Archive of ENVR E-599 Past Capstone Titles and Examples

Fall 2019

Summer 2019

  • Meat Reduction: A Path to Financial Savings and Carbon Emissions Reductions for Institutions in Austin, Texas. Summer 2019.
  • Monitoring Ambient Air Pollution in Dakar, Senegal: Improving Air Quality Index Reporting for Public Health Guidance. Summer 2019.
  • Nothing But the Truth?  Climate Risk Disclosure by US Companies. Summer 2019.

Spring 2019

Fall, Summer, Spring 2018

Fall 2018

 

Summer 2018

 

Spring 2018

 
  • Sick Building Syndrom Re-emergence in Massachusetts: Air-tight Homes, Uninformed Occupants. Spring 2018. Final Project.
  • Reducing the Strain on the Buenos Aires Electricity Grid: Rooftop Solar Potential Assessment & Peak-Shaving Analysis. Final Project.
  • Environmental, Social & Governance Metrics: Impact on Investment Returns, Spring 2018. 
  • Costal Adaptation in Massachusetts: Streamlining Permitting for "Living Shoreline" Strategies. Spring 2018. Final Project.
  • Ocean Conservation Support: Reimagining Corporate Rationale & Practice, Spring 2018.  

Fall, Summer 2017 / Summer 2016

Fall 2017

 
  • Comparative Environmental & Human Health Evaluations of Thermolysis & Solvolysis Recycling Technologies of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Waste. Fall 2017, Final Project.  
  • "Flattening the Duck" to Enable a More Efficient, Cleaner Grid: A Smart Home Algorithm Demonstrating Value in Utility Reform. Fall 2017, Final Project.

Summer 2017

 
  • Light at the End of the Tunnel in Lebanon's Electricity Crisis? A Feasibility Assessment of Rooftop Solar. Summer 2017, Final Project.
  • Down the Drain: Carbon Offsets Revisited. Summer 2017,  Final Project.
  • Solving for Zero: Proving the Business Case for Net-Zero Housing in California. Summer 2017.   Proposal and Final Project.

Summer 2016

 
  • Modeling Health Risks of Microplastics: An Uncertainty Analysis. Summer 2016Proposal and Final Project.

Fall 2017

 
  • Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Protein Substitution in China: Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies. Fall 2017Proposal and Final Project.

ENVR 599 Selected Capstone Titles by industry

Biodiversity Conservation and Reserve Planning

Is it enough to plant natives in our increasingly urban and suburban environments?  A qualitative literature review analyzing one prevalent gardening recommendation

The Effect of Beachfront Development on Oak Island, N.C. Sea Turtle Nesting

Environmental Impacts of Trail Running: Ecologically Responsible Design and Management of Ultra Marathons

Quickening the Pace: Conserving New England's Forested Landscape

Wildlife Management Plan for Reptile Species in Ecologically Important Semiarid Area in Northern-Central Chile.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Protein Substitution in China:  Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies

The Policy Implications of REDD+ Case Study: Guyana

Massachusetts Land Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities in the Face of Climate Change

Expanding Adoption of Carbon Reduction Projects: Focus on Funding & Partnerships for Residential Energy Conservation

Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Mexico and REDD+ Mechanism as a Tool [Mitigating] Global Climate Change

Chapel Hill Creamery Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Reduction Strategies: The background and method to creating the project deliverable

Using Carbon Dioxide-Enhanced Oilfield Recovery as a Bridge for Introducing New Carbon Capture Technology: A Feasibility Study

Methods for Carbon Sequestration and Soil Enhancement, Past Successes and Future Applications

Economic Modeling and Finance

Crowdfunding Energy Efficiency Loans: A Blueprint to Unlocking Alternative Sources of Financing for Energy Efficiency Projects

Market Outlook for Water Trading and Water Quality Trading in North America

An Investor’s Guide to the U.S. Renewable Energy Sector

Ecotourism

21st Century Tourism in the Pearl of the Caribbean: A case study Approach to the Viability of Sustainable Rural Tourism Cooperatives in Cuba

Sonora Resorts and Sea Side Rentals, Puerto Penasco, Mexico

International Ecotourism Society - in person/on-line training for Sustainable Tourism

Sustainability and Water Use in Tourist Accommodation: The case of the island of Crete, Greece

Tourism Development in Cuba: Managing Sustainable Growth to Minimize Impacts on Marine Resources

Education for Sustainable Environmental Management

Evaluating Sustainability Certification and Reporting Systems for Higher Education Institutions

University Based Peer-to-Peer Engagement Programming: A Curricular Framework for Cultivating Leadership

Developing Effective Environment Education in the Digital Age

Environmental Literacy, the Foundation of Future Education: Diversification of Education Through the Use of Adventure Storytelling

Sustainable Futures: Using Sustainability and the Environment as an Integrating Context in K-12 Public Schools to Advance Student Performance and Environmental Stewardship

Designing an Evaluative Tool for Measuring the Impacts of School-Based Gardening Programs

