2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University

Abstracts
Session T All Disciplines Ballroom
Dying Green
Death is very scary for most people and is a topic that is difficult for many to discuss. There are many decisions that have to be made
when planning for one‘s funeral. Not only do humans consume resources while they are alive, but once they have passed away humans
continue to stake claim to massive amounts of chemicals, precious metals, concrete, land, fossil fuels, and fertilizer. Green burial is the
―green‖ solution to the environmental problems presented by traditional burial. Green burial is simple and ensures the burial site remains
as natural as possible. One of the main questions asked in this research project was whether or not there was an environmental
consequence of traditional burial. This paper analyzed the responses of a survey given to 100 people. It covered several different
demographic groups in order to analyze whether a cultural shift surrounding the environmental impact of traditional burial was taking place.
The survey showed that younger people (18-30) are most concerned about the effects of traditional burial on the environment. As with any
environmental issue, often it takes a cultural shift in terms of information, attitudes, and beliefs before progress can be made. In this study,
it would appear that the shift to green burial may begin with the people between 18 -30 years of age.
Presentation Index: T22
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Department: Environmental and Technological Studies
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): O'Toole, Kelly; Leonard, Rhonda; Lund, Andrew
Bender, Mitch
Should Changes be made in the Emergency Warning System for Severe Weather?
After a tornado hit the city of Rogers, MN in September of 2006, killing a 10 year old girl, many people were concerned whether the current
severe weather emergency warning system is adequate to warn people of impending severe weather. Because I live in a rural area of
Minnesota that is often hit by severe weather, I wanted to find out what a group of people who live and work in the same area knew,
believed and had experienced with the current warning system. I surveyed the administration and teaching staff of the Watertown-Mayer
Public Schools, asking the following questions: What do the teaching and administrative staffs of the Watertown-Mayer Public Schools
know about severe weather warnings? What experiences do the teaching and administrative staffs of the Watertown-Mayer Public Schools
have with severe weather situations? What opinions do the teaching and administrative staffs of the Watertown-Mayer Public Schools have
about the current system for warning citizens about severe weather conditions? As a result of my research, I found that a large majority of
those polled felt that the emergency warning sirens are effective. Half of the respondents felt that the system needs to be improved or
changed to better warn all citizens. An alarming number of respondents reported that they could not hear the sirens from their homes.
There was also a significant number of respondents that did not understand the signs and descriptions of severe weather. I concluded that
educating our citizens, specifically this group of citizens, on the signs of approaching severe weather and the sources for getting updated
information would help in improving the effectiveness of the emergency warning system.
Presentation Index: T23
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Department: Biological Sciences
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Bjork, Michael
Simpson, Patricia
Paleolimnological Investigation of Lake Ogechie, MN: Inferring Paleoenvironment through Stratigraphic Analysis of Lake Core
Sediments
Paleoenvironmental trends are characterized by a multi-parameter investigation of a 389cm sediment core collected from central
Minnesota‘s Lake Ogechie. This core contains nearly a complete record of environmental changes from the final stages of the last glacial
maximum (~10,000 years ago) to the present. Analysis of the bottom two-thirds of the core facilitates a baseline of historical environmental
conditions, by which contemporary trends in the more recent sediments can be compared. The aim is to identify whether contemporary
lake conditions (last 3,000 years) are a product of normal environmental fluctuations or if the impact of indigenous peoples on the ecology
on the lake needs to be verified in concert with other preliminary studies. Radiocarbon (14C) dating provides the framework for sediment
age and accumulation rates downcore while 210Pb dates allow for better resolution in the more contemporary sediments. Grain-size
analysis and magnetic susceptibility corroborate the presence of glacial till in the bottom 25cm of the core apparent in lithology, and further
supplement the estimated maximum core age at around 9,500 ya. Sediment geochemistry analysis is achieved through use of a broad
spectrum Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDX) attached to a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Changes in
elemental composition throughout the core are present and correlate well with historical wet and dry periods evident in the lithography.
18O isotope data supports a highly volatile climate throughout the timeframe of the older sediments (3,000-10,000 ya.), where opposing
temperature transitions take place routinely over relatively short periods supporting the intermittant wet/dry periods visible in the lithology.
Conversely, climactic influences during the last 3,000 years appear to transition into a cooler, less variable climate, coinciding well with the
onset of Lake Ogechie‘s stable lake phase still present today. This investigation is part of a larger effort being conducted by SCSU's
Cultural and Environmental Learning Laboratory (CELL) group.
Presentation Index: T24
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Department: Biological Sciences
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Hanson, Eric
Julius, Matthew
St. Cloud State University Student Research Colloquium 57
April 22, 2008