Matching Items (3)
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Description

Brundtland’s definition of sustainability is the ability to “meet the needs of the present<br/>without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (IISD, 2021). But<br/>what if there are no future generations? Social sustainability, the sector of sustainability that<br/>foregrounds the well-being and livelihoods of people (and thereby continuation of

Brundtland’s definition of sustainability is the ability to “meet the needs of the present<br/>without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (IISD, 2021). But<br/>what if there are no future generations? Social sustainability, the sector of sustainability that<br/>foregrounds the well-being and livelihoods of people (and thereby continuation of humanity), is<br/>included in definitions within the sustainability field, but less developed in sustainability<br/>practice. In an effort to bridge this gap of knowledge, 14 U.S. cities and over 100 sustainability<br/>policies were analyzed for their social sustainability performance. An eight-item analytical<br/>framework that deals with differing areas of social equity guided the analysis. Results found that<br/>most cities’ sustainability departments fell short of truly addressing social sustainability<br/>concerns. Out of the eight items, the most frequently addressed were housing security and racial<br/>and gender equality whereas few, if any, cities addressed the more specific social concerns of<br/>immigration, technology and media, or arts/cultural preservation. Future research is<br/>recommended to gain a better understanding of the ways existing cities can improve in this area.

ContributorsWeekes, Daniel Buckner (Co-author) / Tam, Joey (Co-author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Keeler, Lauren Withycombe (Thesis director) / N/A, N/A (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description
The global reliance on fossil fuels is driving climate change and urban air pollution, both of which constitute grave threats to public health. Poor air quality has dramatically increased the incidence of respiratory illness in large cities. Climate change has brought about increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events

The global reliance on fossil fuels is driving climate change and urban air pollution, both of which constitute grave threats to public health. Poor air quality has dramatically increased the incidence of respiratory illness in large cities. Climate change has brought about increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events which directly affect public safety and lead to destruction of farmland and fresh water sources. A globally scaled transition from fossil fuel combustion to low-carbon “clean” technology for power generation is necessary for both climate change mitigation and urban air quality improvement—a feat that could be feasibly accomplished through worldwide development of renewable energy (RE) infrastructure, consequently resulting in improved pub-lic health. From the perspective of advancing technical communication research, this study performs a qualitative content and frame analysis of recent newspaper articles that draw connections between RE and public health, thereby clarifying the primary messages the public receives about these two topics which are related by climate change.
ContributorsSabol, Jenny K (Author) / Lambrecht, Kathryn (Thesis advisor) / Madson, Michael (Committee member) / Lauer, Claire (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Description
While deep disciplinary knowledge will be required to develop next-generation clean energy technologies, the skills to work across disciplines and with diverse stakeholders will also be required. Providing authentic and explicit opportunities for graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to engage in the broader impacts (BI) 0f

While deep disciplinary knowledge will be required to develop next-generation clean energy technologies, the skills to work across disciplines and with diverse stakeholders will also be required. Providing authentic and explicit opportunities for graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to engage in the broader impacts (BI) 0f their research could support the development of these skills. A concurrent mixed methods action research study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a three-part, semi-structured design workshop on clean energy fellows’ knowledgeability of the broader impacts of their research, their identification with the clean energy field, and their ability to develop high-quality educational outreach products. This study was grounded in a sociocultural theory of learning and informed by several conceptual frameworks: situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), and knowledgeability (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015). Quantitative data was collected through a rubric and survey informed by guiding principles from the Broader Impacts Review Document for National Science Foundation Proposals (Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society, 2020). Qualitative data was collected through this survey and a focus group interview. Results demonstrated a significant, strong, and positive correlation between attendance at the design workshop attendance and Product of Lasting Value (PLV) quality. Unfortunately, the lack of respondents in the post-survey prevented the ability to quantify any changes that took place in fellows’ knowledgeability of the BI of their research and their identification with the clean energy field due to the innovation. Yet, results from the focus group interview do show that some fellows experienced increased knowledgeability of the BI of their research and identification with the clean energy field, but these gains were not necessarily due to the PLV Design Workshop.
ContributorsHendrickson, Danica Lyn (Author) / Salik, Steven (Thesis advisor) / Weinberg, Andrea (Committee member) / Garcia, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022