<p> The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of African American farmers&rsquo; regarding the use of organic farming as a viable business model to prevent land loss. The exploratory case study design was used to explore the perceptions and opinions of 13 African American participants regarding their experiences farming. Interviews, field notes, and observations were used to collect the data, and the data were analyzed to identify themes. The study results indicate that discriminatory practices, little access to government aid, and ineffective business models are reasons for land loss. The findings also show that organic farming is a sustainable solution that African American farmers can use to impede land loss. Based on the study results, leaders in the African American farming community are encouraged to adequately address the issues of the organic farming in the African American community, including discrimination, lack of knowledge about organic practices, and infrastructure issues. The results of this study can be used as the basis for quantitative research that involves gathering information from a wider range of African American organic farmers. Research could also be conducted to investigate whether farmers of other ethnicities have faced the phenomenon explored in the current study.</p>

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<p> This study conducted an international comparative study between Japan and the United States to examine both problems and possibilities in the use of the term &lsquo;sustainable development&rsquo; (SD) among environmental educators. In so doing, this study applied a multilevel analysis&mdash;national, state/prefecture, and individual levels&mdash;to assess SD&rsquo;s overall influences. Such a comparative elaboration of the individual perceptions, as well as the policy contexts, helps in comprehending both the conceptual and practical obstacles, and their possibilities, when using an internationally-promoted term. I found that respondents of both countries tend to have a firm grounding in the field of EE, and make only supplementary use of the notions of sustainable development and ESD, primarily for emphasizing social and economic dimensions of environmental issues. </p><p> Some of the notable results are as follows: 1. Environmental educators of both countries are still hesitant to embrace ESD or Education for Sustainability in their teachings; 2. Environmental educators of both countries, while not rejecting the concepts of sustainable development and ESD, are instead operationalizing them to punctuate social and economic issues; and 3. Most environmental educators perceive EE as being larger and more comprehensive than ESD. This is demonstrated in the survey results in which none of the American environmental educators perceived EE as being smaller than ESD. </p><p> Implications from the results are as follows: 1. The &lsquo;shift&rsquo; in discourse from EE to ESD appears to be incomplete, contrary to some recent observations. I believe that this is because the field of EE, while showing some differences at the national level, has been affirming the incorporation of social and economic processes into teaching practice through attention to laws, literacy plans, guidelines, and conferences. The individual educators appear to be influenced by these shifting emphases, professional networks and policy contexts.</p>

