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- Title
- The analysis of gold in seawater using ion exchange chromatography and atomic absorption spectroscopy.
- Creator
- Jean-Vertus, Walter, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Gold is a highly prized metal whose ore deposits are continually being mined and depleted. With the increasing scarcity of continental gold ores, gold miners and scientist are turning to the sea as one alternate source of this precious metal. But the problem arises in determining which parts of the ocean to mine. Ideally the area with the greatest concentration of gold would be the best place to start but determining an accurate concentration of gold in a sample of seawater is difficult for...
Show moreGold is a highly prized metal whose ore deposits are continually being mined and depleted. With the increasing scarcity of continental gold ores, gold miners and scientist are turning to the sea as one alternate source of this precious metal. But the problem arises in determining which parts of the ocean to mine. Ideally the area with the greatest concentration of gold would be the best place to start but determining an accurate concentration of gold in a sample of seawater is difficult for various reasons. The main reason being gold's extremely low concentration in seawater, averaging at about13 [sic] parts per trillion. This study deals with detecting trace amounts of gold in seawater. The first step in the analysis involves pre-concentrating gold in seawater using an ion exchange resin, Chelexª -100, and optimizing the experimental conditions. Then the chromatographic fractions are analyzed using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The results from several trials are presented in this study.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11612
- Subject Headings
- Geochemical prospecting, Gold mines and mining, Environmental aspects, Metals, Analysis, Chromatographic analysis
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of prescribed burning on native and exotic herpetofauna in Florida pine flatwoods in Savannas Preserve State Park.
- Creator
- Goethel, Carrie Ann., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Florida's pine flatwoods are pyrogenic ecosystems that require frequent fires to regenerate the herbaceous layer and suppress crowding vegetation. Human development has hindered these natural fires and consequently affected the herpetofauna (amphibian and reptile) species. Anthropogenic encroachment, in addition to fire suppression, has also provided ideal habitats for invasive species within native environments. Exotic species are often found in developed areas around buildings and roads,...
Show moreFlorida's pine flatwoods are pyrogenic ecosystems that require frequent fires to regenerate the herbaceous layer and suppress crowding vegetation. Human development has hindered these natural fires and consequently affected the herpetofauna (amphibian and reptile) species. Anthropogenic encroachment, in addition to fire suppression, has also provided ideal habitats for invasive species within native environments. Exotic species are often found in developed areas around buildings and roads, and it is likely this pattern continues into the park. This eight-month coverboard survey focuses on the effects various fires may have on herpetofauna in the area and explores the level of intrusion exotic species exhibit within the communities. Minimal differences among herpetofauna composition between transects were found. However, a convincing percentage of exotic species were found only within the first ten meters of the transects while all native species were at least 25 meters into a transect.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11611
- Subject Headings
- Prescribed burning, Environmental aspects, Reptiles, Habitat, Scrub pine, Ecology, Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.), Wildlife conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- How green is the mouse?: a look at the use of green marketing in Walt Disney World to promote environmental policy and standards.
- Creator
- Piccirillo, Cara., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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My project "How Green is the Mouse?" analyses the ways in which the Disney Company utilizes various green marketing strategies in an effort to appeal to the growing number of eco-conscious consumers. My study examines different strategies of green marketing and evaluates the use of these strategies in relation to discussions of the "greenwash" concept. Examples of such strategies include green selling, when a company continues to manufacture a pre-existing product with changes only in...
Show moreMy project "How Green is the Mouse?" analyses the ways in which the Disney Company utilizes various green marketing strategies in an effort to appeal to the growing number of eco-conscious consumers. My study examines different strategies of green marketing and evaluates the use of these strategies in relation to discussions of the "greenwash" concept. Examples of such strategies include green selling, when a company continues to manufacture a pre-existing product with changes only in marketing and not policy or output, and green partnerships, when a company undertakes a more eco-friendly appearance simply by collaborating with a well-known environmental organization. In this study, I investigate the various methods of green marketing utilized throughout the parks and other attraction areas of Walt Disney World, located near Orlando, Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77683
- Subject Headings
- Green marketing, Consumption (Economics), Environmental aspects, Consumer behavior, Marketing
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- How regulation fuels consumption of ethanol: a spatial analysis of pro-ethanol policies in the USA.
- Creator
- Boyle, Austin, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The use of ethanol as a liquid fuel for automobiles began on a large scale in 1978. Since then, it has grown with the help of national subsidies for producers coupled with statewide incentives for producers and consumers. The market for ethanol more than doubled between 2001 and 2005, with even faster growth projected in the near future. Regulation has played more of a role on the recent rapid expansion of the market than natural market forces. This thesis surveys a brief history of ethanol...
Show moreThe use of ethanol as a liquid fuel for automobiles began on a large scale in 1978. Since then, it has grown with the help of national subsidies for producers coupled with statewide incentives for producers and consumers. The market for ethanol more than doubled between 2001 and 2005, with even faster growth projected in the near future. Regulation has played more of a role on the recent rapid expansion of the market than natural market forces. This thesis surveys a brief history of ethanol fuel usage and regulatory action in the United States and provides a few econometric models of production and consumption. Public policy creates a high level of demand for ethanol without consumer preferences changing much. This model could be used to assess the likely effects on the ethanol market of an MTBE ban in states that currently allow its use as an oxygenate.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11592
- Subject Headings
- Motor vehicles, Fuel consumption, Alcohol as a fuel, Gasoline, Additives, Environmental aspects, Agriculture and energy
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An illustrated guide to the Abacoa Greenway.
