| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 40.39 |
| Liaison | Sarah Laurie |
| Submission Date | May 17, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
State University of New York at Fredonia
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Lindsey
Alday Student Intern EH&S&S |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Dr. Sherri Mason is Fredonia's Environmental Sciences Professor and was assisted by Fredonia's Biology Assistant Professor, Courtney Wigdahl-Perry in a study that assessed environmental impacts of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes. The study is titled "Determining Degradation Rates, Products and Impacts for Prominent Plastics in Freshwater Environs".
The first stage of the study determined the degradation rates within three different freshwater environments using laboratory-scale environmental chambers and focused on plastics found to be most prominent in Great Lakes open-water surveys.
The second stage identified the chemical breakdown products resulting from the mechanical, chemical, biological and photo-degradation of synthetic polymeric materials.
The third stage assesses the impacts to the ecosystem focusing on filter-feeding organisms through in-lab feeding studies using zooplankton and algae.
The fourth and final stage calls for development of educational/outreach that leads to an understanding of the impacts, as well as possible regulatory and policy needs for elected officials, environmental and conservation groups and other stakeholders.
The campus supported Dr. Mason by advertising her outreach and noting it on the homepage with links to her articles about her advocacy.
Legislation names:
-Chautauqua County Microbead Ban (NY)
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Dr. Sherri Mason is Fredonia's Environmental Sciences Professor and was assisted by Fredonia's Biology Assistant Professor, Courtney Wigdahl-Perry in a study that assessed environmental impacts of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes. The study is titled "Determining Degradation Rates, Products and Impacts for Prominent Plastics in Freshwater Environs".
The first stage of the study determined the degradation rates within three different freshwater environments using laboratory-scale environmental chambers and focused on plastics found to be most prominent in Great Lakes open-water surveys.
The second stage identified the chemical breakdown products resulting from the mechanical, chemical, biological and photo-degradation of synthetic polymeric materials.
The third stage assesses the impacts to the ecosystem focusing on filter-feeding organisms through in-lab feeding studies using zooplankton and algae.
The fourth and final stage calls for development of educational/outreach that leads to an understanding of the impacts, as well as possible regulatory and policy needs for elected officials, environmental and conservation groups and other stakeholders.
The campus supported Dr. Mason by advertising her outreach and noting it on the homepage with links to her articles about her advocacy.
Legislation names:
-Erie County Microbead Ban (NY)
-Cattaraugus County Microbead Ban (NY)
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Dr. Sherri Mason is Fredonia's Environmental Sciences Professor and was assisted by Fredonia's Biology Assistant Professor, Courtney Wigdahl-Perry in a study that assessed environmental impacts of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes. The study is titled "Determining Degradation Rates, Products and Impacts for Prominent Plastics in Freshwater Environs".
The first stage of the study determined the degradation rates within three different freshwater environments using laboratory-scale environmental chambers and focused on plastics found to be most prominent in Great Lakes open-water surveys.
The second stage identified the chemical breakdown products resulting from the mechanical, chemical, biological and photo-degradation of synthetic polymeric materials.
The third stage assesses the impacts to the ecosystem focusing on filter-feeding organisms through in-lab feeding studies using zooplankton and algae.
The fourth and final stage calls for development of educational/outreach that leads to an understanding of the impacts, as well as possible regulatory and policy needs for elected officials, environmental and conservation groups and other stakeholders.
The campus supported Dr. Mason by advertising her outreach and noting it on the homepage with links to her articles about her advocacy.
Legislation names:
-Microbeads-Free Water Act (US National legislation, signed by President Obama in December 2015, effective July 2018)
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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