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• 201. [Article] Barriers to Sustainability: A Qualitative Cross-National Comparison

  In this dissertation, I make an argument for strong sustainability, which emphasizes environmental and social justice concerns, by distinguishing it from weak sustainability. I critique the global neoliberal ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Barriers to Sustainability: A Qualitative Cross-National Comparison Author: Ergas, Christina Year: 2014 In this dissertation, I make an argument for strong sustainability, which emphasizes environmental and social justice concerns, by distinguishing it from weak sustainability. I critique the global neoliberal sustainable development project, a weak form of sustainability that prioritizes economic growth, using Marx's theory of metabolic rift. However, I find this theory lacking in its ability to engage forms of oppression outside of class, such as gender. Because of this, I employ theories on gender and environment and environmental justice to explore systemic and cultural aspects of oppression. I use qualitative cross-national comparative methods to examine two alternatives to neoliberal sustainable development. The two cases working toward strong sustainability are an urban ecovillage in the United States and an urban farm in Havana, Cuba. I assess the viability of these projects and their strengths and weaknesses toward a rigorous theory of strong sustainability. I find that the structure of society matters in determining the opportunities for equity and sustainability projects. As postulated by metabolic rift theory, my cases suggest that capitalism is a structural barrier to sustainability, but eliminating capitalism is an insufficient condition for nations attempting to attain equity or environmental protection. While structural change is necessary, any discussion of structural power dynamics that fails to consider real people embedded in on-the-ground social power dynamics would be incomplete. Specifically, I find that in Cuba--a nation where capitalism was disbanded over fifty years ago in favor of more equal economic relations--gender equity is limited by cultural expectations of gender roles and government suppression of democratic processes. My findings suggest that if the goal is to create socially just environmental change, it must be done deliberately. The instituting of laws is important but insufficient because cultural factors may restrict minorities' participation in democratic processes. Inequality and disregard for the environment are culturally entrenched social processes that must be addressed simultaneously and with specialized attention in order for lasting change to occur. Goals toward economic restructuring, equality, and environmental reform should be methodically phased in with constant democratic discussion and progress assessment. This dissertation contains previously published and unpublished co-authored material. Title: Barriers to Sustainability: A Qualitative Cross-National Comparison Author: Ergas, Christina Year: 2014 In this dissertation, I make an argument for strong sustainability, which emphasizes environmental and social justice concerns, by distinguishing it from weak sustainability. I critique the global neoliberal sustainable development project, a weak form of sustainability that prioritizes economic growth, using Marx's theory of metabolic rift. However, I find this theory lacking in its ability to engage forms of oppression outside of class, such as gender. Because of this, I employ theories on gender and environment and environmental justice to explore systemic and cultural aspects of oppression. I use qualitative cross-national comparative methods to examine two alternatives to neoliberal sustainable development. The two cases working toward strong sustainability are an urban ecovillage in the United States and an urban farm in Havana, Cuba. I assess the viability of these projects and their strengths and weaknesses toward a rigorous theory of strong sustainability. I find that the structure of society matters in determining the opportunities for equity and sustainability projects. As postulated by metabolic rift theory, my cases suggest that capitalism is a structural barrier to sustainability, but eliminating capitalism is an insufficient condition for nations attempting to attain equity or environmental protection. While structural change is necessary, any discussion of structural power dynamics that fails to consider real people embedded in on-the-ground social power dynamics would be incomplete. Specifically, I find that in Cuba--a nation where capitalism was disbanded over fifty years ago in favor of more equal economic relations--gender equity is limited by cultural expectations of gender roles and government suppression of democratic processes. My findings suggest that if the goal is to create socially just environmental change, it must be done deliberately. The instituting of laws is important but insufficient because cultural factors may restrict minorities' participation in democratic processes. Inequality and disregard for the environment are culturally entrenched social processes that must be addressed simultaneously and with specialized attention in order for lasting change to occur. Goals toward economic restructuring, equality, and environmental reform should be methodically phased in with constant democratic discussion and progress assessment. This dissertation contains previously published and unpublished co-authored material. Close

• 202. [Article] Program Evaluation: Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems and Student Reading Outcomes

