Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 63-65) Also available in print.

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Society’s reliance on Information Technology (IT) has increased tremendously in the last few decades. Unfortunately, the growth of the IT sector has occurred at the expense of the environment. The adverse environmental impact of IT operations is partly due to the production and disposal of IT equipment, which can result in harmful pollution and toxic materials being released into the environment. Furthermore, IT equipment consumes large amounts of electricity, and this results in significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere. Since CO2 is classified as a greenhouse gas, it contributes to the phenomenon of climate change. Organisations are socially and ethically required to minimise the environmental impact of their IT operations. However, in addition to fulfilling their responsibility towards environmental sustainability, organisations can gain a competitive advantage through adopting green IT practices. In order to reap the benefits of green IT and to fulfil their social and ethical responsibilities, organisations need to formulate and implement a comprehensive green IT strategy. When formulating strategic decisions, the use of a clear decision process enhances the effectiveness of such decisions. As a result, top IT management require a model or framework which could guide their thinking and allow for a clear decision process when formulating green IT strategy. However, after an extensive search of the literature had been conducted, a research gap was identified for the definition of a model which deals specifically with the formulation and execution of green IT strategy. As a result, this treatise sets out to answer the question of what organisations should consider when formulating and implementing green IT strategy. To answer the research question, the treatise defines a model for green IT strategy. The model was defined by conducting a content analysis of the literature on green IT. The content-analysis ABSTRACT iii research technique was utilised to identify the underlying concepts within the literature related to green IT strategy formulation and execution. The resulting model indicates that green IT strategy formulation requires holistic thinking, since several forces affect green IT strategy. As a result, these forces should be considered when a green IT strategy is to be formulated. However, even if a strategy is formulated by considering all the forces at play, it is of little use if it is not implemented effectively. The model indicates that green IT strategy should be implemented though a series of practices. These practices are not limited to IT practices alone, but include, in addition, several business practices. This indicates that green IT adoption extends far beyond the mere implementation of green technology.

Modern Americans are exposed to scientific and technical information on a daily basis that urges them to react as well as learn about new ideas. The popular science writing that circulates this information must be portrayed in a way that makes it easy for lay people to understand complicated ideas while at the same time remaining complex enough to convince readers that the information is reliable, accurate, and worth learning. In making decisions about how to accomplish this balancing act, science writers make decisions that influence the audience's opinion about new scientific ideas, how easily the audience will accept or reject these ideas, and how the audience will react to the new information. In order to be as influential as possible on their audience, science writers must take full advantage of rhetorical kairos, or opportune timing. For this, they must keep in mind not only the chronological time and physical space, but issues including political maneuverings, society's morals, popular culture, and a myriad of other considerations. Any text must be influenced by the kairos that exists both before the text is created and during the presentation. In addition, each text helps create a new kairos for texts that come after. This is especially true in the field of popular science writing. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is a useful text for analysis of this process, as he portrays scientific information to a lay audience in order to promote acceptance of a controversial idea and to encourage action based on that acceptance. Because he is working on a delicate topic for the time, Gore had to rely heavily on the kairos of the moments before and during his presentations, and he created a fertile kairos for continuation of the environmental discussion.

One of the primary concerns of science studies scholars is the translation and utilization of theory in practice. In this thesis, I address this concern as it applies to theories of environmental ethics by analyzing the present use in and the applicability of Green philosophy to a current environmental public policy debate. Namely, through a history and analysis of the debate over the proposed introduction of a foreign species of oyster to the Chesapeake Bay, show that the Green perspective can, if adopted, be a valuable aid to solving current environmental problems. / Master of Science

As cities grew throughout the past century, the availability of locally grown food declined, mostly because urban expansion occurred at the expense of adjacent agricultural land. As a result, city dwellers turned to commercial food market systems that import food from distant production areas. Private greenspace, which is one of the largest land cover types in cities, offers the potential for substantial agricultural production. Because urban food production on private land, such as backyards, requires the willing participation of landowners, resident's feelings about and experience with food growing are important to understand. The demographic groups that were most likely to food garden were those in long-term relationships, higher income brackets, those with college education and residents over 50 years old. Incentives and programs focused on producing more from existing gardens may be most appropriate for people in these demographic groups, while other groups will most require basic food growing information. Study participants highly valued intangible benefits of food gardening (e.g., relaxation, feelings of happiness and satisfaction), often more than the provision of food. Most barriers and problems with backyard food growing, such as a lack of space and the need for gardening information, were similar for those who food garden and those who do not. Results from this study indicate that traditional agricultural incentives and perspectives must be rethought if they are to be applied in urban settings. By creating incentives and initiatives that reflect the needs and challenges faced by urban growers, urban agriculture will become an integrated part of the community, improving food quantity and quality while enriching residents' lives. / by John G. Zahina-Ramos. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The negative impact of human activities on the Earth's ecosystems has gained more attention in the last few decades; in turn interest and scholarship in the area of environmental rhetoric has also grown. This case study provides an in-depth examination of outreach material generated by Tampa Bay Watch to determine if grassroots environmental organizations are using rhetorical appeals that recent scholarly literature argues are ineffective. Alternative rhetorical appeals are also examined for their persuasiveness. Using an open coding approach, the analysis finds that the organization used persuasive appeals which varied from those predicted by the literature, and that a combination of appeals produced better results that any one appeal alone. The group also varied its appeals based on the type of outreach. The study reveals that qualitative study of one organization's persuasive appeals renders more nuanced findings than have quantitative studies of multiple organizations or analyses of single rhetorical documents. / by Kimberly L. Estep. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

