Six months ago, Baltimore City's Department of Public Works began its One Plus One program where they began picking up trash and recycling once a week each.

This didn’t go entirely smoothly because all of the drivers got new schedules and routes and weren’t picking up all the trash and recycling left outside in alleys and on curbs. Not all the residents knew their assigned pickup days, either, despite a wide-scale effort by city officials.

Certainly, not everyone was happy to lose a day a week of trash pick-up even if they got a recycling pick-up every week instead of every other week.

And on top of it all, the city began aggressively ticketing residents for not using proper trash cans with lids – even though that has been a law, if un-enforced, for years – or dumping trash on corners or in public receptacles.

Well, the city is now saying all that effort is paying off. 

Public Works officials say recycling is up more than 50 percent. Crews, freed to go clean allies, have reduced the number of overdue responses to resident calls to about zero. A response is overdue after 14 days. (Stay tuned because I have a larger story on single-stream recycling coming Monday.)

And the Housing folks that are in charge of citations, say all those tickets are changing behaviors and making the city cleaner.

Chief Inspector Eric D. Booker says in the first half of fiscal 2010, his team has handed out 32,248 tickets for trash/recycling related offenses. That’s ahead of the 22,911 tickets given out in all of fiscal 2009 for similar offenses.

The ticket people get out early morning and find those who are putting out bags of trash sans cans. They actually open the bags and find evidence they can use to identify the perps.

Booker said he’s even caught some county residents dumping their trash in the city. They probably don’t want to pay for pick-up. The city has actually prosecuted 10 people for dumping, which includes some contractors.

Booker won’t promise to ease up, either because the citations are effective. Baltimore had 80 trash  “challenged” neighborhoods, and now it has 46.

So, have you gotten a citation? Is your neighborhood cleaner since One Plus One started? You still miss twice-a-week trash pick-up?

Baltimore Sun file photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Recycling
        

Painting roofs of buildings white can cool off cities and help mitigate global warming, new research finds, but it would work better in cities with densely packed roofs and in warm climates where sunlight is strong year-round.

In a study accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, scientists say computer modeling suggests that Energy Secretary Steven Chu and others may be onto something in advocating white roofs as a tool to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

"Our research demonstrates that white roofs, at least in theory, can be an effective method for reducing urban heat," Keith Oleson, lead author, says in a news release from the American Geophysical Union. Oleson, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, cautions that further study is needed to determine if it's feasible.

Cities tend to be warmer because asphalt roads, tar roofs and other urban surfaces absorb heat from the sun. Modeling found that if every roof were painted completely white, that "urban heat island effect" could be reduced by a third. The average temperature reduction for all the world's cities would be less than a degree Fahrenheit, but the cooling effect would be felt the most on summer days.

The modeling isn't good enough yet to look at how well white roofs work in specific cities, researchers say. So it's too early to say how valuable it is in someplace like Baltimore, where the Civic Works service corps and private contractors have been painting rowhouse roofs white for several years now.

The merits of doing it, researchers say, depend on several factors, including the density of roofs and their construction.  Roofs covered in metal and with little insulation would get less benefit from being painted white, they say, because that would let more of the sun's heat penetrate into the building.  Cities in warm climates also are likely to get the most out of white roofs, they point out.

(2003 Baltimore Sun photo by David Hobby)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

President Obama took the opportunity last night in his State of the Union Speech to push Congress to pass an energy and climate bill that he says would create jobs, as well as produce clean alternative fuels and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

This is a snapshot, from Whitehouse.gov of what he said about his vision for a clean energy economy “…to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, and more incentives."

"We will build on the historic $80 billion investment made through the Recovery Act. The President’s vision includes investments in important technologies to diversity our energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, including:  the renewal of our nation’s nuclear energy industry after a 30-year hiatus, cutting edge biofuel and clean coal technologies, and additional offshore oil and gas drilling.  To fully transition to a clean energy economy and create millions of new American jobs, we must pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation to promote energy independence and address climate change."

That won praise, not surprisingly, from environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council's Frances Beinecke, who said in part:

“The president could not have been more clear: This legislation will jump-start economic growth, reduce our reliance on foreign oil and roll back the pollution that threatens our future. The Senate should pass it without delay."

And even Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who gave the Republican response last night, found things to like on the clean energy front, especially the president's call for more offshore drilling and nuclear power:

“Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, and alternative energy to lower your utility bills. Here in Virginia, we have the opportunity to be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas offshore.”

But will the Senate act this year on the energy bill already passed by the House? Republicans remain opposed to the cap-and-trade provision that would create a market for clean energy users to sell credits to polluters. But maybe Congress can compromise and pass other parts of the bill?

And how do you feel about more nuclear power, which burns cleaner than coal but creates a nasty spent fuel problem. And off-shore drilling?

The part of Obama's remarks on the subject are on the next page.

"Next, we need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history, an investment that could lead to the world's cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched. And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy.

"You can see the results of last year's investments in clean energy -– in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries; or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels.

"But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. 

"And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America. 

"I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. And this year I'm eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy.

"I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But here's the thing -- even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future -– because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation."

Baltimore Sun file photo of Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Maryland/Doug Kapustin

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News
        

Register now for the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance’s next Green Monday on Feb. 1 at the Baltimore Woman’s Industrial Exchange. A monthly networking event, Green Mondays bring together independently owned businesses and individuals who are working to recycle, reduce waste, and buy and sell locally.

Scheduled for next Monday is a presentation by Laura Armstrong of Maryland Green Registry – a self-certification program that helps local organizations become smarter, greener, and more sustainable in their practices. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with fellow CSBA and Buy Local members and enjoy some savory cuisine from Sofi’s Crepes (who is catering the event).

The Woman’s Industrial Exchange, which provides opportunities for local craft artists to refine, market, and sell their handmade goods to supplement their income, is at 333 S. Charles St. Free street parking is available on North Charles, St. Paul, Franklin and Mulberry after 6 p.m. or in nearby garages. Visit the CSBA web site for more information.

Image courtesy of Maryland Green Registry

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events
        

Okay, it's cool-looking and got some early raves, with initial reviewers gushing that it was "fast" and "beautiful." But how green, really, is Apple's new iPad tablet?

Will it, as some predicted, reduce the environmental impact of reading? Can we cut down fewer trees to produce paper for all the words and pictures in books, magazines, newspapers?  Speaking for myself, I hope it actually encourages reading and somehow improves sales and distribution of the printed word -- even if in strictly digital format.

On the other hand, could the iPad, perhaps, enable or even encourage consumers to cut down on the number of electronic gadgets they have because the new tablet incorporates their functions?  Wouldn't that save some electrons and carbon?

(Photo: AFP/Getty)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Attention, shoppers! Target has announced it's stopped selling farmed salmon in its stores nationwide, and will carry only wild-caught Alaskan salmon from now on.

In making the move, the Minneapolis-based retailer said it's doing so for environmental reasons.  Many salmon farms produce pollution, the store's statement pointed out. They often release chemicals, parasites and non-native farmed fish into the open water, where they can affect natural habitat and the native salmon in surrounding areas.

