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Department of Political Science

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This digital collection includes theses and dissertations from the Department of Political Science.

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Browsing Department of Political Science by Author "Betsill, Michele, committee member"

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    Carbon offsets and certification: how and why offset providers choose to certify
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Taft, David A., author; Stevis, Dimitris, advisor; Betsill, Michele, committee member; Taylor, Peter, committee member
    In a world that is increasingly concerned about carbon emissions and the atmospheric impacts of those emissions, carbon offsets have become a broadly accepted form of emissions reductions. While the UN set the initial standard for governing those offsets with the Clean Development Mechanism, a voluntary carbon market and a wide variety of private carbon offset certifications have gained an important role in that voluntary market. Because these private certifications take a variety of forms and have their own specialty niches, it is important to understand the intricacies of these certifications for the growing number of carbon offset producers. This research studies the reasons why a small non-profit carbon offset producer would seek certification, as well as how that producer went about choosing among a wide range of offset standards. The research revealed that for an organization to certify, the increased market share and legitimacy must outweigh the cost of certification. In addition, the choice in certification largely depends on cost, suitability, and the perception that the standard will uphold its legitimacy in the long term.
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    Liberal international environmental justice and foreign direct investment at the International Finance Corporation
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Ehresman, Timothy G., author; Stevis, Dimitris, advisor; Betsill, Michele, committee member; Charlton, Sue Ellen, committee member; Galvin, Kathleen, committee member
    In recent years there have been broad and important debates about whether international environmental justice is attainable within the liberal model. This issue warrants examination, particularly in a context which reflects the strongest possible potential for liberal claims. An especially potent commendation of the liberal model is found in North-to-South foreign direct investment, where liberal advocates identify investment as a key strategy to improve the life chances of the poor. However, foreign direct investment today reflects in many cases dimensions of injustice as between investor and affected populations. Such injustices arise in particular where an investment project taps into local resources such as land, air, water, precious metals, and so on without sufficient participation by affected persons in the benefits of such resource access. These sorts of inequities are especially troubling where the investor originates in one of the wealthier countries of the global North and the recipient country and affected population resides in the global South. This study attempts to then answer the question: may such injustices be remediated within the scope of a liberal model of economic activity and development? That is, can liberal prescriptions for justice be satisfied by liberal economic precepts and patterns? The study first posits a social liberal amendment to dominant contemporary neoliberal understandings. The analysis then turns to the World Bank Group's International Finance Corporation as a potential best-case example of efforts to render North-South foreign direct investment more environmentally sound. In particular, the study asks whether the policies and programs of the International Finance Corporation may be fairly seen to accommodate liberal justice precepts. Culling the existing literature, and employing evidence gleaned from documentary analysis and in-person interviews, the study asks whether the International Finance Corporation is durably engaged in advancing international environmental justice in financed projects. Through a deconstruction of International Finance Corporation documents and case studies of a purposive sample of recently-financed projects the study asks whether there is more going on at the International Finance Corporation than mere environmental window-dressing. The analysis shows that a social liberal international environmental justice is being advanced, but not evenly. The study concludes that a stronger implementation of international environmental justice is possible within the social liberal model, but that improvements are needed.
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    Mind the gap: the value-action gap, nudges, and an ecosocial vision
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Croteau, Jessica, author; Macdonald, Bradley, advisor; Betsill, Michele, committee member; Dickinson, Greg, committee member
    This thesis explores the question: Why do even those with environmental awareness and attitudes often fail to act in an environmental manner? This question begs a second: How can environmental behaviors be engendered? To explore these questions, I first worked to understand the current state of the environment to determine if there is an environmental crisis. The evidence suggests there is an environmental problem, and further, that a majority of humans are aware and opposed to environmental degradation. I then study the environmental value-action gap, or the gap between an individual's environmental attitudes and lack of environmental action. To understand this phenomenon, I studied the individual barriers to action presented in the literature. While compelling, I believe a study of the systemic barriers must also be addressed and discussed the ways in which structural factors work to hinder environmental action. I conclude my thesis with a novel discussion of the use of nudge theory to remove the gap between environmental values and action. However, I note there must be the development of a Critical Nudge Theory, within a new world vision—an Ecosocial vision—to work toward a truly socially and ecologically harmonious future.
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    Social media and political participation: the case of the Muslim Council of Britain
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Burford, Allison, author; Cavdar, Gamze, advisor; Betsill, Michele, committee member; Kodrich, Kris, committee member
    It has been suggested by the media and scholars alike that social media might be a potential solution for problems of political participation. To test this hypothesis, this thesis examines the content of political participation by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) as reflected in its Twitter posts for the period of January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011. Furthermore, I compare traditional sources of political participation in the MCB (i.e. newsletters and press releases) from the years 2005 and 2011, with the political participation through Twitter. The findings indicate that political participation over social media occurs with substantially more frequency, and with a significant change in tone, while traditional participation shows very little change in tone or frequency.