Browsing by Subject "sustainability"
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Item All plug-in electric vehicles are not the same: Predictors of preference for a plug-in hybrid versus a battery-electric vehicle(Elsevier, 2018-12) Lane, Bradley W.; Dumortier, Jerome; Carley, Sanya; Siddiki, Saba; Clark-Sutton, Kyle; Graham, John D.; School of Public and Environmental AffairsThis study analyzes data from a survey of drivers (n = 1080) administered in late 2013 to assess factors that influence potential car buyers to consider two different types of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the United States: plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The results indicate distinct profiles of respondents preferring PHEVs, which have a gasoline backup engine, versus battery BEVs, which rely solely on a battery for power. Respondents interested in selecting a PHEV consider it more for its economic benefits, such as reduced gasoline and maintenance expenditures. Respondents preferring a BEV are drawn to its environmental and technological appeal. The absence of range anxiety for PHEV is a major factor influencing potential PEV buyers.Item Balancing the Global Distribution of Phosphorus With a View Toward Sustainability and Equity(AGU, 2018) Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Earth Sciences, School of ScienceLimitations in the geological reserves of phosphate rock, the source of fertilizer phosphorus, are not currently considered in agricultural practices or global trade, a very short‐sighted approach considering that there is no “alternative fuel” for plant growth. Thus, it is important to understand the science of phosphorus‐crop growth dynamics as a function of grain type, plant uptake, climate, and past fertilizer phosphorus application history. Recent work on modeling these factors on the global scale (Kvakić et al., 2018) provides the first scientific backdrop for developing an understanding of fertilizer phosphorus balances, and for informing forward‐looking practices and policies that regulate toward long‐term sustainability rather than short‐term profit.Item Building capacity for socio-ecological change through the campus farm: A mixed-methods study(Taylor & Francis, 2022) Williamson, Francesca A.; Rollings, Amber J.; Fore, Grant A.; Angstmann, Julia L.; Sorge, Brandon H.; Engineering Technology, School of Engineering and TechnologyGiven the ongoing socio-ecological crises, higher education institutions need curricular interventions to support students in developing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to create a sustainable future. Campus farms are increasingly becoming sites for sustainability and environmental education toward this end. This paper describes the design and outcomes of a farm-situated place-based experiential learning (PBEL) intervention in two undergraduate biology courses and one environmental studies course over two academic years. We conducted a mixed-method study using pre/post-surveys and focus groups to examine the relationship between the PBEL intervention and students’ sense of place and expressions of pro-environmentalism. The quantitative analysis indicated measurable shifts in students’ place attachment and place-meaning scores. The qualitative findings illustrate a complex relationship between students’ academic/career interests, backgrounds, and pro-environmentalism. We integrated these findings to generate a model of sustainability learning through PBEL and argue for deepening learning to encourage active participation in socio-ecological change.Item A Conceptual Framework for a Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Educative-Communication Approach(MDPI, 2018) Attoye, Daniel Efurosibina; Adekunle, Timothy O.; Tabet Aoul, Kheira Anissa; Hassan, Ahmed; Attoye, Samuel Osekafore; Mechanical and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and TechnologyGlobal interest in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) has grown following forecasts of a compound annual growth rate of 18.7% and a total of 5.4 GW installed worldwide from 2013 to 2019. Although the BIPV technology has been in the public domain for the last three decades, its adoption has been hindered. Existing literature asserts that proper information and education at the proposal or early design stage is an important way of addressing adoption barriers. However, there is a lack of BIPV communication approaches for research, and market proposals that focus on clear information about its benefits. This has limited the adoption of BIPV.. Based on this, the present study aims to develop a conceptual framework for an educative-communication approach for presenting BIPV proposals to encourage its adoption. This is aimed at developing holistic research and market proposals which justify scholarly investigation and financial investment. Using a multiple case study investigation and Design Research Methodology (DRM) principles, the study developed an approach which combines core communication requirements, the pillars of sustainability and a hierarchical description of BIPV alongside its unique advantages. A two-step evaluation strategy involving an online