USM National Green Campus
News Archive

Week of October 4, 2010

News from Across the USM Campuses

Oct. 4th - Single-Stream recycling begins on the University of Maryland campus -  As of today, academic and administrative buildings on the UMCP campus switched to "Single Stream" Recycling!  This means that you can put all of your recyclable materials into one "Recycling" bin.  You will see new lids on recycling containers that have one opening to fit bottles, cans, and all types of paper, making it easier to recycle, and help the University increase its recycling rate!  Print a handy flier for your office's recycling bin!

Oct. 7th - "The Age of Stupid" - This film stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at old footage of seven real people from the present day and asking: why didn't we stop climate change when we had a chance? Some historians argue that The Age of Stupid more properly refers to the period between 1988 and 2015, during which humanity had become aware of the likely consequence of continuing to increase greenhouse gas emissions and still had time to avert catastrophe, but largely chose to ignore the warnings. Film will be shown at 4:00pm, 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1, on the University of Maryland, College Park campus, and is sponsored by "Beyond the Classroom."

Oct. 8th - Andrea Sarzynski - The George Washington University Institute of Public Policy -  "Local Policy Responses to Urban Air Pollution and Ecosystem Stress." This seminar, sponsored by the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education, will be held on Friday at 2:00pm in the Technology Research Center, Room 206, on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus, and is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Visitor parking passes for the TRC lot may be purchased for $4.00 in the CUERE office in TRC 102/105 on the UMBC campus shortly before seminar.

10-year census finds new marine species (By Alister Doyle, Reuters as reported by the Toronto Sun), 10/4/10) [Article quotes Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and is a member of President Obama's Gulf Oil Spill Commission]

Commission's work may have global impact: Members insist it's fair to oil industry (By Mark Schleifstein, The Times Picayune, 10/2/10) [Article quotes Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and is a member of President Obama's Gulf Oil Spill Commission]

$491M in Federal money targeted for Chesapeake Bay restoration [Video] (By Brian Spyros, WBOC-Channel 16 News, Salisbury, 10/1/10) [Reporter interviews William Dennison of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Oil spill commission member to speak Oct. 28 (By Veronica Chufo, The Daily Press, 10/1/10) [Article cites Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and is a member of President Obama's Gulf Oil Spill Commission, and will be the speaker at the October 28th event]

Aquaculture most likely future for Bay's oysters: More Chesapeake shellfish reaching the market thanks to leased bottoms, triploid stock (By Rona Kobell, The Chesapeake Bay Journal, 10/1/10) [Article quotes staff of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Lab to renovate research pier (By Meghan Russell, Southern Maryland News, 10/1/10) [Article quotes Amanda Grimes and Margaret Palmer, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk: A new report gives the most comprehensive river assessment yet (By Mason Inman, National Geographic News, 9/30/10) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

World's rivers in crisis, scientists report: UW researcher is co-author of first global study of fresh water, humans (By Don Behm, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 9/29/10) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

The showdown: To bottle or not to bottle (By Cory Kutcher, The Diamondback Online, 9/28/10)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

State of Maryland News

Baltimore Co. Council to allow permits for wind speed indicators:

Bill passes unanimously (By Raven L. Hill, The Baltimore Sun, 10/4/10)

Sparrows Point owner announces renewable energy program: Renewable Energy Management of Baltimore to build facility for biofuel (By Hannah Cho, The Baltimore Sun, 9/30/10)

Bay crab harvest offsets problems from Gulf oil spill: Some Maryland restaurants rely solely on local catch (By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, 9/28/10)

National and International News

U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels (By Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, 10/4/10)

Himalayas Unsettled by Melting Glaciers, More Avalanches (By Bhuwan Sharma, IPS News, 10/4/10)

$5,000,000,000,000: The cost each year of vanishing rainforest: British researchers set out the economic impact of species destruction - and their findings are changing world's approach to global warming (By Matt Chorley, The [UK] Independent, 10/3/10)

Is solar wind the next renewable energy resource? Team hopes concept could generate more power than humanity needs (By Eric Bland, Discovery News as reported by MSNBC.com, 9/30/10)

EPA fines BP $15 million for Texas City violations (By Ramit Plushnick-Masti, The Associated Press as reported by Yahoo News, 9/30/10)

A High-Risk Energy Boom Sweeps Across North America: Energy companies are rushing to develop unconventional sources of oil and gas trapped in carbon-rich shales and sands throughout the western United States and Canada. So far, government officials have shown little concern for the environmental consequences of this new fossil-fuel development boom  (By Keith Schneider, e-360 Yale, 9/30/10)

Study: Wind Power Is East Coast's Best Energy Option (By Gabriel Perna, The International Business Times, 9/30/10)

Wind will power fossil fuel-free Denmark in 2050, report predicts: Danish climate commission report predicts the country could switch to renewables by the middle of the century (The [UK] Guardian - Guardian Environment Network, 9/29/10)

Obama Not Happy With US Climate Policy, Promises More Reform (By Brit Liggett, Inhabit.com, 9/29/10)

Water map shows billions at risk of ‘water insecurity' (By Richard Black, BBC News, 9/29/10)

California's Proposition 23: A Cunning Effort to Kill Clean Energy (By Brian Merchant, Treehugger.com, 9/28/10)

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