- Creator
- McKee, Kelley., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The Abacoa community enjoys the unique social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits of a 267-acre greenway system. The Abacoa greenway provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise and other endemic wildlife, and a system for water management. I am collaborating with Dr. Jon Moore to develop an educational field guide to the Abacoa greenway. For my part, I am developing the body text and contributing scientific illustrations of select flora and fauna species. The content of...
Show moreThe Abacoa community enjoys the unique social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits of a 267-acre greenway system. The Abacoa greenway provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise and other endemic wildlife, and a system for water management. I am collaborating with Dr. Jon Moore to develop an educational field guide to the Abacoa greenway. For my part, I am developing the body text and contributing scientific illustrations of select flora and fauna species. The content of the guide will be drawn from the compilation of research and materials herein. My research essay explores the various aspects of the greenway, including the history of the site, the social and environmental significance of the greenway, gopher tortoise conservation, the ecology of pine flatwoods and wet lands ecosystems, and ongoing greenway management. The subsequent section provides tables listing greenway species. In the final section, select species are featured in a series of captioned illustrations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77677, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT77677
- Subject Headings
- Greenways, Description and travel, Greenways, Environmental aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The political economy of domestic corn ethanol production.
- Creator
- Fow, Samantha Joule., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Since its inception, the domestic corn ethanol industry in the United States has been dependant on federal subsidies and trade restrictions to keep afloat. Although this political support has allowed the industry to grow, there have been a number of negative externalities as a result, namely the growing demand for corn causing significant increases in the prices of many consumer goods. Despite the fact that consumers are facing rising prices in agricultural and energy markets, ethanol still...
Show moreSince its inception, the domestic corn ethanol industry in the United States has been dependant on federal subsidies and trade restrictions to keep afloat. Although this political support has allowed the industry to grow, there have been a number of negative externalities as a result, namely the growing demand for corn causing significant increases in the prices of many consumer goods. Despite the fact that consumers are facing rising prices in agricultural and energy markets, ethanol still maintains a level of support around the general American populace that is counterintuitive given its economic reality. In this paper, I contend that much of ethanol's support is maintained through the intentional manipulation of the product's public perception on behalf of politicians and industrial superpowers. I will demonstrate this phenomenon through the use of both Stigler's (1971) and Pelzman's (1976) model of iso-majority.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77666
- Subject Headings
- Corn products industry, By-products, Economic aspects, Bioenergetics, Alcohol as fuel, Environmental aspects, Petroleum industry and trade, Political aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Toward climate neutrality: greenhouse gas emissions inventory for Florida Atlantic University, 2005-2007.
- Creator
- Fannin, Sarah., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Colleges and universities across the U.S. are working to reduce their environmental impact. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has joined this nationwide collegiate effort through President Frank Brogan's recent signing of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). For my thesis, I estimate greenhouse gas emissions at FAU from 2005-2007 through collecting and analyzing data from different university departments and inputting this information into the Clean Air-...
Show moreColleges and universities across the U.S. are working to reduce their environmental impact. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has joined this nationwide collegiate effort through President Frank Brogan's recent signing of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). For my thesis, I estimate greenhouse gas emissions at FAU from 2005-2007 through collecting and analyzing data from different university departments and inputting this information into the Clean Air- Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator for further computations. This greenhouse gas emission inventory for FAU meets the ACUPCC requirements. Using this greenhouse gas emission baseline, a comprehensive plan can be produced to monitor progress toward creating a sustainable and climate neutral FAU.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77664
- Subject Headings
- Greenhouse gases, Environmental aspects, Climate changes, Environmental aspects, Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric, Greenhouse gas mitigation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Tradable permits as a policy mechanism for greenhouse gas abatement.
- Creator
- Van Treese, Jeff., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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This paper examines permit trading as an instrument for greenhouse gas emission abatement and suggests that a cap and trade scheme is the lowest-cost option for achieving this goal. The paper examines relevant examples of emission trading within the United States, including the Acid Rain Program contained within the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the Chicago Climate Exchange. I address the circumstances, constraints, and degree of success of such programs in...
Show moreThis paper examines permit trading as an instrument for greenhouse gas emission abatement and suggests that a cap and trade scheme is the lowest-cost option for achieving this goal. The paper examines relevant examples of emission trading within the United States, including the Acid Rain Program contained within the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the Chicago Climate Exchange. I address the circumstances, constraints, and degree of success of such programs in relation to the Kyoto Protocol as well as other possible permit schemes at the national level within the United States. I contrast tradable permits with other forms of environmental abatement policy including command and control regulation and taxation. Finally, I analyze the effect of several variables including population and GDP on emissions growth and draws conclusions on what extent those variables play on shaping a domestic greenhouse gas trading program.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40973
- Subject Headings
- Emissions trading, Greenhouse gases, Environmental aspects, Climatic changes, Government policy, Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric, Environmental policy
- Format
- Document (PDF)