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Item Open Access 2018 Land Trust Communication Guide(2018-04-26) Hanway, HayleyCommunications is a critical component of a land trust’s success. Since land trusts are mainly private, non-profit organizations, they are heavily dependent on donors and volunteers. A strong communications strategy will attract new donors and volunteers while retaining old ones. This project for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) evaluates different communications platforms and strategies and provides a list of recommendations for an effective communication’s plan. Research was conducted via a survey disseminated to LCWM members and informational interviews with other environmental organizations. Final recommendations include prioritizing Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube/Vimeo over other forms of social media, investing in an annual (or five-year) professional paper magazine product, strengthening partnerships with local organizations, and holding more events for outreach.Item Open Access A Holistic Approach to Reducing Plastic Marine Debris in Coastal North Carolina(2011-04-29) Ornell, Cassandra; Finn, SarahAffecting waters and coastlines worldwide, plastic marine debris is a pervasive issue that continues to intensify. It threatens wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem functioning, as well as coastal tourism and recreation. This problem can be addressed in ways ranging from local to international in scope, and voluntary to mandatory in implementation. Our objective was to reduce plastic marine debris generation in coastal North Carolina via both voluntary and mandatory approaches; therefore, we used both bottom-up and top-down methods. We focused the bottom-up piece of our project on increasing awareness of the ecological hazards plastic marine debris causes and on encouraging consumers to stop using plastic shopping bags. To this end, we employed a combination of formal and informal education tools, which included presenting in classrooms, leading coastal cleanups, and designing a plastic marine debris exhibit that we displayed at environmentally themed community events. The school presentations targeted students from kindergarten to high school, and are adaptable to a variety of levels and teacher objectives. The coastal cleanups provided community members with an opportunity to see firsthand the local extent of marine debris. Our exhibit enabled us to reach a large and diverse audience, and to show the connection between our decisions and environmental impacts. The top-down component of our project focused on understanding the effectiveness of the Outer Banks plastic bag ban (NC Senate Bill 1018) at reducing plastic marine debris and changing consumer behaviors, as well as its popularity among residents. NC Senate Bill 318, introduced in March 2011, calls for a repeal of this ban, so we composed a policy memo arguing against the repeal and sent it to all state senators. We supported our position with the results we obtained from surveys we conducted of Outer Banks and Carteret County residents. The majority of Outer Banks respondents were in support of the ban, and the majority of Carteret County respondents stated that they would support a plastic bag ban in their county, which lent credence to our argument. Our holistic approach, based on bottom-up and top-down measures, enabled us to test and assess a variety of tools that could reduce plastic marine debris in coastal North Carolina.Item Open Access A plant genetic network for preventing dysbiosis in the phyllosphere.(Nature, 2020-04-08) Chen, Tao; Nomura, Kinya; Wang, Xiaolin; Sohrabi, Reza; Xu, Jin; Yao, Lingya; Paasch, Bradley C; Ma, Li; Kremer, James; Cheng, Yuti; Zhang, Li; Wang, Nian; Wang, Ertao; Xin, Xiu-Fang; He, Sheng YangThe aboveground parts of terrestrial plants, collectively called the phyllosphere, have a key role in the global balance of atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen. The phyllosphere represents one of the most abundant habitats for microbiota colonization. Whether and how plants control phyllosphere microbiota to ensure plant health is not well understood. Here we show that the Arabidopsis quadruple mutant (min7 fls2 efr cerk1; hereafter, mfec)1, simultaneously defective in pattern-triggered immunity and the MIN7 vesicle-trafficking pathway, or a constitutively activated cell death1 (cad1) mutant, carrying a S205F mutation in a membrane-attack-complex/perforin (MACPF)-domain protein, harbour altered endophytic phyllosphere microbiota and display leaf-tissue damage associated with dysbiosis. The Shannon diversity index and the relative abundance of Firmicutes were markedly reduced, whereas Proteobacteria were enriched in the mfec and cad1S205F mutants, bearing cross-kingdom resemblance to some aspects of the dysbiosis that occurs in human inflammatory bowel disease. Bacterial community transplantation experiments demonstrated a causal role of a properly assembled leaf bacterial community in phyllosphere health. Pattern-triggered immune signalling, MIN7 and CAD1 are found in major land plant lineages and are probably key components of a genetic network through which terrestrial plants control the level and nurture the diversity of endophytic phyllosphere microbiota for survival and health in a microorganism-rich environment.Item Open Access An ecological perspective on nanomaterial impacts in the environment.(J Environ Qual, 2010-11) Bernhardt, Emily S; Colman, Benjamin P; Hochella, Michael F; Cardinale, Bradley J; Nisbet, Roger M; Richardson, Curtis J; Yin, LiyanGrowing concerns over the potential for unintended, adverse consequences of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment have generated new research initiatives focused on understanding the ecological effects of ENPs. Almost nothing is currently known about the fate and transport of ENPs in environmental waters, soils, and sediments or about the biological impacts of ENPs in natural environments, and the bulk of modern nanotoxicogical research is focused on highly controlled laboratory studies with single species in simple media. In this paper, we provide an ecological perspective on the current state of knowledge regarding the likely environmental impacts of nanomaterials and propose a strategy for making rapid progress in new research in ecological nanoscience.Item Open Access An Evaluation of the Shrimp Industry in North Carolina: Could policy changes such as an altered harvest schedule increase the profitability of the shrimp fishery?