Cultivating Water Literacy in STEM Education: Undergraduates’ Socio-Scientific Reasoning about Socio-Hydrologic Issues

Water-literate individuals effectively reason about the hydrologic concepts that underlie socio-hydrological issues (SHI), but functional water literacy also requires concomitant reasoning about the societal, non-hydrological aspects of SHI. Therefore, this study explored the potential for the socio-scientific reasoning construct (SSR), which includes consideration of the complexity of issues, the perspectives of stakeholders involved, the need for ongoing inquiry, skepticism about information sources, and the affordances of science toward the resolution of the issue, to aid undergraduates in acquiring such reasoning skills. In this fixed, embedded mixed methods study (N = 91), we found SHI to hold great potential as meaningful contexts for the development of water literacy, and that SSR is a viable and useful construct for better understanding undergraduates’ reasoning about the hydrological and non-hydrological aspects of SHI. The breadth of reasoning sources to which participants referred and the depth of the SSR they exhibited in justifying those sources varied within and between the dimensions of SSR. A number of participants’ SSR was highly limited. Implications for operationalizing, measuring, and describing undergraduate students’ SSR, as well as for supporting its development for use in research and the classroom, are discussed

Reconceptualising adaptation to climate change as part of pathways of change and response

The need to adapt to climate change is now widely recognised as evidence of its impacts on social and natural systems grows and greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated. Yet efforts to adapt to climate change, as reported in the literature over the last decade and in selected case studies, have not led to substantial rates of implementation of adaptation actions despite substantial investments in adaptation science. Moreover, implemented actions have been mostly incremental and focused on proximate causes; there are far fewer reports of more systemic or transformative actions. We found that the nature and effectiveness of responses was strongly influenced by framing. Recent decision-oriented approaches that aim to overcome this situation are framed within a "pathways" metaphor to emphasise the need for robust decision making within adaptive processes in the face of uncertainty and inter-temporal complexity. However, to date, such "adaptation pathways" approaches have mostly focused on contexts with clearly identified decision-makers and unambiguous goals; as a result, they generally assume prevailing governance regimes are conducive for adaptation and hence constrain responses to proximate causes of vulnerability. In this paper, we explore a broader conceptualisation of "adaptation pathways" that draws on 'pathways thinking' in the sustainable development domain to consider the implications of path dependency, interactions between adaptation plans, vested interests and global change, and situations where values, interests, or institutions constrain societal responses to change. This re-conceptualisation of adaptation pathways aims to inform decision makers about integrating incremental actions on proximate causes with the transformative aspects of societal change. Case studies illustrate what this might entail. The paper ends with a call for further exploration of theory, methods and procedures to operationalise this broader conceptualisation of adaptation

Net solar generation potential from urban rooftops in Los Angeles

Rooftops provide accessible locations for solar energy installations. While rooftop solar arrays can offset in-building electricity needs, they may also stress electric grid operations. Here we present an analysis of net electricity generation potential from distributed rooftop solar in Los Angeles. We integrate spatial and temporal data for property-level electricity demands, rooftop solar generation potential, and grid capacity constraints to estimate the potential for solar to meet on-site demands and supply net exports to the electric grid. In the study area with 1.2 million parcels, rooftop solar could meet 7200 Gigawatt Hours (GWh) of on-site building demands (~29% of demand). Overall potential net generation is negative, meaning buildings use more electricity than they can produce. Yet, cumulative net export potential from solar to grid circuits is 16,400 GWh. Current policies that regulate solar array interconnection to the grid result in unutilized solar power output of 1700 MW. Lower-income and at-risk communities in LA have greater potential for exporting net solar generation to the grid. This potential should be recognized through investments and policy innovations. The method demonstrates the need for considering time-dependent calculations of net solar potential and offers a template for distributed renewable energy planning in cities

Human-Water-GHG nexus in China: water stress assessment, mitigation and related GHG emissions within the societal water cycle

