Honors Theses (Environmental Studies Program)

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Open Access
Analyzing Lake Variability In A Highly Dynamic Area Of The Yukon Flats, Alaska Using Remote Sensing
(University of Oregon, 2024) Fleming, Catharine; Cooley, Sarah
Sentinel-2 optical imagery was used to track changes in lake area in a highly dynamic area of the Yukon Flats, Alaska over 2019-2023. Specific questions this research addresses include: how spatially consistent is the variability in water area? Why are certain lakes far less seasonally variable than others? How consistent is the temporal and spatial variability in the water area from year to year? Seasonal lake area fluctuations follow a similar progression from year to year. The seasonal maxima in lake extent are very pronounced for smaller water bodies in 2021 (20% higher average maximum lake area, 40% lower average minimum lake area) than larger water bodies. On average 2019 had the highest mean lateral change along lake shorelines while 2023 had the lowest.
Open Access
Assessing the Ecological Consequences of Domestic Pig Grazing on the Understory Vegetation of an Oak Woodland
(2019-03) Donahue, Drew
This study addresses the effects of domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica) grazing on understory vegetation of an oak woodland adjacent to a hazelnut orchard. Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) are associated with filbertworms (Cydia laiferreana), a native lepidopteran pest that uses the acorns as its primary food source during its larval stage. Filbertworms also affect agriculture, infecting hazelnuts and rendering the nuts inedible and unmarketable. Oregon white oak habitats are already under constant threat from land use change due to urbanization and agriculture, and this conflict exacerbates the problem. Pig grazing of infected acorns after they drop in the fall could offer a disincentive of removing oak habitats. It is common for hazelnut farmers to spray pesticides intensively or remove oak stands entirely to mitigate against pests. Pig grazing may (1) be an effective organic alternative and a potentially profitable scenario that could enhance the sustainability of agricultural practices while (2) promoting conservation of a rare ecosystem and (3) facilitating pig farming. Even with this potential win-win-win scenario, any management activity in an ecosystem could impose unintended consequences and introducing an uprooting mammal can be risky. I tested whether grazing domestic pigs in Oregon white oak stands has any negative effects on understory vegetative cover. I hypothesized that the pigs will (1) reduce percent cover of the herbaceous understory, (2) increase percent cover of bare ground, and (3) eliminate certain preferred herbaceous species from the site. I also hypothesize that (4) more accessible/less obstructed areas within the plots will have even lower levels of herbaceous/litter percent cover and even higher levels of bare ground percent cover. I visually estimated percent cover of bare ground and herbaceous/litter in quadrats along three transects using a Before-after Control-impact (BACI) design before and after grazing treatments in grazed and un-grazed woodland plots. Domestic pig grazing showed no significant effects on the percent cover of herbaceous/litter and bare ground. There was no loss of specific herbaceous species/litter. This suggests domestic pigs pose a relatively low threat to the understory vegetation of a native oak woodland when regulated through minimal time in the area. Pigs can then provide the win-win-win scenario without harming the understory of an already stressed habitat.
Open Access
Atmospheric Trust Litigation: Prompting Climate Action through the Courts
(University of Oregon, 2015-06) Gleason, Megan
Over the last two decades, frustration with government inaction on climate change has catalyzed a surge of litigation to prompt policy action. Although climate change litigation is constrained by justiciability doctrines and a hostile legal opportunity structure, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are still pursuing lawsuits. This paper investigates atmospheric trust litigation (ATL), a national litigation campaign coordinated by Our Children’s Trust, which uses the public trust doctrine to enforce what they allege is the government’s fiduciary obligation to protect the atmosphere in trust for the public. Specifically, I examine the Oregon court proceedings in Chernaik v Kitzhaber as a case study of how both parties strategically frame their arguments to influence case outcomes. Although ATL is still in its infancy, previous research has assessed the viability of the legal arguments underlying atmospheric trust litigation and analyzed case outcomes. However, this paper contributes to a discussion of the practical application of these arguments by investigating how Our Children’s Trust (OCT) employs various strategies to influence case outcomes, and addresses the broader research question of how Our Children’s Trust creates their own opportunities in a hostile legal environment. To answer, I draw from legal briefs, court decisions, interviews, and newspaper coverage to explain how counsel framed and refined the problems and solutions in court, provided a roadmap for case proceedings, and sensationalized a “doom and gloom” future to influence case outcomes. My findings indicate that by agreeing to bifurcate their case, strategically framing their appeal, and rewording their requests on remand, OCT helped create legal opportunities that resulted in a justiciability win. This research underscores the importance of giving agency to social movement actors and understanding the broader socio-legal context within which atmospheric trust litigation operates.
