1. Optimism and Hope Play Differing Roles in Policy Support and Climate Activism
Karin Dag, Ellen Sanderson
Students, Indiana University Psychology and English
Authors: Ellen Sanderson, Sanya Vadhavkar, Karin Dag, Paulina Cardenas, Elizabeth Ray, Ed Hirt, Kendra Thomas, Peter Todd, Nathan Geiger
Optimism is distinct from hope (Park et al., 2020; Rand, 2018; Schornick, 2022). The most prolific understanding of personal hope in psychology was described by Snyder’s Hope Theory. Differently, a new operationalization of hope, Virtuous hope, is focused on goals for the common good. A sample representative of US census data (n=475) revealed that optimism and hope were similar predictors of climate activism. Differently, other-oriented hope was a significant predictor of climate policy support, while optimism and individual-oriented hope was not predictive of climate policy support. Findings suggest that climate prosociality differs between agentic-action-oriented hope and transcendental hope.
2. Developing A Community Quality of Life and Resilience (CQOLR) Model for Sustainable Development in Indiana
Hossein Mousazadeh
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Purdue University, John Martinson Honors College
Rural Indiana faces significant challenges in sustaining community well-being amidst social, economic, and environmental disparities. This research aims to address these gaps by developing a tailored Community Quality of Life and Resilience (CQOLR) model, designed to capture the multidimensional aspects of rural life, including health access, economic stability, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability. By establishing actionable CQOL standards and indicators, this project provides a framework to guide targeted interventions that enhance resilience and equity in underserved rural areas. Building on this foundation, the study explores the relationship between CQOL and resilience dynamics, examining how key factors such as community engagement, resource availability, and adaptive capacity contribute to the overall well-being, quality of life and sustainability of rural Indiana communities. Using qualitative methods, it investigates how perceptions of rural life and community engagement influence these decisions. By linking improved CQOL with strengthen local engagement, the project identifies pathways to bolster rural vitality and sustainability. The findings will inform collaborative efforts across sectors to integrate CQOL improvements into resilience planning, fostering thriving, equitable rural communities that are better equipped to navigate future challenges. This presentation will highlight the intersection of CQOL development and rural resilience, offering practical insights for policymakers, researchers, and sustainability advocates dedicated to Indiana’s environmental and social progress.
Keywords: Community Quality of Life (CQOL), Resilience, Sustainable Development, Indiana
3. Repair, Upcycle, Recycle; The Textile Opportunity
Jakota Fischer; Emily Hayes; Audrey Robbins
Student Assistant, Ball State University; Student Assistant, Ball State University; Professor, Ball State University
The fashion industry is evolving to address the high cost and inaccessibility of sustainable clothing, while educating consumers about recycling, upcycling, and repairing garments. Limited textile recycling infrastructure in the U.S. results in most donated clothing still ending up in landfills, contributing to waste and climate issues. By promoting a circular economy and connecting textile waste to UN Sustainable Development Goals, our research aims to increase Midwest public awareness on managing damaged textiles through certified recycling or mending practices.
4. Keep calm and COPe on: Mental Health & Well-being at COP29
Ana Lim
Student Delegate at COP29, Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; Digital Communications Specialist, Environmental Resilience Institute; Student, School of Social Work
During the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, climate change was globally acknowledged as a factor that significantly impacts people's mental health and psychosocial well-being in the Declaration of Climate and Health. Specifically, scientific literature indicates that people’s experiences with and levels of concern about climate change can be associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, grief, and trauma. Ethnographic and qualitative research methods were utilized at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to investigate both the emotional and mental health experiences of COP29 attendees, as well as the policies and actions being utilized and recommended by experts attending COP29 to address mental health impacts of climate change internationally.
