Transition in place: dynamics, possibilities, and constraints

The Transition Movement is a translocal phenomenon circulated through transnational grassroots networks. This study explores the geographies of the Transition Movement with a theoretical framework that perceives it as both a social movement and a grassroots innovation. Participant-observation of Transition Salt Lake (TSL), located in the suburban metropolis of Salt Lake City, Utah, was conducted, as the United States remains a largely understudied country in regards to this particular movement. In this pursuit, we asked: (i) how and what this transition initiative draws from geographically extensive and intensive relations, (ii) how it combines place-specific elements and generalized models (embeddedness), and (iii) how this impacts the success of the transition initiative and how these impacts (positive or negative) are generated. Place, space, and scale played a large role in defining the nature, dynamics, possibilities, and constraints of this transition initiative. Specifically, geographically intensive and extensive relations were critical for the mobilization of complementary resources. The Transition model was found to be flexible, allowing for the initiative to adopt those elements that worked in place and to focus on locally relevant topics. TSL faced many challenges identified by previous researchers regarding finances, participation, diversity, and intragroup competition. While networking with other similar groups, TSL demonstrated that fertile environments of activism are incubatory pools for grassroots innovations and social movements, and a trade-off was found with competition for resources between local groups

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationGrassroots experimentations with sustainability innovations pose new and interesting questions centering on the geography of transitioning away from highly consumptive, fossil-fuel intensive societies. A wide variety of grassroots innovations have emerged recently addressing a range of possible solutions, from new systems of provision and economic forms, to social organization and housing. This dissertation explores the geography of grassroots sustainabilities, through investigating i) the placebased conditions that might support grassroots sustainabilities, ii) the spaces that grassroots innovators create, and iii) how geographic tools (internet-based mappings) might encourage grassroots innovative activity. As such, the first chapter uses sociodemographic and political affiliation data on the county-level in a spatial analysis of grassroots innovations in the United States. It finds that i) the demographic, political, and spatial contexts in which GIs emerge differ significantly from US averages and to some extent vary amongst the types of GIs, and ii) the spatial distribution of GIs across the United States is uneven. The second chapter employs ethnographic investigation into the spaces of the grassroots innovation community teeming within the politically and religiously conservative context of Salt Lake City, Utah (USA). It finds that counterspaces act in response to the domination of space on multiple scales, which i) causes the alienation that motivates participants and ii) provides a point around which to invert abstract space and define a counterspace. It also finds that the process of creating a new social space is grounded in five moments: i) the self, ii) social networks, iii) material practices, iv) knowledge creation, and v) economic practices. The third chapter employs action research, drawing from the authors' experience in creating the Utah Resilience Map to examine the potentialities and limitations of Digitally-Mediated Participatory Mapping (DGPM) for grassroots sustainabilities from a critical Geographic Information Systems (GIS) perspective. Specifically, it investigates issues of i) participation, knowledge, and inclusion and ii) access, visibility, and sustainability. It also explores the benefits and complexities of these maps for local users and in the context of broader sustainability transitions. The conclusion explores broader implications of the chapters and areas for future research

Master of Science

thesisThe climate change movement shares a single grievance that it seeks to address, climate change, but within this movement there are different perspectives on, first, what solutions are most appropriate and, second, what the fundamental problem is to be addressed. Looking at these two factors through the lens of system justification theory reveals a spectrum of difference within the climate change movement. On one end of this spectrum is Radical Resistance, defined by an advocacy for systemic change, rejecting market and technological fixes and urging instead for alternative, noncapitalist systems centered around environmental goals and social justice. On the other end of this spectrum, Ecological Modernists see addressing climate change as a matter of “greening” capitalism and promoting informational campaigns directed at changing individual attitudes around climate change, which, it is assumed, will prompt behavioral change. The second chapter discusses survey-based research applied to determine the relationships between belief factors, including concern about climate change, climate change mitigation approach, political identification, and system justification tendency; action, in this case, carbon footprint; and demographic factors. Statistical analysis reveals that concern about climate change is not associated with a substantially lower carbon footprint in relation to the national average and to low-emission scenario targets. The third chapter discusses what insight geographers may apply to social movement study by using the concepts of space, place, and scale to the core social movements literature, which looks at how social movements mobilize resources, exploited or are foreclosed by political processes, and express identity lost within hegemonic capitalist systems. Place, space, and scale, however, are concepts hinged on the notion of territoriality, that territories are bounded spaces made distinct by differences in social, economic, and political situations in distinct places, which in the context of globalization at times may not hold, thus demanding a relational perspective. This study incorporates the concepts of both territoriality and relationality by looking at the geographically extensive relations of the Transition movement, which are distant relations facilitated by globalization, and at territorially intensive relations, or proximate relations where spatial proximity and place-based context make in imprint on social movement outcomes

Grassroots innovations for sustainability in the United States: a spatial analysis

In response to unsustainable dominant systems of production and consumption, grassroots innovations for sustainability (GIs) experiment with new forms of sustainable living. A wide variety of GIs have emerged recently addressing a range of possible solutions, from new systems of provision and economic forms, to social organization and housing. The main motivation of this research is to better understand what place-based conditions may facilitate the emergence of GIs, as a whole, and amongst different types. Using county-level data, we find that i) the demographic, political, and spatial contexts in which GIs emerge differ significantly from US averages and to some extent vary amongst the types of GIs, and ii) the spatial distribution of GIs across the United States is uneven

Collagen scaffolds functionalised with copper-eluting bioactive glass reduce infection and enhance osteogenesis and angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo.

The bone infection osteomyelitis (typically by Staphylococcus aureus) usually requires a multistep procedure of surgical debridement, long-term systemic high-dose antibiotics, and - for larger defects - bone grafting. This, combined with the alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, necessitates development of alternative approaches. Herein, we describe a one-step treatment for osteomyelitis that combines local, controlled release of non-antibiotic antibacterials with a regenerative collagen-based scaffold. To maximise efficacy, we utilised bioactive glass, an established osteoconductive material with immense capacity for bone repair, as a delivery platform for copper ions (proven antibacterial, angiogenic, and osteogenic properties). Multifunctional collagen-copper-doped bioactive glass scaffolds (CuBG-CS) were fabricated with favourable microarchitectural and mechanical properties (up to 1.9-fold increase in compressive modulus over CS) within the ideal range for bone tissue engineering. Scaffolds demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (up to 66% inhibition) whilst also enhancing osteogenesis (up to 3.6-fold increase in calcium deposition) and angiogenesis in vitro. Most significantly, when assessed in a chick embryo in vivo model, CuBG-CS not only demonstrated biocompatibility, but also a significant angiogenic and osteogenic response, consistent with in vitro studies. Collectively, these results indicate that the CuBG-CS developed here show potential as a one-step osteomyelitis treatment: reducing infection, whilst enhancing bone healing.</p