Sustainability Curriculum Development for Killingly High School, Danielson, Connecticut

Effecting Institutional Improvements in Sustainability

Sustainability and Prisons: Recommendations for Massachusetts Correctional Institutions

Carbon Free as Soon as Can Be: The Case for a Zero Emissions Harvard

Massachusetts Local Government Climate Action Planning

Food Cooperatives as a Method for Sustainably Addressing Food Deserts in Denver, CO

Progress Toward Creating Film Indicators for Leading and Managing Sustainability (FILMS): Development of Key Performance Indicators for the Film Production Industry

The Challenge of Reducing Department of Defense Mobility Fuel Use

Sustainable Food Supply Chain “Strategies” at Harvard Law School: An Assessment of Procurement, Wasted Food and Disposal Practices

Energy-Efficient Design & Policy

Solving for Zero: Proving the Business Case for Net-Zero Housing in California

The Keystone XL Pipeline: A Modern Issue of Environmental and Energy Security Concerns

A sustainability analysis of the American and the Brazilian biofuel programs

REVolutionizing Net Energy Metering to the Value of Distributed Energy Resources and its effect on Solar Development in New York State

Proposed Implementation of Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Residential Application in the Caribbean Region; Design, Economic, and Policy Considerations

Solar at South Bay: An exercise in project design and feasibility analysis for a rooftop solar photovoltaic project at the South Bay Shopping Center in Boston

A Comprehensive Analysis of Building Energy Performance: A Close Look at Energy Modeling vs. Actual Consumption at 90 Smith St., Boston, MA

An Exploratory Modeling Analysis of Factors Influencing Economically Competitive Wind Power Development in the United States from 2012 to 2060

A Comparative Analysis of Energy Use At Deer Island (Boston, MA) Waste Water Treatment Plant Historic Review, Comparative Analysis and Future Recommendations for Distributed Renewable Energy Management Strategies

Cost-Benefit Analysis for Retrofitting Coal-Fired Power Plants in a Financially Sustainable Manner

Apples to Apples: A Levelized Cost of Energy Model for the Economic Comparison of Renewable Energy Technologies and Fossil Fuel-Fired Generating Technologies

Rethinking Fossil Fuel Based Energy and Power Generation: A Case for Sustainable and Integrated Renewable Energy Mix Model for Nigeria

How Cities can use Data Analytics to Improve Energy System Resilience

Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Power Case Study in Massachusetts and North Carolina: Challenges, Barriers, Policy, and Opportunities

Unearthing Geothermal Wells: A Comparative Case Study of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems at Harvard University

A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Energy Alternatives to Oil and Natural Gas as Heating Fuels for a New England Secondary School

A Comprehensive Analysis of Building Energy Performance: A Close Look at Energy Modeling vs. Actual Consumption at 90 Smith St., Boston, MA

Environmental Health and Epidemiology

Modeling Health Risks of Microplastics: an Uncertainty Analysis

A Novel Protocol for the Improvement of Mosquito Management in Massachusetts

Indoor Environmental Justice for k-12 students: Disparities in Public School Building Conditions And Health and Performance Impacts of Poor Air Quality

Monitoring of Ambient Fine Particles in Peninsula Malaysia and Southern Thailand Hotels for Indoor Air Quality Cleaning Technologies

Human Behavioral Impacts on Sustainability

Consumers' Sustainable Food Choices in Colombia: Meat Consumption Impacts, Perceptions and Prospects for Reduction

Harvesting Lessons from a Community Garden: Sustainability Curriculum for the Sussex County Drug Court Alumni

Quantifying the Impact of Behavior Change on Residential Energy Conservation

Communication Strategies for Promoting Sustainable Behavior Change

 

Industrial Ecology, Circular Economy, Life Cycle Assessment

Grounded in Design: A new method to connect life cycle thinking

Strategic Eco-Design Trades: LCA Integrated into Design Trades for Alternative Composites and 3-D Printed Parts for the Next Generation of Aircraft

Impact of Public Disclosure of Internal Sustainable Product Designation Programs on Corporate  Sustainable Brand Value for Multi-Industry Global Conglomerates

Moving Sustainability Forward in the Business World: The Role of Professional Services Firms

Fixing Chicago’s Residential Recycling: Outreach Case Study Lessons From Leaders

Life Cycle Assessment of Waste Management Scenarios for Monaco

Developing Sustainable Wastewater Management in Affordable Housing on Martha's Vineyard

Green Teams: A Case Study Analysis of Grassroots Employee-Driven Corporate Sustainability Strategies

Timberland’s Use of Closed-Loop Manufacturing Methods: Opportunities and Risks

Sustainable Business Networks in Local Self-Reliant Communities: A Risk Reduction Strategy for Small Firms

Environmental Impacts of an E-reader and Print Books from a Life Cycle Perspective

Integ Planning at Site, Comm & Regional Scales; Green Bldg

Re-Imagining Detroit

Cost Benefit (Financial and Environmental) Analysis of the LEED-EB v4 Certification

