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Fall 2021 Sustainability Bulletin Volume I
Inside this Issue 3-4 ………….…………………………...…...Curriculum 5 ……………………………………..…..…..…Operations 6-7 ..………………..………………...…….…….Research
8 ..………………………..…………….….….Engagement 9 ..……...…………………….……..Community Events 10 ………………………………………..……...Leadership 11 .....…………..…Sustainability Alumni Spotlight
@UAlbanyGreenScn
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Environmental Justice in the Arts Dr. Courtney Ryan is a full time lecturer for the Writing and Critical Inquiry Program. This semester, she is sharing some of her passions with students through a course titled Environmental Justice in Arts: TUNI250
What are some of the topics that you cover in your course? We begin by thinking about who has historically been excluded from US nature writing and why, before transitioning to environmental justice scholarship and art today. We examine artworks, plays, poetry, documentaries, TikToks, and music videos Dr. Courtney Ryan that creatively respond to ongoing environmental injustices related to climate change, food access, air quality, and fracking. Do you have any specific sustainability learning objectives for this course? The major objective in this course is for students to examine how environmental challenges intersect with issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class and how art can illuminate environmental intersectionality. By meeting this objective, students can approach sustainability issues in a more well-rounded way: rather than take a single-issue approach to a sustainability goal, they can think more holistically about who benefits from a particular sustainability initiative and who does not, and whether the initiative has long-term as well as short-term benefits.
Curriculum
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Environmental Justice in the Arts EJ in the Arts (continued) How do you measure if students have increased their knowledge with regards to sustainability literacy? Each student has the opportunity to research an environmental injustice in or near their hometown; then, they write an environmental justice memoir and create an art piece that reflects on the researched injustice. This project acts as an applied learning capstone, whereby each student can engage with interconnected environmental issues directly related to their own life. Building on that experience and on what they have learned in the course, students work together in small groups on a project of their choosing that addresses a current environmental injustice with a well-rounded and thoughtful approach. Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals do you feel are addressed most in your course? This course is most aligned with Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Students learn about artists and activists actively addressing these goals through urban foraging, community gardens, and protests.
Is there anything else you want students to know about this course? You do not have to be an artist or an environmentalist to take this course! Environmental Justice and the Arts is about exploring, inquiring, and creating together.
Curriculum
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SolarWater Panel Installation in Progress is Essential Weather Forecasting Tool for New York Water is one of the most underappreciated resources. Think about how many times a day you use water, either directly or indirectly. In addition, to drinking, showering, washing dishes and cooking; water is needed to produce many of the food and beverages we consume. For example, it takes 35 gallons of water to produce one cup of coffee, 20 gallons for a pint of beer and a hamburger - 450 gallons! Every fall, the campus tracks electricity use as part of an annual energy campaign. This year, a special emphasis will be placed on water conservation. Oncampus residents may have noticed new mirror clings in their bathroom. This graphic, designed by UAlbany student Gina Cricenti, encourages everyone to turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth or shaving as it can save up to 8 gallons in a day! Keep an eye on your in-box for water conservation tips or follow us on Instagram @ualbanygreenscn and learn how to be a climate hero by conserving water.
