Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of October 11, 2010

News From Across the USM Campuses

Oct. 15^th - Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman, University of Arizona - "Limits and Opportunities for Soil Quality and Ecosystem Services in Semi-Arid Urban Environments." 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.

Grant will restore research pier in Solomons (By Meghan Russell, The Calvert Reporter as reported by The Washington Post, 10/7/10) [Article quotes Amanda Grimes and Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

New flooring could aid shore poultry industry (By Barbara Pash, The Daily Record, 10/6/10) [Article cites work of UMES]

Gulf oil spill response ill-managed, presidential panel says (By Steven Mufson and David A. Fahrenthold, The Washington Post, 10/6/10) [Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is a member of President Obama's commission on the Gulf oil spill.]

USM "MADE-CLEAR" Grant Sets Stage for Climate Change Education in Maryland, Delaware (University System of Maryland News Release, 10/6/10)

Could Shells And Clay Clear Algae From Chesapeake? (The Associated Press as reported by WJZ-TV, 10/6/10) [Article quotes Allen Place of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Making the bay less green: Gemstone team fights harmful Chesapeake algal blooms (By Claire Saravita, The Diamondback Online, 10/6/10)

State of Maryland News

Congregations use religion to emphasize environmental awareness: Area houses of worship hope to help the Chesapeake, use alternative energy (By Raven L. Hill, The Baltimore Sun, 10/11/10)

Edgewood research center helps attack bee mystery: Biological defense technology assists colony collapse disorder research (By Frank D. Roylance, The Baltimore Sun, 10/7/10)

Baltimore County officials say 15K gallons of sewage spilled: Overflow caused by heavy rains, dislodged manhole (By Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun, 10/6/10)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

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• Climate Change Definitions
• Facilities Master Planning
• Statewide Sustainability Efforts
• ACUPCC National Benchmarking
• Useful Links and References

Little Iceland Digs Deep and Far for More: Iceland's economy has been rocky since the bank collapse in October 2008, but one field has been expanding -- geothermal energy (ByLowana Veal, IPS News, 10/11/10)

Oil rises above $83 as investors look to Fed moves (By Alex Kennedy, The Associated Press as reported by The Washington Post, 10/11/10)

An electric car that's just 'normal'? (By Alan Boyle, MSNBC - Cosmic Log, 10/11/10)

The Shore Is Alive With the Sound of Turbines (Letters to the Editor, The New York Times, 10/10/10)

Hungary spill pollution eases, no big risk to Danube (By Marton Dunai and Gergely Szakacs, Reuters as reported by Yahoo News, 10/8/10)

Running on empty: the end of oil as we know it (By Jim Baldauf, The Hill, 10/5/10)

White House residence to tap sun for heating water and some electricity (By Dina Cappiello, The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 10/5/10)

Salazar Green-Lights First-Ever Solar Energy Projects on Public Lands (The U.S. Department of the Interior, 10/5/10)

A walk in a green place may do you good: What are some health benefits of contact with nature and greenery? (By Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden, McClatchy Newspapers as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 10/4/10)  

Obama Pushes $50 Billion Plan To Create Jobs, Upgrade Transportation Infrastructure (By Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden, McClatchy Newspapers as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 10/4/10)&