Sustainability Studies

On many farms, stone and wooden field borders define field sizes. These are commonly perceived as land lost to production and refuges for pests and disease, causing such fences and hedges to be removed to create larger fields for increased productivity; this process has eliminated trees and shrubs that provide habitat along these fencerows. This research explores the alignment of agricultural productivity and wildlife conservation, proposing that species such as feral apples may serve as direct economic resources for producers and act to protect such remaining fences and hedges. This study focused on farms in the Dummer Moraine, which have small fields, adventive hedges on rock piles and rail fences. Using field size analysis, apple frequencies and apple jelly tasting, the research demonstrates that feral apples could provide economic incentive for keeping these hedges intact, offering a practical mechanism for their conservation, benefiting both biodiversity and farm productivity.

KEYWORDS: biodiversity conservation, farm gate sales, fencerows, feral apples, hedges, linear forests

Author Keywords: biodiversity conservation, farm gate sales, fencerows, feral apples, hedges, linear forests

The global shift toward sustainability has prompted brands to promote their sustainability initiatives on social media, aiming to connect with pro-environmental consumers. However, this strategy comes with risks, as social media allows for swift and widespread backlash if consumers perceive greenwashing. The present work examines the impact of social media backlash toward a brand's sustainability initiatives on consumers' purchase intentions. In an experimental study (N = 553), participants were presented social media responses to a fictitious brand's sustainability initiative that were either negative, positive, or a mix of both. The findings indicate that the negative comments decreased purchase intentions for consumers with a pro-environmentalist identity but not otherwise. Moreover, this effect was mediated by decreased perceptions of value-congruence with the brand. This study contributes to larger academic discourses on sustainable marketing, greenwashing, and consumer-brand relationships while providing tangible recommendations to marketing practitioners attempting to mitigate the challenges posed by social media backlash.

Author Keywords: greenwashing, social identity, social influence, social media backlash, sustainability promotion, value congruence

Sustainable housing is crucial for immigrant settlement and integration in their host countries. This research focuses on achieving sustainable housing for one racialized immigrant group in Toronto. A concurrent mixed-method approach, which involves simultaneous collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, was used to explore how a racialized immigrant group, like Ghanaian immigrants in Toronto, struggle to achieve sustainable housing in Toronto. The quantitative method involves a survey of 145 Ghanaian immigrants, while the qualitative approach includes in-depth interviews with 10 key informants of Ghanaian immigrants in Toronto. Various quantitative data analysis techniques, including univariate and bivariate, were used to examine the relationships between socio-demographic variables and housing conditions of Ghanaians in Toronto. The findings from the quantitative data suggest that, while certain variables, such as gender and age, have no significant influence on sustainable housing attainment, factors such as immigration status, occupation, and income play an important role in determining the likelihood of achieving sustainable housing. For Ghanaian immigrants in Toronto, these factors impact their abilities to achieve sustainable housing. The qualitative data were explored using thematic analysis, which involved identifying recurring themes and patterns. The qualitative interviews revealed themes of barriers to sustainable housing, such as issues of affordability and accessibility. Overcoming these obstacles promotes immigrants' successful settlement and integration. These findings can be used by policymakers, housing providers, and community organisations to develop targeted interventions to address the housing needs of racialized immigrant groups in Canada. This thesis emphasises the importance of sustainable housing for Ghanaian immigrants in Toronto and informs evidence-based policies and practices. It adds to existing knowledge on immigrant housing experiences and serves as a resource for future research on sustainable housing for diverse immigrant populations in Canada and beyond.

Author Keywords: Chi-square, High-rise, Housing Career, Progressive housing, Purposive, Sustainable housing

Heated leaf extracts of Euphorbia neriifolia (sweet aloes) are used traditionally in Guyana for asthma therapy, but the phytoconstituents have not been studied and phytohormones are generally unexplored in Euphorbia species. Phytoconstituents in asthma-effective traditional heated extracts were analyzed and compared with unheated leaves and latex extracts as screens to identify candidate compounds for asthma treatment. Analysis employed untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. The untargeted approach revealed thousands of features in samples with higher abundance in heated extracts and confirmation of 33 metabolite identities (confidence levels 2 and 3) which are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Highly accumulated and unique features were detected in latex, and those characteristic compounds may reflect the expanded therapeutic uses of E. neriifolia globally. A targeted metabolomic analysis identified and quantified several cytokinins, including aromatic kinetin, and acidic phytohormones. Traditional heating improved the content of several cytokinins with known therapeutic potential, indicating they may be candidates for asthma management.

Author Keywords: asthma, cytokinins, Euphorbia neriifolia, metabolomics, sweet aloes, traditional remedies

Ecological restoration of grassland ecosystems is increasing in scope in Ontario, as a result the demand for genetically appropriate, high-quality seeds of native plants is also increasing. This mixed methods study characterized fitness and seed quality traits using genetic, demographic and growth trial data for a keystone tallgrass prairie species Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). To estimate the ploidy levels in Big bluestem, our flow cytometric results indicated an average of 6.32 picograms of nuclear DNA within sixteen populations surveyed showing that hexaploid (6x) cytotypes are dominant in Southern and Central Ontario populations, aside from one 9x occurrence in Norfolk county, ON. Seed quality, measured through germination and viability testing did not change based on whether a population was remnant or restored. Concerningly, our study shows that remnant populations of Big bluestem are at risk of being lost as high quality seed sources likely because of the absence of stewardship and the resulting loss in population fitness. Workshops with prairie restoration practitioners suggest that there is significant vision behind the future of this work in the province, and that an ecosystem wide seed strategy for keystone tallgrass prairie species is a necessary next step to increase the sustainability of seed-based restoration strategies and preserve remnant site genetics.