(2007-08-31T19:12:34Z) Leister, CharlesThis study seeks to evaluate the ability of the North Carolina (NC) shrimp industry to cope with the impacts of imported shrimp on prices. First, this study provides a review of the literature and relevant background information. This essay then analyzes shrimp growth models and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This analysis evaluates the management decisions regarding the timing of the shrimp harvest by comparing the rate of change of prices to the rate of change of shrimp growth for four growth models. The first three models originated from the literature with the first model simulating the growth of male shrimp, the second model simulating the growth of female shrimp, and the third model simulating the growth of both sexes combined. While each of these models simulates the growth of individual shrimp, so the fourth model simulates shrimp population levels in addition to simulating shrimp growth resulting in biomass. Overall, the analysis yielded mixed results and proved highly dependent on the assumptions of the models. The results associated with the first and second models suggested the initial shrimp harvest occur in July rather than May, the analysis associated with the third model suggested managers delay the initial harvest until December or as late as possible to allow shrimpers to harvest all remaining shrimp, and the analysis associated with the fourth model suggested no change in the timing of the shrimp harvest. The mixed nature of these results suggests the need for more information regarding shrimp life history and growth. Following this conclusion, this study provides six general recommendations for the revision of the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in 2011: 1) Explore the optimal harvest timing, 2) Increase marketing efforts, 3) Address issues of development such as water quality and habitat destruction, 4) Allow fishers to keep and/or sell bycatch within reasonable limits, 5) Increase environmentally responsible aquaculture, and 6) Increase funding for research. By addressing these issues surrounding the shrimp fishery in NC, managers can help to ensure the continued sustainability and profitability of one of North Carolina’s most valuable fisheries.Item Embargo Anxious Care: Radioactive Uncertainty and the Politics of Life in Post-Nuclear Japan(2023) Cho, JieunSince the 2011 meltdown, the health of “Fukushima children” has become a problem for parents, politics, and future imaginaries in post-nuclear Japan. What are the ethical and political implications of making life around a child imperiled by radiation when (re)productivity of life must be remade in a compromised environment? This dissertation investigates (re)production of life in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan by studying the strivings of families who seek to raise healthy children amidst radiation as a condition of living: what I call “anxious care.” By foregrounding the family as a site for environmental struggles in an emerging politics of life, I examine the work of making children live against and within radiation, looking to consider the radical implications of caring for children in radioactive uncertainty. In particular, this project focuses on inner cities of Fukushima Prefecture that have been on the frontline of radiation debates for having been exposed to disaster-induced radiation while not designated for evacuation. Shifting focus to the edges of delimited disaster zones, I examine the multifaceted aftermath of the nuclear disaster, ranging from differentially altered forms of life conditioned by radioactive uncertainty, the unequal distribution of radiation risk through public/private organizations such as the family form, and the everyday impact of post-Fukushima radiation. Theorizing the stakes of living with nuclear risk as situated political ecologies which generates tensions and possibilities for new forms of life, this dissertation argues that notions of life are undergoing a moment of reconfiguration in post-nuclear Japan by both real-life families and the family form. In doing so, it contributes to critiquing and broadening the anthropological horizons of life amid environmental uncertainty in and beyond Japan.
Item Open Access Associations between BMI and home, school and route environmental exposures estimated using GPS and GIS: do we see evidence of selective daily mobility bias in children?(Int J Health Geogr, 2015-02-06) Burgoine, Thomas; Jones, Andy P; Namenek Brouwer, Rebecca J; Benjamin Neelon, Sara EBACKGROUND: This study examined whether objective measures of food, physical activity and built environment exposures, in home and non-home settings, contribute to children's body weight. Further, comparing GPS and GIS measures of environmental exposures along routes to and from school, we tested for evidence of selective daily mobility bias when using GPS data. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional analysis, using objective assessments of body weight in relation to multiple environmental exposures. Data presented are from a sample of 94 school-aged children, aged 5-11 years. Children's heights and weights were measured by trained researchers, and used to calculate BMI z-scores. Participants wore a GPS device for one full week. Environmental exposures were estimated within home and school neighbourhoods, and along GIS (modelled) and GPS (actual) routes from home to school. We directly compared associations between BMI and GIS-modelled versus GPS-derived environmental exposures. The study was conducted in Mebane and Mount Airy, North Carolina, USA, in 2011. RESULTS: In adjusted regression models, greater school walkability was associated with significantly lower mean BMI. Greater home walkability was associated with increased BMI, as was greater school access to green space. Adjusted associations between BMI and route exposure characteristics were null. The use of GPS-actual route exposures did not appear to confound associations between environmental exposures and BMI in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study found few associations between environmental exposures in home, school and commuting domains and body weight in children. However, walkability of the school neighbourhood may be important. Of the other significant associations observed, some were in unexpected directions. Importantly, we found no evidence of selective daily mobility bias in this sample, although our study design is in need of replication in a free-living adult sample.Item Open Access Biogenetic mechanisms predisposing to complex phenotypes in parents may function differently in their children.