  This program evaluation studied Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS), a Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative focused at changing district leadership behaviors to close the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Program Evaluation: Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems and Student Reading Outcomes Author: Ryan Jackson, Kathleen Year: 2014 This program evaluation studied Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS), a Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative focused at changing district leadership behaviors to close the policy-research-practice gap and improve students' reading outcomes at third grade. A pre/post quasi-experimental comparison using a matched group design evaluated the four-year initiative. EBISS districts (n = 25) were matched to non-EBISS districts n = 25) by important district variables of: (a) size (small, medium, and large) and (b) region (coast, central, east, south, and valley), (c) students receiving Free and Reduced Meals (FARM), (d) students who were white and non-white, (e) students who were male and female, (f) years of teacher's experience, and (g) third grade Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) scores. The aim of this research was to answer two questions. The first asked whether the performance of students in non-EBISS and EBISS districts were significantly different when measured by their percent of students passing the third grade reading OAKS in 2006-07 (EBISS pre-treatment year) and 2010-11 (EBISS post-treatment year). The second question analyzed whether EBISS districts with high implementation scores made statistically significantly different gains from EBISS districts with low implementation scores on their percent of students who passed the third grade OAKS reading assessment from 2006-07 to 2012-11. The results of the first research question indicated no significant differences for group (p = .312) or time (p = .488) between EBISS and non-EBISS districts scores on the OAKS reading test at third grade. Similarly, the second research question results indicated no significant differences (p = .452) between EBISS districts with high and low implementation scores on the OAKS reading scores at third grade. Findings are discussed in relation to: (a) the challenge when measuring administrator effectiveness based on distal outcomes, (b) confounding variables that affected internal and external validity, and (c) how this study informs the future design of evaluation research, in the pre-implementation year of an initiative, so variables that are know to be effective in improving student outcomes can be replicated. Title: Program Evaluation: Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems and Student Reading Outcomes Author: Ryan Jackson, Kathleen Year: 2014 This program evaluation studied Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS), a Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative focused at changing district leadership behaviors to close the policy-research-practice gap and improve students' reading outcomes at third grade. A pre/post quasi-experimental comparison using a matched group design evaluated the four-year initiative. EBISS districts (n = 25) were matched to non-EBISS districts n = 25) by important district variables of: (a) size (small, medium, and large) and (b) region (coast, central, east, south, and valley), (c) students receiving Free and Reduced Meals (FARM), (d) students who were white and non-white, (e) students who were male and female, (f) years of teacher's experience, and (g) third grade Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) scores. The aim of this research was to answer two questions. The first asked whether the performance of students in non-EBISS and EBISS districts were significantly different when measured by their percent of students passing the third grade reading OAKS in 2006-07 (EBISS pre-treatment year) and 2010-11 (EBISS post-treatment year). The second question analyzed whether EBISS districts with high implementation scores made statistically significantly different gains from EBISS districts with low implementation scores on their percent of students who passed the third grade OAKS reading assessment from 2006-07 to 2012-11. The results of the first research question indicated no significant differences for group (p = .312) or time (p = .488) between EBISS and non-EBISS districts scores on the OAKS reading test at third grade. Similarly, the second research question results indicated no significant differences (p = .452) between EBISS districts with high and low implementation scores on the OAKS reading scores at third grade. Findings are discussed in relation to: (a) the challenge when measuring administrator effectiveness based on distal outcomes, (b) confounding variables that affected internal and external validity, and (c) how this study informs the future design of evaluation research, in the pre-implementation year of an initiative, so variables that are know to be effective in improving student outcomes can be replicated. Close