The chain's move was hailed by the Monterey Aquarium, which has long campaigned to promote consumption of only seafood that is sustainably managed.  The aquarium predicted that Target, with more than 1,700 stores in 49 states, would have a "real impact in the marketplace."

Greenpeace likewise applauded Target, noting that even before this announcement the chain had moved up into 4th place nationally in the environmental group's ranking of the sustainability of major food retailers' seafood products and practices.

Target already uses wild salmon in several of its store-brand products. The only exception to the immediate ban on farmed salmon is in its sushi offerings, which Target said it would take until year's end to phase out. For more, go here and here.

(2004 Baltimore Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

General Motors will become the first U.S. automaker to build its own electric motors, and they plan to do it in White Marsh, according to Sun reporter Andrea Walker, who wrote a story online now.

The plant will begin production in 2013 and add about 200 jobs, GM says. The plant, in total, will employ about 400.

The motors will be used in electric and hybrid electric cars, something the company says it plans to make a lot more of.

GM was the recipient of federal stimulus money, and plans to spend $246 million on the plant.

Should the other U.S. automakers follow suit and make the engines? Think this will help bring the cost of an electric or hybrid electric car down? Or, are you just glad to see some manufacturing jobs return?

Los Angeles Times file photo of the Chevy Volt

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: News
        

A new national public opinion survey finds Americans are cooling on dealing with climate change, while a statewide poll finds Marylanders also want to put off saving the Chesapeake Bay. 

In both polls, the vast majority rank jobs and the economy as their top priorities for government action.  Climate and the environment trail.

The national survey, by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press, says that global warming ranked last among the public's priorities. Just 28 percent of those questioned called it a top priority, down 10 percent from two years ago. Protecting the environment fared better, with 44 percent rating it a top priority.  That's a slight improvement over last year, but down more than 10 points from where it was a few years ago.

A recent survey of more than 800 Marylanders, meanwhile, found that 77 percent think creating jobs and improving the state's economy should be a higher priority for the O'Malley administration than taking steps to reduce bay pollution.   Just 15 percent put the bay first.

The poll, by Gonzales Research and Marketing Services of Annapolis, also found that a majority, 55 percent, think the state should postpone any new bay cleanup regulations until economic conditions are better.  To see the full results, go here.

The poll was done for the Maryland State Builders Association, which is pushing back against new regulation requiring tighter controls on polluted storm-water runoff from development and redevelopment sites.  Builders contend the rules could make their projects more costly and some even unbuildable.

"We commissioned the survey because in the third year of a recession, the leadership of our state needed to know what the priorities of their constituents are - JOBS," wrote Tom Farasy, president of the state builders association.

But Kim Coble, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, questions whether the latter poll is a true reflection of voters' minds.  She argues that the builder-backed survey is based on a flawed assumption that environmental protection has to cost jobs. 

"If we are pitting jobs against a healthy environment, then we are rolling back the clock by decades," Coble said.  The bay's decline also has cost jobs, she argued.  The crabbing industry has lost more than 4,000 jobs since the mid-1990s, she pointed out - a decline her group blames at least partly on poor water quality.

What do you think?  Should Washington forget about climate change for now and focus on reviving the economy?  And should state lawmakers put the bay cleanup on the back burner until unemployment goes down?  Are those the only choices?

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The eastern power grid could get 20 percent of the energy needed to power homes and businesses from wind by 2024, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study, which was two-and-a-half years in the making, says this would require a big infusion of money to pay for wind projects and transmission infrastruction improvements.

But it would cut carbon emissions greatly, and with geographic diversity in wind farms, could provide a reliable and less expensive energy source.

“Twenty percent wind is an ambitious goal, but this study shows that there are multiple scenarios through which it can be achieved,” David Corbus, project manager for the study, said in a statement.  “Whether we’re talking about using land-based wind in the Midwest, offshore wind in the East or any combination of wind power resources, any plausible scenario requires transmission infrastructure upgrades and we need to start planning for that immediately.”

A story by Reuters says billions of dollars would be needed for 22,000 miles of new power lines and land and sea wind towers. And the federal government would have to pay for much of it.

The government already is making some investments, that story says. The Obama administration is dedicating billion to double the amount of electricity produced by wind and other renewable sources by 2012. Officials also are considering a big project in Massachusetts to provide wind energy to 400,000 homes there.

Already, Reuters reports the data from the Energy department that shows amount of U.S. electricity generated by wind was up 29 percent through October of last year compared with the year before. But meeting the 20 percent goal would require 225,000 megawatts of wind generation capacity in the region, 10 times current levels.

The eastern grid extends from the Plains states to the Atlantic states and down to the Gulf of Mexico. So, from here, you're likely to look at a lot of wind mills out on the ocean.

Reuters reports Sen. Byron Dorgan says an energy bill this year could give a boost to the effort by requiring U.S. utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021.

What do you think? Should this be a goal? You okay with looking at wind towers from the beach?

Associated Press file photo of wind towers off shore of Denmark

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: News
        

This hearty meal recently ran in The Baltimore Sun's Taste section.

Portobello mushroom, tomato and white bean ragout

Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 4-6 servings

The ragout can be prepared 4 hours ahead, covered and reheated gently.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, light green and white part, finely chopped

2 pounds portobello mushrooms, trimmed, chopped

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon favorite seasoning salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cooked cannellini beans

2 tablespoons creme fraiche or whipping cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks; cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and tarragon; simmer, stirring to break up tomatoes, until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste; heat to a boil over high heat. Cook until liquid thickens to a glaze, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; stir in the beans and cream. Heat 1 minute. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 178 calories, 32% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 345 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

Do you have a favorite vegetarian recipe? If so, share it with us in the comments for a chance to win a green-themed prize.

Posted by Kim Walker at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food
        

The Maryland Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has named its 2009 award winners. For the 5th year, the group has recognized outstanding green building projects, professionals and companies in the state.

There will be an awards ceremony Jan. 28 at the Athenaeum at Goucher College.  Looks like it's sold out on the group's Web site, so I'll go ahead and list the winners.

Projects and people are picked based on how well they meet the group's mission: transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live, work, learn and heal.

Some award winners are here:

--The Awake House, a one-story, water and energy efficient home with excellent air quality and low operating costs that serves four tenants with intellectual and developmental disabilities

--Baltimore Medical System, a 30,000 square foot building that received a LEED rating

--Health Care for the Homeless’ 56,000 square foot building.

--The Young Professional award went to students at Harford Technical High School, which partnered with Harford Habitat for Humanity to build a LEED Modular Home. 

In a statement, Rex Wright, chair of Maryland chapter of the group's board said,  “The use of sustainable features in buildings, from the inside out, is increasingly innovative and cost-effective, and the submissions were each more inspiring than the next.  We are so proud of this community, and all that they are doing to improve the places where we live, work, learn, play and heal."

See the full list of award winners on the next page.

