Air pollution is an increasingly prominent issue because of its implications on human health, among others. According to the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) study of Portland’s air pollution and toxics concentrations, Portland’s air quality has increased in the past three decades, but certain pollutants are notably higher than both ambient benchmark […]
Maps, Maps, and More Maps
Using ArcGIS, Maya, Jay, and I were able to present the data from our last lab in a new way! We layered the information onto different maps as a way to compare individual data samples to the larger population, as well as one data set to another! This allowed us to look at whether or not our conclusion from […]
More Food Doesn’t Always Make You Healthier – Maya Bon, Jay Chu, Tasha Addington-Ferris
Background: In order to understand and utilize SPSS, a Statistics Datafile application, we decided to explore the correlation between the healthy average life expectancy and the NET agricultural output of any given country. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Data Explorer contains databases with more than 500 variables ranging from national, subregional, regional, […]
A First Look at Urban Planning
Urbanization, while on one end results in habitat loss and the expansion of many city’s ecological footprints, is also a way in which to transition into a more “sustainable” urban area. This leads me to one of my first questions regarding urban planning and urbanization: what is sustainability?? Everyone wants it, everyone seems to know […]
Reaching a Decision Re: Urban Planning
Figuring out a topic that I am interested in enough to work on for the next two-plus years has been difficult, and I would continue to argue that I am no where close to having a definite interest. The step that pushed me in the direction of urban planning was during an activity for class […]
ENVS 220 Lab #1 Writeup Link – Jay Chu, Maya Bon, Tasha Addington-Ferris
Click here to view our study on how altitude and canopy cover affects microclimate factors, specifically temperature, humidity, and dew point within the River View Natural Area (RVNA), a 146 acre public-use park characterized by mixed deciduous and evergreen species and located in southwest Portland, Oregon.