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Description
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cause climate change, and if the world does not lower its GHG emissions soon, it will cause irreversible damage that will have overwhelmingly negative cascading effects on the entire planet (Mann & Kump, 2008). Up to 47% of the United States GHG emissions are the result of energy used to produce, process, transport, and dispose of the food we eat and the goods that we consume (US EPA, 2009). The linear-economy status quo does nothing to slow down climate change because it puts resources into landfills. This project promotes a circular economy which combats climate change by reusing resources that are at the end of their life cycle, e.g., food waste soil. The project was a month-long compost competition at an apartment building in Phoenix, AZ that houses 194 residents. The apartment building, Urban Living 2 (UL2), is subsidized housing owned by Native American Connections (NAC), a non-profit organization. The project’s main objective was to increase waste diversion. This was done through composting and improving zero-waste capacity. The compost competition included activities to change community behavior such as private and public commitments, a community barbecue, a movie night (which replaced a planned field trip), and a visioning meeting. By the end of the project, 22% of the tenants were composting. Over a year-long period, this equates to a diversion of, 6000 pounds from the landfill and 1.59 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E). The waste diversion increased from 28% to 38%. Tenant participation trended upwards during the project and as the social norm develops over time, more tenant participation is expected even after the competition is over. The six indicators that were used to determine the zero-waste capacity, collectively went up by 1.24 points on a five-point scale. This project will be used as a model for NAC for its other 16 properties in the Valley.
ContributorsVelez, Daniel (Author)
Created2017-04-10
Description
The purpose of this paper is to identify the absence of sustainability teachings within our private school systems, introduce a program for the school systems to incorporate into existing curriculum, and present the process that would be needed to be followed for introduction of this program. There is a growing interest in the topic of sustainability and how it potentially will affect the next generations. Today some large companies and even some countries around the world are engaging in sustainability practices. Currently this is a very small piece of action regarding what needs to take place to hope to promote change around the world. Layering sustainable teachings and practices into children in their formidable years through graduation from high-school will bring about individuals that incorporate sustainable living into their everyday personal and professional lives. Repeating this practice generation after generation will ensure a sustainable planet.
ContributorsJanner, Brian D. (Author)
Created2018-04-24
Description
Girl Scouts – Arizona Cactus-Pine Council is a mission driven organization that aims to help build the leaders of tomorrow. Girls in Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-pine are served through mission building programs that aim to build girls of courage confidence and character who make the world a better place (Girl Scouts, 2017). The intention of my sustainability engagement initiative was to ask staff to take part in a three-phased program that encouraged them to think differently. The initiative asked them to look at how, as an organization they can work to improve their sustainability habits. Tasking them to be just as impactful as the girl members that are served through Girl Scouting. However, as planning progressed towards implementation, plans were put on hold as the organization restructured due to a major culture shift outside the organization. Sustainability still remains a focus, and the engagement plan will be put into effect at a later time.
ContributorsPontius, Cristi (Author)
Created2018-04-13
Description
Greater cross-disciplinary collaboration between the fields of sustainability and clinical psychology could lead to improved outcomes for both. Moreover, some forms of mental disorder, such as PTSD and Moral Injury, constitute serious challenges that require the attention of sustainability’s interdisciplinary, systems-focused, solutionsoriented approach. My research frames the impacts of combat-related psychological trauma on military veterans as a sustainability problem according to criteria put forward by Arnim Wiek’s Transformational Problem Solving framework. I also provide a review of studies demonstrating the treatment benefits of agricultural therapy for veterans diagnosed with PTSD or symptoms associated with Moral Injury. I then describe my own efforts investigating the connection between trauma and sustainability using survey measurements, interviews, and participant observation onsite at Growing Veterans farm in Mt. Vernon, Washington. The results strongly suggest that sustainable agricultural can be of powerful clinical benefit to traumatized veterans and that sustainable behaviors and values in general increased as trauma symptoms decreased. More broadly, the project indicates that slight shifts in how we approach solution formulation and how we articulate and disseminate sustainability messages could have profound positive effects on the sustainability’s success.
ContributorsGabriele, Adam (Author) / Hirt, Paul (Contributor) / Cloutier, Scott (Contributor) / Valdez, Herendira (Contributor)
Created2018-03-27
Description
Blockchain, the technology behind the worldwide-known cryptocurrency Bitcoin, offers a new set of potential advantages and opportunities that various industries and institutions could use to enhance their processes. Although most research and development on blockchain has focused on applications for cryptocurrencies and the finance industry, relatively few analyses and assessments have been conducted on how it could provide tools to address social and environmental issues. This research, using interviews, literature review and examples of blockchain applications, explores how this technology can be employed to address sustainability issues under the framework of three UN Sustainable Development Goals: 2. Zero Hunger, 7. Affordable and Clean Energy, and 14. Life Below Water. The analysis shows that blockchain has the potential to support solutions to sustainability problems that need efficient traceability, trust, a unique ID, transparency, or a highly secure payment system. However, the technology should not be mistaken for a panacea for addressing sustainability issues in its current state because it is not yet mature and has not been sufficiently tested. Expansion of blockchain as an effective tool for helping solve sustainability challenges will require a greater understanding of the governance of blockchain, its scalability and its potential unintended consequences for the technology to become properly integrated into the decision-making progress.