• Homes: The Awake House
• Commercial Interiors: Baltimore Medical System Highlandtown Healthy Living Center
• Core and Shell: Schilling Green
• Existing Buildings: One Washingtonian Center
• Major Renovation: 217 International Circle
• New Construction: Healthcare for the Homeless
• Schools and Universities: Evergreen Elementary School
• Un-built work: Woodlands Perryville
• Young Professional: HABITECH GB1: Harford Technical High School’s Habitat for Humanity project
• Special Accomplishment: Greenwood Initiative
• Special Accomplishment: Stanley Sersen
• Special Accomplishment: The Athenaeum at Goucher College
• Special Accomplishment: Fairfield Inn
• Special Accomplishment in Green Development: Corporate Office Properties Trust
• Special Accomplishment in Green Construction: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
• Special Accomplishment in Green Transformation: St. John Properties, Inc.
• Member of the Year: Zolna Russell
• Elected Official of the Year: The Honorable Dan K. Morhaim
• Board Member of the Year: Amy Wortman
• Volunteer of the Year: Tracy Marquis
• Volunteer of the Year: Heather Dalton

Other entries that received special recognition are as follows:

• PNC Bank: Harbor East Branch
• 1414 Key Highway Offices
• 3700 Fleet Street
• Gateway Exchange Three
• Miller’s Court
• Herring Run Watershed Center
• Old Town Youth Center
• SEED School of Maryland Dormitories
• USGBC Northern Chesapeake Branch

Baltimore Sun file photo of the Herring Run Watershed Center/Kim Hairston

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News
        

The real estate slump may have diminished the state's ability to buy parkland, but property owners haven't stopped preserving their land from development.

The Maryland Environmental Trust reports that landowners agreed to place conservation easements on a record 5,747 acres in 11 different counties last year, permanently surrendering development rights in return for tax breaks.

The largest of the 24 easements covered 2,894 acres of Andelot Farm in Kent County, a mix of forest, farmland and ponds. One of the more important ecologically was a 188-acre easement near Cunningham Falls in Frederick County, shown above. It's home to the Queen-of-the-Prairie (Filipendula rubra), a state endangered plant that grows in an unusual seepage wet meadow on the property.

“2009 has been an incredible year for MET,” said MET Director Elizabeth Buxton in a press release.   It wasn't a banner year for the number of easements, but the big Andelot property put the acreage total over the top.

The trust, affiliated with the state Department of Natural Resources but overseen by a citizen board of trustees, promotes the preservation of open land and habitat. Since its formation in 1967, the trust has secured more than 1,000 easements and protected more than 122,000 acres of farmland, forests and scenic areas statewide.

While the land has not come exactly free to the state - those tax breaks are foregone revenue - it's generally a lot cheaper than buying property outright. The other tradeoff is that lands under easement remain in private hands, off limits to public access -- but the state is not responsible for maintaining them, either.

(Photo courtesy of Maryland Environmental Trust)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A new report out today says that toxic chemical exposure is costing Americans big in terms of their health and the dollars they spend on health care.  

The study by the Safer Chemicals Health Families Coalition and sent to us by the Maryland Public Interest Research Group called “The Health Case for Reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act,” concludes that the country could curtail the rising rates of chronic disease and reduce health care costs by overhauling federal chemical policy.

The  report is based on analysis of peer-reviewed scientific studies, the groups said.

At a time when Congress and the nation debate health care reform, the report says many common diseases and conditions are linked to chemical exposure, including cancer, learning and developmental disabilities and asthma.

The authors call on Congress to update toxic chemical laws. It cites estimates showing that reducing the incidence of these diseases by 0.1 percent could save $5 billion in health care costs. This is based on expected health care costs projected for 2020, and assumes full implementation of the new legislation by then.

In Maryland, the savings would be more than $94 million a year, the study says. (In addition to Congressional action, Mary PIRG is also is supporting legislation in the Maryland General Assembly to curb use of chemicals including Bisphenol A, found in polycarbonate plastic including baby bottles and most food cans. The Food and Drug Administration just reversed itself and said there may be reason to be concerned about the chemical and is studying the issue.)

See the full report at www.saferchemicals.org.

The target of the report is the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which has not been significantly amended since its adoption in 1976. However, officials at the Environmental Protection Agency say amending the law is an Obama administraiton priority. Lawmakers have also said they plan to introduce legislation.

The report says of the 80,000 chemicals used in the United States, EPA has been able to require safety testing on  only 200. And 60,000 chemicals - including bisphenol A - were grandfathered in for use without any testing for health safety.

“Scientific evidence is piling up, revealing how chemicals are contributing to the alarming increases we are seeing in childhood leukemia, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders and other health problems,” says Charlotte Brody, national field director of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition and lead author of the report, said in a statement. “But meanwhile the federal law that is supposed to protect us has stayed frozen in time.”

The report summarizes a number of peer-reviewed studies that estimate the disease burden of America's children. Infants and children are uniquely vulnerable to toxic industrial chemicals. Research from CDC documents show that several hundred industrial chemicals are in all of us. Some of these chemicals are known to cause asthma, cancer, learning disabilities and birth defects,” said Philip J. Landrigan, MD, Pediatrician and Director, Children's Environmental Health Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “But for too many of the chemicals that are in us, no toxicity testing has ever been done. For too many of the industrial chemicals that are in us we have no idea of their potential toxicity to our children.  This is very unwise and terribly short-sighted. Failure of TSCA is cause for great concern not only for the health of our children, but also for the future of our nation."

Some disease are on an alarming upswing, the report says: Leukemia and other childhood cancers have increased by more than 20 percent since 1975. A woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is now one in eight, up from one in ten in 1973. Infertility affected 40 percent more women in 2002 than in 1982. The once-rare birth defect of undescended testicles in baby boys increased 200 percent between 1970 and 1993. Since the early 1990s, reported cases of autism spectrum disorder have increased tenfold.

“People of all incomes should be able to buy products for themselves and their children with the assurance of safety,” said Maryland PIRG Environmental Health Advocate Jenny Levin, in a statement. “Unfortunately, many consumers today don’t have that luxury. Congress should pass comprehensive chemical safety legislation that phases out chemicals of concern and protects vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children.”

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News
        

Herman Daly, a University of Maryland ecological economist, will receive a lifetime achievement award today from the National Council for Science and the Environment. The school says it "recognizes his decades-long research into the underpinnings of a green economy." 

The school says he believes conventional economics does not account for the true costs of  environmental degradation, which makes a loss of value appear to be a gain. And that's unsustainable.

"Growth is more of the same stuff; development is the same amount of better stuff," he says.  Here's a link to a paper he wrote for the Sustainable Development Commission in the UK.

Daly says his ideas are "gaining attention," but "the dominant view is still very much for growth as usual, or perhaps with a few more regulations."

Others who have received the award include two former heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, William Ruckelshaus and Russell Train, and the founder of Earth Day, former U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson.