(J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2013-07) Kulminski, Alexander M; Arbeev, Konstantin G; Christensen, Kaare; Stallard, Eric; Miljkovic, Iva; Barmada, Michael; Yashin, Anatoliy IThis study focuses on the participants of the Long Life Family Study to elucidate whether biogenetic mechanisms underlying relationships among heritable complex phenotypes in parents function in the same way for the same phenotypes in their children. Our results reveal 3 characteristic groups of relationships among phenotypes in parents and children. One group composed of 3 pairs of phenotypes confirms that associations among some phenotypes can be explained by the same biogenetic mechanisms working in parents and children. Two other groups including 9 phenotype pairs show that this is not a common rule. Our findings suggest that biogenetic mechanisms underlying relationships among different phenotypes, even if they are causally related, can function differently in successive generations or in different age groups of biologically related individuals. The results suggest that the role of aging-related processes in changing environment may be conceptually underestimated in current genetic association studies using genome wide resources.Item Open Access Body temperature and thermal environment in a generalized arboreal anthropoid, wild mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).(Am J Phys Anthropol, 2014-05) Thompson, Cynthia L; Williams, Susan H; Glander, Kenneth E; Teaford, Mark F; Vinyard, Christopher JFree-ranging primates are confronted with the challenge of maintaining an optimal range of body temperatures within a thermally dynamic environment that changes daily, seasonally, and annually. While many laboratory studies have been conducted on primate thermoregulation, we know comparatively little about the thermal pressures primates face in their natural, evolutionarily relevant environment. Such knowledge is critical to understanding the evolution of thermal adaptations in primates and for comparative evaluation of humans' unique thermal adaptations. We examined temperature and thermal environment in free-ranging, mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in a tropical dry forest in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We recorded subcutaneous (Tsc ) and near-animal ambient temperatures (Ta ) from 11 animals over 1586.5 sample hours during wet and dry seasons. Howlers displayed considerable variation in Tsc , which was largely attributable to circadian effects. Despite significant seasonal changes in the ambient thermal environment, howlers showed relatively little evidence for seasonal changes in Tsc . Howlers experienced warm thermal conditions which led to body cooling relative to the environment, and plateaus in Tsc at increasingly warm Ta . They also frequently faced cool thermal conditions (Ta < Tsc ) in which Tsc was markedly elevated compared with Ta . These data add to a growing body of evidence that non-human primates have more labile body temperatures than humans. Our data additionally support a hypothesis that, despite inhabiting a dry tropical environment, howling monkeys experience both warm and cool thermal pressures. This suggests that thermal challenges may be more prevalent for primates than previously thought, even for species living in nonextreme thermal environments.Item Open Access Brazilian road traffic fatalities: a spatial and environmental analysis.(PLoS One, 2014) de Andrade, Luciano; Vissoci, João Ricardo Nickenig; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Finato, Karen; Carvalho, Elias; Pietrobon, Ricardo; de Souza, Eniuce Menezes; Nihei, Oscar Kenji; Lynch, Catherine; de Barros Carvalho, Maria DalvaBACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries (RTI) are a major public health epidemic killing thousands of people daily. Low and middle-income countries, such as Brazil, have the highest annual rates of road traffic fatalities. In order to improve road safety, this study mapped road traffic fatalities on a Brazilian highway to determine the main environmental factors affecting road traffic fatalities. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Four techniques were utilized to identify and analyze RTI hotspots. We used spatial analysis by points by applying kernel density estimator, and wavelet analysis to identify the main hot regions. Additionally, built environment analysis, and principal component analysis were conducted to verify patterns contributing to crash occurrence in the hotspots. Between 2007 and 2009, 379 crashes were notified, with 466 fatalities on BR277. Higher incidence of crashes occurred on sections of highway with double lanes (ratio 2∶1). The hotspot analysis demonstrated that both the eastern and western regions had higher incidences of crashes when compared to the central region. Through the built environment analysis, we have identified five different patterns, demonstrating that specific environmental characteristics are associated with different types of fatal crashes. Patterns 2 and 4 are constituted mainly by predominantly urban characteristics and have frequent fatal pedestrian crashes. Patterns 1, 3 and 5 display mainly rural characteristics and have higher prevalence of vehicular collisions. In the built environment analysis, the variables length of road in urban area, limited lighting, double lanes roadways, and less auxiliary lanes were associated with a higher incidence of fatal crashes. CONCLUSIONS: By combining different techniques of analyses, we have identified numerous hotspots and environmental characteristics, which governmental or regulatory agencies could make use to plan strategies to reduce RTI and support life-saving policies.Item Open Access Bringing molecular tools into environmental resource management: untangling the molecules to policy pathway.(PLoS biology, 2009-03) Schultz, TFItem Open Access Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for the State of Oaxaca, Mexico(2012-04-19) Muñoz, SofiaPolicy Question: What policy strategies should the government of the state of Oaxaca implement to adapt to climate change? The Mexican government and the international community have identified climate change as one of the most difficult challenges of the century. This is especially true for developing countries and their poor populations, since climate change impacts will be a constant threat to achieve international and national development goals. Although climate change mitigation strategies are essential to reduce these impacts in the future, the historic and present emissions level will have impact in the short, medium, and long term. Therefore, adaptation strategies are critical to overcome these impacts and to be able to achieve development. The World Bank in Mexico, through the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Environmental Unit, is working with the Mexican federal and state governments to develop climate change adaptation plans. Together with the World Bank, the government of the state of Oaxaca is creating a climate change adaptation plan that will be an instrument to