本研究關注以文化改變為目標的生活風格運動的身份建構過程。以往身份研究主要集中於以政治為目的的傳統社會運動。傳統運動的運動身份是由社會結構所決定的，並由社會運動團體所代表。傳統運動的身份建構過程基本上是建立起「我們」，以别於敵人的「他們」。但由於生活風格運動的目標是文化改變，主要手段是將運動價值透過個人和群體的生活風格展示出來，組織和行為更為私人化和分散。故此，傳統社會運動的理論並不足以描繪生活風格運動的運動身份建構過程。為補充此社會運動理論的不足，我提出生活風格運動的運動身份建構是一個將運動價值實踐的過程。參加者透過個人反省將抽象的價值具體化成演繹和行動，建立另類生活風格或組織，以回答「我們應如何生活？」的問題及引發社會的意識轉變。具體來說，在群體層面，運動身份的建立過程包括(1) 透過加入其他生活風格運動的元素、(2) 按成員個人理解將運動與其他運動區別出來和(3) 協調衝突的價值；在個人層面，(4) 參加者需要結合運動和個人追求以個人化運動身份。本文研究菜園村生活館，探討生活風格運動的運動身份建構過程。研究顯示，由於運動身份不再是由社會結構導向，運動身份建構過程變得更流動，而個人的反思及小組的身份工作也成為生活風格運動的身份建構的重要部份。本研究的重要性是補充傳統社會運動理論對生活運動身份建構解釋的不足及豐富我們對香港生活風格運動的認識。 / This study is concerned with movement identity construction processes in lifestyle movements (LMs). Identity in social movements is mostly studied in the context of traditional social movements, in which the movement identity is derived from a social structure and embodied in formal social movement organizations aiming at affecting state policy. Its identity construction is a process differentiating “we“ from “our enemy“. However, as LMs are value-oriented, diffused, individualized in action, small-sized group in organization and aimed at cultural change, the traditional social movement literature does not help us to understand the identity construction of LMs. It is the gap to be studied here. I argue the process of movement identity construction of LMs is fluid. It is a reflexive actualization of conceptual movement values into concrete interpretations and repertoires of actions. Alternative lifestyles and examples are set up to answer “how should we live?“ and for promoting conscious shifts of specific issues. The actualization of values at the group level takes place in (1) the incorporation of movement ideas in accordance to the local needs, (2) interacting with people of other movements, and (3) negotiation over other conflicting values and practices. The actualization at individual level is (4) a personalization of the movement by blending the movement with a pursuit of authentic self. I conclude that the distinctiveness of LMs’ movement identity construction is the fluidity of the process, group identity work and reflexivity. A case study of Choi Yuen Village is carried out to examine the movement identity construction in LMs, filling the gap in social movement literature and enriching our understanding of LMs in Hong Kong. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Lo, Sin Chi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-95). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / ABSTRACTS --- p.i / 論文摘要 --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.iv / ABBREVIATIONS --- p.iv / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- Diffused Lifestyle Movements in Post-capitalist Society --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2. --- Defining Movement Identity --- p.5 / Chapter 2. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1. --- Identity work --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2. --- Movement Identity Construction in Traditional Social Movements --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3. --- Identity Work in Diffused Lifestyle Movements --- p.11 / Chapter 3. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1. --- Case Study --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2. --- Case Description --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3. --- Data Collection --- p.21 / Chapter 3.4. --- Sample Profile --- p.23 / Chapter 3.5 --- Gaining Access and Gaining Trust --- p.23 / Chapter 3.6. --- Informed Consent and Ethical Issues --- p.25 / Chapter 4. --- THE MOVEMENT IDENTITY CONSTRCUTION OF LMS --- p.25 / Chapter 4.1. --- Background - Movement Values of and Needs Shared among LP --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Incorporating Movements’ Ideas as Participants’ Need --- p.35 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- Interacting with other Social Movement Participants to create Personal Interpretation --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.3. --- Negotiation over Conflicting Values --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.4. --- Blending Movement Values and Personal Lives --- p.76 / Chapter 5. --- CONCLUSION --- p.84 / APPENDIX --- p.89 / REFERENCES --- p.91

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Vancouver Island's old growth temperate rainforest has been the focal point in the conflict between environmentalists and forestry workers. While a substantial body of sociological literature exists on participants in the environmental movement (EM), there is a dearth of literature on participants in anti-environmentalist countermovements. Share Our Resources of Port Alberni (Share) is a countermovement organization that emerged to act as a voice for forestry workers and resource dependent communities and to counter the 'misinformation' being spread by environmentalists. The conflict over forestry and conservation is fuelled as environmentalists become the "other" against which Share members mobilize and construct their collective identity - an collective identity characterized by a core of pro-industry, pro-community and anti-environmental sentiments. This thesis addresses two research questions: First, what are the underlying differences between members of the two movements with respect to their socio-demographics, values, networks, and collective identities? Second, if certain factors are important in explaining identification with the EM, then what factors are important in explaining identification with Share. Using bivariate correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis, three sources of data are analyzed: self-administered questionnaires sent to both Share (N=129) and EM members (N=381); and a telephone survey of the general public of Port Alberni (N=100). My results show that Share respondents are predominantly older, working class men employed in the forest industry without a great deal of formal education. Share members more highly value anthropocentrism and are more politically conservative. Identification with the forest industry is the strongest and most significant predictor of identification with Share. The most theoretically interesting and surprising finding is that out-group ties or ties to environmentalists, is a positive and statistically significant predictor of identification with Share.