Open Access
BAYESIAN BIOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SQUIRREL EVOLUTION SUGGESTS AN ASIAN ORIGIN
(University of Oregon, 2021-06) Banks, Anna
Squirrels have an incredibly diverse lineage with a global distribution and have dispersed over millions of years from a common ancestor approximately 40-50 MYA. The assumption since the 1980’s has been that squirrels originated in North America and evolved from North American tree squirrels about 34-39 MYA, but in a more recent study, the oldest giant flying squirrel fossil was found in Oregon suggesting a possible eastward migration from Asia. This study made me question the previously accepted hypothesis that squirrels originated in North America and led to an exploration of squirrel evolution and origins. We used an R package called BiogeoBEARS with Bayesian biogeographic analysis and a DEC+J model to get a better picture of where squirrels were located at different points in their evolution. To run this analysis, we input a phylogenetic tree file, representing 225 modern Sciuridae species, and a biogeography file with each of their locations sorted into eight regions. My analysis resulted in a few noteworthy findings regarding major biogeography changes and their timing: (1) we believe that squirrels originated in Asia, (2) North American and Southern African squirrels came from Asia, and (3) we found one long South American branch, genetically distant from all other South American Sciuridae species and stemming from near the oldest common squirrel ancestor, leading to just one species, Sciurillus pusillus, a modern species that has resided in South America for about 37 Ma.
Open Access
"Beef: It's What's For Dinner:" An Analysis of Beef-Driven Powerlessness As It Relates to Food Insecurity, Climate Change, and Advertising in the United States
(University of Oregon, 2021) Grimaldi, Allison; Baumgold, Deborah; Cramer, Jane; Gallagher, Daphne
This thesis explores power and powerlessness with regard to food insecurity, food deserts and food swamps, climate change and methane production, and advertising as they relate to beef and the beef industry. This thesis employs Steven Lukes’ three- dimensional view of power to base its theoretical framework. Using this model in application to my case study, the “Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner” advertising campaign, I argue that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board has shaped consciousness surrounding consumer understanding of beef and their own interests. Applying concepts of structural powerlessness, attitudinal powerlessness, ideological hegemony, and conscientization, this thesis seeks to expose beef-induced institutional inequities, reveal the efforts of the beef industry to shape consciousness, and suggest avenues for reclamation of power.
Open Access
BIOMAGNIFICATION AND BIOACCUMULATION OF POLLUTANTS AND HOW THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THE PEOPLE OF “CANCER ALLEY”
(University of Oregon, 2020-06) Gyetvai, Abigail M.
This honors thesis examines the environmental, sociopolitical, and socioeconomical aspects of Cancer Alley, Louisiana, United States of America. Cancer Alley is a name dubbed to an eighty-five-mile-long corridor in Louisiana that is dotted with petrochemical plants that continuously poison its residents. The people living in this area are primarily lower-income, people of color who disproportionately face the full force of environmental ills that the petrochemical factories bring. The case of Cancer Alley is layered and delves into not only environmental issues – such as pollution and how various chemicals can move throughout the body, but it also deals with human rights issues and how the disempowered and disenfranchised residents in the area are being exploited due to their powerlessness. Various chemical pollutants have been emitted into the Cancer Alley air, land, and water, contributing to the worsening conditions of the area. The primary findings from this research have been that the more marginalized the group living within Cancer Alley, the more likely they are to be at risk for cancer and various other diseases. This honors thesis concludes with the application of my proposed solutions to alleviating environmental justice legislative issues surrounding Cancer Alley.