• 203. [Article] Water Reclamation Facility Biosolids Market Analysis

  The University of Oregon Master of Business Administra on and Master of Accoun ng students collaborated in Joshua Skov’s graduate-level course in Industrial Ecology (MGMT 641), inves ga ng the possibili ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Water Reclamation Facility Biosolids Market Analysis Author: Skov, Joshua Year: 2017, 2016 The University of Oregon Master of Business Administra on and Master of Accoun ng students collaborated in Joshua Skov’s graduate-level course in Industrial Ecology (MGMT 641), inves ga ng the possibili es for the marke ng and sale of outputs from the treatment of wastewater (sewage) at the Albany Water Reclama on Facility. In the city’s previous wastewater treatment facility, sludge was processed into Class B Biosolids and given to grass seed farmers in the area. In the city's current wastewater treatment facility, the city conducted a compos ng pilot project. The goal of this project was to iden fy markets for the composted biosolids as well as poten al local partners, and make recommenda ons for the structure and details of poten al projects. In addi on to considering the exis ng grass seed market, the class researched the poten al markets by conduc ng surveys of farmers around Albany, Oregon. The farms include hops, pears, dryland wheat, blueberries, and christmas trees. Students selected these markets based on the environmental bene ts of biosolids to agriculture, forestry, and land reclama on. Students researched best prac ces from around the country and summarized successful implementa ons. They selected and researched treatment facili es with similar loca ons, community size served, an existence of public- private partnerships, and/or classi ca on of biosolids and their subsequent applica ons. They then explored the types of poten al bulking material. The addi on of bulking material is a cri cal component to the compos ng process for crea ng higher class biosolids. Students examined bulking materials in use across a wide range of biosolids and other organic waste compos ng processes. Research revealed three primary types of compost opera ons: Aerated Windrows, In Vessel, and Anaerobic Biodiges on. Lastly, the class assessed the possibility of a public-private partnership. Students met with several private corpora ons that partner with public ins tu ons to create value for all stakeholders in a solid waste management system. The research revealed the chemical and environmental value of biosolids, but that given public percep on, biosolid-derived fer lizer cannot compete against plen ful, cheap synthe c fer lizers derived from natural gas. The class suggests a series of considera ons for Albany. They also suggest immediate explora on of a partnership deal under a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) model. The City of Albany can seek reduced cost funding under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). Title: Water Reclamation Facility Biosolids Market Analysis Author: Skov, Joshua Year: 2017, 2016 The University of Oregon Master of Business Administra on and Master of Accoun ng students collaborated in Joshua Skov’s graduate-level course in Industrial Ecology (MGMT 641), inves ga ng the possibili es for the marke ng and sale of outputs from the treatment of wastewater (sewage) at the Albany Water Reclama on Facility. In the city’s previous wastewater treatment facility, sludge was processed into Class B Biosolids and given to grass seed farmers in the area. In the city's current wastewater treatment facility, the city conducted a compos ng pilot project. The goal of this project was to iden fy markets for the composted biosolids as well as poten al local partners, and make recommenda ons for the structure and details of poten al projects. In addi on to considering the exis ng grass seed market, the class researched the poten al markets by conduc ng surveys of farmers around Albany, Oregon. The farms include hops, pears, dryland wheat, blueberries, and christmas trees. Students selected these markets based on the environmental bene ts of biosolids to agriculture, forestry, and land reclama on. Students researched best prac ces from around the country and summarized successful implementa ons. They selected and researched treatment facili es with similar loca ons, community size served, an existence of public- private partnerships, and/or classi ca on of biosolids and their subsequent applica ons. They then explored the types of poten al bulking material. The addi on of bulking material is a cri cal component to the compos ng process for crea ng higher class biosolids. Students examined bulking materials in use across a wide range of biosolids and other organic waste compos ng processes. Research revealed three primary types of compost opera ons: Aerated Windrows, In Vessel, and Anaerobic Biodiges on. Lastly, the class assessed the possibility of a public-private partnership. Students met with several private corpora ons that partner with public ins tu ons to create value for all stakeholders in a solid waste management system. The research revealed the chemical and environmental value of biosolids, but that given public percep on, biosolid-derived fer lizer cannot compete against plen ful, cheap synthe c fer lizers derived from natural gas. The class suggests a series of considera ons for Albany. They also suggest immediate explora on of a partnership deal under a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) model. The City of Albany can seek reduced cost funding under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). Close

• 204. [Article] Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape Transformation at the Ancient Maya Polity of Uxbenká, Southern Belize

