Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

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

• Practices
• Programs
• Policies

• Presentations
• Climate Change Definitions
• Facilities Master Planning
• Statewide Sustainability Efforts
• 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)