College of Sustainability Undergraduate Honours Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10222/14622

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Open Access
Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visit Patterns Following the 2023 Halifax Regional Municipality Wildfire
(2025) Burnfield-Wiebe, Piers
Canada experienced a record-breaking wildfire season in 2023, resulting in thousands of evacuations in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) alone. This study examined changes in particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and emergency department (ED) visit patterns, focusing on specific respiratory-related ED diagnoses, and different demographic groups surrounding the 2023 HRM wildfire. A retrospective observational design was used to analyze PM2.5 data from the Lake Major provincial ambient air quality monitoring station and ED visit data from Health Data Nova Scotia. Weekly ED visit counts, ED visit proportions for specific respiratory-related diagnoses from Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK), and PM2.5 concentrations were compared between these pre, during, and post wildfire periods using statistical methods.
Open Access
Exploring Extended Producer Responsibility with Regional Representatives: The Benefits and Drawbacks for Municipalities in Nova Scotia
(2025-04-23) Annie R. Proulx
Nova Scotia, despite being a leader in waste diversion, sees large amounts of waste end up in landfills, with missed opportunities in recycling. While issues in waste management are not unique to the province, municipalities, organizations, and other entities recognize that to continue leading in waste diversion, more efforts must be made. In addressing waste issues, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging, Paper Products, and Packaging-like products (PPP) comes into play. This program not only addresses waste problems but shifts the financial and operational burden of recycling collection from municipalities and taxpayers to commercial producers of these materials. This study examines existing literature on waste management and EPR and explores what regional representatives identify in EPR as having potential for improvements, opportunities, limitations, and concerns that could impact municipalities in the province. Results examine participant responses and frequency of opinions pertaining to EPR. Through short, semi-structured Zoom interviews, transcripts were coded in Nvivo, and an inductive and deductive codebook was created and analyzed. Results show that interviewees identified possible limitations arising in operations and transportation, and opportunities arising in financial, environmental, and social categories.
Open Access
Whose Grief Counts? Queer & BIPOC Representation in North American Eco-Grief Discourse: An Exclusionary-Inclusionary Model Analysis
(2025-04) Cameron Perfitt
Among the emerging climate change consequences, eco-grief is increasingly being recognized as an emotional response to environmental loss due to worsening climate change. However, despite eco-grief’s growing recognition, many marginalized perspectives such as BIPOC and Queer perspectives remain excluded from the discourse, even though these communities are among the most vulnerable to climate change effects. This study thus investigates how Eurocentric environmental understandings and cis-heteronormative grief frameworks work to exclude or include BIPOC and Queer grief perspectives within the North American eco-grief context. Using a qualitative, inductive thematic analysis of 50 sources, including 25 peer-reviewed articles and 25 grey literature texts, this research applies an exclusionary-inclusionary coding model across four parent categories: ‘Eurocentric Environmental Understandings’, ‘Cis-Heteronormative Grief Frameworks’, ‘BIPOC and Queer Eco-Grief Resilience’, and Intersectional Barriers. The findings reveal that the current eco-grief discourse does largely exclude BIPOC and Queer eco-grief perspectives due to Eurocentric and cis-heteronormative grief understandings dominant in the North American context. This study as a result argues that eco-grief discourse must be reimagined through decolonial, intersectional, and community-based frameworks to fully recognize and validate the eco-grief experiences of marginalized communities like BIPOC and Queer people and building more inclusive and equitable responses to climate emotions amongst and environmental justice responses amongst increasing climate change effects.
Open Access
From Screens to Stress: Exploring the Link Between Climate Change Communications and Eco-Anxiety Levels. A Dalhousie Case Study.
