Browsing by Department "Nicholas School of the Environment"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 384

Open Access
A Carbon Footprint Analysis of Travel
(2025-04-24) Boychuck, Samantha; Curaming, Wynona; Martin, Rochelle; Zarif, Anisah
The tourism sector accounts for 8% of the world’s total annual carbon emissions. This project quantified carbon emissions associated with a trip taken by Duke Travels to the Italian Lakes region which was organized by their tour operator partner, AHI Travel. Using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s reporting guidance, a carbon inventory was created for the trip, spanning lodging, flights, ground transport, food, and beverages. To explore decarbonization options, the group examined the impact of pulling different levers on overall trip emissions and business operations. For ease of future carbon emission tracking, the group developed a customized tool for AHI Travel to measure the emissions of each of their land-based itineraries and the impacts of potential decarbonization initiatives. Additionally, through interviews with industry experts, the group devised a list of sustainability recommendations to help AHI Travel become a leader in the sustainable tourism industry.
Open Access
A Case Study Review of The Actual and Potential Role That Multinational Corporations Play in Global Mangrove Governance
(2022-04-21) Fahrenholz, Jacqueline
Since 1970, global mangrove loss has peaked and slowed with recent restoration efforts having some success. Though current instruments used have not proven to be sufficient to return global mangrove cover to historical levels. This study aimed to answer to what extent the private sector is contributing to mangrove reforestation over the last 10 years and what the driving factors behind this are. News articles were searched for examples of such initiatives, and their underlying motivations were identified. Across the last 10 years and 1,147 returned articles, only 5 instances were discovered, suggesting that this is a new phenomenon. In each of these cases, the companies were motivated to voluntarily undertake mangrove restoration because of the added benefit of carbon credits. These findings suggest that public private partnerships may provide support for success moving forward as private companies have larger sources of available funding. Inclusive policy will also be a necessary component to join entities together.
Open Access
A climate change adaptation index for financial risk assessment
(2025-04-25) Chou, Andreana; Deng, Xizhi; Dollar, Barrett; Newton, Eric
As climate disasters increase in frequency and severity, financial institutions are increasingly factoring how loss and damage may affect their portfolios. We developed a Climate Change Adaptation Index to assess how countries essential to Ortec Finance’s client portfolio are adapting to the impacts of climate change based on their national adaptation plans, current adaptive capacity, and the feasibility of future adaptation plans. After applying the index to several countries and regions, our investigation reveals which geographic areas are likely better adapted to climate change. This project explores variations in country preparedness, highlights gaps in adaptation evaluation, and offers a unique methodology for assessing climate adaptation. Our findings have implications for integrating adaptation with financial climate risk modeling and support the implementation of robust adaptation strategies and programs.
Open Access
A Comparative Analysis Between Biofuels and the Food & Agricultural Industries
(2024-04-26) Yao, Yao; Llonch, Madeleine; Mutha, Srishti
As of 2020, 35% of corn was grown for animal feed, 31% for biofuel, and less than 2% for human consumption. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), specifically Section 45Z, offers tax credits to farmers cultivating low-carbon intensity corn for clean transportation fuels, potentially reshaping corn allocation trends. For this Master’s Project, we collaborated with Rabobank to explore the implications of this policy shift, with a particular focus on corn allocation dynamics across human consumption, feedstock, and biofuel sectors. The potential for competition arises as farmers may prioritize selling to the fuel industry to capitalize on incentives, which could reshape traditional corn allocation trends. However, uncertainties about the adequacy of incentives from food companies to counteract this shift remain. This project aims to provide Rabobank with insights into how the IRA will influence farmers' crop allocation decisions and to understand the competitive landscape between the food and renewable fuel industries. The research finds that ethanol producers are incentivizing farmers to cultivate low-carbon intensity crops through sustainability initiatives. Nonetheless, uncertainties about the level of financial support and premium payments to farmers create barriers to adopting sustainable practices. In contrast, food companies seem to have a limited approach to incentivizing low carbon crop cultivation, mainly focusing on educational initiatives rather than offering substantial financial incentives. This highlights the comparative advantage of biofuel companies in encouraging agricultural practices. Despite potential competition concerns, the food industry's impact is expected to be minimal as the U.S. has a sufficient corn supply to meet domestic needs or import as necessary. Additionally, the renewable fuels landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with new alternatives like renewable diesel poised to reshape the industry. If biodiesel becomes a dominant renewable fuel, it may reduce competition between the food and ethanol industries regarding corn sourcing, thereby offering a different avenue for renewable fuel production. To gain a deeper understanding of these dynamics, we conducted interviews with stakeholders from various sectors, including farmers and professionals from the food and agriculture industry. These interviews offered invaluable insights into considerations such as costs, transportation, and crop rotation. We also examined the intricacies of incentives for farmers, how they are informed about new opportunities, and the impact of trends. Discussions included topics such as regenerative agriculture, challenges presented by the IRA, and how the food industry could effectively compete with renewable fuels for sourcing low-carbon crops, informing future strategies and policies. In conclusion, this research project highlights the evolving landscape of agricultural production and renewable fuels, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies and collaborative efforts to navigate the transition towards a more sustainable future.