  Identifying connections between land use, population change, and natural and human-induced environmental change in ancient societies provides insights into the challenges we face today. This dissertation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape Transformation at the Ancient Maya Polity of Uxbenká, Southern Belize Author: Culleton, Brendan Year: 2012 Identifying connections between land use, population change, and natural and human-induced environmental change in ancient societies provides insights into the challenges we face today. This dissertation presents data from archaeological research at the ancient Maya center of Uxbenká, Belize, integrating chronological, geomorphological, and settlement data within an ecological framework to develop methodological and theoretical tools to explore connections between social and environmental change or stability during the Preclassic and Classic Period (~1000 BC to AD 900). High-precision AMS 14C dates from Uxbenká were integrated with stratigraphic information within a Bayesian framework to generate a high-resolution chronology of sociopolitical development and expansion in southern Belize. This chronology revises the previous understanding of settlement and development of Classic Maya society at Uxbenká and indicates specific areas of investigation to elucidate the Late and Terminal Classic periods (AD 600-900) when the polity appears to disintegrate. A geoarchaeological record of land use was developed and interpreted with respect to regional climatic and cultural histories to track landscape transformations associated with human-environment interactions at Uxbenká. The first documented episode of landscape instability (i.e., erosion) was associated with farmers colonizing the area. Later, landscape stability in the site core parallels Classic Period urbanization (AD 300-900) when swidden agriculture was likely restricted in the core. Another erosional event followed political disintegration as farmers resumed cultivation in and around the abandoned city. Maize yields derived from contemporary Maya farms in the area were used to estimate the maximum population size of Uxbenká during its Classic Period peak. The maximum sustainable population is estimated between 7500 and 13,000, including a potential population of ~525 elites in the core, assuming low levels of agricultural intensification. This accords well with the lack of archaeological evidence for intensive land management during the Classic Period (e.g., terraces). An ecological model developed using maize productivity and other environmental/social datasets largely predicts the settlement pattern surrounding Uxbenká. Settlements in marginal areas may be evidence of elite intra-polity competition during the Late Preclassic Period (ca. AD 1-300), though it is possible that marginal areas were settled early as garrisons to mediate travel into the site core. Title: Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape Transformation at the Ancient Maya Polity of Uxbenká, Southern Belize Author: Culleton, Brendan Year: 2012 Identifying connections between land use, population change, and natural and human-induced environmental change in ancient societies provides insights into the challenges we face today. This dissertation presents data from archaeological research at the ancient Maya center of Uxbenká, Belize, integrating chronological, geomorphological, and settlement data within an ecological framework to develop methodological and theoretical tools to explore connections between social and environmental change or stability during the Preclassic and Classic Period (~1000 BC to AD 900). High-precision AMS 14C dates from Uxbenká were integrated with stratigraphic information within a Bayesian framework to generate a high-resolution chronology of sociopolitical development and expansion in southern Belize. This chronology revises the previous understanding of settlement and development of Classic Maya society at Uxbenká and indicates specific areas of investigation to elucidate the Late and Terminal Classic periods (AD 600-900) when the polity appears to disintegrate. A geoarchaeological record of land use was developed and interpreted with respect to regional climatic and cultural histories to track landscape transformations associated with human-environment interactions at Uxbenká. The first documented episode of landscape instability (i.e., erosion) was associated with farmers colonizing the area. Later, landscape stability in the site core parallels Classic Period urbanization (AD 300-900) when swidden agriculture was likely restricted in the core. Another erosional event followed political disintegration as farmers resumed cultivation in and around the abandoned city. Maize yields derived from contemporary Maya farms in the area were used to estimate the maximum population size of Uxbenká during its Classic Period peak. The maximum sustainable population is estimated between 7500 and 13,000, including a potential population of ~525 elites in the core, assuming low levels of agricultural intensification. This accords well with the lack of archaeological evidence for intensive land management during the Classic Period (e.g., terraces). An ecological model developed using maize productivity and other environmental/social datasets largely predicts the settlement pattern surrounding Uxbenká. Settlements in marginal areas may be evidence of elite intra-polity competition during the Late Preclassic Period (ca. AD 1-300), though it is possible that marginal areas were settled early as garrisons to mediate travel into the site core. Close