ContributorsRomo, Maximiliano (Author) / Melnick, Robert (Contributor, Contributor) / Maynard, Andrew (Contributor) / Boscovic, Dragan (Contributor)
Created2019-04-17
Description
Description
By avoiding vehicle idling for three minutes every day of the year can reduce 1.4 million metric tons annually, which is equivalent to taking 320,000 cars off the road for the entire year (Canada.ca, 2016). The Automobile Idle Reduction Program (AIRP) is an outreach initiative to prevent carbon emissions from being released into the air by automobiles idling in Maricopa County. The initiative establishes a campaign to promote behavioral changes that target high idling industries: freight and delivery, schools and drive- thru facilities.
Background
Globally, carbon emissions negatively alter the air we breathe and is a leading cause in climate change. These problems adversely affect the global environment and human health. Additionally, they have cancer causing agents in the particulate matter. Unfortunately, over the years, Maricopa County has failed to meet air quality standards for particulate matter pollution which effects the health of residents. By not meeting the air quality standards, Maricopa County can receive sanctions and the Environmental Protection Agency can reject Arizona’s State Implementation Plan. This looming threat can financially impinge the economy of Maricopa County, potentially costing taxpayers a substantial increase in taxes.
Strategy and Solution
To battle the creation of carbon emissions and particulate matter, AIRP has developed a strategy for each industry. In partnership with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department, AIRP will introduce the freight and delivery companies to the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Grant promotion to facilitate and fiscally assist with changing older diesel engines into higher efficiency engines that burn cleaner. Provide educators a fifth to eighth grade state approved education program to teach students the importance of vehicle idling reduction at no cost. And work with community organizations to offer a discount at their stores for those patrons who choose to turn their engine off and order inside, rather than idling in the drive-thru facilities. The campaign will market the interest of AIRP to the general public through purposefully placed billboards, light rail wraps, social media pushes, handouts and vinyl stickers.
By avoiding vehicle idling for three minutes every day of the year can reduce 1.4 million metric tons annually, which is equivalent to taking 320,000 cars off the road for the entire year (Canada.ca, 2016). The Automobile Idle Reduction Program (AIRP) is an outreach initiative to prevent carbon emissions from being released into the air by automobiles idling in Maricopa County. The initiative establishes a campaign to promote behavioral changes that target high idling industries: freight and delivery, schools and drive- thru facilities.
Background
Globally, carbon emissions negatively alter the air we breathe and is a leading cause in climate change. These problems adversely affect the global environment and human health. Additionally, they have cancer causing agents in the particulate matter. Unfortunately, over the years, Maricopa County has failed to meet air quality standards for particulate matter pollution which effects the health of residents. By not meeting the air quality standards, Maricopa County can receive sanctions and the Environmental Protection Agency can reject Arizona’s State Implementation Plan. This looming threat can financially impinge the economy of Maricopa County, potentially costing taxpayers a substantial increase in taxes.
Strategy and Solution
To battle the creation of carbon emissions and particulate matter, AIRP has developed a strategy for each industry. In partnership with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department, AIRP will introduce the freight and delivery companies to the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Grant promotion to facilitate and fiscally assist with changing older diesel engines into higher efficiency engines that burn cleaner. Provide educators a fifth to eighth grade state approved education program to teach students the importance of vehicle idling reduction at no cost. And work with community organizations to offer a discount at their stores for those patrons who choose to turn their engine off and order inside, rather than idling in the drive-thru facilities. The campaign will market the interest of AIRP to the general public through purposefully placed billboards, light rail wraps, social media pushes, handouts and vinyl stickers.