Open Access
A Curriculum of Resilience: Increasing Personal Resilience through Environmental Education
(2023-04-27) McCollum, Aurora
As more communities feel the impacts of climate change, the field of environmental education (EE) has been incorporating climate change topics into EE curriculum. One such topic, resilience, has begun to emerge. Most EE resilience activities focus on ecological resilience rather than personal resilience, even though both of these concepts are deeply intertwined with climate change. This paper explores a case study of resilience in EE that explicitly connects personal and ecological resilience via a middle school resilience curriculum co-created by researchers, resilience practitioners, and educators in coastal North Carolina. This curriculum blends personal and ecological resilience concepts using activities including storytelling. This study examines how teachers responded to the co-created curriculum writing process and the resulting resilience curriculum. Specifically, we asked, 1. What were teachers' perspectives on the challenges and benefits of the co-creation curriculum design experience? 2. What were teachers’ perspectives on the challenges and benefits of teaching the interdisciplinary resilience curriculum? Our initial results identified four themes of teacher-identified benefits and five themes of teacher-identified challenges of resilience curriculum and curriculum design experience. Benefits include themes like meeting a distinct local need and engaging with like-minded professionals. Challenges include themes like the difficulty of navigating middle school identities when trying to be vulnerable and students knowing the right answers but having trouble applying those answers to their personal lives. We will use these preliminary findings to iterate and improve on the curriculum and design process to better serve the teachers and students in this area.
Open Access
A Deep Dive into Hawaii’s Seafood Industry: Reducing Fish Processing Waste
(2024-04-25) Seagle, Jenna
Fish processing waste generated throughout the Hawaiian Islands presents both a challenge and an opportunity for local seafood distributors. This research explores potential waste management strategies to alleviate the negative impacts of seafood waste, increase product development, and grow revenue for Hawai‘i-based seafood distributors. Through a survey of seafood distributors in Hawai‘i and a document analysis of strategies from other regions, particularly the Iceland Ocean Cluster, this research identifies potential value-added products and management practices to enhance revenue streams and reduce the adverse effects of fish processing waste. The survey results reveal the current composition, amount, and management strategies regarding seafood processing waste in Hawai‘i. The document analysis identifies successful models of collaboration, value-added product development, financing opportunities, technological innovation, and market development. The recommendations outlined in this report provide a roadmap for navigating challenges and identifying opportunities to minimize fish processing waste and maximize revenue within Hawaii’s seafood industry.
