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In this paper, I cover the background and economic history of green buildings, including four case studies. Based on this exploration, I find that green roofs and walls are best suited to dense, highly paved cities with little capacity to expand their sewer systems. Green infrastructure is best suited for

In this paper, I cover the background and economic history of green buildings, including four case studies. Based on this exploration, I find that green roofs and walls are best suited to dense, highly paved cities with little capacity to expand their sewer systems. Green infrastructure is best suited for stormwater management to avoid combined sewer overflow (CSO) pollution and managing urban heat island (UHI) effects, while at the same time providing many positive externalities for people and the environment. Green buildings take those benefits and fit them into a smaller area (on roofs and walls), which is most applicable where tearing up pavement to provide more ground-level green space and expanding the sewer systems would be too costly.

ContributorsBoudrie, Gemini (Author) / Hanemann, Michael (Thesis director) / Hill, Alexander (Committee member) / Wong, Kelvin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Food waste is a significant problem in many developed nations, especially the United States. Each year millions of pounds of uneaten or partially eaten food scraps are thrown into landfill, where it degrades anaerobically, producing methane gas emissions, contributing to foul odors, and contributing to an unsustainable food system. This

Food waste is a significant problem in many developed nations, especially the United States. Each year millions of pounds of uneaten or partially eaten food scraps are thrown into landfill, where it degrades anaerobically, producing methane gas emissions, contributing to foul odors, and contributing to an unsustainable food system. This thesis project set out to conduct a small-scale composting system that diverted would-be food waste from a local food bank to a community garden, where food scraps would decompose into compost to then be turned into a valuable, nutrient-rich amendment in that local garden. Engaging with this food bank and community garden allowed us to leverage the existing relationship between the two, and experiment and develop a framework that would demonstrate the feasibility of a long-term composting system in this community. By conducting this project throughout 2021, we saw where strategies worked well, what challenges remained, and where future opportunities could be expanded on. In the end, we diverted over 2000 lbs of uneaten food away from the food bank and into our composting system. We concluded our project report by providing a set of actionable recommendations and future framework guidelines that could be used by the local community garden in the future or be referenced to by other interested parties.
ContributorsBardon, Lee (Author) / Marshall, Meghan (Co-author) / Nelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Winburn, Morgan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-12
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Description
Food waste is a significant problem in many developed nations, especially the United States. Each year millions of pounds of uneaten or partially eaten food scraps are thrown into landfill, where it degrades anaerobically, producing methane gas emissions, contributing to foul odors, and contributing to an unsustainable food system. This

Food waste is a significant problem in many developed nations, especially the United States. Each year millions of pounds of uneaten or partially eaten food scraps are thrown into landfill, where it degrades anaerobically, producing methane gas emissions, contributing to foul odors, and contributing to an unsustainable food system. This thesis project set out to conduct a small-scale composting system that diverted would-be food waste from a local food bank to a community garden, where food scraps would decompose into compost to then be turned into a valuable, nutrient-rich amendment in that local garden. Engaging with this food bank and community garden allowed us to leverage the existing relationship between the two, and experiment and develop a framework that would demonstrate the feasibility of a long-term composting system in this community. By conducting this project throughout 2021, we saw where strategies worked well, what challenges remained, and where future opportunities could be expanded on. In the end, we diverted over 2000 lbs of uneaten food away from the food bank and into our composting system. We concluded our project report by providing a set of actionable recommendations and future framework guidelines that could be used by the local community garden in the future or be referenced to by other interested parties.
ContributorsMarshall, Meghan (Author) / Bardon, Lee (Co-author) / Nelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Winburn, Morgan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2012-12
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Although anion exchange resins (AERs) have been implemented for a wide range of aqueous contaminants including notorious perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) that are of human health concern, the potential benefits and underlying chemistry of weak-base (WB) AERs are overlooked. To fill these key gaps in the literature, this research evaluated the

