Making Meaning in the Anthropocene: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Investigation of College Student Response to Planetary Ecological Crises

Higher education, with its core purpose in the generation and transmission of knowledge, has a particular role to play in society’s response to the global ecological crisis. Yet a key question is whether higher education is part of the problem or part of the solution. Sustainability educators insist that higher education, if it is to adequately address these challenges, must shift away from “mechanism” – a rationalist worldview that historically has shaped higher education’s culture and practices – toward an integrative worldview and epistemology that will guide teaching and learning in the new millennium. Emergent pedagogies and student development theories that are situated in an integrative epistemology are two resources within higher education that can support college students as they grapple with the personal, academic, professional, and existential challenges of the climate crisis. However, current research on college student responses to climate change is typically not centered in an integrative framework. It therefore does not provide the kind of knowledge that can engage with these emergent pedagogies and student development theories and practices to enhance their capacity to address the needs of college students within the context of the climate crisis. Using a conceptual framework derived from integrative worldview perspectives, this qualitative study employs constructivist grounded theory to investigate how emerging adults are making meaning of their lives within the context of the existential threats related to planetary ecological degradation. Through exploring connections among young adults’ feelings, thoughts and actions in their responses to the climate crisis, this study offers a conceptualization of identity, Planetary Identity, that is shaped by the reciprocal interrelationship of self and other, including the self in relationship with the other-than-human world. The study also engages in a preliminary exploration of possible connections between this conceptualization and integrative student development theories and integrative sustainability pedagogies. The aim of this exploration is to help initiate a conversation from both sides of higher education, academic affairs and student affairs, which seeks to fortify higher education’s capacity to support students and lead with compassion and justice in its response to the mounting challenges of the planetary ecological crisis

EVALUATING THE MYTH OF ALLELOPATHY IN CALIFORNIA BLUE GUM PLANTATIONS

It is widely accepted that allelopathy is not only significant, but more or less singular, in the inhibition of understory vegetation in California Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations. However, there is no published documentation of allelopathy by blue gums against California native species. Here, we present evidence that germination and early seedling growth of five California native species are not inhibited by chemical extracts of blue gum foliage, either at naturally-occurring or artificially concentrated levels. In the greenhouse, seeds were germinated in field-collected soil from mature blue gum plantations and the adjacent native, coastal scrub communities. In petri plates, seeds of native species were germinated in the presence of concentrated volatile and water-soluble compounds from fresh foliage of blue gum, coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) as a negative control, or white sage (Salvia apiana) as a positive control, or in a water control. In the greenhouse, blue gum soil supported germination and early seedling growth of native species equal to or better than coastal scrub soil. In the lab, germination of native species was not inhibited when grown in the presence of volatile compounds from blue gum foliage, compared to the native control (coast live oak) or the neutral water control. Germination of three out of five native species tested was not inhibited in the presence of water-soluble compounds from blue gum foliage, compared to coast live oak or the water control. Our results contradict the long-standing paradigm that blue gums are toxic to California natives, which may have significant implications for management and restoration of land historically occupied by blue gum plantations

Well-being capital and government’s intervention to dam’s affected residents: Pak Mun Dam, Thailand

Government plays an important role as a well-being capital provider through policies, strategies, or even direct provision to local residents to improve their livelihoods. Pak Mun Dam is one of the most controversial dams in Thailand, and government intervention is needed to solve the issues the dam has created. This study tests the premise that government intervention will impact overall well-being only through structural means by providing strategy and policies related to social and economic well-being. Government training programs and government services will impact over all well-being through social well-being. A satisfactory solution to the Pak Mun Dam situation will impact overall well-being through economic well-being. In this study a number of items, related to different well-being dimensions, were examined. The findings suggest that appropriate policy must address the four significant items which surfaced in the economic well-being measure and ten items in the social well-being dimension

Uncommons: Transforming Dusty Reading Rooms into Artefactual, "Third Space," Library Learning Labs

This article describes the implementation of two inexpensive social learning library laboratories for advanced students in Latin American and Chicana/o studies. Drawing on philosophical literature from these interdisciplinary area and ethnic studies, these cases present a “third space” option for library learning called uncommons. This term denotes alternative book-laden spaces for student scholars practicing, rather than studying, their disciplinary crafts. As a “third space,” uncommons invite advanced students to resist the false dichotomy between technology and tradition and to present their work among peers while also engaging tangible and audible, as opposed to virtual, creative or academic texts

Temporary microglia-depletion after cosmic radiation modifies phagocytic activity and prevents cognitive deficits.

Microglia are the main immune component in the brain that can regulate neuronal health and synapse function. Exposure to cosmic radiation can cause long-term cognitive impairments in rodent models thereby presenting potential obstacles for astronauts engaged in deep space travel. The mechanism/s for how cosmic radiation induces cognitive deficits are currently unknown. We find that temporary microglia depletion, one week after cosmic radiation, prevents the development of long-term memory deficits. Gene array profiling reveals that acute microglia depletion alters the late neuroinflammatory response to cosmic radiation. The repopulated microglia present a modified functional phenotype with reduced expression of scavenger receptors, lysosome membrane protein and complement receptor, all shown to be involved in microglia-synapses interaction. The lower phagocytic activity observed in the repopulated microglia is paralleled by improved synaptic protein expression. Our data provide mechanistic evidence for the role of microglia in the development of cognitive deficits after cosmic radiation exposure