Open Access
CULTIVATING CHANGE: ANALYZING THE GEOSPATIAL DYNAMICS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND THE CORRESPONDING DEIJ IMPLICATIONS IN PORTLAND, OREGON
(University of Oregon, 2024) Bowen, Karenna; Mhuireach, Gwynne
The discourse within the field of environmental science has been heavily dominated by discussions of mounting global crises stemming from growing urbanization. Downstream ramifications include food insecurity, the depletion of natural resources, and environmental concerns. As urbanization increases and access to rural land decreases, new solutions to ameliorate these issues become increasingly urgent. In response to these formidable concerns, urban agriculture (UA) is one potential solution that has grown in popularity. This thesis explores the premise of UA through a literature review that summarizes current research on the relevance, global trends, and its connection to the three pillars of sustainability—social, economic, and environmental. Building on this research, this study identifies a gap in knowledge associated with UA and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) implications. To address this, a case study is conducted in the neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon using ArcGIS Pro to assess UA’s impact on DEIJ from a racial, economic, accessibility, and environmental perspective. The results indicate that from a racial and ethnic standpoint, UA in Portland is located in primarily ethnically diverse neighborhoods. Relying on data exposing the median household income in Portland neighborhoods, UA is also determined through an economic outlook to be most prevalent in less affluent regions. To evaluate inclusion, it is found that UA plots are primarily accessible to the general public. Finally, from an environmental outlook, the distribution of UA is located typically in neighborhoods experiencing higher risk factors displayed by both the environmental hazard index and the urban heat island (UHI) index. Based on the findings from the literature review coupled with the data from the case study, it is concluded that Portland upholds many of the DEIJ principles through the implementation of UA. However, many of these issues have complexities that require future research regarding the long-term impacts between UA and DEIJ.
Open Access
Disney as Eco-Literature: The Need for Accessible Environmental Narratives
(University of Oregon, 2021) Sebring, Hannah; Smith, Hollie; Alaimo, Stacy; Mossberg, Barbara
We are at a moment in time where environmental crises continue to worsen and impact every aspect of life around the globe. The way people learn about, understand, and respond to the environment is of critical importance. My thesis aims to underscore the importance of media narratives in shaping environmental attitudes. Specifically, my thesis examines Disney films as eco-literature, exploring the ways in which art and multimedia can tell the story of the environment and instill environmental stewardship in audiences. Through the lens of Moana, Frozen, and Frozen 2, this thesis examines environmental issues in films and how they are represented. Further research involves a qualitative survey which asks audiences their takeaways from Moana, synthesizing the experience of an audience member during and after watching a film.
Open Access
Displacement in Place: The Delegitimization of Indigenous Sovereignty Through Media Framing and Erasure in Environmental Conflict
(2018) Plummer, Dylan
Open Access
Disproportionate Environmental Impacts and Recovery Related Group Homes
(University of Oregon, 2017-04) Cumming, Scott
Environmental justice research has shown that different marginalized populations in the United States have been disproportionately impacted by environmental harms. Most of the research and policy has focused on ethnic minority and low income groups. None of the research has focused on populations in recovery from addiction. Using a linear regression model I show that there is a positive correlation between higher cancer risk, lead paint exposure, and respiratory hazard index, and having an Oxford House located in a census block group in both Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. Oxford Houses are Level I recovery residences, and house persons in early recovery from addiction and alcoholism and their families. Being at a higher risk for health impacts could be a detriment to people seeking recovery from addiction. This was a pilot study with two areas of research showing a positive correlation between sober living houses being located in areas with higher rates of cancer, lead paint, and respiratory hazards; more research is warranted.
Open Access
Does the nutritional state of jellyfish vary with season along the Pacific Northwest Coast?
(University of Oregon, 2021-06) Li, Ya Lin
Cnidarian jellyfish are ubiquitous predators of pelagic communities, but little is known about their phenology and how food availability affects their nutritional status. Starved medusae tend to decrease somatic growth to allocate resources towards gonad development, thus a ratio of gonad to bell size might help determine the nutritional state of hydromedusae. We hypothesized that when food is scarce, C. gregaria and E. indicans will have larger gonads relative to their body size. I conducted starvation experiments to directly test how bell diameter and gonad area vary with food availability. The same two species of hydromedusae were also collected in a period of low primary productivity (winter) and high primary productivity (summer) along the North California Current System. ImageJ was used to analyze photos of the formalin-preserved specimens to obtain morphological measurements and create a gonadal index (gonad area/bell area). As the preservation method caused a loss in biomass of the collected medusae, we made a correction factor to convert the measurements of the preserved organisms to live ones. The medusae showcased slightly higher gonadal index in the medusae during winter than summer indicating an increased effort towards reproduction when resources are depleted. Understanding the links between oceanographic conditions and population dynamics of gelatinous predators will allow us to better predict their effects on zooplankton community dynamics.