Although anion exchange resins (AERs) have been implemented for a wide range of aqueous contaminants including notorious perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) that are of human health concern, the potential benefits and underlying chemistry of weak-base (WB) AERs are overlooked. To fill these key gaps in the literature, this research evaluated the removal and regeneration efficiency of WB-AER (IRA 67 and IRA 96) with strong-base (SB) AER as the baseline. Batch equilibrium tests were first conducted for the removal of nitrate, sulfate, 3-phenylpropionic acid, and six legacy PFAAs with contrasting properties at different solution pH using polyacrylic and polystyrene chloride-form AERs. In ambient (pH 7) and acidic (pH 4) solutions, the polymer composition was the controlling factor followed by the length of alkyl chain of the resin while AER basicity did not influence the selectivity for the selected contaminants. WB resin had higher capacity than SB analogs based on quantitative analysis using isotherm model parameters. Batch and column adsorption experiments showed significantly greater removal of PFAAs by polystyrene than polyacrylic AERs regardless of resin basicity, with the order of decreasing polyacrylic resin selectivity of PFOS >> PFHxS ≈ PFOA > PFBS > PFHxA ≈ PFBA. The removal performance of WB-AER was reversible, declining drastically at basic conditions and gradually regained once below the pKa of the resin due to the pH-dependent nature of amine groups. This was not the case for IRA 96 (i.e., polystyrene) which exhibited high removal of PFAAs irrelevant of pH because of the nonpolar character of polystyrene matrix. The non-hydrophobic IRA 67 (i.e., polyacrylic) had a satisfactory regeneration using non-toxic salt-only solutions comprising 1% NaOH and 0.5% NaOH + 0.5% NaCl, while IRA 96 was only amenable to brine/methanol regeneration. Important caveats on the validity of isotherm modeling in batch adsorption tests were discussed. Results for batch and column experiments using chloride-form and free-base form WB-AER, respectively, provide insights for industrial applications.
ContributorsKassar, Christian (Author) / Boyer, Treavor H. (Thesis advisor) / Westerhoff, Paul K. (Committee member) / Conroy-Ben, Otakuye (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Widespread human rights abuses have been documented in global fisheries, prompting governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to reconsider human rights as a key tenet of seafood sustainability. New and existing approaches are aiming to integrate human and labor rights into sustainability initiatives. These efforts encompass the development of

Widespread human rights abuses have been documented in global fisheries, prompting governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to reconsider human rights as a key tenet of seafood sustainability. New and existing approaches are aiming to integrate human and labor rights into sustainability initiatives. These efforts encompass the development of new tools for conducting human rights due diligence and the modification of market-based approaches like third-party certifications, fishery improvement projects, and buyer sourcing commitments to include criteria for social responsibility. It is critical to evaluate these approaches to better understand their efficacy and areas in need of improvement. This dissertation explores how approaches for seafood sustainability are being adapted to protect and respect human rights of fishers and fishworkers. First, I examine the efficacy of a recognized human rights risk assessment tool: the Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector (SRA). Through a preliminary assessment of human rights risk in Guyana’s artisanal fishery, I determined that the SRA is an effective approach to identify visible and potential risk, though it must be supplemented with engagement with fishers and fishworkers through interviews. Next, I evaluated labor conditions in the shrimp and groundfish fishery of the Guianas-Brazil Shelf using a novel evaluative framework for decent work. I uncovered cross-jurisdictional challenges including trafficking and limited worker representation. My evaluative framework enabled a holistic analysis of decent work, identifying linked concerns such as widespread illegal fishing and threats to food security. Finally, I conducted an analysis of market-based approaches that include criteria for social responsibility. Interviews with experts highlight that market-based approaches, particularly fishery improvement projects, hold great potential as strategies to improve human rights in fisheries. However, concerns around market-based approaches include a lack of strong enforcement mechanisms, limited worker representation, and the voluntary nature of initiatives hinder effective change on the ground. Overall, my research suggests that efforts to improve human rights in fisheries are nascent and need further development. By encouraging mandatory due diligence, improved worker representation, and stricter accountability, interventions can more effectively address risks and ensure rights of fishers and fishworkers are protected and respected.
ContributorsLout, Gabrielle E (Author) / Vogel, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Finkbeiner, Elena (Committee member) / Chhetri, Nalini (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Food waste is one of the most significant food system inefficiencies with environmental, financial, and social consequences. This waste, which occurs more at the consumer stage in high income countries, is often attributed to consumers’ behavior. While behavior is a contributing factor, the role of other contextual factors in influencing