Operations
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Corals and Climate Variability Dr. Sujata Murty, an Associate Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, answers questions about her oceanic research. What are some of the main objectives of your project? My research involves using corals as archives or recorders of past climate variability. Corals are amazing climate archives because they grow continuously for hundreds of years, incorporating characteristics of their surrounding ocean environment as they grow, such as temperature, ocean salinity, ocean circulation, and pollution. Corals are also a lot like tree rings, growing annual density bands that we can visualize by taking an x-ray of the coral and counting the bands/years back through time. The fast growth and banding patterns of corals together allow us to get records of monthly changes in climate and environmental Sujata Murty assists with extracting a coral core piece from conditions and compare summer/winter or wet/dry monsoon the underwater drill in Micronesia seasons through time! This is extremely important in the IndoPacific region, where 2/3 of the global population is impacted by the Asian Monsoon. The objectives of my research are to 1) use corals from the Indo-Pacific to reconstruct ocean temperature, salinity, circulation, and precipitation over the past few hundred years and, 2) synthesize these records with ocean and climate models to understand what’s driving the variability. Doing so allows us to better understand past changes in climate, which can improve our understanding and prediction of future changes in a warming world. Right now, I’m working on corals from the Indonesian Seas, central Indian Ocean and Red Sea to understand how climate influences the distribution of heat and freshwater in the Indian Ocean (one of our most understudied tropical ocean regions). What made you interested in researching this topic? I’ve always been mesmerized by the ocean, having grown up in Wisconsin. However, it was really when I took a class in college focused on the biology, geology and politics of coral reefs that my love for coral reef regions took off. I decided I wanted a career where I would get to SCUBA dive and visit reef regions, which I still get to do on occasion to collect my coral samples! After that class I started pursuing summer and winter research internships with coral scientists and happened to get involved with coral paleoclimate research early on. I fell in love with the project and knew this is what I wanted to pursue for my career. My Info-Pacific focus stems from getting my Ph.D. in Singapore where I had fantastic opportunities to study Southeast Asian climate and ocean systems.
Research
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What were the main outcomes of the project? This project is still ongoing and has many sub-parts to it. One of the main findings from my early Red Sea work was that some of the differences between coral reconstructions may be related to the temperature regime the coral lives in and is adapted to. In the Indonesian Seas, my work highlighted the importance of the East Asian Monsoon in modifying the transfer of heat and freshwater from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean, which can have large impacts on both regional and global climate. This is of particular importance to the agrarian societies in Southeast Asia, who rely on understanding rainfall cycles to determine when to plant and harvest their crops. Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals do you feel are addressed most in your project? This project fits well into Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 14 (Life Below Water) given the focus of my research.
Sujata Murty and UAlbany undergraduate student Emma Saidenberg prepare a coral slab for an x-ray at Albany Med
Is there anything else you want students to know about this research? My research is very interdisciplinary, incorporating elements of chemistry, geology, paleoclimatology, oceanography, climate dynamics and even some biology. At the heart of it all, I’m a marine geochemist who gets to do a lot of field and lab work. Any student who is interested should stay on the lookout for future opportunities to work in my lab. I started working on similar research questions as a Sophomore, so my research is very accessible to undergraduate students. A coral growing for about 500 years from Micronesia
I also want to highlight that in the spring semester I teach Sustainable Development: Energy and Resources, which further aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Goal 12 (Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns). It’s a fun class that is going to incorporate a lot from the new LEED Platinum-certified ETEC building!
Research
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Around the Join Events this Fall This fall there are several engagement activities taking place. All campus members are invited to take part. Energy Campaign: From mid-September to October, there will be a modified energy campaign where the electricity use in buildings will be measured for a 4 week time period. New this year: water consumption will be added to the mix. The buildings and dorms that show good conservation practices will be honored at a Climate Heroes Recognition ceremony on November 19th at 3 pm in the Campus Center Collaboration Room (first floor of campus center east near the stairs down to the food court). Campus Crunch: Each year we recognize the importance of our local farms by holding a campus crunch, gathering to take a bite into a New York grown apple. This year's crunch will take on a Halloween theme. Participants can come the Campus Center Multipurpose Room at 1 pm on October 29 or join via zoom. Meeting ID: 988 7135 2005, Passcode: 873921. Dress up if you like!