face the challenges that climate change will have in the state. As part of that project, this policy paper provides a broad perspective of climate change impacts for the state of Oaxaca, with a specific focus on problems for urban areas. It provides recommendations on different adaptation measures that should be included in the state’s adaptation plan, all of which can be applied for the state’s urban areas. The first part of this policy paper includes an analysis of the different problems that the state of Oaxaca will have as a consequence of climate change. After defining the problem, the following section presents a set of criteria which where considered in defining the alternatives. The analysis section focuses on weighing the alternatives against the criteria, which sets the ground for the final recommendations. Problem Definition Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico. It lacks economic opportunities and education and human development remains behind compared to the rest of the country. People’s strong dependence on agriculture increases the possible threat of climate change on their livelihoods, but the lack of economic resources and investments in other sectors make it a state that has been left behind. Urban areas in the state are growing. Population growth is a main cause, but the disorganized growth increases the challenges in urban areas. There is a lack of planning and future vision of the needs for organized and sustainable urban systems. The impacts of climate change in these areas, especially those lying in the coasts, are likely to be significant and in many cases devastating. Poor infrastructure in transportation and communications increases the threats of extreme weather events and climate related disasters. Likewise, the significant impacts on water availability, accessibility, and quality will have important impacts on health, economic activities, and social welfare. One of the main challenges is the complexity of actors and stakeholders involved in the issue. While everyone will assume the consequences of climate change, the implementation of adaptation strategies is highly dependent on government policies, actions, and cooperation. International organizations have played, and will increasingly play, an important role in the application of these plans and on helping the governments lead toward climate change actions. The private sector, on the other hand, is key to encourage economic growth and support through investments, but its participation has been poor, especially in the state of Oaxaca. Alternatives The alternatives analyzed in this paper are divided in two groups: building adaptive capacity and delivering adaptation actions. The first group is based on generating the necessary information and conditions that will support climate change adaptation. These alternatives include increasing knowledge on the impacts of climate change, promoting education and understanding of the impacts, achieve economic development, encourage economic diversification, encourage multilevel governance and cooperation across actors, and promote insurance and financial mechanisms. The second group of alternatives is focused on reducing the vulnerability of the damages caused by climate change: investing in physical infrastructure, such as transportation or water, and improving urban planning. Recommendations The paper shows the important role that all of the alternatives play in achieving adaptation to climate change, and how all of these meet to a certain extent the main criteria: encouraging achievement of development goals, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, implementation in the near future, reducing long-term vulnerability, and scalability. Therefore, the recommendations include all of the alternatives but should be implemented in three different stages. The first stage is can be implemented within the existing policy frameworks and will have a positive impact in achieving the rest of the alternatives. These alternatives include: • Increase knowledge of the impacts of climate change at the local and state levels • Promote education and understanding of the impacts of climate change • Encourage multilevel governance and cooperation across actors in different sectors The second stage includes strategies that need more investment from public and private sources and that are necessary in order to achieve the last stage. These include: • Improve urban planning • Invest in physical infrastructure (transportation, water, and communications) • Promote insurance and financial mechanisms For these strategies to be successful, the government needs to establish the necessary conditions, which can result from the improved cooperation between the private and public sectors, as well as a multilevel governance framework. Investments in urban planning, physical infrastructure, and insurance and financial mechanisms can lead to more sustained economic development and diversification. Therefore, the last stage of alternatives includes both: • Achieve economic development • Encourage economic diversification Economic development and diversification are key strategies and play a very important role in climate change adaptation. Since both of the strategies are a consequence of education, human development, infrastructure, competitive urban spaces, and efficient governance, they should be seen as alternatives that will be developed throughout the process rather than addressing them independently in the far future. All of the alternatives are applicable in urban areas in the state of Oaxaca. Improving knowledge on the local impacts that climate change will have on Oaxaca’s cities will allow for a more accurate design of policies and instruments for climate change adaptation. Community participation through education and communication is even more important in urban contexts, where there tends to be fragmentation between social groups and where the impacts of climate change are imbalanced for different population groups. Coordination between different levels of government is highly needed in cities; urban sprawl has increased the complexity of the cities’ jurisdictional structure and the daily interaction of different actors brings more complex challenges in the urban context. Urban planning is becoming a priority for development and climate change. It should include investments in infrastructure for water service provision, transportation, and communications. Although this requires high investments and mobilization of financial resources, there are possible opportunities to access those resources. In this matter, the active participation of the World Bank plays a crucial role. The organization can invest in projects, but also act as intermediary with the private sector to attract more investments