Week of March 22, 2010

News from Across the USM Campuses

March 26^th -  Dr. Ryan Casey - Towson University - "Road Salt and Soils: Cation Impacts on Metal Mobility and Bioavailability."  Seminar will be held on Friday at 2pm in the Technology Research Center, Room 206, on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. The seminar 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 the seminar.

Would you blow up Mount Shasta? (By Rebecca Tarbotton, The San Francisco Chronicle, 3/19/10) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Aquatic 'Dead Zones' Contributing to Climate Change: As oxygen-deprived waters increase, they emit more greenhouse gases into atmosphere (National Science Foundation as reported by US News and World Report, 3/15/10) [Article quotes Lou Codispoti of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

EPA report: Streams near mining toxic (By Ken Ward, Jr., The Charleston Gazette, 3/15/10) [Article quotes Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Petition asks EPA to take over part of Ky. enforcement of Clean Water Act (By James Bruggers, The [Louisville] Courier-Journal, 3/15/10) [Article quotes Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

State of Maryland News

Storm-water bill revived amid flak over compromise (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 3/19/10)

City panel OKs partial ban on plastic bags: Merchants would have to encourage recycling, keep a tally (By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, 3/17/10)

Turbulence over storm-water deal (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 3/16/10)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

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• Climate Change Definitions
• Facilities Master Planning
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• Useful Links and References

Study: World Bank funds doing little to aid some water-deprived nations (By Howard Schneider, The Washington Post, 3/22/10)

New Light Shed on North Pole Ice Trends (By Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times - Dot Earth Blog, 3/22/10)

Enviros, growers agree on farmland reuse for solar (By Jason Dearen and Tracie Cone, The Washington Post, 3/21/10)

Mixing In Some Carbon (By Claire Cain Miller, The New York Times, 3/21/10)

Gas prices up to $2.81 per gallon, but seen steadying (Reuters as reported by The Washington Post, 3/21/10)

From Wishful Thinking to Real-World Action on Climate (By Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times - Dot Earth Blog, 3/21/10)

DC Environmental Film Festival - March 16-28 - 56 Venues throughout Washington, DC - From sustainable food culture to colony collapse disorder to school lunches, the vital connection between food and the environment is a major theme of the 18th annual Environmental Film Festival, to be held March 16-28. Film buffs and environmentally aware citizens will have the opportunity to see 155 documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental, and children's films selected to provide fresh, thought-provoking perspectives on environmental issues facing our planet. The festival takes place at 56 venues throughout the city, including museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters -- and most of the screenings are free.

Government Report: Agriculture Department lax in penalizing those who falsely market organics (By Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 3/19/10)

U.N. body rejects ban on polar bear trade: The U.S. backed the proposal to stop sales of fur, teeth and claws, arguing that the bears were already declining from climate change. Some northern countries and aboriginal people were opposed to the ban. (The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 3/18/10)

Poll: We're less worried about environment than jobs (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 3/18/10)

Public transportation in the well-deserved spotlight (By Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S Department of Transportation - Fastlane Blog, 3/16/10)

United States Department of Transportation Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations (U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration, 3/15/10)