(2025-04-15) Kathryn Bentley-Taylor
As the climate crisis intensifies, so does its psychological impact which is leading to rising levels of eco-anxiety. This thesis explores the relationship between climate change communications and eco-anxiety levels among students at Dalhousie University. Using a mixed methods case study approach, a pilot study survey was administered to assess how different types of environmental messaging influence students' psychological well-being and engagement with climate issues and media. The results revealed that 90.05% of Dalhousie Students are currently feeling eco-anxiety. Negative climate change communications have been shown to exacerbate these emotions and contribute to an individual’s feelings of disengagement. This thesis argues for a balanced communications movement as well as developments of on-campus mental health supports that are tailored towards environmental distress. This research highlights the urgent need to reframe climate narratives and build supportive environments that foster climate resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
Open Access
Cultivating Manitoba’s Male Settler-State: The Agricultural Influence of Masculine Archetypes and Government Policy
(2025) Jillian E. Moggy
During the first quarter of the twentieth century, Canada experienced its highest rate of immigration recorded. This spike in immigration was orchestrated through discriminatory legislation and the circulation of visual immigration advertisements representing the Canadian government’s ‘ideal’ settler. Posters and pamphlets spread widely across targeted Anglo-Saxon populations, falsely advertising Manitoba and Canada’s Western provinces as an uninhabited haven for colonial men, full of natural resources, meant to be tamed and profited from. Such domineering characterizations of masculinity were invented and fostered through policy in an effort to dispossess, erase, and replace Indigenous Nations and Federations with a population of male, Anglo-Saxon agriculturalists. Through the investigation of ideologies of masculinity advertised in Manitoba’s post-confederation immigration campaign, colonially invented forms of masculinity were revealed as the joint aggressors of Indigenous women and ecological health, with the unifying motivation of financially fueled colonial land theft.
Open Access
Safeguarding the Sargasso Sea: The Role of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement in Protecting High Seas Ecosystems
(2025-04-16) Grace E. Alberts
Biodiversity loss in the High Seas is an issue that has long evaded international action due to the legal standing of the High Seas as a global resource common (Ardron et al., 2014; Freestone, 2018). This has proven to be detrimental to High Seas biodiversity hotspots such as the Sargasso Sea, which could not be legally protected despite its ecological significance (Freestone, 2018). The advent of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement has changed this, and for the first time, there exists an internationally recognized procedure for implementing legally enforceable conservation measures in the High Seas (Kim, 2024; Ricard, 2023). The BBNJ Agreement cannot, however, override or undermine any existing conservation policies of sectoral bodies (Langlet & Vardrot, 2023; Friedman, 2019; Scanlon, 2018). Such a provision is particularly influential in the Sargasso Sea, where human industrial activity is the leading cause of biodiversity loss (Laffoley et al., 2011). Using targeted policy coding and gap analysis, this thesis seeks to uncover the role that the BBNJ Agreement plays in stewarding the future conservation regime of the Sargasso Sea. It is revealed that sectoral bodies wield considerable power over the conservation future of the Sargasso Sea. The BBNJ Agreement, contrastingly, can exert little influence over the design of this regime, and strategies such as voluntary agreements and internal norm setting must be investigated to ensure that the Sargasso Sea is adequately protected.
Open Access
Socioeconomic Sustainability of Farm Winery Tourism: A Case Study of the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valleys, Nova Scotia
(2025-04-16) Cluett, Madelyne
Nova Scotia’s wine region is making its mark on Canada’s wine industry and is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, yet its impact on communities remains largely unexplored. This study examines how farm wineries in the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valleys, Nova Scotia, integrate sustainable wine tourism into their practices and how this contributes to fostering socioeconomic development for the local rural communities while providing a positive experience for guests. A qualitative analysis was conducted, involving an in- depth review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, online surveys, and structured online interviews among farm wineries in the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valleys to understand how their practices, policies, and initiatives support sustainable wine tourism and socioeconomic development for the local rural communities. Results suggest that farm wineries in the region are performing positively regarding sustainable tourism and engagement with local communities. Still, several economic, technical, and governmental challenges affect their ability to integrate sustainable practices. This research highlights the successes of farm wineries in the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valley and the opportunities for improvement related to socioeconomic sustainability. Farm wineries in rural Nova Scotia can apply these recommendations to strengthen sustainable wine tourism and socioeconomic development for the local rural community.