Open Access
A Deep Dive into Industrial Gas Projects in the Voluntary Carbon Market
(2025-04-25) Du, Yufan; Su, Cecilia
The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) provides tons of opportunities for carbon projects in areas and industries that would not happen without carbon credits revenue. Industrial gas produces large amounts of GHG emissions. We focus on coal mine methane and natural gas pipeline leakage with three key project types: Coal Mine Methane (CMM), Abandoned Mine Methane (AMM), and Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR). These projects play a significant role in methane reduction, a critical strategy for mitigating climate change due to methane’s high global warming potential. Our project examines the challenges, financial additionality, and risks associated with these project types through the lens of the rating framework developed by Calyx Global. We further identify major barriers to project implementation and assess how financial incentives, regulatory frameworks, and technological advancements influence the viability of these initiatives.
Open Access
A Geospatial Analysis of Species of Interest in US Atlantic Wind Energy Areas
(2023-04-28) O'Brien, Bryce R
Although the rapid development of offshore wind energy inspires hope for a low-carbon electric grid, this climate solution may simultaneously threaten marine wildlife and ecosystems in ways that are not fully understood. In this study, I conduct a geospatial analysis of species of interest to support the DoE and BOEM funded Wildlife and Offshore Wind (WOW) project: a consortium of experts led by Duke University seeking to better understand the potential impacts of offshore wind development on marine wildlife. This analysis utilizes models from the following cetacean and seabird species, all of which have been identified by Project WOW members as species representative of at-risk marine wildlife: The Fin whale, Common minke whale, Humpback whale, North Atlantic right whale, Red-throated loon, Northern gannet and Great black-backed gull. By mapping the seasonal distribution of these species, this study provides insight into when, where, and how much spatial overlap exists between these species of interest and offshore wind areas in the US Atlantic. Results from this study also shed light onto the representativeness of offshore wind areas with respect to marine wildlife abundance, helping inform future offshore wind energy research planning and development.
Open Access
A Geospatial Approach to Understanding Poaching Behavior of ESA-listed and Endemic Dudleya on Santa Cruz Island within Channel Islands National Park
(2023-04-28) Wood, Emily
The Covid 19 pandemic has catalyzed the increase in plant poaching incidents, particularly with species of Dudleya in California. As people were confined to their homes, houseplant collecting popularity rose worldwide. For Santa Cruz Island, the threat is great with large areas of land and few on-ground managers to monitor for such risks. These managers face the challenge of how best to predict poaching before it occurs in an area to maximize the efficiency of their smaller staff. Using geospatial data, I model three distinct poaching behaviors to gain a better understanding on how to proactively monitor for poaching events. I also use the models to identify areas where certain poaching behaviors are not represented, presenting an opportunity for model tuning through site visits. Through proactive behavioral modeling, land managers have an increased understanding of where to focus their attention to minimize poaching risk.
Open Access
A Global Analysis of the Climate Risk of Women in Small-Scale Fisheries
(2023-04-28) Deeg, Claudia Suzanne
Open Access
A Global Database of Tenure and Access Rights for Small-Scale Fisheries: A Preliminary Assessment
(2022-04-21) Tholan, Brittany
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) provide essential protein and nutrition to billions of people worldwide, employ more than 90 percent of the world’s fishers, and account for about 40% of the global fisheries catch. Yet, their contribution to sustainable development is often overlooked and undervalued. Using data from 51 country case studies from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) Project, the EDF Fishery Solutions Center, and a co-management database from Gutierrez, Hilborn and Defeo (2011), I compile a database of tenure and access rights in SSF, an indicator for Sustainable Development Goal 14.b to “provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets.” By using a broad definition of Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries (TURFs), I explore how fishers access resources, what rules and rights govern their interactions, and if their power is de jure or de facto. This assessment reveals “new” TURFs from old systems of self-governance and finds evidence of property rights in freshwater and inland fisheries, seasonal or temporary arrangements, specific fishing methods, and familial lineages. In addition, two case studies highlight the potential benefits and challenges of declaring rights-based fisheries “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) – a new area-based designation. The evidence presented in this study builds the case for recognizing de facto property rights as a potential means for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development and lays the foundation for future research efforts.
