Anna Weiss, fossil hunting in Africa.

One of the most exciting aspects about paleontology is being able to see the changes the Earth has been through over the last 4.6 billion years and understanding that there is a relationship between climate, environment and life. There has been much recent work in both paleontology and ecology showing that understanding organisms’ response to past intervals of environmental change can inform modern conservation efforts.

(For two really excellent quick reviews, see the Conservation Paleobiology Workshop report and Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology.)

As a paleo-ecologist, I study ancient ecosystem functioning. Specifically, I am trying to understand how reef communities responded to and recovered from an episode of global warming known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which occurred about 56 million years ago.

The onset of the PETM occurred rapidly and lasted a (geologically) short period of time yet the effect on the planet was huge. This time period is associated with elevated CO₂ levels, a 5-8°C increase in global temperature, ocean acidification, and reef collapse. The PETM is an especially interesting period of time to study for two reasons:

1. The intensity and sudden onset of human-caused, or “anthropogenic,” CO₂ emissions (primarily from our burning of fossil fuels) best mirror the rapid and strong pulse of CO₂ dumped into the atmosphere naturally during the PETM. Although current emissions release is faster than during the PETM, overall projected CO₂ release and temperature rise during these two separate periods are comparable in ecological magnitude.
2. Reef systems face a crisis, but not extinction, during the PETM, contrary to their reaction to other periods of disturbance.

The issue of coral bleaching and extinction has been looming on the horizon for sometime now. Thankfully, recent research is showing that not all hope is lost: corals may be able to adapt and survive what is being called the Anthropocene, or the era of human-induced global change. This makes the fact that reefs were able to endure the PETM all the more interesting and relevant. Most paleo-ecological studies have used mass extinctions to model future ecological change, but I’m a little more optimistic.

I’ll be using both statistical methods and fossil data to better understand how and why corals survived this episode. Additionally, I hope to determine whether there was an ecological threshold before their decline and what the process of recovery looked like in the ancient ocean. I already have promising preliminary results, and will head out to the fossil sites this summer to see these communities that have been preserved in time.

I will also work with modern reef ecologists to better understand reef ecosystem function and how paleo-ecological studies can be of most benefit to them. During my time in the Stony Brook University Sustainability Studies Program, I enjoyed discovering that the field of Sustainability Studies is extremely innovative and multidisciplinary. I’m excited to have found my niche at Stony Brook University, and it is one in which I can combine my love of geology with my passion for environmentalism.

Anna Weiss combined her love of geology with her passion for environmentalism to find her ideal career path.

By Anna Weiss
Sustainability Studies Program ’13
Anthropology Major; Paleoanthropology focus
Geology and Sustainability Studies Minors; Earth History focus
Today Anna is pursuing a Ph.D. in Paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin. 

America’s food system is broken, filled with foods that are making people and the environment sick, said an alumna of the Stony Brook University Sustainability Studies Program.

And she said that she’s determined to change all of that. Kathleen “Kat” Furey graduated with a BA in Environmental Humanities in 2012, focusing in the areas of food sovereignty, studies and politics. Since, she said she’s been working to ensure all Americans have access to healthy, sustainable food.

“My mission in life is to make the world a cleaner, healthier and happier place for generations to come, and that starts with food,” said Kat.

As a child, Kat grew up in a small farming community in Ohio. The kind of community, she said, “where you would go to one farmer for cheese and milk, another for your grains, another for fruit, another for vegetables, another for meat and so on.” She said that her mother would cook healthy meals for her family from the real, wholesome ingredients grown locally, right in their community.

Ohio, Kat’s childhood home state.

After leaving her Ohio hometown for a stint in the entertainment industry in California, Kat followed some “twists and turns” in her life, which led her to Long Island, New York. Remembering her farming roots and realizing the need for a food revolution in America, Kat decided to commit to follow her heart and receive a college education in a field that would enable her “to help both people and the planet.”

That’s when she discovered the Stony Brook University Sustainability Studies Program.

“It was truly the perfect fit for me,” said Kat. “I cannot believe where my education has taken me today.”

Kat is now education and media director of the Label GMOs California Grassroots (the National Labeling Coalition). In addition, she serves as the education and media director of GMO Free NY. Besides just GMOs, she works as senior media producer at Augustwolf Productions, a California-based media production group, helping to head up Energize Schools, a statewide campaign to bring clean energy to California schools.

And, as for current Stony Brook University Sustainability Studies Program students, Kat had this advice:

“Go for what you really freaking want and you can get it!”

Kat giving a Earth Day 2013 lecture in Grand Central Terminal.

An interview with Kat Furey
Sustainability Studies Program ’12
Environmental Humanities Major

Melanie, right, at Earthstock 2012.