Human activities have a profound impact on water resources (water quantity and pollution induced stress) through various processes of the societal water cycle, which includes processes of water supply, treatment, distribution, residential end use, wastewater collection, treatment, reuse, and discharge. At the same time, GHG emissions are generated throughout all processes of the societal water cycle. This thesis aims to explore causes, impacts, and solutions to water stress, and its related GHG emissions within the societal water cycle in China. Three knowledge gaps are filled in this thesis: (1). Accurate assessment of water stress; (2). Societal water cycle and its impacts on water resources, and mitigation of water stress; (3). Accurate accounting of GHG emissions of the societal water cycle (especially wastewater treatment process). The main results of this thesis show that the framework of societal water cycle provides a new insight into water stress assessment and mitigation. Water loss and return flows are main contributors to water quantity stress (36-80%). Agriculture and households are top pollution sources. Strategies are proposed for mitigating water stress in each province by reducing water loss and return flows in the top 5 sub sectors with the greatest potential for reducing water stress (28-74%). Wastewater treatment and reuse can mitigate water stress but are insufficient. A high-resolution (firm level) and time-series (from 2006 to 2019) GHG emission inventory of wastewater treatment plants in China was developed, which serves as a crucial support for implementing GHG mitigation measures for wastewater treatment process

Assessing the cumulative environmental effects of marine renewable energy developments: establishing common ground

Assessing and managing the cumulative impacts of human activities on the environment remains a major challenge to sustainable development. This challenge is highlighted by the worldwide expansion of marine renewable energy developments (MREDs) in areas already subject to multiple activities and climate change. Cumulative effects assessments in theory provide decision makers with adequate information about how the environment will respond to the incremental effects of licensed activities and are a legal requirement in many nations. In practise, however, such assessments are beset by uncertainties resulting in substantial delays during the licensing process that reduce MRED investor confidence and limit progress towards meeting climate change targets. In light of these targets and ambitions to manage the marine environment sustainably, reducing the uncertainty surrounding MRED effects and cumulative effects assessment are timely and vital. This review investigates the origins and evolution of cumulative effects assessment to identify why the multitude of approaches and pertinent research have emerged, and discusses key considerations and challenges relevant to assessing the cumulative effects of MREDs and other activities on ecosystems. The review recommends a shift away from the current reliance on disparate environmental impact assessments and limited strategic environmental assessments, and a move towards establishing a common system of coordinated data and research relative to ecologically meaningful areas, focussed on the needs of decision makers tasked with protecting and conserving marine ecosystems and services

Human-Water-GHG nexus in China: water stress assessment, mitigation and related GHG emissions within the societal water cycle

Human activities have a profound impact on water resources (water quantity and pollution induced stress) through various processes of the societal water cycle, which includes processes of water supply, treatment, distribution, residential end use, wastewater collection, treatment, reuse, and discharge. At the same time, GHG emissions are generated throughout all processes of the societal water cycle. This thesis aims to explore causes, impacts, and solutions to water stress, and its related GHG emissions within the societal water cycle in China. Three knowledge gaps are filled in this thesis: (1). Accurate assessment of water stress; (2). Societal water cycle and its impacts on water resources, and mitigation of water stress; (3). Accurate accounting of GHG emissions of the societal water cycle (especially wastewater treatment process). The main results of this thesis show that the framework of societal water cycle provides a new insight into water stress assessment and mitigation. Water loss and return flows are main contributors to water quantity stress (36-80%). Agriculture and households are top pollution sources. Strategies are proposed for mitigating water stress in each province by reducing water loss and return flows in the top 5 sub sectors with the greatest potential for reducing water stress (28-74%). Wastewater treatment and reuse can mitigate water stress but are insufficient. A high-resolution (firm level) and time-series (from 2006 to 2019) GHG emission inventory of wastewater treatment plants in China was developed, which serves as a crucial support for implementing GHG mitigation measures for wastewater treatment process