Massachusetts Stretch Code: Residential New Construction, Barriers, and Benefits

Recovering Efficiencies from the Historic Built Environment: A Cost/Benefit Analysis for Sustainable Preservation in Tarrytown, New York

Shoreland protection in Vermont: Regulatory context and policy options

The Green Scene: An Environmental Newsletter for Brookline, Massachusetts

A Critical Review and Evaluation of International Green Building Standards on Health, Wellness and Climate Change

Addressing the Sustainability Transportation Strategies of FIFA's World Cup Tournament with Recommendations for the Future

Sustainable Community Planning Tools: A Comparative Analysis of Planning Frameworks available to Colorado Communities

Comparative Cost Analysis of Green Building Energy Sources to Conventional Building Norm

Non-Green Adoption Strategies for Residential Solar Panels in Ontario

Collaborative Resource Management Across Spatial and Political Scales:

A Case Study of Two Northeastern Illinois Watersheds

Green Roofs/Walls/Vertical Farms

Replacement of Horse Drawn Carriages with Electric Vehicles in Central Park:

An Information-Based Approach to Assess the Environmental and Social Implications

Land Use/ Land Use Change

Sustainable Land Management and Energy Generation for Non-Profit Scouting Camp Properties

Too Much Trash in Arlington; A Case Examination of the Possibilities for a green solid waste management solution

Sustainability in the Commercial Real Estate Sector: Roadblocks and Remedies

An Analysis of Transmission Right-of-Way Vegetation Management

The Impact of Demographic Change on Ecological Footprints in the United States

Wetlands Protection: Recommendations for Massachusetts Towns - Based on an Analysis of Local Bylaws and Regulations

Addressing Land Use Change as a Critical Sustainability Factor for Palm Oil: An Analysis of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil’s Certification Criteria

Deep Roots and Shallow Taps: Optimizing Location for Maple Syrup Production in Vermont

Natural Resource Mngt - Aquatic Ecosystems, Fisheries, Water

Aquaponics in California: Challenges and Opportunities

The Water Debate: Public versus Private Sector Management

Ecosystem Performance Implications of a Natural Infrastructure Investment:

Ecosystem Services Quantification at the Alewife Stormwater Wetland

Energy -  Water Nexus

Of Fish Tanks and Floating Plants: Can We Feed the World with Aquaponics?

From Fishing to Farming: Using an Algae Farm to Produce Omega-3 Fatty Acid in a New England Fishing Port

Lobster Gear & Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Entanglement in the Northwest Atlantic

Environmental Best Practices in Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalinations Plants

Environmental Effects on Squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) Embryonic Development: Implications for Spawning Ground Management

Critical Challenges Facing Residential Distributed Wind: Assessing Feasibility and Potential

Anthropogenic Stressors and the Restoration Management of the Peconic Bay Scallop

Providing Mexico City Metropolitan Area with a Sustainable Supply of Water: A Possibility?

Swimming Upstream: Stormwater Pollution Reduction Efforts for the Upper Charles River, Massachusetts

Climate Change Vulnerability: Detritivore and Filter Feeder Communities Within the Charles River, MA

Natural Resource Mngt - Agroecosystems

Beyond the Hive: Exploring the Challenges Facing the Western Honeybee and the American Beekeeping Industry

Palliative or Permanent: Urban Agriculture in the City of Boston

A framework for sustainable charcoal production in Haiti: The social, environmental, and economic context for introducing Bamboo as a Source Material for Charcoal and Bio-char

Adoption of Green Infrastructure Practices by Municipalities: Lessons from Watertown, Massachusetts for Kennebunk, Maine

A Risk Assessment and Environmental Impact Analysis of the Argentinean Soybean Model

An Integrated Observational Approach Using Satellite -Derived Vegetation Data (MODIS) and Honeybee Nectar Flow Data (HBNF) to Determine the Impacts of Phenological Shifts on Honey Bee Health

Sustainably Improving Crop Yields in Rainfed Lowland Rice Ecosystems

Analysis of the Implications of Japanese Knotweed Use in the United States

Natural Resource Mngt - Forest Ecosystems

Rethinking Reforestation in Haiti: Tree Nurseries and the Three Pillars of Sustainability

Watching Forests Breathe: Benefits and Risks of Carbon Sequestration in Pacific Northwest Old-Growth Forests

Guidebook for Sustainable Forest Management of Properties Less Than 9 Acres in Walpole, Massachusetts

Mountain Pine Beetle: A Comparison of Management Techniques

Natural Resource Mngt - Minerals

Conflict Minerals Supply Chain Strategies: The case for going “beyond-compliance”

Preparing for the Peak: Approaches for Managing Phosphorus Resources

Natural Resource Mngt - Petroleum

Evaluation of Remote Sensing, GIS, and Autonomous or Remotely Operated Technologies for Spilled Oil Detection and Tracking using the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill as a Case Study

Commercial Aviation and Sustainability: How rising fuel costs have driven sustainability in the aviation sector

Past Capstone Symposia: