A World Class Lithium Deposit In Western Maine; Fascinating Minerals, Big Problems with Old Maps, Intriguing Links to Paleoclimate, and the Tectonic Evolution of Western Maine.

Recording of the talk A World Class Lithium Deposit In Western Maine; Fascinating Minerals, Big Problems with Old Maps, Intriguing Links to Paleoclimate, and the Tectonic Evolution of Western Maine at the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Portland, OR which took place on January 11, 2024

South Korean Veganism(s) and the Euro-American Imagination of Korean Food

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Green Toys: an analysis on toy companies through an environmental lens

This is a podcast dedicated to uncovering and sharing the impact large toy companies that rely heavily on plastic have on the environment. Sustainability has increasingly become a major concern in the focus of large corporations. In recent times, we’ve seen public interest shifting towards holding companies accountable for what they use to make their products with. People want to know that when they buy products for themselves or loved ones, they aren’t buying cheap, disposable products from a company that sends a bad message. In this podcast, I discuss different toy companies, such as LEGO and Mattel, and some of their main products, considering how they are (or aren’t) being sustainable

Retelling Malaga Island

Malaga Island has a history that many other communities in the United States share: erasure. Off the coast of Phippsburg Maine on Malaga Island a mixed race fishing community once resided in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. This community was displaced in the wake of economic turmoil for the state and was justified by the eugenics movement that was surging throughout the country. This story is often forgotten about or told in ways that perpetuate the harmful stereotypes spread during the community\u27s forced removal. In my research I aim to gather the history of Malaga Island in a way that humanizes and remembers this community in ways that are more than just their displacement. Not only did BIPOC live in Maine, but they had an interesting connection to Maine’s coastal environment that many Mainers to this day share. This project will also explore artistic avenues that have ways of telling a more emotional history and connect Mainers to this story in ways that elevate Maine’s BIPOC history

Earth\u27s Guardian: The Crucial Role of Soil Science in Protecting Our Planet

Research Statement: Casey Shultis Senior Capstone in Environmental Studies As a culmination of my work at Bates College, I aim to increase the accessibility of environmental education and its profound connection to climate change. As a senior soon to graduate with a degree in environmental studies, I have seen an array of climate education. I found myself frustrated with the inaccessibility of the information and learning that I obtained in college. How could I combine my college education in environmental science and my previous experience in environmental education for thousands of people on social media to make climate science more accessible for my capstone project in environmental studies? My research will focus on the multifaceted and complex science behind soil. Soil science, which focuses on the intricate connections of the abiotic and biotic components of a soil ecosystem, plays a significant role in both learning about climate change and how a vital ecosystem can mitigate the impacts of a fluctuating climate. My research will uncover the intricacies of soil science such as understanding the basic principles of structure of texture within the soil. My research will later build off of the basic systems and components to make greater claims about the significant benefits of a healthy soil ecosystem. This will culminate with several links to climate change, which is where my research will differ from the literature and materials already available. While environmental research is available, most fail to connect to the overall significance of climate change. My research will also go a step further and explain what climate change means for soil. In the end, I will compile my research in the format of a chapter book for a middle school audience. This is the main component of my research, though I also will write an op-ed style piece. This can be something they are assigned for homework in class or even something that can be found in a library. This is the perfect audience for my research, as there is a lack of communication between the science of environmental topics, systems, and processes for kids who demand to know more about the world that is constantly changing around them. The popular idea within society is that the next generation will need to solve the climate crisis. Not only is environmental education limited, but it is rarely linked to climate change. Guided by research that I break down, this chapter book will focus on the science behind soil, the benefits of soil for our planet, and how soil health directly impacts the climate crisis. My goal is to provide younger generations with a starting point to spark their curious minds about environmental sciences and climate change. My research and this book will serve as the spark to jumpstart young minds into the world of environmental science and provide them with the inspiration to protect the world around them

Beavers: How a 100 Pound Rodent Fights Climate Change and Preserves Biodiversity

This capstone project includes an op-ed, story map, and final zine-style article that all explore the multitudes of ways in which beavers’ environmental engineering activities have profoundly positive impacts on ecosystem health. The story map and zine include photographs, which were all taken by myself with the aim to create a more engaging multimedia reading experience. To include new, unpublished information, I took to the field with two biologists working with Maine’s threatened turtles and explored the numerous impacts of beavers on the life histories of these species. All three pieces of work discuss similar content and themes, with the zine being the most detailed and thorough of them all. Reading my final project will hopefully leave you with a much stronger understanding of the history of beavers in the United States, how beavers fight climate change and improve biodiversity, and how conservationists are working with beavers to bring back threatened species

The Making of Fishable and Swimmable: The Ecological and Socio-Cultural Impacts of the Clean Water Act in the Androscoggin River Valley

This is a historical analysis of the ecological and social impacts of the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) within the Androscoggin River Valley. The clean water movement for pollution abatement on the Androscoggin River is analyzed through a scientific and socio-cultural lens to see how successfully the CWA was at improving the water quality of the river and how it changed how river valley residents related to the river. This thesis uses a comparative analysis at two separate time periods, 1940-1972 and 1972 to 2023 to analyze the act\u27s impacts. Through research and interviews this thesis looks at the improvements in water quality spurred on by the CWA and the multivalent perspectives on the rivers transformation from an industrial to a recreational river

From Local Roots to Global Networks: Unveiling the Dynamics of Global and Local Framings in the Ecovillage Movement

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Unveiling Realities: Building Trans Visibility in Climate Discourse

Trans and gender-diverse individuals bear a disproportionate burden of the impacts of climate change. Despite this, their climate-specific needs and challenges remain inadequately researched and underrepresented in both climate change discourse and governance spaces. My Senior Capstone Project draws public attention to the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of trans individuals within the broader context of climate-related issues, and advocates for their inclusion and resilience. My three public writing pieces delve into various dimensions of this intersection, understanding how climate change affects transgender individuals, emphasizing the importance of including transgender voices in climate justice and governance discussions, highlighting the resilience of transgender individuals in the face of climate challenges, and proposing new models for mapping and addressing trans-specific vulnerabilities to climate change

A Case Study of Western Maine - Imagining Futures With Climate Change in Alpine Skiing

Since the first winter I learned to ski in 2004, 20 years of time has exposed 200 years of environmental change that has instigated 50 years of climatic change. Winter tourism, ski towns, ski corporations, family-owned ski hills, local businesses, and local people of alpine communities have a large task at hand. In a state that sits next to one of the fastest warming bodies of water in the world (the Gulf of Maine), a community that relies on consistent snowpacks will require broad adaptation to fit in with a more destabilized future. This paper analyzes two avenues for anticipating and planning for the future, and highlights how those differences can have a significant impact on the success of Western Maine as it pertains to declining snowpacks and a changing climate. We discuss the culmination of both local findings with broader ecological information to draw interpretation of the future of winter tourism in Western Maine