Author Keywords: Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Ecological Restoration, fitness, polyploidy, practitioner, seed quality

The seed oil of Carapa guianensis, known as Crabwood oil (CWO) and its fractionation was studied, focussing on chemical composition and physicochemical functionality. Compounds never reported before in CWO were identified, including limonoids such as Trichillin, ketostearic and hydroxyoleic acids. Yield of olein and stearin fractions correlated strongly with solvent polarity. Important bioactives were partitioned as a function of solvent polarity in the olein vs. stearin fractions. For example, up to 35% more of Gedunin were present in the liquid fractions. Solid fat content, crystallization and melting temperature and microstructure were significantly affected by fractionation and shown to be strongly correlated with solvent polarity. Fractionation was demonstrated to be a powerful tool to extend the physical functionality of CWO and concentrate its bioactives.

Author Keywords: Carapa guianensis, Chemical characteristics, Crabwood Oil, Dry and Solvent fractionation, Fractionation, Physical characteristics

Local environmental initiatives can create visible and essential changes and inspire greater environmental action. Municipal governments and local environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) are important local actors, but their partnerships and relationships have not received much attention. This thesis examines what activities and relationships have been developed between municipal governments and ENGOs in the Peterborough region, what benefits they gain and what challenges they face during collaboration, and how these partnerships affect public perceptions of the organizations. I conducted 14 interviews with members of local ENGOs and municipalities and received 52 survey responses from residents. The findings indicate groups have unique relationships for planning, programming, and advocacy activities. Relationships were key and challenges included lack of time and prioritization, communication, and public buy-in. Partnerships provide an opportunity to share positive accomplishments and build reputation. This study sheds light on the complex relationships among local organizations and provides recommendations for improving partnerships.

Author Keywords: Community Engagement, Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, Local Sustainability, Municipal Government, Partnerships, Relationships

This study used literature from the social and ecological sciences to look at the practice of seed saving in the Global North for adaptation in the face of climate change. The hypothesis is that small-scale gardeners and farmers are adapting seeds to the changing climate as they grow them, which is not the case for growers who grow only food. However seed savers face obstacles and are dwindling in number – even though the practice is thousands of years old. Using survey and interviews of seed savers in two communities in Ontario Canada (one Indigenous and one settler), this mixed methods Participatory Action Research project explores the challenges and opportunities for seed saving in the context of climate change. The results indicate that both seed savers and their crops are adapting to climate change, but that the challenges and implications diverge for Indigenous vs settler communities. A framework of recommendations to advance seed saving in a beneficial, decolonizing way is proposed.

Author Keywords: climate change, Food security, food sovereignty, Seed Keeping, Seed Saving, Sustainable Food Systems

This research aimed to capture the experiences of cities that have endeavored to localize the SDGs in their areas. Literature review and one-on-one interviews with SDG practitioners have been conducted to glean best practices and effective strategies to develop recommendations for how cities in Canada should plan to localize the SDGs in their areas. The research uncovered themes in relation to building on existing initiatives, stakeholder management, data management, and the role of personal rapport and connections in professional settings. This research also revealed an important tension between the top-down approach of adopting a unified federally devised framework and a bottom-up community indicator approach. Finally, the research uncovered opportunities to increase support for local organizations and city governments embarking on localizing the SDGs through engagement with academia and partnering with faculty and graduate students at the local university to incorporate graduate research into SDG localization efforts and tap into funding opportunities. The research also resulted in a flow chart that is gleaned from interviews and the literature review to describe a step-by-step process that cities and communities could deploy to localize SDG targets and indicators.

Author Keywords: Indicators, Localization, Measurement, Strategies, Sustainable Development Goals, Voluntary Local Review

The widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is crucial for reducing transportation-related emissions and achieving sustainability goals. However, a significant research gap exists regarding specific consumer groups, such as university students, and their attitudes toward EV adoption, as they represent a demographic influential in shaping future adoption patterns. This research uses a quantitative approach to explore Trent University students' attitudes and perceptions toward EV adoption.A survey of 154 students examined the factors influencing their willingness to adopt EVs. Various quantitative data analyses, including cross-tabulation tables and chi-square tests, were employed to investigate the relationships between socio-demographic, social, environmental, and economic factors and students' willingness to adopt EVs. The findings indicate that while socio-demographic factors do not significantly influence willingness to adopt EVs, factors such as first-hand experience, knowledge about EVs, social influence, upfront costs, charging infrastructure, and government incentives significantly impact students' willingness to adopt EVs. The study revealed that although students recognize the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs), such as reduced emissions, lower operating costs, enhanced energy efficiency and health advantages, key barriers to student EV adoption include high upfront costs, limited charging infrastructure, concerns about driving range and charging time, and a need for more knowledge and awareness. The findings of this study fill a significant research gap and add to the existing literature on EV adoption. The insights generated can inform targeted strategies by policymakers, educational institutions, and EV manufacturers to promote widespread EV adoption among students. Keywords: Electric Vehicles, Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles, Zero-emission vehicles, sustainable transportation, attitudes, perceptions, University students, consumer behaviour.

Author Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Electric Vehicles, Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles, sustainable transportation, University students, Zero-emission vehicles