"Herman Daly's intellectual courage and persistence represent far more than personal achievement – they have stimulated and prodded a vital international policy and research debate," says University of Maryland President, C.D. Mote Jr., in a statement. "He embodies intellectual integrity that brings honor to the University, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition."

"He is a giant in the field," said Donald Kettl, dean of the Maryland School of Public Policy, where Daly has been a senior researcher since 1994. "We are very proud to celebrate this national recognition of the way Herman has shaped modern debate on the mega-environmental issues we face. This award is a wonderful and much-deserved recognition of his many contributions to environmental policy."

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has described Daly as "a maverick economist on a mission to give his discipline a heart." http://www.iisd.org/didigest/special/DALY.HTM

Before coming to the university's School of Public Policy, Daly worked for the World Bank as a senior economist. In his time there, he tried to "green" the bank. Here's his farewell speech.

Here's some more information about the National Council Award ceremony and a full conference. The National Council for Science and the Environment is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the scientific basis for environmental decision making.

Photo courtesy of the University of Maryland

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News
        

Ramping up production of next-generation biofuels in the Chesapeake Bay region could generate as many as 18,600 new jobs and help clean up the bay at the same time.

That's the upshot of a new report by the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the state of Pennsylvania. It says that farms, forests and landfills in the six-state region could realistically produce about 500 million gallons of fuel - enough to replace all the gasoline consumed in the Washington metro area for six weeks.

"The states of the Chesapeake Bay region are well positioned to be national leaders in next-generation biofuels," said Maryland state Sen. Thomas M. "Mac" Middleton, a Charles County Democrat who is chairman of the bay commission.

Nearly all the biofuel produced nationally now is corn-based ethanol. But experts foresee a new generation of biofuels developing from raising switchgrass (pictured above, growing in a test plot on the Eastern Shore) or fast-growing trees like willows and poplar, from landfill refuse and even from algae. While such biofuels could be a boon for farmers in the region and a jobs generator, the report says, they also could be a "cost-effective" way to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution of the Bay and its rivers - "if done right."

If blended into current agricultural and forest practices, they can reduce erosion and act as a nutrient "sink," soaking up more of the nitrogen and phosphorus that otherwise would wind up in the water, feeding algae blooms.  There are an estimated 8 million acres of idle or underutilized croplands in the region, making it possible to produce biofuels without disrupting current agricultural and timber industries.

The report, the third by the groups looking at biofuels potential around the bay, calls for adoption of the 500 million gallons a year as a regional goal, with states setting their own goals as well.

Other recommendations include encouraging farmers to plant more winter crops for biofuels production and developing guidelines for the harvest of crop and woody waste for use in biofuels. And finally, it recommends taking precautions to ensure that the push to biofuels doesn't result in the introduction of any new invasive species that could wreak ecological havoc.

Next-generation biofuels like switchgrass aren't competitive yet because their production costs are higher than oil. But experts foresee that changing as the economy recovers and federal renewable fuel standards stimulate more biofuels production.

Getting biofuels off the ground "will require states to step up to the plate and entice industries that will take those feedstocks and turn them into energy," said Ann Swanson, director of the bay commission.

(2006 Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Maryland isn't the only state where new storm runoff limits are having a rough time.

The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board put on hold that state's new storm-water control rules after getting petitions from more than 25 developers and builders, reports Scott Harper in the Virginian-Pilot.

Critics there have demanded a simpler system and questioned the wisdom of imposing a new regulatory permitting program in the midst of a severe recession. And they say the state should do nothing until - or unless - the federal government imposes nationwide storm runoff limits.

The state's new rules for limiting runoff of fertilizer, oil and other pollutants from streets, parking lots and lawns have been in the works for four years. The state has approved them before, only to pull them back to deal with developer complaints. Now they're going back for another round of public comment.

Their prospects now are uncertain, Harper reports, because Virginia's new Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, has been critical of the storm-water limits in the past and has pledged to ease regulation of business.  Lawmakers also have put in bills to delay or change the rules.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As if Maryland's fiscal woes aren't bad enough, it appears there's a looming deficit in the state's fund to pay for upgrading sewage treatment plants.  And if it's not worked out by next year, it could delay or even derail  cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.

The Bay Restoration Fund, as it's known, is financed with the so-called "flush tax," the $30 annual fee the General Assembly approved in 2004 that is paid by every household and business hooked up to a sewer system.

According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, the fund has paid out more than $159 million so far for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. A dozen are finished, with 14 under construction. Another 25 plant upgrades are in design, with 16 still in planning.

The only problem is the three largest treatment plants - the Baltimore area's Back River and Patapsco, and Washington's Blue Plains - have yet to be upgraded.  The bills for those three all come due around the same time, overtaxing the fund to the tune of $660 million. State officials are pondering how to close the gap, with the possibility that they may ask for a 50 percent increase in the flush tax or fee.

Construction is already under way on the Patapsco treatment plant in Fairfield, (pictured above, with plant in foreground).  The 73-million-gallon a day facility serves part of Baltimore city and much of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties. It's to be finished in 2013.

Work is slated to begin in November on the 180 million-gallon-a-day Back River plant, which treats sewage from half of Baltimore city and half of Baltimore County. It's due to wrap up in 2015.

The big megillah is the Washington area's Blue Plains treatment plant, a 370-million-gallon-a-day monster that treats the waste from the Maryland suburbs of the nation's capital, along with the District and part of Northern Virginia. Construction on it is to start in September 2011 and take more than five years.

The three combined account for nearly two-thirds of the nitrogen reductions from sewage plants and industries that Maryland officials have pledged to make as part of the overall bay cleanup plan.

But with work on all three overlapping, the bay fund won't have enough to pay the bills. Robert M. Summers, deputy secretary of the environment, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the fund will start to run in the red in 2012 and the deficit could reach $660 million by 2018. In a briefing for the House Environmental Matters Committee, Summers said officials have asked an advisory committee for recommendations on how to deal with the shortfall.

So far, five options have been put on the table. The simplest would be to increase the flush tax or fee by roughly 50 percent, from $30 a year to $45. That would cover the gap, but it may give some lawmakers heartburn.

Other options include the state shifting some of the costs of the upgrades to local governments. Right now, the state fund covers the full costs of the work.  Local officials aren't likely to welcome that.  A variation on that would allow the state fund to pay debt service on bonds local governments would issue to pay for the upgrades.

Lastly, the state could decide to delay or drop certain plant upgrades - but the state doesn't have much latitude here, since the federal government is drawing up a court-ordered pollution diet for Maryland and other bay states that will impose a timetable for pollution reductions.

With some difficult budget decisions to be made in the next three months, no one on the committee spoke up for boosting the flush tax - or for any of the other options, either. But then again, a decision isn't needed until next year.

(2007 Photo by Jane Thomas, IAN/UMCES)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Refusing to part with your old refrigerator or freezer might be costing you more than you realize. According to BGE, old refrigerators and freezers require an average of 700 to 1,600 kilowatt-hours to operate, which amounts to at least a $100 increase in your annual energy bill.