Open Access
Putting Down Roots: Motivations Behind Community Investment in Small-Scale Local Food Systems
(2025-04-16) Dolland, Amy
Community investment into small-scale local food systems (LFS), also known as alternative food systems (AFS) play a historic and present role in Nova Scotia’s economy. As small-scale LFS face challenges such as financialization and neoliberal policy, which have created an increasingly competitive and unequal market, it is important to understand the motivations behind community investment into the community economic development investment funds (CEDIF), in Nova Scotia. Although previous research has been completed relating to community investment within the province, there has been little research surrounding the social and economic motivations behind investment into small-scale LFS. To investigate social and economic investor motivations, a qualitative online survey was distributed to all current FarmWorks investors through Opinio, with responses then being inductively coded to understand overarching and specific motivations. Results indicate that social and economic motivations are deeply interconnected, and that they play equal roles in influencing investments. Overall, it was found that social and economic motivations are tied to social connections and community wants and needs.
Open Access
Dùthchas ann an Tìr nan Craobh: An Exploration of TEK, Human Ecology, and Responsibility to Land
(2025-04-16) Jude M. Sampson
This research is based off the historical context of traditional Gaelic society having its own traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that demonstrates a connection and responsibility to land (MacAonghuis & Newton, 2005). This can be attributed to the Gaelic word dùthchas, as part of the wider Gaelic worldview, or Sealladh nan Gàidheal (P. J. Meighan, 2022). Due to the Highland Clearances, thousands of Gaels were displaced from their traditional territory in the Highlands of Scotland. Approximately 50,000 of them resettled to Mi’kma’ki, thus playing an integral role in the colonial displacement of the Mi’kmaq (Nova Scotia, 2019). This created a complex situation as Gaels, their language, culture and worldview are now present in Mi’kma’ki, but the aspect of dùthchas that connects them to their native territory cannot be applied in the same way as they are not native to Mi’kma’ki. Through this research I aim to explore how Gaelic (TEK) and the concept of dùthchas has translated into Gaels in Mi’kma’ki. Through interviews (or as I have reframed them, céilidhean) with community members and tradition bearers I aim to understand how Gaelic TEK and dùthchas is present outside of An t-Seann Dùthaich (The old country/Scotland) and in Mi’kma’ki. The stories and narratives that emerge from these conversations are analyzed collaboratively with scholars and community leaders of Gaelic nova scotia. I hope I can use these discoveries to demonstrate how cultural revitalization in settler communities (specifically Gaelic nova scotia) could provide an opportunity for a better understanding of Mi’kmaq ecological knowledge, our responsibility to land as settlers and ultimately, climate justice.
Open Access
Beyond the Score: A Comparative Analysis of ESG Rating Methodologies
(2025-04-16) Hunter, Lauren
This study explores four ESG rating agency methodologies, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), Sustainalytics, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global, and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), to understand how they each conclude a rating. In doing so, a comparative analysis was conducted, using a common taxonomy, to understand the sources of divergence between the four rating agency methodologies. The software NVivo was used to code information from the methodologies and their supporting documents, into categories within the taxonomy. Results displayed major differences between the rating agencies. This study suggests that the primary reason for divergence is the scope of research between each rating agency.
