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- All Subjects: Phoenix
- Creators: School of Sustainability
- Creators: Chemical Engineering Program
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
A survey was created to help gain some insight on the opinions of homeowners across the <br/>Phoenix Metro Area. This survey consisted of 7 questions relating to personal experiences and <br/>the homeowners’ opinions or concerns. The results of the survey showed that there are a few <br/>concerns surrounding solar energy with an emphasis on the cost of maintenance of panels and <br/>the payback period where the homeowners would see a return on their investment. Most of the <br/>homeowners answered that they do not use solar energy but have thought about using it for their <br/>main source of energy before. The homeowners in the survey also thought that solar energy was <br/>overall too expensive and that it would take a long time before they would see any payoff or <br/>savings from the solar panels. It was found that the payback period for panels is around 7 years <br/>and that depending on the size of the solar system installed or on the model used, solar panels <br/>cost much less than many people think. This was found by researching non-biased resources <br/>from government websites and from local energy companies’ websites. To combat the concerns <br/>found from the survey, an infographic was created to help inform the public about solar energy <br/>and allow the homeowners to make decisions that are well informed and not based on <br/>misinformation. The infographic included information related to the survey by explaining the <br/>survey and explaining topics that were of concern to the homeowners who took the survey. In <br/>addition, the infographic displayed information about solar energy and that the decision to use <br/>solar is ultimately up to the audience.
Food insecure populations suffer from the ability to access affordable and nutritious foods as a result of financial and transportation needs. Often these populations are concentrated in areas referenced as food deserts. A food desert is an area that does not have a supermarket or large grocery store within a mile and often is saturated with small non-traditional food stores and fast- food establishments. In this study, 21 food deserts along Grand Avenue in Downtown Phoenix were analyzed to better understand their access to food, population statistics and barriers to being food secure. The research question analyzed is the impact food insecurity has on communities in Phoenix, Arizona. The findings are presented in the form of a research paper, as well as 15 black and white film photographs accompanied by descriptions. There is primary qualitative data presented through photographs and observations, as well as secondary quantitative data analyzed from Census data. The food deserts studied consist of communities that are low-income and majority minority with little to no access to nutritious food in their area. The economics of food insecurity and grocery stores, racial discrimination, access to transportation, impacts on health and education and the sustainability of food deserts are all aspects of food insecurity discussed in the research. Possible solutions such as community gardens and subsidized grocery stores are also presented. The study revealed that food insecurity has several negative impacts on the affected populations and communities and disproportionately impacts low-income and minority communities.
Using Sant’Ambrogio and Open Air as case studies for the research, this paper provides insight on the degree of impact that local farmers’ markets can have on creating food sovereignty within communities; and how pre-existing factors and negative forces diminish the benefits of farmers’ markets and local food movements. Among many, some of these negative forces include the effects of social and cultural pressures that promote fast food and convenience; a broken agricultural system controlled by monopoly companies; industrial food items priced cheaper than small farmers can compete with; and an underscore of unethical behavior across all sectors (including organic and local) that inhibit honest farmers from making enough profit to survive.
The comparison between Sant’Ambrogio and Open Air Market indicates that big agriculture undermines the success of local farming movements in both countries, but Phoenix can still learn from the movement in Florence, which is rooted in a deep history of outdoor markets and rich food culture. Italy is fortunate in terms of their agriculture capacity because their climate allows for a diverse variety of crops; while Arizona does not have the same agricultural capacity as the Mediterranean climate of Italy, it is still valuable to mimic the network of local food systems that Italy has. In order to do so, Phoenician consumers should take advantage of the food that grows locally and then supplement it with more diverse crops from other areas of Arizona or the southwest.
The Open Air Market in Phoenix currently does not play an important role in the food system except for helping people to relate community and socialization to food. Transparency, communication and education are required to actually increase the success of small local farmers and to help the Open Air Market play a real role in the local food movement and the establishment of food sovereignty.
This creative project outlines the steps taken to successfully plan and host a fundraising event at Arizona State University. In my case, this more specifically dealt with organizing a dodgeball tournament between two friendly rivals: police officers and firefighters in the city of Phoenix. All proceeds raised from this fundraising dodgeball tournament were donated back to first responders working in the city of Phoenix.
Golf courses require large amounts of water and other resources. The Southwestern United States has experienced rapid population growth, coupled with a dramatic increase in the built environment and golf courses. This paper aims to assess the environmental sustainability of golf courses in the Phoenix Metropolitan area at multiple scales in terms of water, ecosystem services and management practices. We report on the number and spatial distribution of golf courses, the amount of water used by them, the ecosystem services they provide, potential social injustice issues within the area, and the sustainability of management practices. There are 197 golf courses within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, which are composed of 465 patches covering an area around 57 square miles. The golf courses within the Phoenix Active Management Area use around 500 acre-feet of water per year. Golf courses are categorized as an industrial water user and account for roughly half of all industrial water use in the Phoenix Active Management Area. The primary water source for golf courses is groundwater, with effluent as their second most-used source. Most golf courses are located in areas with a median household income between $61,333-$90,185 and only one was located in an area with a median household income below $27,393. Golf courses in the region provide a number of ecosystem services and help the local economy in multiple ways. However, given the scarcity of water and the projected drier and hotter climate in the American Southwest, we suggest curbing the expansion of golf courses and implement more sustainable management practices.