Consensus on global warming has popularized accounting of greenhouse gas emissions. The American University and College Presidents Climate Commitment has sparked widespread participation in the endeavor, yet there are many undefined parameters for accounting GHG emissions. I am working with students to quantify the GHG emissions of Stetson University to grasp the intricacies of institutional GHG accounting. Ultimately, I plan to compare the GHG audits of different institutions to determine what elements are prioritized or overlooked.

Public Opinion and Policy on Wind Power Facility Development in the Kittitas Valley, WA

The permitting of wind power facilities has created tensions and alliances among, home and landowners, state and county administrators, and environmentalists in myriad and surprising ways. Through an analysis of the permitting process for three separate wind power facilities in Central Washington, I illustrate the shifting and conditional conceptualizations of conservation to show how wildlife management areas are inordinately impacted by these facilities. This work appears in Society and Natural Resources.

In Situ Conservation of Crop Biodiversity in Latin America

Through fieldwork conducted in Southern Ecuador in 1997-2000, I found that land tenure institutions, cultural preferences, and the influence of agricultural extension agencies can both positively and negatively influence farmers' decisions to plant landrace-bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris). This work comprised my doctoral research at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cites. Portions of it have appeared in The Professional Geographer.

Living Shade and Passive Cooling of Suburban Homes in the South

Through fieldwork conducted in residential neighborhoods of Metro-Atlanta in 1992-1993, I quantified the energy conservation potential of shade trees for typical suburban homes in the South. Surprising results indicate that living shade plays a relatively small role in energy conservation for air-conditioning in modern, well-insulated homes. The implications for energy conservation programs based on the planting of living shade are significant with regards to cost-benefit analyses. A publication of the research findings for this study has appeared in Urban Geography.

Transhumance in the Yakima Valley of Washington

I have done some minor research on sheep herding in Central Washington State. This profession has historically been dominated by European migrants, but contemporary immigration and guest worker policy in the United States have encouraged a situation favoring South American workers from the Andes. I have examined the links between transnational migration and transhumance through ethnographic studies with the shepherds.