In an effort to conserve energy (and your cash) BGE will pick up and recycle household appliances to produce new raw materials. It’s all part of their appliance recycling program, which was designed to encourage the installation of energy efficient technologies and to reduce the amount of waste that enters local landfills. Approximately 95% of each appliance that BGE collects is properly destroyed and recycled. What’s more, you’ll receive $50 for each working refrigerator/freezer you turn in.

How it works:

•You must be a BGE residential electric customer with a valid account number.
•You must own the refrigerator or freezer and it must be 10-27 cubic feet.
•Your appliance must be in working (cooling) condition.
•Your appliance will be picked up, at no charge, from the address listed on your billing account.
•The $50 reward will be mailed to you within four weeks after pick up of your refrigerator or freezer.
•Limit of 2 appliances per household

To read more or to schedule a pick up, visit the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program web site.

Image courtesy of Zoonie.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Baltimore city touts itself as "cleaner and greener" these days. But you couldn't convince Maxine Taylor of that. The Butcher's Hill resident was cited last year for a code violation for having a driveway and parking pad made out of wood chips.

This happens as city officials are starting to chip away at the asphalt and concrete that blankets much of Baltimore.  Letting more rain soak into the ground would keep it from washing trash and pollution off the streets into the harbor and the streams that feed into it.

The city's Sustainability Plan calls for enlisting residents in that fight. But the city's housing and zoning codes haven't caught up with the plan, still specifying that driveways and off-street parking must be "dustless" asphalt, brick, concrete or stone block.

City officials say they're in the process of updating the codes to promote sustainability. In the meantime, though, unless someone decides she merits a waiver, Maxine Taylor will either have to keep parking on the street or pave her little patch of paradise. 

Officials have pointed out it's legal under the current codes to just put down strips of pavement or pavers to accommodate the tire tracks of all the vehicles she wants to keep at her house.  That's better than having to pave it all, but still an expense and awkward-looking if you intend to park vehicles side by side.  And no one's explained to her yet what's so wrong, practically speaking, about a wood-chip driveway. They're allowed, even encouraged, in some municipalities.

You can read about it here in The Baltimore Sun.

(Baltimore Sun photo by Amy Davis)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

While everyone's no doubt heard that 2010 is the year electric cars are to debut in the United States, it hasn't happened yet. So for now, at least, the greenest cars on the market are still Honda's natural-gas powered Civic GX and hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic.

That's according to the latest annual ranking of the "greenest" and "meanest" vehicles by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

The all-electric Chevrolet Volt, shown above on display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, and Nissan Leaf aren't scheduled to appear on the market until the latter half of the year.

Other cars making the group's greenest top 12 for the first time include: Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Hyundai Accent Blue.

While "clean diesel" cars are hot in Europe, they aren't making much of a dent in the US market, the group reports, probably because of the steep sticker price.

ACEEE's "meanest" listing of least fuel-efficient vehicles hasn't changed much either, including heavy-duty trucks and SUVs and luxury European vehicles like the Lamborghini Murcielago.

To see all the listings and read the report, go here.

(Photo: Bloomberg)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

While cutting and juggling to close a massive $2 billion budget gap, could Gov. Martin O'Malley be planning to ask the General Assembly to increase funding for a signature Chesapeake Bay restoration fund?

The Washington Post, citing an unnamed administration source, reports that O'Malley will ask for $20 million for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund in the state spending plan he's to present to lawmakers in Annapolis today.

That's more than double the fund's current level, but still well short of what it was supposed to be when lawmakers created it more than two years ago.

It may well be a futile gesture, given the desparate fiscal straits the state is in. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has already said he thinks another of O'Malley's green priorities, land preservation, should be put on the shelf for a year or two while lawmakers use tax revenues dedicated to that purpose to help close the budget gap.

Still, it's likely to be seen by environmental activists as an indication that O'Malley takes seriously the commitment he and other bay state governors have made to accelerate the lagging bay cleanup. The fund was set up to target resources at halting hard-control-runoff of nutrients and other pollutants from land.  It helps pay farmers to plant pollution-absorbing cover crops and finances storm-water control projects in urban and suburban areas.  For more on it, go here.

Created in November 2007, it was proposed to be $50 million a year, to be paid for with tax revenues on rental cars and motor fuel. It's never come close to that level, as lawmakers whittled away at it and revenues lagged.  In 2009, O'Malley asked for $25 million, and it was cut to $10 million, then cut again to $8 million as the state's deficit grew.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

State regulators are moving against an Atlanta-based power company, charging that its coal-ash landfill in Prince George's County is contaminating ground water and nearby Mataponi Creek with toxic metals that are potentially harmful to wildlife and humans.

On Friday, the Maryland Department of the Environment formally notified the Mirant Corp. that it intends to sue the company for "significant and ongoing violations" of state and federal water pollution laws at its Brandywine landfill. The company disposes of fly ash and other coal combustion wastes there from its Chalk Point power plant in Prince George's County. The plant generated 200,000 tons of fly ash and bottom ash in 2008, the vast majority of which went into the landfill, according to a 2009 report by the company to MDE.

State officials say toxic contaminants in that ash are getting into the creek from ground water and from ponds intended to collect and treat leachate from the landfill. Levels of cadmium in the creek exceed state water-quality limits, the agency said, while elevated levels of cadmium and selenium were detected in one of the ponds that drains into the creek. The creek flows into the state's Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and ultimately into the Patuxent River. To read more, go here.

A Mirant spokeswoman told the Associated Press that the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.  But she said the company believed it was in compliance with its existing permits.

The state's action comes nearly two months after environmental groups threatened to sue Mirant over toxic pollution from its Brandywine landfill. Some activists have criticized the state lately for allegedly not being diligent and aggressive enough in enforcing pollution laws, but they praised state officials Friday for moving against the Mirant landfill.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

New regulations intended to reduce polluted storm-water runoff in Maryland have sparked a backlash among developers and local officials, who contend the rules undermine the state's Smart Growth policy by making it too expensive to redevelop urban and older suburban areas.

A forum at the Maryland Department of the Environment on Friday drew a standing-room crowd, mostly of developers and local officials who came to air their grievances over the rules. You can read a story I wrote about the forum in today's Baltimore Sun.

The new rules discourage the now-common practice of collecting storm runoff in ponds or underground tanks, in favor of letting the rain soak into soil, whether on open ground or green roofs, like the one shown above on a new elementary school in St. Mary's County.  Drawn up in response to a 2007 law mandating tighter controls over storm runoff, the rules are scheduled to be enforced by local governments starting May 4. But developers contend they'll add hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars to the costs of large projects, and make some uneconomical by forcing them to leave more of their sites undeveloped.

Builders and local officials are pushing for the state to exempt or "grandfather" building projects already planned under the current rules. And they're demanding "flexibility" or relaxation of the rules for redevelopment projects, which are favored under the state's Smart Growth policy to encourage development in and around existing communities.

State officials say they're reviewing the complaints, but point out that projects already approved under the current storm runoff rules won't have to go back to the drawing board. They also contend there's plenty of flexibility already built into the new rules, though they require different techniques than developers are accustomed to using.  Environmentalists even presented some examples of "low-impact development" that they contend actually cost less than the current methods, by using porous pavement, "rain gardens" and other techniques.  More about those here and here.

Storm-water runoff is a major source of pollution degrading the Chesapeake Bay, and officials say it's a growing problem that needs to be curbed if the bay is to be restored.  But critics contend that the rules on recycling developed sites are so strict they'll push builders out into the countryside, where they'll exacerbate the state's loss of farmland and forest.  Even green-leaning lawmakers say they want to make sure the rules don't discourage redevelopment. Expect to hear more about this from Annapolis as the General Assembly cranks up.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

There's recycled carpet and bamboo flooring and probably a bunch of other ways to cover your floors in an eco-friendly manner. B'More Green reader Jen pointed out this "carpet," featured on the "Interior Design" Design Green blog.

It's really really more of a planter made of biodegradable fabric spun from moss. And I'm not sure you're supposed to walk on it.

Inhabitat, another blog about sustainable interior design spotted it at the Milan Furniture Show and said it's made by a Japanese company  named Terramac.

Terramac makes all kinds of other products from plant material: tea bags, garbage bags, clothes. But wouldn't it be nice to run your toes through this stuff?

Photo courtesy of Inhabitat

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Going Green
        

Tyson Foods has agreed to settle a class action suit that alleged its chickens were not raised antibiotic-free, as labelled, by giving consumers cash or $5, $10 or $50 coupons, according to a story by Tricia Bishop in today's Sun.

Tyson had promoted it birds as being raised without drugs. But consumers and other chicken producers complained it wasn't true.

Tyson had been injecting a kind of antibiotic used in human drugs into eggs -- a potential problem, according to some health experts, because humans are getting so many antibiotics that they are becoming targets of drug resistent superbugs.

Consumers -- who tend toward organic, minimally processed or altered -- may have bought these chicken products specifically because of the label claims.

The company didn't admit wrongdoing in the settlement, outlined in U.S. District Court. A judge will review the settlement for fairness on Friday.

So, anyone buy these chickens between mid-June 2007 and April 2009? Going to seek compensation if the deal is approved? Think the antibiotics are a big deal?

Photo coutesy of Tyson Foods

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News
        

Environmental activists are bracing for a rough time in Annapolis as Maryland's General Assembly begins its annual 90-day session.

After seeing major bills passed on global warming and Chesapeake Bay cleanup the past couple years, green groups are expecting to be fighting mostly to keep from having cherished programs and efforts slashed or rolled back. They're not kidding themselves about emerging unscathed, either.

"It's going to be a bloodbath," predicted Brad Heavner of Environment Maryland.

With the state needing to close a $2 billion gap in its $13 billion budget, everything is under scrutiny for cutting - including environmental programs. One already in the crosshairs - as it seems to be in every down economy - is the state's effort to buy parkland and preserve sensitve natural areas from development. Another is the historic tax credit, which has provided a major boost to redevelopment of Baltimore over the years.

Though Gov. Martin O'Malley has repeatedly pledged his support for full funding of the state's land preservation efforts, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said Wednesday he'd rather stop saving ecologically sensitive land from development than lay off any more state employees.

Speaking on Marc Steiner's "Annapolis Summit" radio show, Miller said "anything that's not a core service" should be subject to cutting, including Program Open Space, which acquires land for parks, recreation and natural areas. He also mentioned the historic tax credit, which expires this year if it is not reauthorized.

"I consider myself an environmentalist," said Miller, who represents Calvert and Prince George's counties. "I have the Patuxent River on one side of my district and the Chesapeake Bay on the other .. But when you compare Program Open Space and protecting land versus laying off state employes, I opt to cut Program Open Space."

Miller contended that Maryland has "preserved more land than any state in the Union," but said he's really just suggesting the effort be put on hold for a year or two, not eliminated altogether.

Still, those are fighting words to some conservationists, who note that the transfer tax revenue that's earmarked for land preservation has been repeatedly raided by lawmakers over the years whenever the state gets in a budget pinch.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch, who joined Miller on Steiner's show, suggested that lawmakers might decide to essentially borrow against the program's dedicated source of funding. It gets property tax transfer revenues each year - though not much in recent years because of the real estate slump.

Last year, lawmakers took the available tax revenue to help balance the state budget, but authorized the administration to finance parkland purchases by issuing up to $70 million in bonds, to be paid back with future transer tax revenues. Busch said he foresaw mortgaging the program again this year, while taking the available tax revenues for the operating budget.  But echoing O'Malley, the speaker pointed out that now is a relatively good time to be in the market for land, because with development slowed the state ought to be able to get tracts at bargain prices.

A similar struggle is likely over the historic tax credit, which has provided a key incentive to developers to recycle old buildings in Baltimore and elsewhere in the state. O'Malley tried last year without success to get the General Assembly to extend the credit for another five years and expand it. He's trying again this year, but proposing this time to extend it for three years, for a total of $50 million. The credit expires this year if not renewed.  Another potential budget victim could be the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund, a pot of money earmarked to combat polluted runoff, which has never been fully funded since its launch in 2008.

Developers, meanwhile, are pushing back against new state regulations that haven't even taken effect yet requiring them to do more to control storm water pollution. Though no legislation has been introduced so far, activists say they expect an effort will be made to delay or roll back some of the rules hammered out over the past two years to enforce a storm-water pollution control law passed in 2007.

Even if the omens are not good for new environmental initiatives this year, activists are pushing a few. They're planning to seek legislation requiring cities, towns and counties to impose a storm-water "user fee" on all residential and business properties to help pay for retrofitting existing storm drains and capturing polluted runoff from urban and suburban lands. State law already authorizes localities to do that, but few have, as landowners often object to what they view as a new tax.

Another bill in the works would revamp transportation planning, with an eye to shifting funds away from sprawl-enabling road and highway projects.

And Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler plans to introduce a bill this year designating the Maryland portion of the bay as a "no discharge" zone for boaters.

Only a handfull of environmental bills have been introduced to date, but more are sure to come - even in this lean year. Greens plan to rally for their causes on Jan. 26 in Annapolis.  For more info, go here.

(Baltimore Sun photos: Miller, by Barbara Haddock Taylor; Busch, 2009, by Glenn Fawcett)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News
        

Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to seek legislative approval of more incentives to promote renewable energy in the General Assembly session that begins today.

In an interview published in today's Baltimore Sun, the governor said he's given up on re-regulating the electric power industry, but wants to "update" the state's coastal zoning law to make it easier for wind turbines to be placed off Maryland's Atlantic shoreline. 

The law was adopted to protect fragile coastal areas from development, so it'll be interesting to see how far the administration wants to go in promoting offshore wind.  The administration and lawmakers teamed up a few years ago to shield smaller land-based wind farms from environmental review after developers complained about delays and conditions being put on their projects in western Maryland.  That's decried by some conservationists, who fear mountaintop wind will fragment and destroy rare species habitat and harm bats and migratory birds.   Other environmentalists willingly accept those tradeoffs in hopes wind farms will ease dependence on coal for power.