Open Access
Drought Response of Plant Coexistence are Mediated by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
(University of Oregon, 2024-06) Tavernier, Austyn
Climate change is predicted to alter interannual precipitation patterns and increase drought severity and frequency. Although plant ecologists are actively investigating the impacts of climate change, we still lack robust and generalizable predictions of future plant community dynamics in light of novel precipitation regimes. One of the most pressing obstacles for making these predictions is understanding how the many species in these communities, as well as the interactions between them, respond to drought. Among the more important biotic players in structuring herbaceous plant communities are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) which have been shown to contribute to plant responses to drought at both an individual and community level. However, the mechanisms of drought-dependent mycorrhizal effects on plant competition have yet to be empirically assessed. To explore how AMF may modify the effect of drought on plant competitive dynamics, we conducted a greenhouse competition experiment within a two-by-two factorial manipulation of soil moisture and AMF presence. We used the data from this experiment to parameterize population dynamic models for each species (Clarkia amoena, Collinsia grandiflora, and Plectritis congesta) within each treatment combination. We used posterior distributions of our parameter estimates to explore how mycorrhizae and drought singularly and interactively influenced species vital rates, interaction coefficients, and the niche and fitness differences underlying pairwise species coexistence. We found that intrinsic growth rates of species generally decreased with drought and increased with AMF inoculation. The effects of drought and AMF were highly variable between species pairs. Overall, we found evidence of a three-way interaction between drought, mycorrhizae, and species pair on niche and fitness differences and the probability of coexistence. Most species pairs exhibited the highest probability of coexistence when both inoculated with AMF and exposed to drought conditions. The results of this study suggest that drought and AMF singularly and/or interactively influence the demographic parameters and interaction coefficients underlying plant community dynamics. Differences in coexistence probability between our treatments may implicate AMF as a key factor in whether species are able to coexist during projected increases in drought frequency. Thus, AMF could prove to be a potentially useful tool for managing plant community resilience to climate change. However, variable species responses to both drought and mycorrhizae suggest that under these conditions competitive outcomes might be affected by the strength of species-specific mycorrhizal mutualisms. Future studies on the interactive effects of mycorrhizae and droughts on plant competition should focus on identifying axes for plant species variation which may underlie the complex, species-specific interactions between mycorrhizal mutualisms and water availability.
Open Access
EARLY TRADE-OFFS OF ROOT TRAITS ON A MYCORRHIZAL COLLABORATION GRADIENT
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Villano, Lindsay; Diez, Jeff
Aboveground plant traits exist on a spectrum defined by trade-offs between conservative and acquisitive resource uptake. However, belowground traits do not fit this axis because the uptake of soil nutrients can be outsourced to mycorrhizal mutualists. Thus, adding another axis in the root economic space that represents collaboration with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi increases our understanding of fundamental variation in root traits. Mature roots exhibit trade-offs between investing in longer root structures that travel farther, or thicker roots that can better support mycorrhizae. Here, I explore whether young roots display trade-offs in collaboration intensity and if so, how long after germination species will begin to reflect niches on this axis. I hypothesize a negative correlation between root growth rate and colonization rate of AM fungi and that the relationship between these variables increases over time as plants refine their resource uptake strategy. I grew five native forb species for twenty-five days and sampled plants at eight time points after germination. Upon sampling, I recorded root length by analyzing the root's structure and then quantified percent colonization by AM fungi. I found that despite variation in species ' root length and colonization rates, they did not fo1m a negative relationship. The con elation of length and percent colonization did increase over time with intraspecific variation in the degree and direction of this correlation. The results of this study provide further insight on young root trait variation and benefit our understanding of species interactions in the rhizosphere that contribute to community dynamics.