5. Institutional Factors Driving the Desiccation of Lake Urmia
Mahdi Taraghi
PhD Student, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Lake Urmia, once West Asia's largest saltwater lake, has undergone severe desiccation over recent decades, triggering severe environmental and socio-economic consequences. This paper examines institutional factors driving this decline, focusing on Iran's Five-Year Development Plans from 1989 to 2021. The study reveals that dam construction and agricultural policies aimed at self-sufficiency have significantly contributed to the lake's water level drop. These initiatives led to a substantial increase in cumulative dam capacity and the commissioning of 42 new reservoirs following the enactment of the 1982 Fair Water Distribution Act. As a result, the lake level has fallen significantly below its sustainable level. To address this crisis, future development strategies must prioritize environmental sustainability and foster better coordination among stakeholders. This research underscores the need to re-evaluate national development plans to prevent further ecological degradation in the Lake Urmia basin.
6. Different Kinds of Hope Differently Predict Climate Intentions
Paulina Cardenas, Sanya Vadhavkar
Students, Indiana University
Authors: Ellen Sanderson, Sanya Vadhavkar, Karin Dag, Paulina Cardenas, Elizabeth Ray, Ed Hirt, Kendra Thomas, Peter Todd, Nathan Geiger
Who boycotts the products of a company that pollutes? Who is willing to work for a company that is known to harm the environment? Optimism is distinct from hope (Park et al., 2020; Rand, 2018; Schornick, 2022). Snyder’s Hope Theory described the most prolific understanding of individual-oriented hope in psychology as hope pathways and hope agency. Differently, a new operationalization of hope, Virtuous hope, is focused on goals for the common good. A sample representative of US census data (n=475) explored hope agency, hope pathways, virtuous hope, and optimism in relation to intentions for the climate. Findings showcase the predicting role of other-oriented hope in climate intentions. Future directions should continue to explore virtuous hope’s unique role in climate action and advocacy.
7. Exploring the Potential of Black Soldier Fly Compost Tea for Weed Seed Suppression
Celia Corado
Master's Student, Purdue University
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) compost tea, derived from digested organic waste, is gaining attention for its potential in sustainable agriculture due to its unique chemical and microbial properties. This study explored its effects on weed suppression, focusing on barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli L.) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). . Using a dose-response experiment, seeds were treated with varying concentrations of compost tea and monitored for germination over two weeks under controlled conditions. Results showed significant phytotoxic effects, with ED50 values of 0.066 g/ml for barnyardgrass, 0.03 g/ml for velvetleaf, and 0.03 g/ml for redroot pigweed. These findings highlight black soldier fly compost tea as a promising eco-friendly alternative for weed management. However, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in field conditions.
8. Recommendations to resolve environmental concerns about crypto-mining
Clovia Hamilton, PhD
Assistant Professor, Kelley School of Business, Department of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University
This research is a bibliometric study of cryptocurrency conducted using the critically appraised topic method using 201 publications between Jan 1, 2013 and Dec 31, 2022. Ten recommendations for cryptocurrency sustainability policies and legal regulations were gleaned from this bibliometric study.
9. Ideological Agreement to Rights of Nature
Paige Powers; Christopher DeSante
Undergraduate Student, Indiana University Bloomington; Associate Professor of Political Science, Indiana University Bloomington
How can we get conservatives and liberals to agree on environmental policy? In an increasingly polarized America, this might seem like a fool’s errand, but according to some experimental evidence we’ve collected, it might not be. Using ideological framing built upon “the Rights of Nature” legal framework, further developed by Kelsey Leonard in the wake of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (which granted legal standing to corporations), we show how liberals and conservatives can both agree to environmental protections by following ideologically motivated reasoning. In survey experiments, we use such frames to cause both sides of the ideological spectrum to support granting legal personhood to protected bodies of water. Results from a nationally representative survey sample of 1,400 adult respondents show that ideological framing increases respondents' willingness to grant legal personhood to natural resources as well as promote environmental regulations. This study aims to provide insight into how certain concerns for national/border security might enable political leaders to expand Rights of Nature to bodies of water, areas of wetlands, or locales that might soon suffer the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