Open Access
A Guideline of China’s City-Level Decarbonization Planning --- With a Case of an Island City in Northern China
(2023-04-28) Yi, Siying; Lu, Yifei
Urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming, which leads to ecosystem degradation, extreme weather events, and economic and human risks. The Paris Agreement's goals can be achieved by establishing emission reduction targets and decarbonizing the economy. China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, aims to reach carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Urban areas account for 85% of China's emissions, making it crucial for cities to adopt decarbonization measures to fulfill the national targets. Therefore, many city governments have developed decarbonization plans to explore low-carbon development opportunities. Based on a client project, this policy report focuses on the Chinese context and aims to provide practical knowledge for urban development planners, policymakers, and the public interested in decarbonization issues. The report clarifies the concept of decarbonization planning and provides a comprehensive planning guideline, including greenhouse gas inventory, future emissions forecast, setting decarbonization targets, and developing action plans specific to the region. To illustrate the practical application of the proposed guidelines, the report also includes a case study of an island city in northern China. The GHG inventory shows that the study area's emissions decreased by approximately 56% from 2016 to 2021, primarily due to the promotion of electrification in various industries. The LEAP model-based emissions forecast for the next 40 years reveals the feasibility of the island city achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 under a stringent low-carbon scenario. Based on this analysis, we design and compile a decarbonization action plan for the island city, presenting information on guiding ideology, principles, cross-cutting strategies, necessary decarbonization initiatives for specific sectors, and capacity-building guarantee systems.
Open Access
A Habitat Model of the Short-finned Pilot Whale in Correlation with the Gulf Stream
(2024-04-25) Papas, Jasmine
Habitat models are crucial to understanding how a species interacts with its surrounding environments. Despite being a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, little is known about the spatial extent of the short-finned pilot whales that live along the eastern coast of the United States. The short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) is one of two pilot whale species found in the northwestern Atlantic with both habitats overlapping around the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Previous literature has shown that the whales forage along the continental shelf break just off the coast of North Carolina, with some evidence to excursions in the Gulf Stream. The aim of this project was to create a habitat model for the short-finned pilot whales and examine possible correlation with Gulf Stream front. A General Additive Model (GAM) was created to better understand which environmental factors have the largest correlation with short-finned pilot whale sightings. Three environmental factors were analyzed based on their importance to pilot whales: sea surface temperature (SST), bathymetry, and proximity to continental shelf break. SST data was collected from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) to compare real-time high-resolution data to predictive low-resolution data. I found that sea surface temperature and bathymetry had the largest correlation with short-finned pilot whale sightings across both datasets. This suggests that the whales have a strong preference to areas of certain temperature gradients and depth. I deduce that the short-finned pilot whales are likely to follow the Gulf Stream front as long as waters remain in their preferred temperature range. With this knowledge, we can better determine how the short-finned pilot whales may react to rising ocean temperatures and how their habitats will adapt along the way.
Open Access
A Preliminary Approach to Determining the Presence of Formal Co-Management in Small-Scale Fisheries
(2023-04-28) Risius, Alexandra
Millions of people rely on small-scale fisheries (SSF) for their livelihoods and as a source of vital, nutrient-dense food. Despite the sector’s economic, environmental and cultural significance, SSF are commonly overlooked and ill-defined, leading to fisheries being poorly managed. As SSF continue to make contributions to global fisheries production, it is important that alternative fisheries management approaches are implemented and appropriately supported to ensure SSF sustainability. Co-management is one viable management option that would allow for management power to be split between the government and resource users. This document showcases a methodology that is intended to be used as a starting point for determining co-management within a given SSF. It is designed with stakeholders, students, and researchers as key audiences in mind. This document will use a case study that highlights Chile's SSF to give the user a real-world example of how to implement the methodology and find evidence of co-management principles within their target country.
Open Access
A Report on the Energy Transition in the EU
(2024-04-23) Dobrinov, Alexander
Open Access
A ridge-to-reef framework to protect Guam's water quality and coral reef ecosystem
(2023-04-25) Castro, Frances
Watershed pollution and fisheries exploitation are the priority, chronic stressors that impact Guam’s coral reefs. Yet, quantifying the relative contribution of individual stressors to any particular reef is difficult due to natural variations in biological assemblages across island scales and uncertain site-specific disturbance histories. A study of 26 sites in southern Guam watersheds shows the effects of pollution on coral reef and fish assemblages. Community, government, and legislative action need to take place to improve Guam’s water quality standards.
