<p>Humans are currently living in a way that profoundly affects the planet, and the lives of future generations. Our value system promotes economic gain over environmental health. We are taking more than we are giving back, stretching beyond the limits of sustainability. Earth cannot sustain the current human lifestyle under these conditions. This is paired with the fact that the current system of education focuses on producing economically productive individuals instead of environmentally and socially aware persons who carefully consider the impacts of their actions. This study examines the capacity for “ecological living” to use outdoor education as a tool for changing the present human way of life. Thirty three ecological farms responded to a questionnaire examining the importance each placed on current vs. alternative values. The respondents also answered questions displaying the relationship between life on their farms and the key components of outdoor education. Results show a positive opportunity exists for using ecological farms and the ecological lifestyle to promote a change in way of life. The results also exhibit a high level of connection between the ideals of outdoor education and the activities that are part of life on an ecological farm. This suggests that by specifically tailoring ecological farms to be educational institutions, a further change in way of life could be expanded. The ecological lifestyle shows potential to educate people in greater awareness of others and the environment, thereby decreasing the human impact on earth and creating an opportunity for future generations.</p>

<p>The main cause of environmental disturbance in the Fennoscandian boreal forests today is forestry. Natural disturbances are important to maintain diversity, but anthropogenic disturbance, such as forestry, differs in many ways from the natural ones. Forestry is a big industry in Sweden and only a small remnant of old-growth forest is left. Several studies have shown an initial decrease in e.g. dragonfly diversity a few years after logging, followed by an increase up to numbers comparable with the original species number. In this study I examined whether the new, quite diverse, species composition is similar to the one present before the logging or if some species are disappearing and are replaced with other, maybe opportunistic species. Other factors such as ongoing changes in climate also will be considered. A resampling of 34 (and an additional 4) lakes that also were sampled in 1996-97 was done during summer of 2006. Analyses of data from the two sampling occasions were done. I found that even if the diversity is just temporarily affected (or not affected at all), it is not always the same species involved. This means that the diversity in a single lake can appear to be high, but the total diversity in Sweden, or Scandinavia, is declining. I also found some interesting new species for the area, such as Nehalennia speciosa, Sympecma fusca and Aeshna mixta.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio State University, 2002. / Adviser: Richard H. Moore. Includes bibliographical references.

Background: Over 80% of people who experience stroke survive, but for half, their level of activity drops significantly. Even survivors with mild disability become disengaged. Research Question: Based on an ecological model, what perceived facilitators and barriers do stroke survivors encounter in their choice of everyday activities 1 to 6 years after stroke? Methods: Situational analysis grounded theory. Results: Disability changed participants social position regarding their ability to control their own situation to dependence on other people to facilitate choice. Re-negotiating identity and position in society was an iterative process of scaffolding small tasks into activities through bargaining for access to practical support and inclusion into social situations. Conclusions: Stroke survivors who experienced inclusion in their communities resumed some level of meaningful activities more successfully. However, some with mild disability had difficulty resuming activities as they were expected to system navigate and adapt on their own.

Ecological goods and services (EG&S) represent the benefits that humans derive from ecosystem functions. The private wealth implications of on-farm EG&S practices that promote wildlife habitat are determined for the Lower Souris River Watershed in South-eastern Saskatchewan. Monte Carlo simulation is used, coupled with NPV analysis, to examine the impacts of practices at a representative farm level. Linear programming is utilized to determine the farm wealth implications of imposing landscape targets across selected parts of the study area. In both models, implementing an EG&S policy or practice comes with costs to farm wealth. Potential exceptions include converting cropland to tame pasture, and EG&S enhancing herd management practices. However, without policy intervention there is continued conversion of native prairie, perennial forage, and lotic riparian landscapes to cropland. Imposing landscape targets preserves these landscape uses, but with a loss in private economic value ranging from $3,196 to $7,179 per quarter section. / Agricultural and Resource Economics

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Ecology and Evolution, June 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

The main cause of environmental disturbance in the Fennoscandian boreal forests today is forestry. Natural disturbances are important to maintain diversity, but anthropogenic disturbance, such as forestry, differs in many ways from the natural ones. Forestry is a big industry in Sweden and only a small remnant of old-growth forest is left. Several studies have shown an initial decrease in e.g. dragonfly diversity a few years after logging, followed by an increase up to numbers comparable with the original species number. In this study I examined whether the new, quite diverse, species composition is similar to the one present before the logging or if some species are disappearing and are replaced with other, maybe opportunistic species. Other factors such as ongoing changes in climate also will be considered. A resampling of 34 (and an additional 4) lakes that also were sampled in 1996-97 was done during summer of 2006. Analyses of data from the two sampling occasions were done. I found that even if the diversity is just temporarily affected (or not affected at all), it is not always the same species involved. This means that the diversity in a single lake can appear to be high, but the total diversity in Sweden, or Scandinavia, is declining. I also found some interesting new species for the area, such as Nehalennia speciosa, Sympecma fusca and Aeshna mixta.