Open Access
Analyzing Canadian Climate Policy for Indigenous Climate Justice
(2025-04-16) de Vitré, Lister
The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is Canada’s most recent climate policy framework, presenting itself as an effective strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and address social inequities. However, Canadian climate policies have historically fallen short in incorporating Indigenous climate justice. Though the ERP claims to align with reconciliation goals, it has not been comprehensively evaluated for Indigenous climate justice to date. This thesis addresses this gap by assessing whether the ERP improves over previous climate policies and how future policies can further improve. Using a comprehensive policy analysis framework, this study evaluates the ERP alongside earlier with respect to Indigenous climate justice. The analysis reveals that while the ERP demonstrates substantial improvement over the previous policies, significant shortcomings remain. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future climate policies provide greater opportunity for Indigenous input, express Indigenous climate justice more thoroughly, and properly incorporate principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Open Access
To Alberta and Back Again: A Case Study into Cape Breton’s Pathway to a Just and Green Energy Economy
(2025-04-21) Swartz, Ruby Rose Penfold
Cape Breton has a long history of extractive industry. Industrial decline in the region has led to high employment and significant social and economic problems. Cape Breton is also at the forefront of Nova Scotia’s green energy transition, being the site for multiple large scale green energy infrastructure projects. This thesis seeks to uncover employment gaps in the green energy sector in post-industrial Cape Breton and analyze the industrial and community viability of green energy projects in the region. Through the application of a just transition framework, this study aims to explore how industrial development for green energy can be approached as a means of community revitalization rather than as just an economic process. A variety of gaps in the Cape Breton labour force were identified, and current programs and approaches were analyzed using the Employment Diagnosis Analysis Framework (EDA), developed by the International Labour Organization. A just transition framework was used to apply the EDA data to current green energy programs in Cape Breton, with a particular focus on green hydrogen development in Port Hawkesbury. The study provides direction for the application of a just transition for Cape Breton communities.
Open Access
A site suitability framework for small-scale cultivation of Saccharina latissima in Nova Scotia using multi-criteria decision analysis
(2024-04-22) Solomon, Michael
Open Access
Undergraduate students' climate change learning at Dalhousie University
(2024-04-24) McCallum, Kenzie
Behaviour change, influenced by a basis of climate change knowledge is an important way for individuals to mitigate climate change. This requires the presence of climate change education in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), though previous studies show that climate change education is not being thoroughly integrated into all faculties. To further investigate students’ perception of their climate change learning at Dalhousie University, a Likert scale questionnaire was sent to all undergraduate students in their final year of study. Science faculties had comparatively high scores, while health faculties had comparatively low scores. Results indicate that students in certain programs don’t believe they are learning enough about climate change and that students are not taking or are not offered many courses associated with climate change. There is a perceived inability and difficulty in scoping climate change into certain curriculums, a problem that cannot be solved individually but requires institutional change. There is a lot of growth potential in the climate change learning at Dalhousie University. Climate change is a trans-disciplinary problem and can be integrated and contextualized into any faculty. This integration must be done imminently to increase student knowledge and address these gaps.
Open Access
Dog owners and their dogs’ influence on the blue-green algae blooms at Shubie Off-Leash Dog Park, Dartmouth, NS
(Morgan, 2024-04-23) Leon, Morgan
Lake Micmac by Shubie Off-Leah Dog Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been experiencing blue-green algae blooms, a cyanobacteria that can be harmful to the environment and the health of animals, including humans. As blue-green algae blooms occur more frequently, recreational areas including Shubie-off Leash Dog Park are at risk of being closed to the public. A study looking at the sources of fecal contamination in Lake Micmac found that there was a high amount of canine fecal markers nearshore of the Shubie Off-Leash beach. Considering fecal matter contains algae-inducing nutrients, it is suspected that unattended dog waste is contributing to the increasing frequency of blue-green algae blooms in Lake Micmac. Through unobtrusive dog observations and an in-person survey, this study investigates how dog owners manage their dog waste at Shubie Off-Leash Dog Park. Findings suggest there are an insufficient number of amenities including trash bins, doggie bags, and signs stating what areas are designated as on or off-leash. Signage that is present is confusing to some. Other results revealed many dog owners disliked other dog owners and their dogs. Therefore, it is recommended that the park management look into more amenities related to facilitating proper dog waste disposal. Signage should be clear to understand, appealing, and located in popular areas such as trails and trailheads. Engaging with dog owners is needed to form collective community norms that comply with park policy. Park management should also explore fencing certain areas that are naturally ill-defined without affecting the park user’s experience. Finally, future studies need to seek out how effective educational measures like the “Canine for Clean Water Campaign” are at informing the public.
