Garvey worked at Exxon Research & Engineering from 1978 to 1983 and was Henry Shaw’s top researcher on the tanker initiative. Exxon paid in part for his graduate studies at Columbia University; during that time, Garvey worked with Columbia University’s climate researchers Wallace Broecker and Taro Takahashi. After leaving Exxon, Garvey has worked for various consulting firms and his main client has been the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.