10. Sustainability in Road Infrastructure: A Phase-wise Review of Indicators and Assessment Methods.
David Holguin-Mejia
Master’s in Civil Engineering Graduate Student, Purdue University
This poster provides a comprehensive review of sustainability indicators and assessment methods across the various phases of road infrastructure development (RID), highlighting distinct challenges and opportunities specific to each phase. From a systematic literature review, 34 out of 69 articles were analyzed in detail, revealing that environmental and social indicators often focus either on single phases or on a generalized approach across all phases. Key findings indicate that while the Planning & Design phase emphasizes renewable energy, resource efficiency, and stakeholder involvement, the Construction phase focuses on the implementation of sustainability measures, with long-term monitoring predominating in the Operations & Maintenance phase, and a notable lack of specific indicators for the End-of-Life phase. The study calls for future research to develop detailed, phase-specific frameworks and integrate advanced technologies to enhance decision-making and promote sustainable practices within RID.
11. Of Critical Importance: A Critical Analysis of Mapping in International Climate Governance
Cooper Sykes
Alumnus, Indiana University Bloomington Department of Geography
In international climate governance, visualizations are crucial to the production of climatic knowledge and the distribution of information about climate change. Climate change not only has produced copious detrimental impacts to the world’s peoples and ecosystems, but also a plethora of representations of the crisis. This poster takes a critical perspective of one of the most common representations of global climate change: maps. Through a critical analysis of the usage of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and mapping at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), I aimed to achieve a deeper understanding of not only how spatial knowledge is conveyed and utilized in climatic contexts, but how this knowledge differs in accessibility and impacts for different stakeholders. The guiding research question for this poster is a critical analysis of how mapping, GIS, and cartography are utilized in international climate governance. By evaluating maps' origins, authors, organizations, mediums, subjects, accessibility, and the overall product, we come closer to conceptualizing how the climate crisis is being perceived and how mapping can improve our ability to represent the dire situation at hand.
12. Different Kinds of Hope Differently Predict Climate Beliefs and Behaviors
Elizabeth Ray
PhD Candidate, Indiana University
Authors: Elizabeth Ray, Ed Hirt, Kendra Thomas, Peter Todd, Nathan Geiger
How is hope related to sustainability and climate issues? Does the kind of hope that someone feels relate to their sustainable behaviors, their pro-climate beliefs, pro-climate policy support, and their resilience against the challenges of combatting climate issues? This poster presents data from Indiana University Bloomington highlighting hope as a predictor of pro-environmentalism. Hope is associated to both individual and collective action against climate issues. Join this session to discover that hope benefits the self, benefits others, and is related to pro-environmental behavior, beliefs, and policy support. Leave this session with insight on how cultivating hope may be a powerful tool for Indiana’s pro-climate inspiration toolkit for fostering a more sustainable future for our state.
13. Natural Climate Solutions: When and where do they work for farmers and the climate
Xian Wang
Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University Bloomington
Climate change poses a significant threat to croplands, necessitating innovative strategies to sustain agricultural yields while mitigating atmospheric CO₂ growth. Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS), such as no-till farming and cover cropping, offer promising near-term mitigation options. This study evaluates the impacts of no-till and cover cropping on crop yields and climate benefits across Indiana using long-term conservation survey data and satellite-based estimations. Results indicate that no-till enhances climate mitigation by increasing albedo but can reduce yields, particularly in dry regions or during droughts. More frequent no-till practices may help offset these yield losses. Cover cropping boosts climate benefits by enhancing photosynthetic potential but reduces yields more significantly than no-till in both wet and dry conditions. Increasing cover crop diversity and usage frequency could mitigate these losses. This research provides critical insights to optimize no-till and cover cropping practices for balancing agricultural productivity and climate benefits in Indiana.
14. Collaborating towards Sustainable Tourism: A Partnership Between Purdue University and Indiana Dunes Tourism
Ailin Fei; Johnathon Day
PhD Candidate, Purdue University; Associate Professor, Purdue University
This presentation showcases a partnership between Purdue University and Indiana Dunes Tourism to advance sustainable tourism practices and climate action planning. Through tailored strategies, including benchmarking sustainability practices, community engagement, and marketing audits, the collaboration provided actionable insights to enhance climate resilience and sustainable economic growth. It serves as a replicable framework for fostering academic-stakeholder collaboration to promote sustainability in tourism.