The governor also wants to strengthen the requirements for development of solar energy, and to provide up to $2,000 tax breaks for consumers to buy electric cars. There aren't any on the market yet, but Chrysler and Nissan are on the verge of rolling out models.  For more on the state's renewable energy efforts, see the latest report from the Maryland Energy Administration here.  With about 4.5 percent of the power generated in the state now coming from renewable souces, the state's goal is to have 20 percent by 2022.

Other than that, there's little environmental likely from the O'Malley administration in this 90-day legislative session, largely because of the severe budget crunch the state is in. Environmentalists likewise are lowering their sights, hoping mainly just to shield environmental and conservation programs from major budget cuts - and to fend off measures that might weaken or delay existing environmental laws.  There is likely to be an effort by some groups, though, to provide more incentives for transit-oriented development.

More later on the environmental outlook for the 90-day session in Annapolis.

(Baltimore Sun photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: News
        

What exactly is in that bottle of cleaner? Know you can find out more easily.

The Soap and Detergent Association, the Consumer Specialty Products Association and the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association have launched an ingredient communication initiative.

They are volunteering information to consumers in four major categories: air care, automotive care, cleaning, and polishes and floor maintenance products.

The main page is here.

There are links to about a dozen company Web site, and some you have to drill down to find the lists, but they're there. Of course, they don't tell you which is especially bad stuff, but hey, it's a step.

What do you think? This at all useful? Are you a label reader when it comes to cleaners?

On this same topic, Martha Stewart has a new line of eco-friendly cleaning products called Martha Stewart Clean.

Anyone tried the stuff? It work? It seem green? Does this mean green has really gone mainstream, now that she's jumped on the bandwagon?

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Products
        

Baltimore finally got its free shuttle bus called the Circulator off the ground. The Sun's Mike Dresser wrote a story about it in today's paper.

It's been delayed, and only one route has been launched, but city officials have high hopes the free bus -- did I mention it's free -- will cut down on congestion, improve air quality and make getting around easier for commuters and visitors.

The Orange route runs east-west. And two new routes are is expected in the spring: the Purple Route connecting Penn Station with Federal Hill and the Green Route connecting Johns Hopkins Hospital with Fells Point and City Hall.

The money has a dedicated source of financing in the city's parking tax, which city officials say means it will be around awhile longer than other bus services that relied on grants.

During the winter months, the buses will run weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., except for Fridays, when it will continue until midnight. On Saturdays it will operate 9 a.m. until midnight.  Sunday, the buses will run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. During the summer, the weekday service will be extended to 9 p.m.

So, anyone hop on yet? Plan to?

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: News
        

In the meeting today with The Sun's editorial board, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was asked about the city’s new recycling program, and an editor in the meeting told me that she said the city was moving in the right direction.

“We can’t go backwards,” she said, while noting that city officials would be reviewing the program soon, to “address kinks in the process.”

She must have looked at the data. In September, the city's Department of Public works said recycling was up by 50 percent since the new program began in July. I think that means residents who like having their recycling picked up once a week, along with once-a-week trash pickup, can rest assured the program will continue.

She wasn't specific about the "kinks." But she's said in the past that she's gotten complaints about the reduced trash pick up from residents. And she worried about an increase in illegal dumping. City officials have issued a bunch of tickets for that. Also, officials report that the jump in use of  municipal cans has died down.

Rawlings-Blake has also said that she planned to hold hearings on the subject. She won't be council president long enough to do that, but as mayor she could really have an even bigger say in changing the program. So, stay tuned.

On another green-related issue, she said she was happy that the city was in a position to seek federal funds for the Red Line light rail project. She does not want a project that would create dead zones in neighborhoods, but noted that rail technology continues to advance, so there is likely to be less impact on neighborhoods by the time the line is built.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Recycling
        

Farming groups in Maryland and Virginia are voicing concern over the recent sudden reassignment of a federal agriculture official whom they saw as their champion in the struggle over ramping up the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort.  Some have even suggested she was yanked because she was questioning how much farmers needed to do to clean up the bay.  But the official's boss says there was nothing nefarious in her being pulled - she was simply needed elsewhere.

Dana York, a senior manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, had been working since last spring as a senior advisor to the bay program in the Environmental Protection Agency's office in Annapolis. But late last month she was ordered back to Washington to take on a new assignment.

Her reassignment prompted letters from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., which represents chicken growers and producers, and the Virginia Grain Producers Association. In a letter to growers, Bill Satterfield, executive director of the poultry group, called York's reassignment "a big blow" to farmers' ability to cope with the Obama administration's moves to ramp up bay restoration efforts, including proposals to expand regulation of poultry and other livestock farms.

In a separate letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Satterfield went even further. "We don't know for sure, but many of our members believe she was transferred because she was just too proactive for agriculture and was thus not well received by EPA and others in the Obama government," he wrote.  "We need somebody in there fighting for agriculture," he added. "We fear that Ms. York's reassignment takes away our champion."

 he Virginia group's letter voiced "deep concern" over York's removal.  "In her absence, farmers will be more frustrated and less likely to participate in programs that do not reflect her leadership," its letter said.

In her six months in Annapolis, York, former associate chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service who lives on the Eastern Shore, had questioned how well the EPA's computer modeling had documented what steps farmers have already taken to curb polluted runoff from their fields and feedlots.  She also had pressed to streamline government incentives to farmers to adopt conservation measures, while appealing to farmers to cooperate with the bay cleanup effort.  Those who worked with her in Annapolis said they were unaware of any conflicts with EPA officials and praised her efforts.

Dave White, the chief of the NRCS, says York's reassignment was for internal personnel, not political, reasons.  "I hate to dash the (suspicions of) folks who think she was a thorn in the side of EPA," he said. Her recall to Washington "has nothing to do with the bay .. or any slight intended against agriculture," he said in a telephone interview last week. 

"The simple fact of the matter is I need Ms. York and her senior executive slot," White said, to help run the agency, including oversight of emergency and economic stimulus programs.  "It's a critical job for us, and she has the skills to do that."

White said bay region farmers need not fear that the USDA is abandoning them as EPA officials press for more regulation of farming.  "I've been in agriculture a long time,'' the chief said, "and believe in the voluntary incentive approach, working with producers to comply and do bay cleanup and help them stay on the land....and that mindset is not going to change no matter where Ms. York is assigned."  White said others at NRCS would be assigned to work with the bay program.

The poultry industry's Satterfield acknowledged there may be other reasons for reassigning York, but added in an email:  "It just seems odd that if the Chesapeake Bay is such a priority for the Obama government, then why would it remove a knowledgable, career person who was working hard on bay restoration issues?"