Titel: Hållbarhetsredovisning-Implementeringsproblematik kring GRI G4 Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Annelie Backlund och Urban Molander Examinator: Tom Karlsson Handledare: Ola Nilsson Instutition: Ekonomihögskolan vid Linnéuniversitetet Kurs: Examensarbete i företagsekonomi 15hp Syfte: Studiens syfte är att uppnå en fördjupad förståelse kring problematiken rörande implementeringsprocessen vid implementering av hållbarhetsredovisning enligt GRI:s G4 riktlinjer. Metod: För studien valdes en deduktiv ansats av kvalitativ karaktär. En fallstudie av ett företag inom byggsektorn har utförts i form av intervjuer. Analysen gjordes utifrån tre kriterier sammansatta i en modell för att studera en implementeringsprocess. Resultat och slutsats: Ur Top-Down perspektivet anses GRI:s riktlinjer inte tillräckligt tydliga samt svåra att ta till sig och tolkningen anses som nödvändigt för att riktlinjerna ska fungera i verksamheten. Det fanns inte tillräckligt med resurser främst i form av tid och tidigare redovisningssystem var för dåliga vilket ledde till att det inte gick att rapportera alla utvalda indikatorer. Organisationen som helhet var inte delaktiga vid implementeringen vilket påverkade processen negativt. Ur Bottom-Up perspektivet anses GRI:s riktlinjer som överlag tydliga. Tolkningen var svår att utföra men utfördes för att kunna applicera riktlinjerna i verksamheten. Det är nödvändigt med tillräckliga resurser vilket upplevdes som en brist då det främst var ont om tid. Det saknades tillräckligt bra informationsdatasystem vilket påverkade implementeringsprocessen negativt och framförallt behövdes det fler individer delaktiga i processen. Uppsatsens bidrag: Studiens bidrar med ytterligare en dimension kring implementering av hållbarhetsredovisning utifrån två olika perspektiv. Detta kompletterar litteraturen och ger praktiska implikationer genom att lyfta fram problematiken vilket är av intresse för de företag som ska implementera GRI G4 i sin verksamhet. Detta är särskilt aktuellt i och med det nya EU-direktivet om att företag av en viss storlek måste hållbarhetsredovisa samt att GRI:s tidigare versioner ersatts av den nu aktuella G4. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Med tanke på det resultat som framkommit i vår studie gällande att det var för få involverade i processen med att implementera och arbeta med hållbarhetsredovisning har vi som förslag till vidare forskning att titta på hur involverade olika funktioner inom organisationer är i hållbarhetsredovisningen. Det skulle även vara intressant att undersöka om implementeringsprocessen skiljer sig från bransch till bransch och att göra en studie med ett ett större antal fallföretag. Nyckelord: Sustainability, Implementation, GRI, CSR, Construction / Title: Sustainability Reporting – Implementation difficulty aspects with GRI G4 Level: G2E, Bachelor thesis in Business and Administration Authors: Annelie Backlund and Urban Molander Examinator: Tom Karlsson Tutor: Ola Nilsson Institution: School of Business and Economics at Linnaeus University Course: 16VT-2FE93E-Degree Project in Business Administration (Bachelor) Purpose: The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding about occuring problems during the implementation process of sustainability reporting in accordance with GRI G4. Method: A qualitative, deductive approach was outlined for the thesis. A case study on a company within the construction industry was performed, and semi structured interviews was performed. The material was subjected to analysis utilizing a implementation matrix consisting of three criterias in a model designed to study the implementation process. Results and Conclusion: According to the Top-Down perspective, the GRI guidelines are considered a bit unclear and difficult to adjust to, which leads to the necessity to interpret the guidelines to make it work in practice. There was not enough resources, especially time, allocated and the information data system at hand was not adequate enough to manage all the data needed for the choosen indicators. The organisation as a whole was not fully engaged during the implementation, which negatively affected the process. According to the Bottom-Up perspective, the GRI guidelines are over all clear. Interpretations of the guidelines were difficult to manage, but necessary in order to be able to gain applicability throughout the organisation. The necessity of sufficient resources allocated suffered from the lack of time out in the organisation. The lack of updated information data system had a negative impact on the implementation process, and above all more people needed to take part in the process. Contribution: The study contributes with an additional dimension, from the two perspectives point of view, for the implementation of sustainability reporting. This add insights to the litterature and give practical notions by high-lighting implementation issues, which companies about to implement GRI G4 in their reporting could benefit from. This is currently on the agenda since the EU directive that will force companies above a certain size to perform sustainability reporting will be ratified later this year. It is also of interest since all sustainability reports following GRI guidelines needs to follow the current G4 version from now on. Suggestion for further studies: With the results that have emerged from our study in mind, too few involved in the implementation process and the practical work with the sustainability reporting, we suggest that future studies could cover how involved different departments are when it comes to sustainability reporting. It would also be of interest to study if the implementation process differs between different industries, as well as widen the horizon with a study covering more companies and case studies. Keywords: Sustainability, Implementation, GRI, CSR, Construction

There is growing agreement that integrative “whole person” approaches promoting transformative learning are important aspects of sustainability education. Increasingly, universities are using permaculture in teaching sustainability. Permaculture is an ecological design methodology for meeting human needs while increasing ecosystem health. This study investigates the implications of integrating permaculture into university sustainability curricula. Following “movement-relevant” research, this study also seeks to provide useful information to the permaculture movement about the challenges and opportunities posed by integration with academia. An interpretive approach was utilized, involving participant observation and interviews with students and instructors who had participated in permaculture courses at universities. The study finds that educational partnerships between the permaculture movement and academia can be mutually beneficial, advancing goals of both parties related to student engagement, enhancement of curricula, and the practice of sustainability. In particular, permaculture courses offer significant opportunities for advancing an integrative, “whole person” approach supporting transformative sustainability learning. / Graduate / 0745 / 0534 / 0515 / czimmer@uvic.ca

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / Tucson is a reflection of the inefficient transportation system of the United States. The city’s auto centric emphasis is resulting in a collection of unhealthy citizens, endlessly investing into constructing unaccommodating infrastructure and contributes to the degradation of the natural environment. In order to correct these issues facing Tucson, the city must encourage more active transportation. By using case studies of other American cities- Portland, Minneapolis, and Austin- Tucson can learn some strategies that have been successful. Portland, Minneapolis and Austin have all effectively created active transportation systems utilizing various techniques. Creating a safe built environment, constructing a connected network and introducing equity amongst all forms of transportation can encourage more participation of active transportation in Tucson. By adopting the strategies used by Portland, Minneapolis and Austin, Tucson can produce a successful active transportation system and furthermore, create a healthier population, an efficient economy, and reduce the degrading environmental behavior that all exist today.