pilot survey and a literature-based checklist, was used to validate the effectiveness of the developed approach. Our results show that understanding environmental and economic benefits was found to be significantly important to people who are likely adopters of BIPV (p < 0.05), making these benefits crucial drivers of adoption. Statistical significance was also found between those who do not know the benefits of using solar energy for electricity, and interest in knowing these benefits (p < 0.05). We thus conclude that proper communication of these benefits can safely be advanced as important facilitators of BIPV adoption. In general, this study elaborates the need and strategies for appropriate dissemination of innovative ideas to encourage and promote adoption of technological advancement for a sustainable global future.Item Curriculum Intervention: Assessing Need for and Implementation of Sustainability Development in a Global Context within the First-Year Engineering Curriculum at Purdue University(2017-05-04) Collins, Angela J.BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Globalization is a world-wide phenomenon that is reshaping international relations in tremendous ways and at impossible rates. Due to rapid advancements in communication, transportation, and information technologies, there has been an increasing connectedness of humanity around the globe. With this trans-global integration comes many benefits, but also countless challenges. It is critical that engineering education facilities constantly update and restructure their curriculum to produce engineers who are capable of tackling the world’s greatest global challenges of this globalization era. Therefore, our team proposes a curriculum intervention of the First-Year Engineering Program. We wish to analyze the depth of global competency concepts taught in the course, with a specific focus on sustainability because it is crucial that young engineers develop an understanding of sustainability and perform their specialized tasks with a sustainable vision in mind. METHODS: To ensure high quality development of Purdue engineers is this area, our research team proposes a curriculum intervention involving two parts: (1) An analysis of the global competency and understanding of sustainability of current engineering sophomores who recently completed the First-Year Engineering (FYE) program at Purdue University; (2) An implementation of concepts from a current Purdue course, CE/EEE 355 Engineering Environmental Sustainability, into the FYE curriculum, as well as an implementation of globalization concepts as needed. Furthermore, our team seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) How consistent is the material that is taught across different sections within the FYE program? (2) How much control and influence does each engineering professor have in covering the topics of globalization and sustainability? (3) What hands-on, practical experience and exposure to globalization concepts are the students getting? EXPECTED OUTCOMES: At the conclusion of this research project, our team expects two tangible outcomes: (1) A plan of implementation of sustainability and globalization concepts into the Purdue engineering curriculum; (2) A set of data measurements and specific goals to determine whether the implemented concepts make a difference. Countless research papers stress the importance of evaluating the impact of new initiatives. Thus, our research team seeks statistical evidence that the concepts learned in CE/EEE 355 make a significant impact on the capability of the student, and the implementation of new concepts based off of CE/EEE 355 make a significant difference when implemented into the FYE engineering curriculum. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the forces of globalization are leading to rapid changes among global dynamics and international relations, and several effects of globalization, such as poor resource utilization, are beginning to pose a threat to humanity. Therefore, engineers must be able to evolve alongside society and must have the skills to tackle the world’s leading problems. Engineers must also understand the importance of sustainable development to ensure a bright future for younger generations to come. As a result, our team suggests a curriculum intervention of the FYE program to better educated Purdue’s young engineers on issues of globalization and sustainability. Purdue is among the top engineering institutions, but to maintain its relevance and influence, there must be a shift in the curriculum to better prepare its graduates to work in this highly-globalized era.Item Dealing with Missing Data: A Comparative Exploration of Approaches Using the Integrated City Sustainability Database(Sage, 2017) Curley, Cali; Krause, Rachel M.; Feiock, Richard; Hawkins, Christopher V.; School of Public and Environmental AffairsStudies of governments and local organizations using survey data have played a critical role in the development of urban studies and related disciplines. However, missing data pose a daunting challenge for this research. This article seeks to raise awareness about the treatment of missing data in urban studies