http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/environment Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sun, 17 May 2026 10:23:43 -0400 Sun, 17 May 2026 10:23:43 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1960/against-eco-camp-analyzing-the-flaws-of-the-modern-climate-movement By Matthew Quintos - This interdisciplinary paper investigates the shortfalls and obstacles to success currently facing the climate movement, examining issues represented by the disconnect between policy and electoral politics, the hypocrisy and blatant indifference of nations and leaders, and the repeated exclusion of indigenous communities. These challenges are explored through the lens of camp, as defined by Susan Sontag in her seminal essay “Notes on Camp.” Susan Sontag’s descriptions in her essay were designed to more clearly articulate the behaviors, practices, ideas, and sentiments associated... Mon, 19 Sep 2022 03:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1960/against-eco-camp-analyzing-the-flaws-of-the-modern-climate-movement http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1910/covering-climate-change-a-sentiment-analysis-of-major-newspaper-articles-from-2010--2020 By Amy M. Patronella - This research lies at the nexus of political communication theory relating to emotional affect and political processing and the burgeoning field of sentiment analysis. News coverage can affect opinion both through the information it provides and the emotional reaction it generates. To better understand the affective content of news coverage of climate change, we mobilized two dictionary tools to perform an unsupervised sentiment analysis. Using 2,017 articles about climate change from 11 major U.S. newspapers between 2010-2020, this study assesses both the valence and top eight basic emotions... Thu, 23 Sep 2021 08:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1910/covering-climate-change-a-sentiment-analysis-of-major-newspaper-articles-from-2010--2020 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1905/how-humans-will-end-the-world-a-cautionary-history-of-environmental-and-civilizational-instability By Natalie Novella - After thousands of years of innovation, humankind has shaped the modern world into a new planetary epoch: the Anthropocene. This paper connects the human propensity to carve our comfortable, convenient civilizations into our local environments with the reactionary forthcoming global instability of Earth’s ecosystems. By following the classic theory of civilizational decadence, it is evident human civilization has entered the final phase, the decline and fall. This is due to a paradox, wherein the products of our perceived prosperity, consumerism and wastefulness, hasten advancement towards... Thu, 16 Sep 2021 07:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1905/how-humans-will-end-the-world-a-cautionary-history-of-environmental-and-civilizational-instability http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism By Amna Abudyak - This paper will attempt to link fundamental ideas and terms of environmental sociology in the context of ecotourism relating to human society and conceptions of nature. Furthermore, connections to neo-Marxist and neo-Gramscian theories will be made. As humans’ urban “habitats” grow exponentially, the relationship between tourism (i.e. ecotourism) and the naturework associated with the industry becomes increasingly important on the environmental, political, and cultural levels. As the tourists flows primarily from the Global North to the Global South are investigated sociologically... Thu, 18 Feb 2021 08:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1856/problems-and-solutions-in-factory-farming-the-role-of-institutions-capital-and-rhetoric By Cael Jones - This paper examines the intricacies of factory farming by analyzing its social, political, economic, and environmental impacts in an age of capitalist consumption. Factory farming has become a pervasive institution with which most Americans engage on a daily basis by consuming meat and other animal derivatives. This mode of food production has vastly exacerbated the effects of climate change while creating a plethora of health, ecological and social problems. My research utilizes sentiment analysis to reveal the nature of factory farm discourse. Understanding the use of rhetoric is important because... Mon, 04 Jan 2021 01:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1856/problems-and-solutions-in-factory-farming-the-role-of-institutions-capital-and-rhetoric http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1797/cobalt-computation-and-the-congo-making-corporations-pay-for-their-transnational-terrors By Isabel G. Padalecki - Though electronic products are ubiquitous in the modern Western world, most people are not aware of the origins of the batteries that power devices such as laptop computers and mobile phones. Lithium-ion batteries, though used primarily in wealthy and affluent nations like the United States, include the element cobalt, a mineral mined primarily out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Lenntech). Despite the fact that the technologies supported by cobalt have greatly enhanced the lives of affluent Western technological