Open Access
Effect of Plant Community on Soil Organic Carbon in the Chewaucan River Basin
(2018-06-04) Lefore, Aaron
Variation in plant community composition has been shown to alter the concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC) within the soil. Climate change, and anthropogenic disturbances have altered dominant plant communities across the globe, shifting them to new states of equilibrium, with important implications for SOC. The relationship between plant community and SOC is well understood in many regions; however, semi-arid ecosystems remain poorly represented in existing datasets liking above and belowground ecosystem properties. For example, in the Northwestern United States, ecosystems of the Great Basin have been both underfunded and understudied in terms of management and scholarship respectively. This is especially true within the state of Oregon, where a clear majority of research efforts are devoted to ecosystems West of the Cascades as opposed to the semi-arid ecosystems of the East. Ecosystems of eastern Oregon are undergoing rapid vegetation regime shifts that include woody encroachment, grass invasions, and large scale agricultural expansion simultaneously. To better understand the fundamental relationship between changes in plant communities and SOC within typical ecosystems of eastern Oregon, 14 plots were deployed to sample soil and vegetation across the Chewaucan Basin. Sampling sites were chosen based on a priori vegetation community type that included sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate, & Artemisia arbuscula), western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), western juniper/ponderosa pine, and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Surface SOC was characterized for each vegetation category at a depth of 10 cm using the loss on ignition method. Woody vegetation communities showed substantially more SOC when compared to sagebrush and Alfalfa crops with plot average values ranging 67-83 Mg ℎ𝑎−1 to 33-47 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1 respectively. Sagebrush communities showed intermediate levels of SOC with 47 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1, Undeveloped plots directly adjacent to agriculture with 33.5 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1, and Alfalfa plots exhibited 43.5 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1. Juniper plots showed 67.8 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1, Pine dominated plots exhibited 83.6 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1, and Juniper/Pine dominated displayed 67 Mg C ℎ𝑎−1. This pilot study gives valuable insight into the current state of semi-arid ecosystems and provides the basis for future assessments of changes in vegetation cover and SOC concentrations.
Open Access
Effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements: A Review of International Environmental Governance Theory
(University of Oregon, 2020-05) Adamczyk, Brendan
All countries face numerous environmental problems, from air and ocean pollution to the existential threat posed by climate change and many more. In response, many nations have negotiated and joined international environmental agreements to alter the policies of governments, the behaviors of their citizens, and the quality of their national and the global environment. I summarize and assess theories related to two research questions. First, how do scholars define the effectiveness of international environmental agreements? Second, what are the metrics by which scholars can assess the structure and effectiveness of an international environmental agreement? I seek to answer these questions by conducting a review of international environmental governance literature from the past three decades using a counterfactual framework - comparing what occurred in the real world with a treaty in effect to what one would have expected to happen if that treaty didn’t exist. Ultimately, I conclude that three key elements influence the effectiveness of international environmental agreements: the standards by which one measures effectiveness, the degree to which the language of an agreement utilizes legalization, flexibility, and specificity, and the tools environmental regimes use to encourage states to meet their commitments. In the face of increasingly urgent environmental challenges, the most promising path for improving effectiveness is the integration of these three essential factors into the treaty writing, ratification, and enforcement processes.
Open Access
The Effects of Fire and Logging on Montane Forest Soils in Southern Oregon
(University of Oregon Libraries, 2021-06) Katz, Sydney
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of forest fires and drought across the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States. Due to increasingly variable temperature and precipitation patterns, the effects of fire on forest vegetation can be modeled and predicted with great confidence. However, the effect of fire frequency on soils remains poorly understood. Soils in PNW forests have the potential to sequester large quantities of carbon, which can mitigate the effects of climate change. Furthermore, severely burned forests may be “salvage” logged post-fire in which consequences for carbon storage are uncertain. To quantify the effects of fire on soil properties and carbon content, we measured soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, and texture among a fire severity and post-fire management gradient in a region affected by the Biscuit Fire of 2002. Samples were collected at four sites and two depths for percent SOC, pH, and percent clay analyses. Laboratory analyses showed the low severity (8.10 ± 0.5) had higher levels of SOC than high severity sites (7.21 ± 0.9). However, the unburned site contained 4.29 ± 0.4 % SOC, the lowest percentage of the four sites. There were minimal differences in percent SOC between the salvage logged and non-salvage logged sites. Soil from the high severity non-salvage logged site had a significantly higher pH than the other sites, and percent clay remained relatively similar across all sites. The results indicate that low severity fires, potentially in the form of prescribed burns, may be optimal for sequestering SOC and could help mitigate the impact of climate change in montane forests in the PNW region.