Open Access
The Curatorial Anthropocene: An Analysis of Canadian Museums’ Engagement with the Climate Crisis - Exploring Perspectives on Precedent and Barriers
(2024-04-22) Tomlinson, Lenka
Museums hold the power to influence and educate the public on accessible levels, using multimedia displays and bite-sized pieces of information for digestible intake of scientific understanding and innovation. The intergenerational, and more accessible manner of museums holds the ability to educate larger sects of the public, outside of academic and professional settings, in where understanding of the world, and fun are intertwined. Education through museum displays and exhibits is a voluntary, willing act of participation, from which individuals of all backgrounds and ages are able to learn, with museum structures considered to be trusted, sound institutions. In an evolving social climate, the Canadian museums sector must look to the unique power it holds, as pedagogical institutions of knowledge, to expand beyond traditionalist methodology, and engage with education, community, advocacy, and the climate crisis. This study thematically analyses the perspectives of Canadian professionals in the field, looking at what has happened, what is happening, what ought to happen, and what barriers stand in the way. In comparison with existing, global literature, we see the Canadian museum sector to be placed in an in-between, in where appropriate dismantling of barriers may alleviate stressors, creating the momentum for urgency with climate to be integrated on a widespread scale, through standardization of institutional frameworks, along with paradigmatic shifts within the sector.
Open Access
Tide and Seek: A Coastal Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessment (CAVA) Geographic Visualization in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
(2024-04-22) Torrealba, Alex
Sea level rise (SLR) and storm surge events (SSE) due to climate change significantly threaten the sustainability of tourism-reliant coastal communities, such as the Town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Coastal risk assessments exist globally, but rarely address the interrelation between biophysical climate effects, socioeconomic systems, and climate perceptions of stakeholders. In Lunenburg, there is a disconnect in residents’ awareness of SLR adaptation plans despite climate-policy participatory processes. The current study uses GIS methods to create a 3D climate risk visualization to increase the understanding of risks facing Lunenburg. These methods should improve upon the accuracy of previous adaptation planning documents through up-to-date Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) elevation sources. Interactive visualization features were incorporated which allow stakeholders to visualize geospatial information relevant to their specific needs or concerns. Within the study area, Scenario 1, which investigated a water rise level of 1.75m, resulted in the inundation of 43 civic addresses, 1.207km² of land, and 2.632km of roads. Scenario 2 examined 3.25m of water rise, which resulted in the inundation of 140 civic addresses, 2.070km² of land, and 14.562km of roads. Scenario 3 evaluated 4.15m of water rise, which affected 190 civic addresses, 2.479km² of land, and 18.233km of roads. 3D climate risk visualizations can equalize and increase stakeholder awareness levels, inform policy decisions, and increase the accessibility of open-source geospatial data. Visualizing biophysical, social, and economic indicators simultaneously allows for a holistic understanding of climate risk. Awareness and preparedness of local stakeholders is a prerequisite to formulating climate-adaptation strategies. Link to visualization: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3e01fe427a8c424893bdbaeb7e9a61f5
Open Access
Analysis of the Offshore Wind Industry with respect to Maine’s Wind Energy Act through Systematic Content Analysis
(2024-04-22)
Through systematic content analysis, this thesis explores the interplay of available technology, global environmental imperatives, and political willpower in the Gulf of Maine’s offshore wind industry. Historically, Maine has been resistant to developments, and the offshore wind industry has faced significant pushback from fishermen and coastal stakeholders alike. To track changes in sentiment over time, this study will focus on written media from public and governmental sources. The central question of this thesis requires temporal and political contextualization, thus relying on an analysis of the Maine Wind Energy Act. The progression and evolution of the MWEA serve as a timeline to chart changes in sentiment over time. By examining shifts in Maine’s state leadership within the scope of the Act, this thesis considers the fluctuations that enable or hinder offshore wind. Utilizing NVIVO software to code written media documents, this study categorizes public-facing narratives as positive, negative, neutral, or mixed. It was determined that there was a positive correlation between the democratic governor in office and the volume of media produced surrounding renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. There was a primarily positive and neutral tone from the public and government facing offshore wind that peaked in the most recent democratic political era. Similarly, the results found that the MWEA was more legally obligatory in the third era. The results of the narrative and textual analysis results underpin two things. The significance of democratic state leadership for of renewably portfolio standards, and thus offshore wind procurement. Written media is also a tool for assessing the efficacy, measured through public or governmental narrative, of legislation like the MWEA.
