USM National Green Campus
News Archive

Week of September 28, 2009

News from Across the USM Campuses

October 1st - Campus Energy 101, Sustainability Speaker Series from 12:00 -1:00pm on Thursday in the Atrium, Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park campus - Come meet the Campus Energy Manager, Joan Kowal, and learn about how the campus produces and sources the energy needed to run our "city" of 46,000 people. Learn how the tri-generation power plant produces electricity, steam, and chilled water and ask your questions about future renewable energy prospects for the campus.

Horn Point gets $2M grant for new computer lab?(By Dustin Holt, The Easton Star Democrat as reported on the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science web site, 9/25/09) The Easton Star Democrat article quotes University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science staff member, Mike Roman

University of Baltimore Improves Its Energy Performance ("The Latest" newsletter, University of Baltimore, September 2009)

State of Maryland News

New trash pact is set: School system contract is expected to save about $40,000 in the first year (By John-John Williams IV, The Baltimore Sun, 9/27/09)

Senate approves $2 million for Blackwater refuge on Shore (By The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 9/25/09)

Sewage still flows into Chesapeake (MSNBC.com, 9/25/09) [video]

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

Local, vegetarian food comes to city schools: U.S. officials impressed by visit to Hampstead Hill (By Laura Vozzella, The Baltimore Sun, 9/24/09)

National and International News

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. Houses can be viewed on the National Mall in Washington, DC from October 9-13 and October 15-18.

Price of gas down 7 cents in the last two weeks: Lundberg survey find that average cost for a gallon of regular is $2.52 (By The Associated Press as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/27/09)

Stinky blue-green algae blamed for dog deaths: Algae is blooming in response to drought and fertilizer runoffs from farms (By The Associated Press as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/27/09)

When Your Dorm Goes Green and Local (By Charles Wilson, The New York Times, 9/25/09)

Fanged frog, 162 other new species found: Environmental group announces findings from Mekong River region (By Michael Casey, The Associated Press as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/25/09)

Ken Burns' 'National Parks' documentary has both beauty, brains (By David Zurawik, The Baltimore Sun, 9/25/09) [Video and article]

Europeans ready to plug into electric vehicles: But how soon will they be ready for Europeans (and the rest of world)? (By Paul A. Einstein, MSNBC.com, 9/25/09)

Gore-Backed Car Firm Gets Large U.S. Loan (By Josh Mitchell and Stephen Power, The Wall Street Journal, 9/25/09)\

Drinking water unsafe at thousands of schools: Federal government has done little to monitor the problem, AP finds (By The Associated Press as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/25/09)

It's Easy Being Green (By Paul Krugman The New York Times, Op-Ed, 9/24/09)

With Little Clout, Natural Gas Lobby Strikes Out (By Peter Overby, National Pubic Radio - Morning Edition, 9/24/09)

Planned emission cuts still mean far hotter Earth (By Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press, 9/24/09)

Expect big jump in temperatures, U.N. warns: 6-degree increase by 2100 forecast after review of scientific data (By The Associated Press as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/24/09)

Oil settles 4.5 percent lower on demand doubts (By Rebekah Kebede, Reuters as reported on Yahoo News, 9/24/09)

‘Clunker' appliance plan still short on details: Program to roll out in November; rebates, recycling rules will vary by state (By Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC.com, 9/24/09)

A Pittsburgh Protocol: G-20 Needs to Advance the Global Agenda on Climate Change (By Rajendra Pachauri and John Podesta, Center for American Progress, 9/23/09)

Antarctic coastal ice thinning surprises experts (By Alister Doyle, Reuters as reported on Yahoo News, 9/23/09)

Resurgent Environmentalism = More Movies (By Kate Galbraith, The New York Tomes, Green, Inc. Blog, 9/23/09)

It Ain't Easy Being Green: But it is easy to say you are. Why some companies are pretending to be more eco-conscious than they actually are. (By Weston Kosova, Newsweek magazine, 9/21/09)

Most major river deltas are sinking, study finds: Dams, other barriers upstream and drilling in deltas cited as key factors (By LiveScience staff as reported on MSNBC.com, 9/21/09)

Please send your ideas and comments regarding campus sustainability to green@usmd.edu