Humans are currently living in a way that profoundly affects the planet, and the lives of future generations. Our value system promotes economic gain over environmental health. We are taking more than we are giving back, stretching beyond the limits of sustainability. Earth cannot sustain the current human lifestyle under these conditions. This is paired with the fact that the current system of education focuses on producing economically productive individuals instead of environmentally and socially aware persons who carefully consider the impacts of their actions. This study examines the capacity for “ecological living” to use outdoor education as a tool for changing the present human way of life. Thirty three ecological farms responded to a questionnaire examining the importance each placed on current vs. alternative values. The respondents also answered questions displaying the relationship between life on their farms and the key components of outdoor education. Results show a positive opportunity exists for using ecological farms and the ecological lifestyle to promote a change in way of life. The results also exhibit a high level of connection between the ideals of outdoor education and the activities that are part of life on an ecological farm. This suggests that by specifically tailoring ecological farms to be educational institutions, a further change in way of life could be expanded. The ecological lifestyle shows potential to educate people in greater awareness of others and the environment, thereby decreasing the human impact on earth and creating an opportunity for future generations.

The present research involved two studies that considered ecology-centered experiences (i.e., experiences with living things) as a factor in children’s environmental attitudes and behaviors and adolescents’ ecological understanding. The first study (Study 1) examined how a community garden provides children in an urban setting the opportunity to learn about ecology through ecology-centered experiences. To do this, I carried out a yearlong ethnographic study at an urban community garden located in a large city in the Southeastern United States. Through participant observations and informal interviews of community garden staff and participants, I found children had opportunities to learn about ecology through ecology-centered experiences (e.g., interaction with animals) along with other experiences (e.g., playing games, reading books). In light of previous research that shows urban children have diminished ecological thought—a pattern of thought that privileges the relationship between living things—because of their lack of ecology-centered experiences (Coley, 2012), the present study may have implications for urban children to learn about ecology. As an extension of Study 1, I carried out a second study (Study 2) to investigate how ecology-centered experiences contribute to adolescents’ environmental attitudes and behaviors in light of other contextual factors, namely environmental responsibility support, ecological thought, age and gender. Study 2 addressed three research questions. First, does ecological thought—a pattern of thought that privileges the relationship between living things—predict environmental attitudes and behaviors (EAB)? Results showed ecological thought did not predict EAB, an important finding considering the latent assumptions of previous research about the relationship between these two factors (e.g., Brugger, Kaiser, & Roczen, 2011). Second, do two types of contextual support, ecology-centered experiences (i.e., experiences with living things) and environmental responsibility support (i.e., support through the availability of environmentally responsible models) predict EAB? As predicted, results showed that ecology-centered experiences predicted EAB; yet, when environmental responsibility support was taken into consideration, ecology-centered experiences no longer predicted EAB. These findings suggested environmental responsibility support was a stronger predictor than ecology-centered experiences. Finally, do age and gender predict EAB? Consistent with previous research (e.g., Alp, Ertepiner, Tekkaya, & Yilmaz, 2006), age and gender significantly predicted EAB.

Human production needs are met through the use of modern technology that is increasingly recognised as a threat to the planetary ecosystem and social sub-system. In light of this recognition, there is evidence that a planned transition towards more sustainable technological infrastructure is occurring across various production sectors. This change is often associated with re-orientating technology based on the concept of sustainable development and national-level strategies such as <i>ecological modernisation</i>, which prescribes phasing-out environmentally malignant conventional technology for cleaner post-industrial solutions. There is evidence, however, that a transition towards cleaner technological options is occurring at the local level. In southern Ontario, Canada ecological technology (<i>ecotechnology</i>) has been adopted in small-scale agricultural and educational facilities for the management of manure and domestic sewage. Ecotechnology is designed to meet human production requirements and to restore the environment through combining natural systems and engineered components to achieve cleaner production. Two types of ecotechnologies were investigated during this research: <i>constructed treatment wetlands</i> for the management of manure and <i>greenhouse-based biological technologies</i> for the management of domestic sewage. These options are novel and can be expected to encounter barriers resulting from a <i>selection environment</i> favouring pre-existing technological options that have previously become established. The overall objective of the research was <i>to identify key factors both driving and constraining the adoption and implementation of the ecotechnology</i> across four case studies. This objective was accomplished through employing a qualitative, collective case study approach. The case studies revealed the motivation behind the adoption of the ecotechnology arose from the environmental values of users and formed the basis for rejecting the conventional options because they were not viewed as capable of improving the environment. However, the ecotechnology also exceeded user's aesthetic and operational level expectations. Barriers to the implementation of ecotechnology were also identified. The investigation revealed the existence of a <i>perspective-gap</i> between the ecological engineering science and traditional engineering science, which constrained implementation of the ecotechnology. Skepticism was found to arise due to the unique performance parameters and <i>soft</i> operational characteristics of ecotechnology, which contrast the <i>hard</i> technological fixes that are familiar to traditional engineering science. This perspective-gap may account for the institutional inertia, which became clear after the 1996 provincial budget reductions decreased the level of support for research and environmental technology development programs in Ontario. These reductions also devolved authority for small-scale wastewater treatment to the municipal level where lack of technical expertise and reliance on standardised regulations has constrained the development of alternatives. Constructive technology assessment suggests that the development of technology must be guided in cooperative <i>social learning</i> processes capable of reflecting the needs and values of stakeholders in order to achieve beneficial social and technological change. Evidence from the case studies revealed that a significant amount of capacity was developed when stakeholders collaborated and legitimated the <i>social experiments</i> where the ecotechnology was applied. These experiments demonstrate the significance of creating settings where users, technology proponents and provincial and local approval agents can collaborate. Through collaboration, social learning can be facilitated during the development of alternative technological solutions that may be congruent with ecological modernisation and the re-orientation of technology towards options that are ecologically-oriented.