consumers, the mining of cobalt has wreaked havoc on many Congolese communities... Tue, 15 Sep 2020 07:33 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1797/cobalt-computation-and-the-congo-making-corporations-pay-for-their-transnational-terrors http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1738/wind-energy-legislation-strategies-for-the-lone-star-state By Elizabeth A. Weis - Texas introduced Senate Bill 277 as its first wind energy siting law during the 2017 Legislature. The bill combats radar interference between wind and military equipment by exempting any wind farm within thirty nautical miles of a military base from tax deductions. This rule does not make sense for several reasons: it defies the economic logic grounding Texas’ decision to pursue wind energy, it addresses an issue traditionally handled by the federal government, and employs inefficient tactics the Department of Defense no longer uses. The inadequacies of this legislation point out that lawmakers... Fri, 11 May 2018 09:31 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1738/wind-energy-legislation-strategies-for-the-lone-star-state http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1714/narratives-binaries-and-framing-in-the-cultural-contest-over-climate-change By Scott B. Remer - The above texts have been selected because they are iconic and authoritative. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is authorized by the United Nations and is the world’s foremost source of expertise on climate change.[1] The United States’ 2014 National Climate Assessment was produced by over 300 scientific experts and subject to an open review process and National Academy of Sciences oversight.[2] Laudato Si received extensive media coverage and has been lauded by numerous environmental groups.[3] 350.org, Greenpeace, and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC... Wed, 13 Dec 2017 11:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1714/narratives-binaries-and-framing-in-the-cultural-contest-over-climate-change http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1705/theoretical-utilisation-of-biological-warfare-from-aquatic-invasive-species By Richard J. Neale - The Peruvian population became infected from eating shellfish that had ingested plankton, and from drinking or bathing in water supplies drawn directly out of the rivers which at best had only minimal processing. It worked its way inland, and was spread faster due to massive overcrowding, whilst the waters themselves spread along the coastline. The lack of water purification, chlorination protocols, insufficient infrastructure with regards to medical facilities and waste disposal, coupled with minimal international support lead to 4,000 deaths within a matter of weeks, with a further 393,000 contracting... Thu, 16 Nov 2017 11:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1705/theoretical-utilisation-of-biological-warfare-from-aquatic-invasive-species http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1509/commercialization-of-biochar-and-the-benefits-for-climate-change-and-agriculture By Nate D. Van Beilen - Biochar is biomass that has been converted into charcoal through the pyrolysis process. Biochar is applied into soils for carbon sequestration or for improving soil fertility. The carbon bonds in biochar are very stable and do not break down easily which makes biochar a long term carbon storage solution. The physical structure of biochar improves soil fertility by decreasing soil tensile strength and bulk density. Biochar also acts as a soil aggregate which provides habitat for microorganisms. Additionally, the porosity of biochar improves nutrient and water retention in soils thereby improving... Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1509/commercialization-of-biochar-and-the-benefits-for-climate-change-and-agriculture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1505/joint-value-creation-between-marine-protected-areas-and-the-private-sector By David C. Harary - Officially, the primary objective of the sanctuary system is to protect marine resources, such as coral reefs, sunken historical vessels, or unique habitats (Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 2013). Recently, however, ONMS has explored the economic earnings that could come out of the system through many different industries, such as recreation and tourism. Meanwhile, the concept of ‘sustainability’ has become increasingly utilized in ecotourism settings (Wight, 1993). Research in this area has shown that recreation and tourism can help promote public awareness and understanding... Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:49 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1505/joint-value-creation-between-marine-protected-areas-and-the-private-sector http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1535/an-analysis-of-the-threat-of-ontarios-hydroelectric-dams-on-its-river-ecosystems By Nicholas Scrivens - Dams have been used for centuries to assist with the development of human civilization. Access to drinking water, flood control and agricultural irrigation are historical reasons for the development of dams and river impoundments. The abundance of large rivers in Ontario has enabled 22% of the province's power generation to be based on renewable hydroelectric power. The composition of Ontario's energy portfolio is shifting away from carbon intensive energy production and towards hydroelectric power, which presents a threat to Ontario's rivers. What is the extent of the threat of storage and hydroelectric... Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1535/an-analysis-of-the-threat-of-ontarios-hydroelectric-dams-on-its-river-ecosystems http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1536/environmental-decisions-in-the-context-of-war-bombing-isils-oil By David C. Harary - This paper evaluates the ethical dilemma coalition forces had to face when deciding to target and take out ISIL's primary source of revenue – oil. By gathering the impacts ISIL has had on the globe as well as the impacts aerial attacks could have on the MENA region; this paper was able to create a decision matrix that quantitatively weighs the options decision-makers had to limit further harm done on the region's society, environment, and economy. This paper serves as a baseline tool by which policymakers can quickly process the plusses and minuses of initiating attacks. Future research... Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1536/environmental-decisions-in-the-context-of-war-bombing-isils-oil http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1555/sweden-the-worlds-most-sustainable-country-political-statements-and-goals-for-a-sustainable-society By Maria Mänsson - Sweden, a small country with almost 10 million inhabitants, is the world's most sustainable country according to some reports that compare environmental, social, and governance components between nations. Sweden plays a significant role in the European Union's work for a sustainable society in the European Union. Strict environmental policies and governmental initiatives that encourage all members of the society to invest in climate change projects are among the reasons that put Sweden on top of sustainable ranking lists. During the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, a number... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1555/sweden-the-worlds-most-sustainable-country-political-statements-and-goals-for-a-sustainable-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1557/responding-to-environmental-challenges-in-alberta By Peter Brown - Climate change and the myriad of challenges that come with it are a reality the entire world must face. However, for Canadian province, Alberta, the stakes are especially high. Oil and gas mining made up 18.3% of Alberta's GDP in 2015 and therefore plays a significant role in its economy. Alberta has also been subject to degrading air quality and natural disasters like the recent Fort McMurray Fire. Provincial and municipal governments have, however, taken many steps to addressing the array of environmental challenges Alberta faces including releasing its Climate Leadership Report to Environment... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1557/responding-to-environmental-challenges-in-alberta http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1558/species-conservation-in-a-globalized-world By Sharlene Engel - "The fundamental purpose of the US Endangered Species Act (ESA)," Wolf, Hartl, Carroll, Neel, and Greenwald (2015) say, "is not only to prevent extinction, but also to recover species to the point that they are no longer threatened or endangered" (p. 200). The ESA (1973) defines endangered species as "any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range", while a species is understood to be "any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range" (3.6; 3.19). As... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1558/species-conservation-in-a-globalized-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1559/the-technological-abyss-heideggerian-ontology-and-climate-change By Aaron Mazo - Whenever a decision is made in a social, political, or economic context, it is implicitly grounded in an ethical outlook. But where do these outlooks come from? To investigate this query, I examine the basis for ethical decisions regarding technology, focusing specifically on geoengineering responses to climate change. Subsequently, I argue that ethical considerations concerning climate change, and their corresponding practical decisions, cannot be reliably made without sufficient intelligibility regarding the objects and entities these decisions pertain to. To achieve this, I employ a Heideggerian... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1559/the-technological-abyss-heideggerian-ontology-and-climate-change http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1560/omega-playing-for-change By A. Rachelle Foss - But Verdigo, a social enterprise comprised of a group of volunteers, all with full-time careers, has created OMEGA with change in mind. Utilizing the smaller community model, Verdigo is looking to affect change, using fun to motivate people instead of proclamations of doom. Notwithstanding their self-professed laid-back personalities, the passion of those involved with this venture is evident: "OMEGA is our first endeavour—a game to get people to continue or introduce ‘green' actions in daily life and to stretch the boundaries of their environmentalism" (S. Gangel, personal communication... