Inequitable distribution in environmental justice is defined as one group bearing an excessive burden of environmental hazards. This concept has been applied to large energy facilities such as waste disposal sites and nuclear power plants, but has not been used in reference to “green” renewable energy facilities such as wind farms. Large scale wind farms tend to be clustered in rural areas where wind potential is greatest. The goal of my research was to determine if there is a systematic implementation of utility scale wind development in small rural communities which are already bearing other environmental burdens. To answer this question I conducted a case study of the town of Arlington, Oregon which is home to two of Waste Management’s largest waste facilities and seven wind farms. After mapping the facilities and the areas of impact, I found a small community dealing with multiple risk burdens from these facilities. I then examined wind farm and waste site locations throughout the Pacific Northwest to determine if this occurrence was an isolated incident or was repeated elsewhere. If this process is systemic to the siting of renewable facilities, knowing what we know about the unjust distribution of large scale energy plants, why do we not have better siting policies concerning new, “green” renewable energy?

 Wind power is currently the fastest growing source of energy in the Pacific Northwest. In order to facilitate the rapid expansion of wind energy in the region, a development-friendly siting and permitting structure has been established. Using the framework of environmental justice, I examine the ability for local citizens to participate in the decision-making processes of recently approved industrial-scale wind farm complexes in Kittitas County, Washington. Of particular relevance is the lack of local control and the protracted time frame of the process which can extend upwards of 7 years before a final siting decision is made. An analysis of resident interviews and public comments highlight how the current process contributes to feelings of frustration and disappointment among participating stakeholders. These factors ultimately point to an environmental injustice where the communities most affected by utility-scale wind development are not able to participate meaningfully in decisions regarding it.

In recent years, the unique optical properties supported by noble metal nanostructures have fostered great interest in the field of biosensing. Studies have concluded that incident light can excite collective electron oscillations, called surface plasmon polaritons (SPP), which propagate as waves along planar metal film surfaces. When confined to sub-wavelength physical features, these waves resonate and produce tremendous, localized electric fields that significantly enhance optical phenomenon. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) arises from the concentrated electric fields supported by irradiated nanostructured noble metal films. Due to its chemical specificity, and extraordinary Raman signal intensification, SERS has emerged as powerful tool for chemical and biological sensing applications. Our group utilizes lithographic techniques to manufacture arrays of quasi three-dimensional (Q3D) nanostructured patterns with precise geometric dimensions. The physical dimensions of Q3D nanostructures may be tuned such that incident light selectively induces electric field enhancement on the top, continuous gold surface that contains nanoholes, or in the bottom, discontinuous phase comprised of gold nanodisks. As a consequence, Q3D nanostructured arrays may be specifically designed to detect larger analytes (e.g. microorganisms) that contact the top continuous phase, or molecular species capable of passing through nanoholes to contact the nanodisks. In this study, Q3D nanostructures designed for nanodisk enhancement are utilized to detect pesticide molecules at low concentrations in aqueous solution. Results from this research may aid in the development of a microfluidic device for on-site environmental monitoring of river systems. 

The American Farmland Trust estimates that we are losing more than an acre of farm and ranch land every minute. This rapid conversion of farmland to residential and commercial development presents an urgent and dangerous problem, as it severely compromises our ability to grow our own food, and raises serious issues of food security, resiliency, and environmental degradation. However, there are numerous tools that counties can employ to reverse this trend and protect local farmland. Counties are in the driver’s seat when it comes to farmland preservation, and this research looks critically at what counties can do to prevent conversion using the tools of regulation, development rights, tax incentives, and economic development, while highlighting the Puget Sound Basin as a case study for what is working and what needs improvement at the county level. I gathered most of this information in my internship with the American Farmland Trust, where I worked with a graduate student to create a scorecard using the above criteria, and used it to evaluate the farmland protection programs of the 12 counties in the Puget Sound Basin. Among our findings are that total farmland acreage in the Puget Sound is dwindling, that no county reaches the ideal in farmland protection programs, and that farmland across the Sound remains vulnerable. Fortunately, there are a number of counties that are using certain tools very effectively, and counties can draw on one another’s strengths and examples to shape better farmland protection programs across the region.

Storm water runoff has been a growing issue in recent years. Many of us know that the increase of land cover by impermeable surfaces, such as concrete and home shingles, has caused much of this issue. Puyallup was once a vast valley of fertile soil, but is now seen as a fast growing suburban area. The transition between these two points in time explains a lot about the storm water runoff problem the Puyallup valley is now facing. Deforestation was the first step to the storm water runoff problem; before the early settlers of the Puyallup valley could start utilizing the fertile soil of the valley for agriculture, they had to rid of most of the trees in the area. Mono crop agriculture was the second step, depleting the soil of its natural ability to hold itself together. Urbanization, paving and building in particular, are the most recent and relevant to the issue of storm water runoff in the Puyallup valley. I have examined each of these historical events in detail to explain how the use of land in Puyallup corresponds to storm water runoff. My research includes primary source information from some of the first settlers of the Puyallup valley and land surveyors’ reports over time. I have also used GIS maps of the Puyallup area and information from peer reviewed scientific research articles on storm water runoff. My research shows that the change in land use over time has brought us to the storm water runoff issue we face today. The progression through time shows that deforestation, mono crop agriculture, and development shaped the issue of storm water runoff we face today.

The current geographical configuration of the Titlow Beach area in Tacoma, Washington has its origins in the 1903 purchase of the northern half of the W.B. Wilton Land Claim by Aaron R. Titlow. It now includes a city park, a state marine preserve, and a residential neighborhood with a few businesses. Our project is to research and delineate the geographical changes over time to this area, beginning with the arrival of Europeans to its shores. The word “arrival” is key to our project, as the various modes of transportation which brought Europeans and then Americans to the area will be used to convey each major shift in the land’s use. The three modes of transportation most responsible for these geographical changes are boat, railroad, and automobile. Boats brought the first European settlers to the area; the railroad helped fulfill Aaron Titlow’s dream of turning the area into a vacation destination; and the invention and subsequent proliferation of the automobile effectively put an end to his dream, transforming the area into a residential suburb. Our research includes comparing the area’s current features to its original Wilton land surveys of 1868; analyzing the methods used to make the area accessible by boat, then railroad, and then automobile; interviewing local long-time residents; and researching state and city data pertaining to the area’s respective marine preserve and park. Of particular interest to us is the ecological impact Titlow’s hotel had on the area, including his litigious influence on the Northern Pacific Railroad’s specific route through his tourist destination, and the three-story hotel’s subsequent transformation to a one-story lodge. We also hope to uncover the ecological impact on the beach that has resulted from the oil-tar-creosote-coated derelict pilings that are still standing after the dismantling of the beach’s ferry terminal.

The modern parents' choice between disposable and reuseable affects not only their child but their global and local community. In exchange for more convient disposable diapers the industry has degraded the environment, introduced public health hazards, strained waste management efforts, and increased monetary costs of diaper consumers. Cloth diapers provide parents a less impactful option and a good value economically. This paper will explore the harmful effects of disposable diapers, the benefits of cloth diapers, why and how parents choose their diapers, and why most parents (90 percents) choose disposables. The motivation behind parents' choice will be studied, and their knowledge of diapers will be assessed. Interviews will consists of parents with young children using either cloth diapers or disposable diapers. Analysis of the interviews will access disparities between the parents and how society might educate parents to choose a diaper that is more ecologically sustainable, financially endurable, and better for their children's immediate health and development.