Pricing irrigation water : a literature survey

As water scarcity and population pressures increase, more countries are adopting water pricing mechanisms, as their primary means of regulating the consumption of irrigation water. The way to allocate water efficiently is to"get the prices right", but how to accomplish this is open to debate. Water pricing methods are sensitive to the social, physical, institutional, and political setting. To assess the costs and benefits of a particular irrigation project, the pricing method must be tailored to local circumstances. The author's survey of the resource economics literature on irrigation services and pricing, will be useful for developing comprehensive guidelines for water policy practitioners. He synthesizes accumulated knowledge about the implementation, and performance of various water pricing methods used over the past two decades: volumetric pricing (marginal cost pricing), output and input pricing, per area pricing, tiered pricing, two part tariffs, and water markets. As water scarcity and population pressures increase, more countries are adopting water pricing mechanisms as their primary means of regulating the consumption of irrigation water. The way to allocate water efficiently is to"get the prices right", but how to accomplish this is open to debate. Water pricing methods are sensitive to the social, physical, institutional, and political setting. To assess the costs and benefits of a particular irrigation project, the pricing method must be tailored to local circumstances. The author's survey of the resource economics literature on irrigation services and pricing, will be useful for developing comprehensive guidelines for water policy practitioners. He synthesizes accumulated knowledge about the implementation, and performance of various water pricing methods used over the past two decades: volumetric pricing (marginal cost pricing), output and input pricing, per area pricing, tiered pricing, two part tariffs, and water markets.Water and Industry,Water Conservation,Water Resources Law,Environmental Economics&Policies,Sanitation and Sewerage,Water and Industry,Water Conservation,Water Use,Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions,Town Water Supply and Sanitation

Sustainable Urban Systems: Co-design and Framing for Transformation

Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy and decision makers are challenged by the complexity of cities as social–ecological–technical systems. Consequently there is an increasing need for collaborative knowledge development that supports a whole-of-system view, and transformational change at multiple scales. Such holistic urban approaches are rare in practice. A co-design process involving researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders, has progressed such an approach in the Australian context, aiming to also contribute to international knowledge development and sharing. This process has generated three outputs: (1) a shared framework to support more systematic knowledge development and use, (2) identification of barriers that create a gap between stated urban goals and actual practice, and (3) identification of strategic focal areas to address this gap. Developing integrated strategies at broader urban scales is seen as the most pressing need. The knowledge framework adopts a systems perspective that incorporates the many urban trade-offs and synergies revealed by a systems view. Broader implications are drawn for policy and decision makers, for researchers and for a shared forward agenda

School Leader Perceptions about the Implementation and Utility of Restorative Practices

This phenomenological qualitative study examined school leaders\u27 perceptions of using restorative practices within their schools. Participants included twelve school leaders who had experience with utilizing and implementing restorative practices. School leaders included: principals, assistant principals, deans, and administrative assistants. Research indicates that restorative practices are adapted to support specific school goals. Restorative practices are not practiced in isolation, as school leaders often couple restorative justice with social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, and other social-emotional supports. Restorative practices are tied closely to CASEL’s social emotional framework. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews using a virtual platform. Themes that emerged from the analysis of data included: (a) other staff members help support effective implementation and support of restorative practices; (b) other social-emotional supports, including trauma-informed practices support restorative practices; (c) relationships between staff and students are at the core of restorative practices; and (d) restorative practices positively influence students and the overall school climate. Restorative practices implementation and utility are informal systems influenced by the school leaders\u27 commitment to their implementation

Synthesis Report: Implementing a Regional, Indigenous-Led and Sustainability-Informed Impact Assessment in Ontario’s Ring of Fire