Food waste is one of the most significant food system inefficiencies with environmental, financial, and social consequences. This waste, which occurs more at the consumer stage in high income countries, is often attributed to consumers’ behavior. While behavior is a contributing factor, the role of other contextual factors in influencing this behavior has not been systematically analyzed. Understanding contextual drivers of consumer food waste behavior is important, as behavior sits in a matrix of technology, infrastructures, institutions and social structure. Hence designing effective interventions will require a systems perceptive of the problem. In paper 1, I used Socio-ecological framing to understand how personal, interpersonal, socio-cultural, built, and institutional environments contribute to food waste at the consumer stage. In paper 2, I explored the perception of stakeholders in Phoenix on the effectiveness and feasibility of possible interventions that could be used to tackle consumer food waste. In paper 3, I examined the impact of knowledge and awareness of the environmental consequence of food waste in terms of embedded water and energy on the cognitive factors responsible for consumer food waste behavior. Across these three papers, I have identified three findings. First, the most influential factor responsible for consumer food waste is meal planning, as many decisions about food management depend on it. However, there are many contextual factors that discourage meal planning. Other factors identified include the wide gap between food producers and consumers, the low price of food, and marketing strategies used by retailers to encourage food purchases. Systems level interventions will be required to address these drivers that provide an enabling environment for behavioral change. Second stakeholders in the city overwhelmingly support and agree that education will be the most effective and feasible intervention to address consumer food waste, 3) there is need to carefully craft education materials to inform consumers about other resources, such as water and energy, embedded in food waste to stimulate a personal norm that motivates change in behavior. In this study, I emphasize the need to understand the root causes of consumer food waste and exploration of systems level interventions, in combination with education and information interventions that are being commonly used.
ContributorsOpejin, Adenike Kafayat (Author) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Thesis advisor) / White, Dave (Thesis advisor) / Garcia, Margret (Committee member) / Merrigan, Kathleen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Food waste is gaining considerable attention from researchers in terms of its sources, its causes, and its potential effects on the environment, economy, and population health. To date, few instruments exist that allow researchers to measure food waste at the household level in reliable ways. This study aimed to assess

Food waste is gaining considerable attention from researchers in terms of its sources, its causes, and its potential effects on the environment, economy, and population health. To date, few instruments exist that allow researchers to measure food waste at the household level in reliable ways. This study aimed to assess the reliability of a newly developed self-assessment tool to measure household food waste, among participants living in Mexico. The survey tool consisted of 11 items which ask participants (N = 22) to estimate the amount of food per category that generally gets thrown away instead of eaten in the average week. Two tests of reliability were conducted, including Cronbach's Alpha for test-retest reliability, and Intra-class Correlation for internal reliability. Results varied across food categories evaluated by individual items. Items related to fresh fruit and bread products did not show reliability when testing for internal reliability or test-retest reliability. Fresh vegetables, meat and poultry products, meat alternative products, fish and seafood products, leftovers, and shelf stable foods were shown to be reliable when testing Cronbach's alpha and ICC. However, dairy products, eggs and frozen foods were inconclusive when testing for reliability. The study suggests future testing with larger sample sizes should be conducted to demonstrate reliability of the food waste self-assessment tool.
ContributorsLeone, Bryanna (Author) / Wharton, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Johnston, Carol (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Our group examined the low rate of clothing utilization in the fashion industry. Fast fashion has contributed to this low rate of utilization, as well as the high amounts of textiles that end up in landfills. Our startup, Patchwork Apparel, was designed to address this problem. Our clothes were made

Our group examined the low rate of clothing utilization in the fashion industry. Fast fashion has contributed to this low rate of utilization, as well as the high amounts of textiles that end up in landfills. Our startup, Patchwork Apparel, was designed to address this problem. Our clothes were made with fabric scraps or donated textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills. The mission of our business was to develop trendy and sustainable apparel that helped to eliminate textile waste while staying on brand with current fashion trends.
ContributorsRebe, Breanna (Author) / Schalla, Freya (Co-author) / Espinosa, Karly (Co-author) / Bolas, Brandon (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Our group examined the low rate of clothing utilization in the fashion industry. Fast fashion has contributed to this low rate of utilization, as well as the high amounts of textiles that end up in landfills. Our startup, Patchwork Apparel, was designed to address this problem. Our clothes were made

Our group examined the low rate of clothing utilization in the fashion industry. Fast fashion has contributed to this low rate of utilization, as well as the high amounts of textiles that end up in landfills. Our startup, Patchwork Apparel, was designed to address this problem. Our clothes were made with fabric scraps or donated textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills. The mission of our business was to develop trendy and sustainable apparel that helped to eliminate textile waste while staying on brand with current fashion trends.
ContributorsBolas, Brandon (Author) / Schalla, Freya (Co-author) / Rebe, Breanna (Co-author) / Espinosa, Karly (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Balven, Rachel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Chemistry has always played a foundational role in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. With the rapid growth of the global population, the health and medical needs have also rapidly increased. In order to provide drugs capable of mediating symptoms and curing diseases, organic chemistry provides drug derivatives utilizing a limited number

Chemistry has always played a foundational role in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. With the rapid growth of the global population, the health and medical needs have also rapidly increased. In order to provide drugs capable of mediating symptoms and curing diseases, organic chemistry provides drug derivatives utilizing a limited number of chemical building blocks and privileged structures. Of these limited building blocks, this project explores Late–stage C–H functionalization of (iso)quinolines using abundant metal catalysis in order to achieve site-selective molecular modification.

ContributorsPearson, Amanda (Author) / Ackerman–Biegasiewicz, Laura (Thesis director) / Biegasiewicz, Kyle (Committee member) / Gould, Ian (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05