Copper demand is surging in the U.S. and around the world as countries embrace new forms of energy to combat climate change. But copper mining – while a key strategy to address supply shortages – can serve as a vehicle for injustice by imposing socio-ecological burdens for nearby communities. Due to the growing demand for copper with resulting justice issues, more research is needed to evaluate governance for the mining sector using an environmental justice lens. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a key environmental regulation that governs mining in the U.S. Therefore, I used a qualitative case study approach to examine how NEPA requirements shape engagement in public comment opportunities. I selected the Resolution Copper Mine as a case study because of its potential to support the energy transition but pose a significant dilemma for justice: the mine is anticipated to generate 25 percent of the U.S. copper demand each year but disturb lands that hold spiritual significance for Native American Tribes. I used the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to analyze institutional dynamics and evaluate the NEPA process for public participation using a procedural justice lens. Drawing on interview data and document analysis, the results show that process rules such as a land exchange bill and the lengths of comment opportunities were among the key barriers for participation. Socioeconomic conditions of communities including access to social resources (i.e. access to internet and technical assistance) and institutional trust posed further barriers for participation. Hence, this study suggests that federal decision-makers should aim to better integrate procedural justice into the NEPA process.

This study examined perception of K12 schooling systems as experienced by a randomsample of adults in Phoenix, AZ. It explored whether the values purported as key factors in the American K12 schooling system - as presented in academic literature - were compatible with the lives, interests and goals of ‘users’, student-participants. In addition, it offered opportunity for post-K12 student-participants to share their views on the purposes, goals, and outcomes they held to be important. The sample consisted of 139 post-K12 stu- dents/individuals residing in Phoenix, AZ. Mean age of student-participants was 29. Results indicated a mismatch between purported K12 schooling goals and important outcomes embedded in the system and values held by the K12 student-participants. The participants in this research generally perceived K12 schooling as valuable, both to themselves and to society at large, but stressed that the deficiencies they perceived in the system were particular to delivery platforms as they relate to the learning styles of students and belonging. Future life skills and success - in and after K12 schooling - whether related to college or not were also of importance. Results revealed that the initial hypothesis of income, age, and ethnicity as key factors in satisfaction with K12 schooling was not borne-out. Rather it revealed that a sense of belonging and the suitability of learning platforms to the individual learning styles of students were of greatest significance.

The consumption of food, energy, and water (FEW) resources in U.S. households is very carbon-intensive. However, these negative climate change impacts are often invisible due to insufficient awareness and knowledge. Serious games (SGs) can potentially address this issue through an experiential and rigorous approach to simulate household actions and impacts in a playful but realistic setting. This dissertation focuses on: (a) the design and testing of an SG called HomeRUN (Role-play for Understanding Nexus); (b) the effectiveness of gameplay in advancing player knowledge about the upfront costs, financial returns, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of various household decisions; and (c) the effectiveness of intervention messages in increasing FEW conservation to reduce household GHG emissions. The results of gameplay sessions played by 150 university students show that HomeRUN is fun to play, creates a flow experience, and results in experiential learning. The majority of players agreed that the game experience will continue over time to influence their future consumption behaviors to conserve FEW resources. Female players tended to gain more knowledge about financial aspects of interventions, whereas male players were more likely to increase their understandings of GHG emissions and resource consumption after playing HomeRUN. Social comparison intervention messages about energy and food consumption led to the highest reductions in household carbon emissions. The messages associated with each FEW resource tended to be most likely to lead to FEW conservation actions with the game that most closely corresponded to the particular FEW resource addressed in the message. This dissertation advances understandings about the design and use of SGs to foster learning and promote sustainable household FEW consumption.

Community-based volunteer organizations are critical to natural resource management in the United States. However, due to volunteer involvement, these organizations struggle with collective action problems: coping with free riding, solving commitment problems, arranging for the supply of new institutions, and monitoring individual compliance with sets of rules. In this study, we explore how volunteer organizations can overcome these challenges. To explore how they overcome these challenges, we use the Institutional Analysis and Development framework and the Institutional Design Principles. These frameworks help us understand the impact of natural resource conditions, community attributes, and the rules in use impact volunteer organizations. For this research, we focused on lake organizations in Wisconsin. We collected our data through semi-structured interviews with thirty-one lake organizations and public data. The data were analyzed using constant comparison and linear regression, followed by qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). We reinforce the importance of considering the system holistically when managing a resource the natural resource conditions, the community attributes, and the rules in use. Our study shows the importance of graduated sanctions and low-cost conflict resolution on social-ecological system outcomes. Volunteer-based resource management are an effective way to tailor management strategies to the natural resource condition and the community attributes.

Coffee is an important link between the United States and Latin America and an important part of Latin America’s culture and economy. This paper looks at the similarities and differences between coffee organizations in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Guatemala. Colombia has the strongest coffee organizations with the most political power. Guatemala and Peru, to a lesser extent, have well organized and powerful organizations that make up their industry. However, Ecuador has a significantly less organized organization. At their core, each country has a similar structure. There is one organization on the national level that watches out for the industry as a whole. Underneath that, there are smaller, often regional organizations made up of cooperatives pooling their resources for export. They function in similar ways as the national organizations, but have less reach. At the bottom, there are individual cooperatives and independent farmers. These cooperatives do not have much reach or connection to international markets.