Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism

Committee Chair

Lisa Krantz

Committee Co-chair

Ray Fanning

Commitee Members

Sean O'Brien

Keywords

sustainability, mushroom farming, coral reef, ecosystem resilience, glass recycling, recycling

Subject Categories

Human Geography

Abstract

Sustainability and sustainable business practices look different across every resource and industry.

From recreational scuba diving to grassroots recycling efforts, sustainability is driven by local communities with a vested interest in protecting their environments long-term. Access to these sustainability efforts and awareness about their existence are barriers that require intentional participation in sustainable resource use from relevant parties. In this professional paper, sustainability efforts will be examined across three domains. Food-grade glass is one of the easiest and most efficient items to recycle, but relatively little of it is recycled. Discarded glass can take various paths, from community-led recycling events in partnership with local recycling non-profits, to being stripped clean and re-bottled at Bayern Brewery, or to the least sustainable yet most common option, disposal in private and city-run landfills. Swift Current Farms in Stevensville, a family-owned gourmet mushroom farm, demonstrates what modern, sustainable food production looks like in Western Montana, with emphasis on providing nutritious produce direct-to-consumer. Cuba has some of the most resilient reefs in the world, which are surviving and thriving in a world rife with threats to reefs. The country’s aggressive sustainable fishing practices and vast marine protected areas have enabled underwater ecosystem to thrive and offer a glimpse into what other Caribbean marine ecosystems could be if better protected. In Cuba, the ability to strictly limit commercial and tourism ensures the continued survival of apex predators and limits the stressors on coral reefs, resulting in their proven resilience when facing these issues.

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© Copyright 2024 Kathryn M. Simecek