Week of August 24, 2009

News from Across the USM Campuses

Report says coal project would damage salmon streams (By Margaret Bauman, Alaska Journal of Commerce, 8/21/09) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

WVDEP Dissent: Biologist says Huffman wrong on Mountain Top Removal (By Ken Ward Jr ., The Charleston Gazette, 8/21/09) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

The Health of the Chesapeake Bay [Audio] (WHYY (NPR) Philadelphia, 8/20/09) [Program quotes Walt Boynton of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Salisbury University -Maryland Department of the Environment Studies Determine Bacteria Sources in Maryland Waters (Salisbury University Press Release, 8/19/09)

Zip Cars are available on the Towson University campus (Towson University Press Release, 8/18/09)

UMES solar farm saves taxpayers money (Response to article on the UMES solar project published 8/8/09 in The Baltimore Sun previously published in the Baltimore Sun) (Op-Ed, The Baltimore Sun, 8/18/09)

Climate Irony: Utah Ski Resort Owner Plans Giant Alaska Coal Mine (By the Environmental News Service, 8/18/09) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Talks on bike path connecting UMBC to Arbutus rolling along: Hope is that students, faculty will go downtown (By Kevin Rector, Arbutus Times, 8/18/09)

"Raising Farm Profits" bus tour offered jointly by Delaware State University, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore: DSU, UMES Extension Programs offers Raising Farm Profits bus tour. DSU Small Farm Program continues goal of helping small farm owners (By T. Darden - Reader Submitted, The News Journal, 8/17/09)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

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• Presentations
• Climate Change Definitions
• Facilities Master Planning
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• ACUPCC National Benchmarking
• Useful Links and References

Coppin State University unveils sustainability web site (Summer 2009)

State of Maryland News

Would more bike racks promote more commuting? (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun - B'more Green Blog, 8/21/09)

Swedish bioenergy company to open office in Annapolis: O'Malley courted company on economic development mission overseas (By Hanah Cho, The Baltimore Sun, 8/20/09)

Port receives $3.5 million to cut diesel emissions (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun, 8/20/09)

Oyster reef in Severn River wins ecosystem award (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun, 8/20/09)

Study finds sources of creek pollution (By Sean Patrick Norris, The Maryland Gazette, 8/19/09)

Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass (By Charles Duhigg, The New York Times, 8/23/09)

Energy Department Fails to Use Thermostats to Cut Costs (By Bernie Becker, The New York Times, 8/23/09)

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food (By Bryan Walsh, Time Magazine, 8/23/09)

Can Steven Chu Win the Fight Over Global Warming? (By Michael Grunwald, Time magazine, 8/23/09)

Climate change doubles tundra plant life, boosting shrubs, grasses (By Bob Weber,

Google News, 8/22/09)

U.S. State Department OKs Pipeline From Canada's Oil Sands (By The Environmental News Service, 8/21/09)

Scientists uncover new ocean threat from plastics (By Steve Connor, The [UK] Independent, 8/20/09)

Wastewater from food plants getting into wells (By James Pritchard, Google News, 8/20/09)

In hot water: World's ocean temps warmest recorded (By Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press as reported in Yahoo News, 8/20/09)

US coal industry won't give up easily on using atmosphere as a dumping ground: Fossil fuel lobbyists are fiercely fighting US attempts to make the world's dirtiest power sector pay for its carbon emissions (By Kevin Grandia, The [UK] Guardian, Environment Blog, 8/19/09)

Mercury-tainted fish found widely in U.S. streams (By Steve Gorman, Reuters, 8/19/09)

BP and Shell warned to halt campaign against US climate change bill: Oil firms urged to leave American Petroleum Institute and halt political lobbying by Greenpeace (By Terry Macalister, The [UK] Guardian, 8/19/09)

Food Labels: Learning from Europe (By Marion Nestle, The Atlantic, 8/19/09)

Glaciers melt, Swiss get some territory from Italy (By The Associated Press as reported on Yahoo News, 8/19/09)

Lobbyists sent 13 fake letters to Hill (By Lisa Lerer, Politico.com, 8/18/09)

INTERVIEW-Unions favour deep CO2 cuts and green jobs (By Alister Doyle, Reuters as reported on Alternet.org, 8/18/09)

Vegetable Gardens Help Morale Grow (By Raymund Flandez, The Wall Street Journal, 8/18/09)

What Would Get Americans Biking to Work? Decent parking. (By Tom Vanderbilt, Slate.com, 8/17/09)

$1B in battery grants may revive Michigan talent base (By Jeff Karoub and David N. Goodman, AP Boston Globe, 8/17/09)

Oregon Universities Plan an Ambitiously Green Building in the Heart of Portland (By Scott Carlson, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 8/17/09)