I am not a mad scientist, though sometimes science makes me mad. Every day we are bombarded with terrible statistics that show how modern culture, in one way or another, is destroying the environment. We have plastic greed, oiled hearts, radioactive smiles and bumper stickers that read, “Go Green.” So, for a while I questioned if there was ever a way to be “green” while still enjoying the conveniences of our modern culture.

The following are the FIVE fundamental lessons I believe to be most important for beginning that journey…but before I get to that…

Let’s talk shopping! No, seriously. Entering a store can be overwhelming and knowing which product to purchase is trés difficile. DO NOT support the ill conscience of a company. Do a little research on labels and companies you are partial to. It will only take a few minutes and it is going inside/on your body so I’d say it’s worth the time. Ok, now time for the lessons!

Lesson 1: Short and simple: read! Where is your food coming from? Pick the local option. This not only supports local business but reduces travel emissions. And don’t forget local beers and wines! They can be hidden treasures (if you’re legal). Next, what are the ingredients? If you can pronounce them all and have an idea of what they are, that’s a great start. If the label states “NON-GMO,” then it’s a go! And please remember to not waste your waste. Recycle EVERYTHING, including the carton your non-gmo vegan butter spread came in–and–your food waste as well. Toss it into a compost pile. If you go out to eat, bring home all your restaurant leftovers. If possible, I wrap mine in a napkin rather than the plastic carton; this way everything, napkin and all, goes into the pile. It’s simple and easy to make a compost pile and wonderful to watch as your waste gives back to you in a few short months.

A quick potty-training story. I’m not really interested in your bowel movements but rather, how you clean up the mess. Warning: Do not attempt with strangers. Growing up, my closest friend would always use TOO much toilet paper. Every time she “went,” she would wrap her hand up like a snowman and then proceed. It drove me insane. I would tell her to use less and she would tell me to mind my own business. Yes, I understand I was being a little intrusive, but I’d just have to get tactful. When she would run out of paper, I would ration her the amount I felt appropriate. Now, she uses significantly less. If it is the result of my clever ways, I’ll never know, but at least I got her thinking about it. These days, I follow my fiancée around when he washes the dishes or brushes his teeth. I’m like a little water troll in our house which leads us to our second lesson.

Lesson 2: Use less. Use less water while doing the dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your face and taking a shower. I absolutely understand the allure of long, steamy showers and splashing your face with too much water like they do in the movies–how they keep all the water in the sink, I’ll never know–but let’s be practical, keep the tap on a low flow. And just like toilet paper, don’t use so many tissues, or an excessive amount of paper towels. Invest in cloth rags, or better yet, recycle your ex’s T-shirts.

Alright, before we wrap this up, it’s time we talk about bags. Get it?

Lesson 3: Use them more than once! Bags don’t immediately become infectious once they are used. Clear them out and use them again. Sometimes it is inevitable that the things we purchase will come in, or with, a bag. Make the best of it. A bag’s usage span tends to be 15 minutes before it hits the landfill or the ocean, where it will sit for more than 20 years. Until plastic bags are banned or companies like Ziploc invest in eco-friendly plastics [which already exist] do your best to wean off their disposable convenience. ALSO you will not be a crazy bag lady/man by saving every plastic bag you get because you “forgot” your reusable one, just keep them in the car.  I typically save the plastic bags until I have a trunk full and then bring them to the nearest store that offers a recycling program.

Lesson 4: Leave no trace. Upon leaving a room, turn off the lights. Unplug your computer. Unplug the charger. Turn down the heat. These are simple and once you get the hang of it, it becomes habitual and saves your electric bill as well as our air.

Now, we all know that feeling when we’ve met someone who believes climate change isn’t an important issue. Or, that fighting for the Earth is a moot point. Sometimes, I pretend I am whacking sense into them with my yoga mat. But to avoid being a bully, I’ve learned a discussion with someone who doesn’t quite see eye-to-eye is a more plausible approach. Yelling will get you nowhere.

And that brings me to the mighty,

Lesson Five: Speak with confidence and grace. Do not yell. People don’t respond well to yelling…think about it: Do you? Instead, arm yourself with knowledge and fire with clarity. Everyone has their own cause to live for. They may not always parallel our own, but that is okay. As long as you act with your heart and soul you have a better chance of reaching theirs. The most wonderful and powerful thing we can do is use organized thought to teach someone about our role in our environment. 

P.S. Don’t discuss the environment at a bar. It’s just like talking religion or politics.

From the environmental novice to the advanced eco-activist, making a difference begins with these five steps. Though this discussion could go on infinitely, this is a blog. And the modern reader wants to keep things short and sweet. So keep it classy, keep it sexy, and most importantly, keep it green!

Melanie Magdits, Sustainability Studies Program grad!

By Melanie Magdits
Sustainability Studies Program ’13
Environmental Humanities Major
Today, Melanie is pursuing her MBA in Sustainability and Environmental Compliance at Southern New Hampshire University.