Robert Brinkmann

Climatic Influences on Coastal Cave and Karst Development in Florida

Coastal karst development in Florida is a complex, temporally variable phenomenon that was influenced by eustatic processes and long-term climatic variability through the Cenozoic up through the present. Much of the past history involving coastal and climatic influences on cave and karst evolution in Florida is still not well understood. Currently, Florida is home to almost 20 million people that reside one of the world’s largest and most productive karst aquifer systems, featuring hundreds of springs, caves, and sinkholes as part of its karst geomorphology. The large carbonate platform is exposed to hurricanes, sea level rise, and continued groundwater withdrawal. Therefore, it is important to consider Florida’s karst landscape as an evolving geomorphological system under both past and current environmental conditions. It is important to understand the rock, structure, gradient, fluid, and time elements of Florida’s karst development, with a particular emphasis placed on the climatic influences that shaped the landscape. Focusing on the central and northern regions of the peninsula where the ridgelands and coastal lowlands contain the most exposed karst features, the elements of gradient, fluid, and time interact with climate in such a way that the karst landscape development can be partially explained by changes in the hydrology related to water table fluctuations, sea-level changes, and variability in precipitation patterns over time. Aquifer development, speleogenesis, and paleoclimatic changes on these processes are discussed, while noting that the primary mechanisms controlling cave development,sinkhole occurrence, and karst evolution are past changes in sea level and water table movement. The state’s karst regions are described within this context to organize the discussion of the coastal karst development of peninsular Florida under variable climatic conditions.

Linking greenhouse gas emissions to greenhouse gas reduction policies at the local government level in Florida

Greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories have emerged in the last decade as a key policy and management tool for local governments to address global warming. Yet, it is evident that there are many different methodologies available to local government staff involved with developing a measure of emissions for their communities. A review of methodologies utilized by state and local governments in Florida indicates that there are highly variable approaches used to calculate inventories from different emission categories. In addition, the procedures that are used may not be appropriate for the scale of a local jurisdiction due to problems associated with generalizing or averaging emissions data. It is suggested that a more standardized approach be developed and that a clearinghouse for GHG data be established. Such an effort would help to develop clear methodologies for assessing and measuring GHG emissions at different levels of government with the goal of tracking the effectiveness of specific GHG policies. This article provides a background and comparative analysis of GHG methodologies; a summary of national, state, and local government GHG policy in Florida; an analysis for issues with linking GHG emissions to policy; and, recommendations to improve these methodologies and data collection.

Sustainability initiatives in professional soccer

Professional soccer, as an important driver of popular culture, has the potential to transform how we view and practice sustainability. Since the 1980s, the field of sustainability has focused on trying to reduce the impact of human activity on the planet by measuring and assessing the behaviour of organizations. While much progress has been made in a number of areas such as recycling and pollution, much more needs to be done to ensure that future generations are not harmed by today’s consumptive society. It is worth examining what all major institutions, including professional soccer, are doing to reduce their impacts. This study focuses on an analysis of the 19 professional soccer teams in the US by assessing sustainability initiatives highlighted on team Websites and on the Websites of their home stadium. The results demonstrate that most teams are doing something to advance sustainability goals. However, the most active teams on sustainability initiatives are found in the Western Conference where the Timbers, Sounders, Whitecaps, Galaxy and Chivas USA are setting high standards for organizational sustainability.

Economic Development and Sustainability: A Case Study from Long Island, New York

Economic development is often used to promote sustainability initiatives at the local, regional, or national scale. This chapter reviews how a statewide initiative in the State of New York to develop ten regional economic development councils was used to promote sustainability in one of the regions—Long Island. When the economic development program was initiated in 2011 at the end of the Great Recession, the Long Island region quickly decided to focus on enhancing natural assets as one of the key guiding tenets. Since its inception, the local council has funded dozens of projects to preserve land, reduce pollution, promote and protect tourism assets, and preserve agriculture and fisheries. Substantive sustainability planning that took place prior to the development of the council supported these projects. One of the challenges of inserting sustainability in an economic development context is that sustainability outcomes are not traditionally measured using economic development indicators making it difficult to assess success. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that infusing sustainability within an economic development process can improve a region and frame development in new ways.

Sustainability Definitions, Historical Context, and Frameworks

Different experts and organizations define sustainability in different ways. This introductory chapter discusses these definitions and reviews the development of the field of sustainability since it emerged from the United Nations in the 1980s. Additionally, the chapter highlights how sustainability brings together important themes of environment, economics, and social equity to try to limit the impact of human activity on the planet. We highlight how sustainability is assessed and measured by summarizing a number of local, national, and international assessment schemes used in a variety of contexts. We also consider how the three pillars of sustainability (environmental protection, economic development, and social equity) are key to each of the case studies presented in this book. As we consider how the world is changing, society will look more and more to sustainability experts to try to find solutions to our emerging problems. The case studies presented in the book are an important contribution that provides examples on best practices on sustainability and highlights lessons learned and continued barriers and challenges related to sustainability.

Book Review: Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City

two counts, the book meets its goals. On the third count— methods—it is arguably effective at giving a broad-stroke picture of the types of methods used and how to interpret their results. Ideally, the book would be a one-stop shop for all three, with more explication of methods and even problem sets using real data at the end of each chapter. Were these to be included, Running the Numbers would fill an enormous gap in the existing market for regional analysis textbooks. As the book is actually structured, though, its audience is a bit different. It could not stand alone as a text for any analytical course; the coverage of tools, methods, and theories is too cursory. However, it would certainly be a very useful complement to introductory econometrics texts, for example, in courses focused on regional policy-related topics in the United States. In fact, it would be helpful supplemental reading material for any methods course in the planning, regional science, or geography disciplines in the United States that engages with real data. Perhaps the biggest market for Quinterno’s book will be those practitioners and policy makers tasked with consuming and digesting the research of others or with designing, at a macro-level, studies to be conducted by others. These individuals will benefit immensely from having this highly accessible, clearly written book within arm’s reach.

Review: Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City

two counts, the book meets its goals. On the third count— methods—it is arguably effective at giving a broad-stroke picture of the types of methods used and how to interpret their results. Ideally, the book would be a one-stop shop for all three, with more explication of methods and even problem sets using real data at the end of each chapter. Were these to be included, Running the Numbers would fill an enormous gap in the existing market for regional analysis textbooks. As the book is actually structured, though, its audience is a bit different. It could not stand alone as a text for any analytical course; the coverage of tools, methods, and theories is too cursory. However, it would certainly be a very useful complement to introductory econometrics texts, for example, in courses focused on regional policy-related topics in the United States. In fact, it would be helpful supplemental reading material for any methods course in the planning, regional science, or geography disciplines in the United States that engages with real data. Perhaps the biggest market for Quinterno’s book will be those practitioners and policy makers tasked with consuming and digesting the research of others or with designing, at a macro-level, studies to be conducted by others. These individuals will benefit immensely from having this highly accessible, clearly written book within arm’s reach.