into the state. The insurance market needs further development especially in Oaxaca. Designing good insurance mechanisms can increase private sector investments and participation, encouraging economic growth and development. In this case also, international financial institutions can play a vital role in designing and implementing these mechanisms and they can help the local and state governments create an inviting environment. Finally, due to the socioeconomic conditions in Oaxaca, economic development and diversification become a central issue regarding climate change adaptation. In the case of urban areas, economic diversification becomes very important.. In the past years Oaxaca has attracted attention for its natural resources and cultural richness and has gained national and international notice. This is an important opportunity to foster entrepreneurship that promotes social welfare and environmental sustainability, to put Oaxaca as a national example. This can help achieve economic growth and development, but also increase awareness on the needs to preserve natural resources and therefore adapt to and mitigate climate change. Active participation and cooperation between the local, state, and national governments is necessary to implement every strategy. The role of the World Bank is significant and should be considered as such in the implementation process. The World Bank has an important position for advising governments on the design of policies, but also to set the stage for active private sector participation. In designing the policies, the World Bank can act as an intermediary between the different levels of government to ensure that there is cooperation and that the application of the strategies is consistent. Likewise, the World Bank’s participation designing and investing in specific projects, like transportation or water infrastructure, can promote private sector’s participation because they can be confident that the there is more likely to be clear spending and accountability for each of the projects. Development is a key issue for governments and a constant and important challenge. Climate change and its consequences will make this challenge even more complicated, especially in places where there is a lack of economic development or capacity building. Oaxaca already has several challenges regarding development, but it is also a place that is highly vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, the application of clear and well-designed adaptation measures is necessary to reduce the threats of climate change for the people, the ecosystems, and the economy. These strategies should be a priority for the government and development agencies working in the state, so as to increase people’s well-being and achieve local, national, and international development goals.Item Open Access Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for the State of Oaxaca, Mexico(2012-04-20) Muñoz, SofiaPolicy Question: What policy strategies should the government of the state of Oaxaca implement to adapt to climate change? The Mexican government and the international community have identified climate change as one of the most difficult challenges of the century. This is especially true for developing countries and their poor populations, since climate change impacts will be a constant threat to achieve international and national development goals. Although climate change mitigation strategies are essential to reduce these impacts in the future, the historic and present emissions level will have impact in the short, medium, and long term. Therefore, adaptation strategies are critical to overcome these impacts and to be able to achieve development. The World Bank in Mexico, through the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Environmental Unit, is working with the Mexican federal and state governments to develop climate change adaptation plans. Together with the World Bank, the government of the state of Oaxaca is creating a climate change adaptation plan that will be an instrument to face the challenges that climate change will have in the state. As part of that project, this policy paper provides a broad perspective of climate change impacts for the state of Oaxaca, with a specific focus on problems for urban areas. It provides recommendations on different adaptation measures that should be included in the state’s adaptation plan, all of which can be applied for the state’s urban areas. The first part of this policy paper includes an analysis of the different problems that the state of Oaxaca will have as a consequence of climate change. After defining the problem, the following section presents a set of criteria which where considered in defining the alternatives. The analysis section focuses on weighing the alternatives against the criteria, which sets the ground for the final recommendations. Problem Definition Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico. It lacks economic opportunities and education and human development remains behind compared to the rest of the country. People’s strong dependence on agriculture increases the possible threat of climate change on their livelihoods, but the lack of economic resources and investments in other sectors make it a state that has been left behind. Urban areas in the state are growing. Population growth is a main cause, but the disorganized growth increases the challenges in urban areas. There is a lack of planning and future vision of the needs for organized and sustainable urban systems. The impacts of climate change in these areas, especially those lying in the coasts, are likely to be significant and in many cases devastating. Poor infrastructure in transportation and communications increases the threats of extreme weather events and climate related disasters. Likewise, the significant impacts on water availability, accessibility, and quality will have important impacts on health, economic activities, and social welfare. One of the main challenges is the complexity of actors and stakeholders involved in the issue. While everyone will assume the consequences of climate change, the implementation of adaptation strategies is highly dependent on government policies, actions, and cooperation. International organizations have played, and will increasingly play, an important role in the application of these plans and on helping the governments lead toward climate change actions. The private sector, on the other hand, is key to encourage economic growth and support through investments, but its participation has been poor, especially in the state of Oaxaca. Alternatives The alternatives analyzed in this paper are divided in two groups: building adaptive capacity and delivering adaptation actions. The first group is based on generating the