Open Access
Environmental Education in Oregon: Articulating linkages between the Project Learning Tree Activity Guide and the Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan
(University of Oregon, 2014-12) Shepherd, Makenzie
The goal of this project is to cross-walk the forty-six lessons with a Language Arts focus from the Project Learning Tree (PLT) Environmental Education Activity Guide to the concepts and practices expressed in the five environmental literacy strands found in the most recent Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan (OELP). In order to determine the ability of the lessons to align with the OELP, I compared them individually to the details of the five literacy strands and then organized the results into tables. While all of the lessons can be used to teach environmental education (EE), some more strongly promote the objectives of environmental literacy as outlined in the OELP than others. The political framework of EE and the literature regarding interdisciplinary approaches, specifically in Language Arts, frame my research in a way that shows the importance and growing need for EE today, as well as why and how to integrate it into already existing curricula in Oregon across core subjects. I specifically chose PLT lessons with a Language Arts focus in order to demonstrate how EE should be taught interdisciplinary, not just in the natural sciences, and how extending into these other subjects expands perspectives about the environment. The results of my comparison explain how the elements of each lesson plan link to the OELP strands. I also produce units for teachers to use in EE that effectively articulate the goals and objectives set forth in the literacy plan. Utilizing the PLT curriculum both inside and outside of the classroom has the power to encourage and develop all of the components of environmental literacy, and is an extremely valuable tool in the important development of environmental literacy across Oregon.
Open Access
An Examination of the Relationship Between Rapa Nui Ahu and Topography Using Structure from Motion GIS
(University of Oregon, 2015-09) Pearce, Eliza
Recent studies about Rapa Nui (Easter Island) have shed a new light upon the movement of the island's giant statues ( moai) and platforms ( ahu) showing that they were purposeful projects created by small communities around the island. What remains unclear, however, is the full meaning and purpose of the giant structures created by the ancient Rapanui. A current working theory is that the structures were costly signals to other clans on the island as a way to mark rare fresh water resources. For this study, imagery was collected of the south coast of the island and then used in conjunction with Structure from Motion to create topographic data for the area. Various GIS analyses were then run on different aspects of the landscape around the different types of ahu (those with moai and those without). None of the statistics run on the data acquired from running these analyses indicate any significant difference between the topographic placement of the two types of ahu. This lack of significance shows that topography does was not an influential factor in the placement of these features and whatever factors were involved, they did not have a topographical relationship. This means that other relationships like water sources were perhaps more important for ahu placement.
Open Access
Exploring Barriers and Solutions to Active Travel to School: A Case Study of River Road/El Camino del Río Elementary Students in Eugene, OR
(University of Oregon, 2024) Staben, Alex; Brown, Anne
Active travel, or transportation modes requiring physical movement, builds physical activity into daily life, and for young children, much of their travel is to and from school. Active travel to school (ATS) improves physical, mental, and social health, as well as classroom behavior and attendance rates. However, since the 1970s, ATS has rapidly declined as more students ride to school in a vehicle. Transportation is inherently place-based; hence, this study focuses on Spanish-English dual immersion elementary school River Road/El Camino del Río (RRECDR) in the Eugene (OR) 4J school district. Like schools across the nation, very few RRECDR students use ATS. To understand why, I distributed a survey and completed follow-up interviews with parents of RRECDR students assessing 1) the barriers that factor into transportation choices and 2) what needs to change for ATS to increase among RRECDR students. Results indicate the need for a diverse multi-sector sustainable leadership team focused on ATS, increased ATS encouragement through group activities such as walking school buses (WSBs), and infrastructural improvements including crosswalk enhancements and advisory bike lanes in specific locations. Findings also suggest further research into the complex relationship between ATS and accessibility of heritage language immersion education and ATS (and active travel more generally) and the housing crisis.
Open Access
Framing Food Waste: Incentives for Change
(University of Oregon, 2016-06) Wesengberg, Zoie Noelle
Food waste in the United States is a large-scale issue that impacts international and national food systems. The core consequences of food waste are environmental damages, economic losses and exacerbating social costs inflicted by the food industry. By consuming energy. water and land to produce food that is never eaten, food waste causes significant inefficiencies within the food industry. In the United States. 40 percent of food produced for human consumption is wasted. Awareness and concern are growing among the general public. However, reducing food waste requires the implementation of solutions on a systematic level. This thesis answers the research questions: how should the issue of food waste be framed, what current incentives promote food waste, and how can incentives reduce food waste and reform the food system? Food waste prevention is first framed as an all-encompassing food movement. This thesis then explains the current incentives that promote food waste and explores the deep-rooted reasons that initiate food waste. Finally, incentives for change are presented to encourage food waste mitigation. Throughout this thesis, food waste prevention is framed as a pivotal role in the reformation of the food system.