research by comparing and evaluating three commonly used approaches to deal with missing data—listwise deletion, single imputation, and multiple imputation. Comparative analyses illustrate the relative performance of these approaches using the second-generation Integrated City Sustainability Database (ICSD). The results demonstrate the benefit of using an approach to missing data based on multiple imputation, using a theoretically informed and statistically supported set of predictor variables to develop a more complete sample that is free of issues raised by nonresponse in survey data. The results confirm the usefulness of the ICSD in the study of environmental and sustainability and other policy in U.S. cities. We conclude with a discussion of results and provide a set of recommendations for urban researcher scholars.Item Exploring the implications of supply risk on sustainability performance(Emerald, 2017) Shafiq, Asad; Johnson, P. Fraser; Klassen, Robert D.; Awaysheh, Amrou; Kelley School of Business - IndianapolisPurpose Firms are increasingly being pressured by the public, regulators and customers to ensure that their suppliers behave in a socially and ecologically sound manner. Yet, the complexity and risks embedded in many supply chains makes this challenging, with monitoring practices offering one means to attenuate supply sustainability risk. Drawing on agency theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sustainability and operations risk, supplier sustainability monitoring practices, supply improvement initiatives and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach This research uses data from a survey and archival sources from a sample of large US firms to empirically examine the relationship between sustainability and operations risk, supplier sustainability monitoring practices, supply improvement initiatives and firm performance. Findings Findings indicate that higher levels of perceived sustainability risk is related to greater monitoring of supplier sustainability practices by focal firms. Perceptions of higher operations risk are indirectly related to greater social monitoring through investment in supply improvement initiatives. Monitoring of supplier sustainability practices is also found to have a positive effect on focal firm performance. Practical implications Findings suggest that managers process operations risks and sustainability risks independently. Greater sustainability risk leads to increased sustainability monitoring, while greater operations risk leads to increased investment in supply improvement initiatives, which in turn leads to increased social monitoring. The research also indicates that behavior-oriented approaches, such as monitoring of supplier environmental and social practices, are an effective approach to improving firm sustainability performance. However, due to resource constraints, a challenge for supply chain managers is where and when to invest in behavior-oriented approaches for suppliers. Originality/value This research advances supply risk literature by exploring the effects of supply sustainability risk on the use of monitoring practices to manage supplier environmental and social behavior. Using a combination of survey and archival data to independently assess the implications of sustainability monitoring practices on firm sustainability performance, this study provides a methodology for evaluating the impact of sustainability monitoring practices on the triple bottom line in supply chain management.Item From Design Inception through Project Completion: Constructing a Secure Homestead in Swaziland, Africa(American Society for Engineering Education, 2016-06) Huffman, Beth; Reker, Kelsey Lee; Frank, Mary Ann; Department of Engineering Technology, School of Engineering and TechnologyThis paper documents the year-long scholastic and experiential journey of a multi-disciplinary, student design team from schematic design through construction administration. The student team worked in tandem with an Architectural Technology professor designing and building a sustainable and secure homestead, or one-room home, in Swaziland, Africa. This experience gave students exposure to the design process from project programming through construction completion, and this paper will focus on describing and documenting both the student and professor experiences for the project’s entirety. The student’s perspective will focus on personal involvement and perceived academic outcomes from the project exposure, while the professor’s perspective will focus on the learning outcomes from the student team involved in the process, as well as extrapolating how this experience could be applied elsewhere.Item Gigaton Problems Need Gigaton Solutions(2010-05) Xu, Ming; Crittenden, John C.; Chen, Yongsheng; Thomas, Valerie M.; Noonan, Douglas S.; DesRoches, Reginald; Brown, Marilyn A.; French, Steve P.Item A Grand Challenge for HCI: Food + Sustainability(ACM, 2017-11) Norton, Juliet; Raturi, Ankita; Nardi, Bonnie; Prost, Sebastian; McDonald, Samantha; Pargman, Daniel; Bates, Oliver; Normark, Maria; Tomlinson, Bill; Herbig, Nico; Dombrowski, Lynn; Human-Centered Computing, School of Informatics and Computing