Open Access
Financialization, Tourism, and Community Well-Being: Situating the Regulation of Short-term Rentals Within the Halifax Housing Crisis
(2024-04-29) Agombar, Maria
On 1 September 2023, the Halifax Regional Municipality set in place a regulatory framework restricting short-term rentals to a host's primary residence only in residential zones throughout the municipality. Short-term rentals are temporary overnight accommodations rented out by hosts through online platforms such as AirBNB, offering guests a unique and desirable opportunity to experience a space in a more “authentic” manner than the conventional hotel industry. These regulations were enacted in response to growing criticisms of the commercial short-term rental industry's adverse social and economic impacts in public debate and critical scholarship amid Halifax’s unprecedented housing crisis. While they have flourished within an economic system of housing financialization, they have proliferated in cities across the world as a novel iteration of technocapitalism within the platform economy, transforming the socio-economic landscapes of metropolitan areas around the world. Informed by a growing field of critical literature within this subject, this thesis presents a qualitative thematic analysis of archived footage of a public hearing on these regulations which took place in Halifax on the 21 of February, 2023. Results largely align with existing literature, demonstrating negative impacts on housing markets while perpetuating socio-economic inequities and community disruptions. Within the context of Halifax, community well-being is presented under contrasting conceptions, calling to attention the role of the short-term rental market in the development of a socially and economically sustainable future for the city of Halifax. In keeping pace with the growth of Halifax’s population and tourism industry, navigating the regulation of this market poses a significant challenge in finding a balanced accommodation capacity for residents and tourists alike which prioritizes both housing security and a shared sense of belonging and responsibility at the community level.
Open Access
An Analysis of Placemaking and Wayfinding Initiatives on the Halifax and Dartmouth Harbourwalk for Wheelchair Users
(2024-05) Shimada, Rui
Considerations towards equitable practices in public spaces should be made to promote inclusivity and user-friendliness and reduce barriers. Halifax, Nova Scotia, has one of the highest rates of disabilities in Canada and is continuously observing growth, with urban infrastructures being built. However, there should be considerations towards improving currently existing infrastructure and whether it meets equitable considerations towards individuals with disabilities. As a result, Halifax and Dartmouth's placemaking and wayfinding infrastructures were analyzed on wheelchair accessibility, observing whether there were correlations between quality and type of infrastructure and recommendations in inclusive practices. From a placemaking perspective, the newly implemented Queen's Marque was found to be the least accessible and inclusive infrastructure due to its intended purposes and lack of universal design considerations. Many common problems were found in wayfinding infrastructure, especially within informational signage. Common problems found included characteristics such as signage angles and lack of consideration towards height and perspective. In addition, the Dartmouth Harbourwalk has overseen most vandalism on wayfinding infrastructure. It is recommended that best practices within different cities be observed, and suggestions from organizations should be made to consider the best ways towards inclusivity and equitable practices. Practices such as community engagement should be done in the future to take into consideration feedback from people who use the space frequently when determining approaches to improving the space.