necessary information and conditions that will support climate change adaptation. These alternatives include increasing knowledge on the impacts of climate change, promoting education and understanding of the impacts, achieve economic development, encourage economic diversification, encourage multilevel governance and cooperation across actors, and promote insurance and financial mechanisms. The second group of alternatives is focused on reducing the vulnerability of the damages caused by climate change: investing in physical infrastructure, such as transportation or water, and improving urban planning. Recommendations The paper shows the important role that all of the alternatives play in achieving adaptation to climate change, and how all of these meet to a certain extent the main criteria: encouraging achievement of development goals, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, implementation in the near future, reducing long-term vulnerability, and scalability. Therefore, the recommendations include all of the alternatives but should be implemented in three different stages. The first stage is can be implemented within the existing policy frameworks and will have a positive impact in achieving the rest of the alternatives. These alternatives include: • Increase knowledge of the impacts of climate change at the local and state levels • Promote education and understanding of the impacts of climate change • Encourage multilevel governance and cooperation across actors in different sectors The second stage includes strategies that need more investment from public and private sources and that are necessary in order to achieve the last stage. These include: • Improve urban planning • Invest in physical infrastructure (transportation, water, and communications) • Promote insurance and financial mechanisms For these strategies to be successful, the government needs to establish the necessary conditions, which can result from the improved cooperation between the private and public sectors, as well as a multilevel governance framework. Investments in urban planning, physical infrastructure, and insurance and financial mechanisms can lead to more sustained economic development and diversification. Therefore, the last stage of alternatives includes both: • Achieve economic development • Encourage economic diversification Economic development and diversification are key strategies and play a very important role in climate change adaptation. Since both of the strategies are a consequence of education, human development, infrastructure, competitive urban spaces, and efficient governance, they should be seen as alternatives that will be developed throughout the process rather than addressing them independently in the far future. All of the alternatives are applicable in urban areas in the state of Oaxaca. Improving knowledge on the local impacts that climate change will have on Oaxaca’s cities will allow for a more accurate design of policies and instruments for climate change adaptation. Community participation through education and communication is even more important in urban contexts, where there tends to be fragmentation between social groups and where the impacts of climate change are imbalanced for different population groups. Coordination between different levels of government is highly needed in cities; urban sprawl has increased the complexity of the cities’ jurisdictional structure and the daily interaction of different actors brings more complex challenges in the urban context. Urban planning is becoming a priority for development and climate change. It should include investments in infrastructure for water service provision, transportation, and communications. Although this requires high investments and mobilization of financial resources, there are possible opportunities to access those resources. In this matter, the active participation of the World Bank plays a crucial role. The organization can invest in projects, but also act as intermediary with the private sector to attract more investments into the state. The insurance market needs further development especially in Oaxaca. Designing good insurance mechanisms can increase private sector investments and participation, encouraging economic growth and development. In this case also, international financial institutions can play a vital role in designing and implementing these mechanisms and they can help the local and state governments create an inviting environment. Finally, due to the socioeconomic conditions in Oaxaca, economic development and diversification become a central issue regarding climate change adaptation. In the case of urban areas, economic diversification becomes very important.. In the past years Oaxaca has attracted attention for its natural resources and cultural richness and has gained national and international notice. This is an important opportunity to foster entrepreneurship that promotes social welfare and environmental sustainability, to put Oaxaca as a national example. This can help achieve economic growth and development, but also increase awareness on the needs to preserve natural resources and therefore adapt to and mitigate climate change. Active participation and cooperation between the local, state, and national governments is necessary to implement every strategy. The role of the World Bank is significant and should be considered as such in the implementation process. The World Bank has an important position for advising governments on the design of policies, but also to set the stage for active private sector participation. In designing the policies, the World Bank can act as an intermediary between the different levels of government to ensure that there is cooperation and that the application of the strategies is consistent. Likewise, the World Bank’s participation designing and investing in specific projects, like transportation or water infrastructure, can promote private sector’s participation because they can be confident that the there is more likely to be clear spending and accountability for each of the projects. Development is a key issue for governments and a constant and important challenge. Climate change and its consequences will make this challenge even more complicated, especially in places where there is a lack of economic development or capacity building. Oaxaca already has several challenges regarding development, but it is also a place that is highly vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, the application of clear and well-designed adaptation measures is necessary to reduce the threats of climate change for the people, the ecosystems, and the economy. These strategies should be a priority for the government and development agencies working in the state, so as to increase people’s wellbeing and achieve local, national, and international development goals.Item Open Access Community-Based Environmental Management: A Tool For Natural Disaster Risk Reduction In Haiti?