Mary Williams:

Hi, I am sorry that I joined a little late. I was wondering how you got involved in studying island ecology?

I was born in Hawaii, and grew up there, so it came naurally.

James Gambiza:

Thanks for an excellent presentation Peter. Your model of Earth as an island is insightful. How should we deal with multiple disturbances (both social and bio-physical) in a globally connected world?

I wish I had answers to this question. It is the question we as a global society must address.

Sophie Ruehr:

Thanks for a great talk, Peter. Here’s my question: Pacific Islanders, especially people who live on atolls, are often depicted as ‘victims’ of climate change, without the ability to adapt to climate change in place. How do you think your research nuances this narrative?

Their agency and adaptability has always been remarkable; overcoming problems like sea level rise that are remote and (for atolls) existential means that their agency can no longer be focused locally.

LeAnna Warren:

Are there any methods that the islanders used historically that you think could be used today in place of modern agricultural methods or that you find particularly innovative and fascinating for the goal of sustainability?

Yes, most could also be viewed as mindsets - for example equating water and wealth as Hawaiians did (with different words and conceptual bases for money (kala) and wealth (waiwai-freshwater doubled) gives rise to allocation and efficiency practices that are transferrable, with the right mindsets.

Tim Crews:

HI Peter, really appreciate the talk. You added a lot to the idea of earth as our island home. My question—the Hawaiian innovation strategy was still constrained by solar energy captured by the crops. Our current innovation strategy is based on fossil fuels in many parts of the planet. Given the need to profoundly reduce this reliance on fossil energy, how might we innovate our innovation?

Hi Tim. I think the fact that islanders were constrained by their time and place is important; I believe we could stretch that carefully,mindfully, and sustainably.

Mike Zawaski:

Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge!

Was Stewart Island (south of the South Island) colonized? If not, what are your thoughts about this?

It was, people did (and do) harvest seabirds there and on its offshore islands. I don't know if they lived there permanently.

LeAnna Warren:

Are there any methods that the islanders used historically that you think could be used today in place of modern agricultural methods or that you find particularly innovative and fascinating for the goal of sustainability?

above

学军 刘:

Dear Peter, Nice to see you in iFAST system. My question is how to evaluate the role of DUST from the (Asian) continent in the biogeochemistry of nutrients in Hawaii ecosystems? Xuejun

We use minerological (quartz), elemental (the Europium/Sumerium+Gaedolinium ratio) and isotopic (Neodynium-143/144) to determine the quantity of dust in Hawaiian soils, and the abundance of P in source soils to see what P inputs that represents.