Marianne Krasny offset her travel to Austria to celebrate her children getting their Austrian citizenships through the program for descendants of Austrians who were victims of Nazi persecution. This is important for her kids, not only to honor their grandfather, but also because they work in Europe and are now eligible for EU benefits. Her offset donation is also for her daughter’s wedding the previous summer.

Marianne’s sustainability work goes well beyond offsetting! She volunteers for Elders Climate Action, Climate Action Now, and the Finger Lakes Chapter of Climate Reality. She is particularly focused on creating sign-on letters and educating people about the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill will be reauthorized for five years in 2023. The estimated budget, over $640 billion, includes SNAP nutrition, conservation reserve, and commodities support, among others. Marianne says that there are lots of opportunities to advocate for climate mitigation being incorporated into the reauthorization.

Meanwhile at Cornell, Marianne is the Director of Graduate Studies for Natural Resources and the Environment, teaches a Climate Solutions course, and works with the pilot program for Low-Carbon Travel for departments and centers. She is extremely excited that Cornell Graduate School has signed on to this pilot program.

Marianne says: “The Finger Lakes Climate Fund is a win-win-win for those who love to travel, are committed to reducing their climate impact by offsetting their emissions, and want to support low-income families throughout the Finger Lakes Region!”