Background: the issue Development in Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”, a significant deposit of minerals, including chromite, located in the boreal region of the far north of the province, has been on the table for many years. Despite the fact that successive governments have hyped the value of the resources, the remoteness and lack of infrastructure, as well as the inability of governments to obtain the buy-in of all of the First Nations communities in the region, has left the Ring of Fire undeveloped. Thus, Ontario’s far north remains one of the world’s largest, most intact ecological systems. The boreal forest and peatlands play key roles in regulating the climate. Proposed mining in this region has generated significant controversy and conflict because the potential for wealth generation is accompanied by the potential for significant and possibly serious negative impacts and cumulative effects, as recently-proposed infrastructure developments quite literally ‘pave the way’ for multiple mines and generations of extraction. The proposals also present a likelihood of inequitably distributed benefits and risks at a variety of physical and temporal scales, with remote Anishinaabe and Anishini communities and their ways of life particularly vulnerable in this regard. These communities are already experiencing an ongoing state of social emergency with youth suicide, addiction and housing crises, as well as a persistent lack of essential community infrastructure, including safe drinking water. For many years, analysts and First Nations leaders have been calling for a regional process in order to broadly assess the expected impacts of the proposed developments in the Ring of Fire. They have noted the complexity of the contemplated infrastructure decisions, the potential for lasting negative impacts, and vast cumulative effects. And yet, without this framework in place, provincial and federal impact assessment (IA) regimes are currently proceeding to assess two individual road proposals that threaten to open the region up to mining. Objectives With this research, our team has synthesized knowledge across a range of areas, including Indigenous-led IA, regional and strategic approaches to IA, and the use of gender-based analysis plus in IA, and applied it to the example of Ontario’s Ring of Fire. In doing so, our primary aim has been to develop, test, and propose a workable plan for how such an approach could be adopted in the specific context of Ontario’s Far North. Methodology Our team began with a period of background preparation and literature review, including following the developments in the region over the fall months, including the progression of the project-level assessments that were being conducted at the federal and provincial levels for the Marten Falls Community Access Road and the Webequie Supply Road. The PI conducted a community visit, workshop and some interviews in collaboration with Neskantaga First Nation in November 2019. Subsequent to that visit, the team collaboratively prepared three draft models for how a regional IA could be implemented in partnership with an Indigenous Governing Authority (IGA) in the region. The team convened a day-long meeting with 14 community representatives, elders and leaders from Neskantaga First Nation in Thunder Bay on January 23, 2020 to discuss, debate and refine the models. The discussion was audio-recorded with permission, transcribed and coded. From there, the team finalized our recommendations and began drafting this report. Key messages The key messages communicated to us by knowledge holders, elders, and leadership in the community engagement sessions included: • The people in the communities are the real authority; the grassroots and the elders must be heard for any process to be legitimate; • The appropriate Indigenous Governing Authority (IGA) must be a collective of affected First Nations, rather than one of the existing tribal councils or regional organizations, such as NAN or Matawa (on the basis of ecological connectivity and socio-cultural impacts related to probable infrastructure locations); • An Elders Advisory Council should be an integral element at all stages of decision-making; • The ongoing state of social emergency must be addressed first, before new projects can be adequately considered. Communities must be satisfied that any potential new projects or infrastructure will mitigate the crises, and enhance long-term social, cultural and ecological sustainability; and, • Any regional approaches need to provide a framework that can effectively guide project-level assessments and approvals, which in turn lead into community-level consent processes, in line with local protocols. Results The recommended model includes a semi-permanent Ring of Fire Commission to be established by agreement between the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change and an Indigenous Governing Authority made up of impacted and interested First Nations. The Commission, in conjunction with an Elder Advisory Council, should develop a framework for cumulative effects; baseline data (including on the ongoing social emergency); criteria for a modified ‘positive contribution to sustainability’ test; and a regional plan. Under the umbrella of the Commission, we recommend a joint panel review process for making subsequent decisions about individual projects proposed for the region, within the parameters established by the Commission. Decisions on individual projects will subsequently be made independently by each relevant governing authority. For more information, contact Professor Dayna Nadine Scott, [email protected]