Conservation Corps: We have been working with the City of Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee to create a Clean Energy Conservation Corps. This group will receive training in weatherization and energy conservation and go into area residences to assist homeowners with implementing these strategies. Half-day trainings will be offered on Saturday afternoons in October with the goal of doing the community service on weekends in November. If you are interested in being part of the corps, email us at gogreen@albany.edu
Engagement
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Community Around the Community Intro to Seed Saving with Capital Roots Saturday, October 9th, 10:00 AM, 11th and Eagle St. Are you are interested in learning how to harvest your seeds and how to save them for the next gardening season. RSVP by email to garden organizer, Maryann at gardens3@capitalroots.org. See HERE for details. Community Science Snowpack Monitoring Volunteer Training Thursday, October 14, 7:00 PM, Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center Volunteers who live within a half mile of the preserve are invited to learn how efforts at monitoring snowpack around the preserve can help understand wildlife population dynamics. Citizen’s Climate Lobby Meeting Wednesday, October 15, 6:00 PM Now is the time to become a climate advocate! The group meets the third Wednesday of the month, working to be truly effective at influencing policy on climate. To join a meeting contact Al Hicks at ccl.albany@gmail.com. Sunday Morning Yoga Flow Sunday, October 17th, 11:15 AM, Honest Weight Food Co-op Start off the week right. This yoga class is open to all levels. Be sure to bring your own yoga mat. This event will take place at the Co-op Community Room and Teaching Kitchen. See HERE for details. Zero Waste Capital District Meeting Monday, October 27th, 6:30 PM Zero Waste Capital District is a coalition of non-profit organizations and individuals committed to reducing waste in the region. For more info or to RSVP, contact Amy Forando at amy@zerowastecd.org, Tina Lieberman at tina@zerowastecd.org or Mary Beilby at mary.beilby@gmail.com.
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Become a Climate Leader Are you concerned about climate change and want to take action by engaging in advocacy and leading others? Then the Climate Reality Leadership training corps has what you are looking for. Former Vice President Al Gore leads the sessions to prepare participants to educate others about climate change and its solution. The next global training session is October 16 to 24 and offers a virtual, free and self paced course with a few required synchronous meetings with your mentor. Learn more and register at their website. Last spring, Director of Sustainability, Mary Ellen Mallia, completed the training. She is happy to speak to anyone looking for more information on this opportunity or provide group presentations.
Not quite ready for the training? Consider joining the Capital Region Climate Realty Chapter. You can learn more about their activities here. TAKE CAMPUS ACTION!!! Faculty and staff can make contributions to our campus efforts by becoming a Sustainability Coordinator or Ambassador. Coordinators meet monthly during the academic year and seek to make operational changes on campus. Ambassadors assist in promoting engagement efforts and participating in campus events such as Get There Green, Campus Crunch and Daylight Hour. If interested, email us at gogreen@albany.edu
Leadership
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Recognize Leadership! The Office of Sustainability has announced that nominations for the university Terra Award are now open until November 1st. This award, named after the Roman goddess of the Earth, recognizes efforts to improve campus sustainability. The recipients will be recognized at the inaugural Climate Heroes Ceremony taking place on November 19th at 3:00PM in the Campus Center Collaborative room. Nominations for faculty, staff and students can be submitted here.
Sustainability Alumni Spotlight Grace McGrath 1. What year did you graduate? 2020 2. What was your major/minor? Major - Business Administration, Minor - Education 3. What was your co-curricular and student organization involvement on campus? Vice President of Women Excelling in Business (WEB), Public Relations Office/Digital Producer for UNA USA, Intern for Center for Leadership and Service, Sustainability Blogger for the Office of Sustainability, Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Council Representative, and Vice Chair of Sustainability for UAlbany SA, Peer Advisor for Office of Career and Professional Development, and active member of Omicron Delta Kappa. 4. What are you doing now? Where do you live? When I graduated in May 2020, I joined the AmeriCorps VISTA program and lived in Helena, MT, and worked for the Montana University System. After my service year ended, I got a job in Arlington, VA as a Program Assistant at Marymount University. 5. How have you applied your experience with the sustainability movement on campus and involvement with the Office of Sustainability into your post-college life and career? My college experience with the office taught me how to advocate for issues in a way to effectuate change (i.e., plastic straws). So during the past year, I made sure I continued to educate myself on sustainability issues, but due to COVID-19, I was less involved in protests and such. But now, being in the DC area, I know I will be getting more involved in the sustainability movement by going to protests and pushing politicians to actually care about the planet. Overall, I learned from the office that the most important thing you can do to make sustainability change is to constantly learn and get to know other people who care because working as a unit can be very powerful. I would love to work for the EPA one day, and my work with sustainability in college is a huge reason why. I know we can all make a difference, so that is what I will continue to do.
The Office of Sustainability is proud of the successes of our alumni! They were essential in the early stages of the sustainability movement at UAlbany and have shaped where it is now. 11