Open Access
A Site Prioritization for Shortleaf Pine Restoration in Duke Forest
(2022-12-10) Sneed, Anne
Historically, shortleaf pine forests spanned some 70-80 million acres in the U.S. Since then, the species has declined dramatically—today, only 6 million acres of shortleaf-dominated forests remain, roughly 10 percent of its historic range. North Carolina alone has seen a 60 percent decline in shortleaf pine acreage since 1990. There are several reasons for the decline, including fire suppression, land use changes from forest to urban-suburban development, and disease and pests. Due to these losses, the Duke Forest is seeking to restore shortleaf pine on its land. For this project, key site characteristics of Duke Forest parcels are collected, analyzed, and compared to historical data using geospatial analysis and habitat suitability modeling. The analysis is then used to identify candidate restoration sites for shortleaf pine within Duke Forest’s Durham and Korstian divisions. This site prioritization sets the stage for a successful restoration project of shortleaf pine in Duke Forest.
Open Access
A Town on the Water Map: Lessons from Ivanhoe, NC
(2023-04-28) Otero, Catherine
In July 2022, Sampson County was awarded $13.2 million from the State of North Carolina to connect 350 households in Ivanhoe, NC to county water. The grant comes after community organizing efforts for water access and moves Ivanhoe towards fulfilling the community’s 20-year desire of getting connected to county water. The grant money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for water infrastructure which is administered via the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)’s Drinking Water Reserve program. The following report combines perspectives from state, county, and community levels surrounding the successful application by Sampson County on behalf of Ivanhoe. Information was gathered through background research on water infrastructure and review of meeting minutes, news coverage, and DEQ documentation. Interviews with community members, an engineer, and county and state officials were also conducted. Federal funds reach local water projects in North Carolina through multiple DEQ loan and grant programs. The American Rescue Plan Act resulted in a large influx of funding into DEQ’s Drinking Water Reserve and Wastewater Reserve with a non-earmarked $191.3 million dedicated to water and wastewater systems at-risk of becoming distressed. The Ivanhoe water project qualified for this grant funding. Sampson County’s water system serves approximately 6,033 customers and Ivanhoe, a predominantly Black, low-income rural community is not included in those numbers. Ivanhoe community members depend on private wells currently and complain of low water quality. Funding issues are the most notable reason why Ivanhoe has had to wait so long for connections. The Ivanhoe community organized to encourage Sampson County to apply for grant funding from the state in Spring 2022. Connections to municipal water will provide a regulated standard of water to Ivanhoe residents and draw further investment to the area, community members hope. The report aims to inform how DEQ loan and grant processes can be made more accessible to communities especially those that are considered at-risk according to DEQ metrics. The report offers: takeaways for other communities hoping to advocate for themselves to get their local governments to apply on their behalf for funding, takeaways for DEQ to improve their loan/grant application processes through increased community engagement, and ideas for how DEQ may be able to boost its outreach resources and increase water access to communities.
Open Access
Accelerating Solar for All Financing for Multifamily Affordable Housing in North Carolina
(2025-04-16) Tucker, Carley
Open Access
Accessibility Improvement for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve
(2023-04-21) Campbell, Peyton
The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve have 10 sites located around North Carolina that provide the public with recreational, educational, and research experiences within the ecosystems that they manage and preserve. To improve accessibility, this study reviews current accessibility at Reserve sites, provides broad legal background about accessibility in the U.S., provides Reserve history and use goals, and offers recommendations for accessibility improvement for each site where improvement is possible. These recommendations include product recommendations, product cost estimates, site-specific recommendations, and recommendations that apply to all, or most, Reserve sites. Final recommendations include a range of different costs, timeframes, and requirements to implement.