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1560/omega-playing-for-change http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1405/does-trade-liberalization-lead-to-declining-fish-stock-health-analyzing-the-causality By Erin K. Glenn - ... Tue, 03 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1405/does-trade-liberalization-lead-to-declining-fish-stock-health-analyzing-the-causality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1528/clear-cutting-of-the-coastal-temperate-rainforest-a-brief-analysis-of-clayoquot-sound By Claire Brownlie - Using Clayoquot Sound as a reference, the consequences clear-cut logging has on the coastal temperate rainforest ecosystems was examined. Social and political outcomes from extensive protests in 1993, which opposed the destruction of the natural habitats, were also assessed. Additionally, First Nations' rights were investigated through the Interim Measures Agreement between the Government of British Columbia and the Nuu-chah-nulth community, as well as their co-management of the natural resources in Clayoquot Sound. In 2000 Clayoquot Sound was designated as a UNESCO site. The designation brought... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1528/clear-cutting-of-the-coastal-temperate-rainforest-a-brief-analysis-of-clayoquot-sound http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1531/costs-and-benefits-of-nitrogen-and-phosphate-fertilizer-use-in-the-lake-erie-basin By David C. Harary - This paper explores both the positive and negative externalities associated with nitrogen and phosphate-based fertilizer use. Using 57 scholarly journal articles, government reports, manuscripts, and news articles; a comprehensive review was made on the effects fertilizer use and eutrophication has on ecological, environmental, human health, and economic systems in the western Lake Erie Basin. Negative externalities associated with fertilizer use included species population decline; environmental degradation; increased risks on public health; increased water treatment and maintenance spending;... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1531/costs-and-benefits-of-nitrogen-and-phosphate-fertilizer-use-in-the-lake-erie-basin http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1532/ecosystems-as-stakeholders-to-urban-air-pollution-mitigation-decisions-in-toronto By Conner Tidd - This paper explores the role that ecosystems can have in the decision making framework for urban air pollution mitigation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The focus is on management planning of green roof implementation to mitigate the effects of urban air pollution. The importance of Toronto's impact on surrounding ecosystems, conservation areas and their fragile habitats is often overlooked. Through a literature analysis of primary sources, the need for consideration of these nearby ecosystems in management planning is shown. Toronto's proximity to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems causes the dual... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1532/ecosystems-as-stakeholders-to-urban-air-pollution-mitigation-decisions-in-toronto http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1330/media-initiation-in-environmental-education-an-indian-model-of-environmental-pedagogy By Nithin Kalorth - Environmental communication is now an emerging and a significant curriculum from schools to research centers. The effective and efficient environmental communication occurs when learners interact with their surrounding environment/ecology in which they live and reciprocate for sustainable protection and restoration of it. Developing countries in Asia and Africa are now setting up new role models and practices in curricula of environmental communication. The traditional theory based environmental communication curriculum of the last century is now actively investigated and restructured through... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1330/media-initiation-in-environmental-education-an-indian-model-of-environmental-pedagogy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1332/breaking-the-cycle-changing-alberta-in-the-present-to-save-the-future By A. Rachelle Foss - Alberta's resource power lies within the energy sector; in particular, the oil and gas industry. However, this same energy sector is contributing heavily to the destruction of the landscape and is contaminating the environment. This destructive pattern may seem unrelated to the province's economy, but a closer look shows that they are, in fact, closely connected. This is largely due to a failure by both the industry and political leaders to have a vision for the economic future. Although oil and gas royalties, paid to the province for the right to use crown land for capital gain, provide considerable... