Energy

23 slides

Slides: Current And Proposed Research Activities Addressing Health, Environmental, Economic, And Political Issues Related To Natural Gas Development, University Of Colorado. School Of Public Health. Department Of Environmental And Occupational Health

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado School of Public Health

20 slides

Agenda: Drawing The Blueprint For A Sustainable Natural Gas Future, University Of Colorado At Denver. Wirth Chair In Environmental And Community Development Policy, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

A stakeholder-led forum discussing the key topics affecting natural gas as a safe and sustainable energy resource. Participants learned about the current research and related resources at Colorado’s three research universities and participated in designing future research needs.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 6, 2011-January 5, 2012, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• A total of 11 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.
• The Interagency Anti-Litter Team met twice this quarter.
• The redesign of the website continued.
• A draft Judicial System Analysis report was presented to the Interagency Law Enforcement Team for review. The Executive Director requested that the Law Enforcement Team provide written comments to include within the Judicial Analysis. Once these comments are incorporated into the report, it will be submitted in compliance with the task agreement.

Future Sustainability For The Uahuntsville Campus An Analysis Of 'Green' Intiatives And Their Benefits, Tiffany Webb

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

The Potential Of Industrial Waste And Agricultural Feedstock Towards Sustainable Biofuels Production: Techno-Economic And Environmental Impact Perspectives, Felix K. Adom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This Ph.D. research is comprised of three major components; (i) Characterization study to analyze the composition of defatted corn syrup (DCS) from a dry corn mill facility (ii) Hydrolysis experiments to optimize the production of fermentable sugars and amino acid platform using DCS and (iii) Sustainability analyses. Analyses of DCS included total solids, ash content, total protein, amino acids, inorganic elements, starch, total carbohydrates, lignin, organic acids, glycerol, and presence of functional groups. Total solids content was 37.4% (± 0.4%) by weight, and the mass balance closure was 101%. Total carbohydrates [27% (± 5%) wt.] comprised of starch (5.6%), soluble …

The Use Of Life-Cycle Analysis To Reduce The Environmental Impact Of Materials In Manufacturing, Megan A. Kreiger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This thesis is composed of three life-cycle analysis (LCA) studies of manufacturing to determine cumulative energy demand (CED) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The methods proposed could reduce the environmental impact by reducing the CED in three manufacturing processes.

First, industrial symbiosis is proposed and a LCA is performed on both conventional 1 GW-scaled hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based single junction and a-Si:H/microcrystalline-Si:H tandem cell solar PV manufacturing plants and such plants coupled to silane recycling plants. Using a recycling process that results in a silane loss of only 17 versus 85 percent, this results in a CED savings of 81,700 …

Conservation And Livelihoods: Identifying Trade-Offs And Win-Wins, Brendan P. Fisher

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.