<p> Conservation gardening incorporates environmentally friendly techniques into the care of urban landscapes. Prior research has demonstrated an ecological benefit of this approach to residential land management. This research was undertaken to better understand the individuals who partake in conservation gardening. A mail questionnaire was developed that included several connection to nature indicators, an outdoor recreation inventory, and demographic questions. Participants (n = 180) included individuals from three regional conservation gardening certification programs in the US. Study participants demonstrated high connection to nature across multiple indicators, and environmental concern was motivated by non-human species and other people as opposed to personal benefit. The connection to nature indicators employed in the study demonstrated high correlation with each other. Conservation gardeners were active in outdoor recreation; high participation rates were documented in the categories of bird watching, gardening, and hiking, with moderate participation rates in kayaking, and cycling. Several demographic trends were evident in the study population. Participants tended to be older, well-educated, above-average earners, pet owners, and the majority of individuals were female. Employment status of participants was divided equally among being a homemaker, working full-time or being self-employed, and being retired, and over half of the individuals in the survey were volunteers. This research established baseline data for the conservation gardening population, identified avenues for future research, and provided suggestions for reaching populations not currently represented in the conservation gardening community.</p>

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Buildings promote repair rather than replacement of deteriorated features when possible. Though replacement and retrofitted elements may provide improved energy efficiency with a minor impact on appearance, there is currently no guide for objectively considering the potential benefits of such treatments for historic buildings. In an effort to provide decision-making tools to those seeking to balance both preservation and economic/ sustainability concerns, this thesis will present an approach to weighing treatment options specifically for windows, including modifications for energy efficiency that are not specifically endorsed by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. This thesis explores the critical decision processes involved in selecting to repair or replace deteriorated historic windows, and examines those of the Main Building Tower of the University of Texas as a case study. The steel windows of the Tower, which was completed in 1937, suffer from corrosion and are not performing optimally in terms of energy efficiency. An understanding of the history and significance of the building, the current condition and performance of the windows, balanced against project-specific goals and an evaluation of current treatment options for historic windows helped narrow the potential options for the Tower. Including a “decision tree” that assists users in selecting an appropriate treatment, this thesis maps the considerations necessary to arrive at an informed solution, which may be applied to other projects with varying existing conditions and project objectives. / text

In this professional report LEED for neighborhood development (LEED-ND) is analyzed through the lens of disaster resilience and mitigation. The new LEED-ND certification system recently created by the U.S. Green Building Council looks to be a popular method to create sustainable developments. LEED-ND as a system does not take hazards into account when certifying projects. Using HAZUS and hazard assessment methodologies LEED-ND is shown to do almost nothing to mitigate hazard losses. This is seen using the example of two hazard types (fire and earthquake). Since LEED-ND does not address hazards within the context of its system it is shown that LEED-ND is neither truly sustainable nor disaster resilient. Given the current trend of increasing hazard losses initiatives such as LEED-ND will have to address the issue of hazards moving forward. / text

<p>Thailand’s economy has gone through a quick development during the past two decades As a result of the economic crisis in 1997, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej introduced the philosophy of sufficiency economy (SE). SE is built upon a model which can be used every day, notonly during crises, to strengthen the economy within the country and the society. Due to the worldwide attention on the philosophy it is interesting to research how applicable SE is in Sweden or generally worldwide.The aim of the field study and the thesis is to obtain a contemporary interpretation of the applicability of sufficiency economy.The approach of the field study consisted of four main steps; feasibility study, research tool, the field study procedure and evaluation. The study includes a literature study with a combination of interviews with key persons, a multinational company situated in Bangkok and Thai students. The intention of the selection was to obtain a conceptual interpretation of SE in relation to the interviewed people. The answers of the different groups were first put in their own context, and then a comparison was made in order to make the analysis.Several different opinions were uncovered regarding the interpretation of SE. It is necessary to interpret it at an individual level.The rational decision making and following the middle way is important to achieve a balanced life. However it is a knowledge gap within theThai society where it is important to have a stable government and the right spokesman of SE.</p> / Mior Field Studies via SIDA