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1332/breaking-the-cycle-changing-alberta-in-the-present-to-save-the-future http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1334/fire-for-well-being-use-of-prescribed-burning-in-the-northern-boreal-forest By Chantal Roy-Denis - Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Alberta Boreal Forest have used fire knowledge and burning practices to maintain their environment for generations. Prescribed burning is vital to Aboriginal peoples' relationships with the environment, and was essential to their hunting and gathering subsistence. Research has been limited on Aboriginal peoples' use of fire not only to manage resources but to maintain their health and well-being. The research paper suggests that burning also allowed management of these medicinal plants. Such plants growing in open clearings or near water such as streams, rivers... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1334/fire-for-well-being-use-of-prescribed-burning-in-the-northern-boreal-forest http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1024/history-and-management-of-public-rangelands-in-the-united-states-a-case-study-from-new-mexico By Alexandra Heller - Public rangelands are typically managed by a multiple-use policy that seeks to balance economic, conservation, and recreation objectives. The often semi-arid and arid public rangelands of the American west are both historically and contemporarily a stage for controversy, where stakeholders representing these objectives clash. Livestock grazing on public lands is a situation that requires an understanding of historical, economic, cultural, and ecological contexts. This article summarizes each of these aspects of public rangelands and introduces the viewpoints of multiple interests to illustrate... Thu, 09 Apr 2015 03:01 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1024/history-and-management-of-public-rangelands-in-the-united-states-a-case-study-from-new-mexico http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/950/the-right-and-the-good-communicating-environmental-issues By Goldwin McEwen - What we see is partially dependent on what we are shown. As communicators, we have a duty to inform and educate and lead. As environmental communicators we have the privilege of explaining how the various parts of our natural world work, individually, in unison, and in relationship to people. By examining two specific areas of growing global concerns, this paper provides an analytic tool and starts a discussion as to what should be guiding decisions concerning major environmental questions. The first growing global concern discussed is tailings ponds in Northern Alberta’s oil sands. The... Fri, 19 Dec 2014 05:31 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/950/the-right-and-the-good-communicating-environmental-issues http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/943/environmental-problems-and-american-politics-why-is-protecting-the-environment-so-difficult By Dustin R. Turin - This paper therefore approaches the politics of the environment in the U.S. from three perspectives: first, the environment is described as a problem of collective action writ large, wherein such paradoxes as the ‘tragedy of the commons’ belie rational individual behavior and make cooperation essential but difficult; second, the contemporary debate over the environment is described in terms of problem definition, revealing the subtle manner in which the political redefinition of environmental questions has shifted the debate into the polarized arena in which it today resides; and third... Sun, 23 Nov 2014 05:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/943/environmental-problems-and-american-politics-why-is-protecting-the-environment-so-difficult http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/929/mits-stata-center-the-static-soul-of-a-dynamic-body By Parham Karimi - Princeton’s 19th century Gothic Revival and Stanford’s California Mission style (with local sandstone and red-tile roofs) were among the many standouts of this era.[1] But as architectural historian Mark Jarzombek asserts, the design of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at that time was especially distinctive. Unlike other, more traditionally self-contained campuses, MIT became an integral part of the city it was located in. It was “not only resolutely urban, but also an important element in Boston’s emerging neoclassical silhouette.”[2] When MIT&rsquo... Sun, 26 Oct 2014 12:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/929/mits-stata-center-the-static-soul-of-a-dynamic-body http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/956/an-investigation-into-the-impact-of-childrens-literature-through-a-review-of-dr-seusss-the-lorax By A. Rachelle Foss - This article is a brief overview of The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, the story of a repentant ex-industrialist who tells a tale of environmental degradation in the name of industrialism, progress, and profit, heedless of warnings from the Lorax—who speaks on behalf of nature. The book imparts lessons on finding a balance between ecology and industrial progress, and taking the first steps to righting the environmental errors of the past. The Lorax, positioned as an important ecological text, has resonated with generations. It is the generations that follow who inherit the earth, making it paramount... Tue, 30 Sep 2014 04:37 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/956/an-investigation-into-the-impact-of-childrens-literature-through-a-review-of-dr-seusss-the-lorax