ContributorsWeston-Smith, Kristen (Writer of accompanying material)
Created2020-05-13
ContributorsYam, Jessica (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2012-03-26
Description
Amidst mounting global crises spanning environmental, social, and economic domains, sustainability education has emerged as a vital pathway toward a thriving future. However, despite its promise, the concept of sustainability often remains superficial, leaving educators ill-equipped to address its complexities. While efforts to integrate sustainability into education are underway, critical pedagogy, a crucial tool for fostering social change, is notably absent from instructional practices. This action research project utilized critical pedagogy to design and implement a critical professional development (CPD) workshop within a larger fellowship program to center justice within sustainability in both content and pedagogical approach. As a result, participants’ definitions and understandings of sustainability increased across all measurements of extent, breadth, and depth. Specifically, participants redefined collaborative relationships and more prominently included notions of justice and equity in their conceptualizations of sustainability and sustainability education. The use of critical pedagogy encouraged teachers to analyze intersectional oppressive systems and fostered a new, critical perspective on sustainability. In their own educational designs, participants demonstrated an intention to model elements of critical pedagogy, such as dialogic action and permeable content. Finally, in alignment with the intended outcomes of CPD, participants developed cooperative space for co-learning, built unity, shared leadership, and felt confident implementing their own professional development to address context-specific concerns. By using critical pedagogy in sustainability education, the workshop participants prioritized deep and caring relationships which fostered empathic engagement with the intersectional and often dehumanizing systems that have led to interconnected global crises. The results indicated that using CPD as a framework could be effective in teacher professional development for sustainability as a design and implementation tool to center critical work that examines systemic issues of injustice and exploitation against both humans and our planet.
ContributorsCashion, Molly Elise (Author) / Judson, Eugene (Thesis advisor) / Casanova, Carlos (Committee member) / Goebel, Janna (Committee member) / Boyce, Ayesha (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Integrating advanced materials with innovative manufacturing techniques has propelled the field of additive manufacturing into new frontiers. This study explores the rapid 3D printing of reduced graphene oxide/polymer composites using Micro-Continuous Liquid Interface Production (μCLIP), a cutting-edge technology known for its speed and precision. A printable ink is formulated with reduced graphene oxide for μCLIP-based 3D printing. The research focuses on optimizing μCLIP parameters to fabricate reduced graphene composites efficiently. The study encompasses material synthesis, ink formulation and explores the resulting material's structural and electrical properties. The marriage of graphene's unique attributes with the rapid prototyping capabilities of μCLIP opens new avenues for scalable and rapid production in applications such as energy storage, sensors, and lightweight structural components. This work contributes to the evolving landscape of advanced materials and additive manufacturing, offering insights into the synthesis, characterization, and potential applications of 3D printed reduced graphene oxide/polymercomposites.
ContributorsRavishankar, Chayaank Bangalore (Author) / Chen, Xiangfan (Thesis advisor) / Bhate, Dhruv (Committee member) / Azeredo, Bruno (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Engineering polymers are critical for contemporary high-performance applications where toughness, thermal stability, and density are at a premium. These materials often demand high-energy processing conditions or highly reactive monomers that hold negative impacts on human and environmental health. Thus, this work serves to remediate the negative impacts of engineering polymer synthesis by addressing toxicity and processing at the monomer level, while maintaining or exceeding previous thermomechanical and stimuli-responsive performance. Polyurethanes (PUs) represent a class of engineering polymers that possess highly modular properties due to the diverse monomer selection available for their synthesis. The efficient reaction between isocyanates and hydroxyls impart stellar properties and flexible processing modalities, however recent scrutiny regarding the toxicity of the isocyanate precursors has driven the search for non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) pathways. The advancement of bis-carbonylimidazolide (BCI) monomers for the synthesis of NIPU thermoplastics and foams is thoroughly investigated in this work. Remarkably, a novel decarboxylation pathway for BCI monomers controlled by catalyst loading enabled in-situ CO2 generation during crosslinking with trifunctional amines, and resulted in a facile synthetic route for NIPU foams. Further explorations into catalyst considerations revealed Dabco® 33-LV as a suitable mechanism for controlling reaction times and careful selection of surfactant concentration provided control over pore size and geometry. This led to a library of flexible and rigid NIPU foams that displayed a wide range of thermomechanical properties. Furthermore, sequestration of the imidazole byproduct through an efficient Michael reaction identified maleimide and acrylate additives as a viable pathway to eliminate post-processing steps resulting in NIPU foam synthesis that is amenable to current industrial standards. This route held advantages over the isocyanate route, as condensate removal drove molecular weight increase and ultimately achieved the first reported phase separation behavior of a NIPU thermoplastic containing a poly(ethylene glycol) soft segment. Furthermore, sustainable considerations for engineering polymers were explored with the introduction of a novel cyclobutane bisimide monomer that readily installs into various polymeric systems. Direct installation of this monomer, CBDA-AP-I, into a polysulfone backbone enabled controlled photo-cleavage, while further hydroxy ethyl functionalization allowed for incorporation into PU systems for photo-cleavable high-performance adhesive applications.
ContributorsSintas, Jose Ignacio (Author) / Long, Timothy E (Thesis advisor) / Sample, Caitlin S. (Committee member) / Jin, Kailong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024