(2006) Eichler, LisaThis report provides an in-depth analysis of how Haiti can successfully apply community-based environmental management as a tool for reducing its risks to natural disasters. The approach to answer this policy challenge is three-pronged. First, this report analyzes Haiti’s disaster risk profile and establishes the various linkages between environmental degradation and natural disasters. Second, the report utilizes community-based environmental management literature and worldwide ‘Best Practice Examples’ of local disaster risk reduction initiatives to create a framework for risk-reducing community-based environmental management. Third, the report evaluates the soundness of this new framework by applying it to one Haitian community – Fondwa. On a more global scale, this study contributes valuable information on how communities can adapt and implement community-based environmental management practices in order to reduce their vulnerabilities to disaster impacts while simultaneously tackling environmental degradation.Item Open Access Comparative analyses of clinical and environmental populations of Cryptococcus neoformans in Botswana.(Mol Ecol, 2015-07) Chen, Yuan; Litvintseva, Anastasia P; Frazzitta, Aubrey E; Haverkamp, Miriam R; Wang, Liuyang; Fang, Charles; Muthoga, Charles; Mitchell, Thomas G; Perfect, John RCryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (Cng) is the most common cause of fungal meningitis, and its prevalence is highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Patients become infected by inhaling airborne spores or desiccated yeast cells from the environment, where the fungus thrives in avian droppings, trees and soil. To investigate the prevalence and population structure of Cng in southern Africa, we analysed isolates from 77 environmental samples and 64 patients. We detected significant genetic diversity among isolates and strong evidence of geographic structure at the local level. High proportions of isolates with the rare MATa allele were observed in both clinical and environmental isolates; however, the mating-type alleles were unevenly distributed among different subpopulations. Nearly equal proportions of the MATa and MATα mating types were observed among all clinical isolates and in one environmental subpopulation from the eastern part of Botswana. As previously reported, there was evidence of both clonality and recombination in different geographic areas. These results provide a foundation for subsequent genomewide association studies to identify genes and genotypes linked to pathogenicity in humans.Item Open Access Connecting differential responses of native and invasive riparian plants to climate change and environmental alteration.(Ecol Appl, 2015-04) Flanagan, Neal E; Richardson, Curtis J; Ho, MengchiClimate change is predicted to impact river systems in the southeastern United States through alterations of temperature, patterns of precipitation and hydrology. Future climate scenarios for the southeastern United States predict (1) surface water temperatures will warm in concert with air temperature, (2) storm flows will increase and base flows will decrease, and (3) the annual pattern of synchronization between hydroperiod and water temperature will be altered. These alterations are expected to disturb floodplain plant communities, making them more vulnerable to establishment of invasive species. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether native and invasive riparian plant assemblages respond differently to alterations of climate and land use. To study the response of riparian wetlands to watershed and climate alterations, we utilized an existing natural experiment imbedded in gradients of temperature and hydrology-found among dammed and undammed rivers. We evaluated a suite of environmental variables related to water temperature, hydrology, watershed disturbance, and edaphic conditions to identify the strongest predictors of native and invasive species abundances. We found that native species abundance is strongly influenced by climate-driven variables such as temperature and hydrology, while invasive species abundance is more strongly influenced by site-specific factors such as land use and soil nutrient availability. The patterns of synchronization between plant phenology, annual hydrographs, and annual water temperature cycles may be key factors sustaining the viability of native riparian plant communities. Our results demonstrate the need to understand the interactions between climate, land use, and nutrient management in maintaining the species diversity of riparian plant communities. Future climate change is likely to result in diminished competitiveness of native plant species, while the competitiveness of invasive species will increase due to anthropogenic watershed disturbance and accelerated nutrient and sediment export.Item Open Access Contamination by the Israeli Military Industry and its Impact on Apartment Sale Prices in an Adjacent Tel-Aviv Neighborhood: A Hedonic Pricing Model Study(2008-04-23T15:48:25Z) Shelem, ItaiA window of opportunity opened to investigate present effects of past environmental policies of the Israel Defense Forces and its military industry when one of its facilities, Taas Magen, was required to close down in 1997. For decades, untreated discharge was released into absorption pits, which contaminated the soil and groundwater with many toxic compounds, including the carcinogen trichloroethylene. Surrounding the industrial facility is a housing market, consisting of more than 11,000 apartments, directly affected by the contamination. This hedonic pricing model study quantifies the effect of the environmental degradation due to the operations of Taas Magen on the nearby housing market. This was achieved by examining the effect distance away from Taas had on apartment sale prices. Results show that apartments near the facility were more negatively impacted than those further away. Next, the model was expanded to isolate the impact of the contamination from that of the facility by incorporating information regarding the public’s awareness of the degradation. The resulting regression coefficients suggest that only after public acknowledgement of the harm did distance significantly impact prices. Therefore, it is the environmental contamination and not necessarily the facility that negatively impacted prices. As a result of the contamination, the mean apartment price loss was -$24,650.74 (’06 dollars), which is approximately 14% of an apartment’s average value. Losses to the surrounding housing market are estimated at $267 to $287 million. These are only a minimum of the total social and economic costs incurred by the greater community, which are estimated to total at least $358 million. Assuming the government were to fund the estimated $33 million cleanup costs, a minute gain of 1.5% in the value of this $2.2 billion housing market would create the necessary economic benefit to offset the cost of decontaminating the site. Similarly, a more technologically advanced, yet expensive, iron nanoparticle remediation process would require a gain of 10.1% to offset its costs. Such market gains are not unreasonable given a drastic decrease in environmental harms. Furthermore, reclaiming a lost aquifer, reduction in human health risks, restoration of environmental integrity, and further increases to the housing market are all benefits of remediation that may greatly overshadow the concomitant cleanup costs. Future research should focus on quantifying all these benefits. With such information at hand, it will undoubtedly become apparent that remediation is socially and economically feasible.Item Open Access Context and Place Effects in Environmental Public Opinion(2013) Bishop, Bradford HarrisonEnvironmental attitudes have interested scholars for decades, but researchers have insufficiently appreciated the low salience of the environment, and the enormous complexity of this issue area. In this dissertation, I investigate how these features influence the way ordinary citizens think about the environment.
Research into the dynamics of public opinion has found a generic relationship between policy change and public demands for activist government. Yet, less is known about the relationship between policy and attitudes in individual issue areas. In the first chapter, I investigate the influence of a variety of factors on public opinion in a particularly complex policy area---the environment. To study the short-run and long term dynamics of environmental public opinion, I generate an annual metric of environmental attitudes running from 1974 to 2011. Consistent with prior research, I find the economy and major environmental disasters play an important role in aggregate environmental opinion. However, actual policy innovations are found to play only a limited role in attitude formation. Instead, the party label of the president appears to affect demand for environmental activism, when other factors are held constant.
Scholarly research has found a weak and inconsistent role for self-interest in public opinion, and mixed evidence for a relationship between local pollution risks and support for environmental protection. In the second chapter, I argue that focusing events can induce self-interested responses from people living in communities whose economies are implicated by the event. I leverage a unique 12-wave panel survey administered between 2008 and 2010 to analyze public opinion toward offshore oil drilling before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I find that residence in counties highly dependent upon the offshore drilling industry was predictive of pro-drilling attitudes following the spill, though not prior to the spill. In addition, there is no significant evidence that residence in a county afflicted by the spill influenced opinion. This chapter concludes that local support for drilling often arises only after focusing events make the issue salient.
Previous research into place effects has provided mixed evidence about the effect of geography on public opinion. Much of the work finding a relationship is susceptible to methodological criticisms of spuriouness or endogeneity. In the third chapter, I leverage a unique research design to examine the influence of residential setting on environmental attitudes regarding water use. The findings indicate that local drought conditions increase individuals' level of concern about the nation's water supply. In addition, drought conditions are related to public attitudes towards water use regulation, with those living in drought-afflicted counties more likely to support government regulation. This chapter provides a firm foundation for research attempting to demonstrate that local conditions have a causal effect on public opinion.
Item Open Access Counter Culture Coffee B Corp Certification(2020-04-23) Kelley-Bell, Hannah; Espitia, JonathanThis Masters Project summarizes the B Corp certification process undergone by Counter Culture Coffee. Through an in-depth look at company practices, completing the B Corp Assessment, conversations with employees, using tools like Climate Smart for emissions reporting and analyzing other coffee companies with B Corp Certifications, the researchers were able to identify areas where Counter Culture excelled and opportunities for improvement. The result is a list of recommendations and process improvements that can be implemented to strengthen Counter Culture’s B Corp application and general company operations.Item Open Access Dental topography and molar wear in Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica.(Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004-10) Dennis, John C; Ungar, Peter S; Teaford, Mark F; Glander, Kenneth EPaleoprimatologists depend on relationships between form and function of teeth to reconstruct the diets of fossil species. Most of this work has been limited to studies of unworn teeth. A new approach, dental topographic analysis, allows the characterization and comparison of worn primate teeth. Variably worn museum specimens have been used to construct species-specific wear sequences so that measurements can be compared by wear stage among taxa with known differences in diet. This assumes that individuals in a species tend to wear their molar teeth in similar ways, a supposition that has yet to be tested. Here we evaluate this assumption with a longitudinal study of changes in tooth form over time in primates. Fourteen individual mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) were captured and then recaptured after 2, 4, and 7 years when possible at Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica between 1989-1999. Dental impressions were taken each time, and molar casts were produced and analyzed using dental topographic analysis. Results showed consistent decreases in crown slope and occlusal relief. In contrast, crown angularity, a measure of surface jaggedness, remained fairly constant except with extreme wear. There were no evident differences between specimens collected in different microhabitats. These results suggest that different individual mantled howling monkeys wear their teeth down in similar ways, evidently following a species-specific wear sequence. Dental topographic analysis may therefore be used to compare morphology among similarly worn individuals from different species.