Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of December 30, 2013

News from Across the USM Campuses

Feb. 5^th - Winter Farmers Market Opening?- 11am-3pm, Cole Fieldhouse on the campus of University of Maryland, College Park.

Feb. 10^th - What Can DPW Do For You? Learn about Baltimore City's recycling program and other initiatives such as trash clean-up and tap water quality from the Department of Public Works. Sponsored by UM Go Green and the Wellness Hub. This event will be held from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm at the SMC Campus Center Green Room, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 621 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201. Register now!

Feb. 25^th - Green Your Commute. More than 10,000 faculty, staff, and students park at the University. Most of us drive alone. Luckily, the University has a number of programs that encourage sustainable transportation. Which program suits you? Sponsored by UM Go Green and the Wellness Hub. This event will be held from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm at the SMC Campus Center Green Room, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 621 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201. Register now!

State of Maryland News   

Marylanders Asked to Snap and Share High Tide Photos - With Maryland set to experience winter King Tides December 31 through January 3, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking residents in coastal areas to take and share photos of the resulting high waters and flooding. While not all communities may experience flooding, in some areas, these unusually high tides give planners a look at what potential future sea level rise may look like. Pictures from the King Tides Initiative will be used, along with photos from other flood events, as visual aids in building awareness around how coastal flooding currently impacts Maryland's coastal communities. DNR's Chesapeake & Coastal Service (CCS) will us this photo library to help state and local practitioners further understand how floods are impacting area schools, homes, harbors, beaches, public access points and other public infrastructure. (AccessDNR, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 12/23/13)

Feb. 28^th - CoastSmart Communities Grant Application Deadline - To help coastal communities better prepare for coastal hazards and sea level rise, CCS is providing financial and technical assistance through the CoastSmart Communities Grant. This grant encourages local governments to incorporate coastal hazard adaptation and mitigation into long term strategic planning, new or modified codes and ordinances, permitting processes, education and outreach campaigns, and other relevant programs. Project examples and grant requirements can be found in the Request for Proposals, located here. Those with questions or comments about the may contact Kate Skaggs at 410-260-8743 or kskaggs@dnr.state.md.us. Applications are due by February 28, 2014.

Why are polluters getting discounts? (By Rena Steinzor, The Baltimore Sun - Opinion, 12/26/13)

City, two counties ordered to curb storm-water pollution: Environmentalists contend long-overdue state permits lack teeth (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 12/24/13)

National and International News

Scientists Find 7,300-Mile Mercury Contamination ‘Bullseye' Around Canadian Tar Sands (By Emily Atkin, ThinkProgress.org - Climate Progress Blog, 12/30/13)

The eight champions of climate change in the US in 2013: From the CEO of the only channel to run Obama's climate speech in full to the editor who refused to print climate skeptics' letters - Anne Kelly picks out climate change champions (By Anne Kelly, The [UK] Guardian, 12/30/14)

13 major clean energy breakthroughs of 2013 (By Kiley Kroh and Jeff Spross, Grist.org, 12/30/13)

Climate change by the numbers: The worst is yet to come: CO2 levels went through the roof in 2013, as the world tried - and mostly failed - to slow down warming (By Lindsay Abrams, Salon.com, 12/29/13)

New York City to Use Food Waste to Heat Homes (By Gina-Marie Cheeseman, Triple Pundit Blog as reported by The Environmental News Network, 12/27/13)

The top 13 green stories of 2013: The good, the bad, and the muddled (By John Upton, Grist.org, 12/27/13)

New Greenhouse Gas Discovered That Is 7,100 Times Worse than CO2: This synthetic chemical could be another threat for the climate. (By Jacob Shea, Earth Island Journal as reported by Alternet.org - Environment Blog, 12/27/13)

Republicans in Congress got the testimony they wanted to keep playing climate Russian roulette: In a recent hearing on climate change and extreme weather, Republican witnesses downplayed climate risks (By John Abraham and Dana Nuccitelli, The [UK] Guardian - Climate Consensus - The 97% Blog, 12/26/13)