York, reached last week while on leave, declined to discuss her reassignment, but urged bay farmers to stay engaged in the bay restoration policy debate. "This is an important time for agriculture to step up to the plate and be part of the conversation.  Through good conversation and our actions, we'll have better policy enacted.  USDA is supportive of that and will continue to be there to support it....  Agriculture does understand now that this is an important time to be part of the solution."

(Photo: USDA/NRCS)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After a brief hiatus, Baltimore Green Drinks social networking events are back in time to kick off the New Year. These events, which are free and open to anyone, are intended to provide opportunity for discussion about current green topics and events.

Mark your calendars for the next meet-up on Thursday, January 21, from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Red Star Bar and Grill in Fells Point.

Want to know more about Baltimore Green Drinks? Check out their new Green Drinks Video:

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A dozen scientists, including three from Maryland, have called for a halt to mountaintop coal mining in Appalachia, saying there's overwhelming evidence the practice of blasting the tops off mountains to get at the fuel is causing serious and long-lasting environmental damage and likely is hurting the health of the people who live nearby.

In a paper published today in the journal Science, the researchers say mountaintop removal, widespread in West Virginia, southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky, is destroying extensive tracts of biologically rich forest and degrading hundreds of streams. Fish and drinking-water wells are being contaminated, while the air downwind is fouled with high levels of hazardous dust.

And, they note, there are higher rates of hospitalization and deaths for heart, lung and kidney problems in mining regions than elsewhere. The health disparities cannot be accounted for by other factors such as smoking, diet, income or access to health care, they contend.

The scientists’ call for an end to mountaintop removal comes amid a raging controversy over the practice, in which hundreds of peaks and ridges throughout Appalachia have been blasted away to get at thin seams of coal beneath. The rocks and rubble are bulldozed into adjacent stream valleys, burying the waterways. The mining industry and its supporters contend it’s the only feasible way to get at the coal, and they contend that the blitzed areas, such as the one seen above on Kayford Mountain in West Virginia, are subsequently reclaimed in accordance with federal law and regulations.

But the researchers say the environmental and health effects have gotten “surprisingly little attention.” They based their conclusions on a review of dozens of recently published scientific studies, plus an analysis of water quality from some 1,200 West Virginia streams.

“It was just clear to us that .. the evidence was absolutely overwhelming that the impacts are really severe and long-lasting,” said Margaret Palmer, director of the University of Maryland's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and the paper’s lead author. They also concluded that government-mandated efforts to reclaim the mined areas were failing to replace the forests and restore the streams to their original condition.

“And so, we made the unusual decision,” Palmer explained in a phone interview, “that as scientists we were going to make a policy recommendation – because the evidence was so overwhelming – to halt mountaintop mining.”

Palmer, whose research has focused on the impacts of development on waterways, said she was originally drawn into the mountaintop-removal debate a few years ago, when she was asked by opponents of the mining practice to testify in a court case about the efficacy of efforts to restore buried streams. She said she realized then that because the impacts of mining were so complex, there was a need to bring together scientists from various disciplines to take a more holistic view of what was going on.

Their call for a halt to mountaintop mining comes within days of the Environmental Protection Agency approving the permit for another mine in West Virginia, after holding it up for weeks. The agency, under pressure from mining opponents, has been conducting extensive reviews of all pending mountaintop mine applications. Palmer said the research cited in the Science article was generally available to government regulators, and she noted that some of it actually was done by EPA scientists.

Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said he had not yet read the Science paper, but based on press reports of it declared that “there’s nothing new here” and called the journal paper “an advocacy piece.”

The higher incidence of health problems in mining regions likely stems from poverty and lifestyle, the industry spokesman said. The large-scale land disturbance caused by mountaintop mining unavoidably impacts the forests and streams, he said, but contended that was a tradeoff federal lawmakers had decided to make in favor of the economic benefits of producing coal in the region. The surface mining law basically requires only that mined areas be restored to their original contours, he noted, while the Clean Water Act is supposed to ensure stream water quality.

“Their real argument is not with us or the regulators,” Popovich said. “Their argument is with Congress.”

Palmer said the problems associated with mountaintop mining in Appalachia may also be occurring elsewhere where coal is being surface-mined.  Maryland has no mountaintop-removal mines, but it does have 68 permitted mines, with about half of them actively producing coal, according to Jay Apperson, spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment.  The agency recently approved a permit for a new surface deep mine in Garrett County, he said, but the permit is being challenged. (corrected 1/8/2010)

Although Palmer and at least one other researcher who contributed to the Science article say they've been paid to testify as expert witnesses in court cases brought by opponents of mountaintop mining, Palmer said none of the scientists received funding from anyone to work on the paper. “We volunteered our time,” she said.

For more, go here and here.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: News
        

With funding for 18 months from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (federal stimulus funds), the Parks & People Foundation will create four “Green Up, Clean Up” crews working in west and southwest Baltimore City and school and public housing sites citywide. Crew members will gain skills in the fields of environmental restoration and landscaping maintenance work, leading to potential green career opportunities.

Positions available include:

4 Team Leaders for crews of adult workers (hourly rate $11 to $13 plus benefits)

2 Team Leaders for crews of youth workers (hourly rate $11 to $13, no benefits)

16 Adult crew members ($8 to $11.75 plus benefits)

All positions listed above are for adults 18 years of age or older. Adult crews work 32 hours per week and youth crews work 14 hours per week. The Foundation is looking for people to start right away. Work will be outdoors and will require the ability to lift 50 pounds.

Parks & People Foundation provides a drug free work place and a background check is required of all potential employees. If you're interested, please attend one of the following scheduled recruitment events to learn more and fill out an application:

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
1:00-3:00pm The Salvation Army Temple Corps Community Center 1601 W. Baltimore St. (intersection of W. Baltimore and Frederick Avenue) Baltimore, MD 21223
(accessible by #6, #10 and #20 MTA bus)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
1:00-3:00pm Fitch Company in Westport 2201 Russell St. (off of Annapolis Road near Rt. 295) Baltimore, MD 21230 (accessible by #27 and #51 MTA bus, and from the Westport light rail station)

Thursday, January 14, 2010
10:00am-12:00pm Pleasant View Gardens Community Center 201 N. Aisquith St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (accessible by #20, #23 and #40 MTA bus)

You may also submit an application to the Parks & People Foundation, 800 Wyman Park Drive, Suite 010, Baltimore, MD 21211 or email to jobs@parkandpeople.org or Fax: 410-448-5895 by January 15.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It may be frigid outside, but the rhetoric is heating up over the Chesapeake Bay as the federal government works to finalize a new bay restoration strategy by May.

Despite the upbeat pronouncements of Chesapeake Bay restoration leaders at this week's changing of the guard in Arlington, no one is happy, it seems, with the Obama administration's  draft strategy for jump-starting the lagging cleanup effort. 

As WYPR's Joel McCord reports in "Restoration Redux", environmentalists are disappointed with the plan unveiled in November. They welcomed President Obama's executive order last May directing federal agencies to play a greater role in the cleanup.  But they're complaining that the feds' plan isn't specific or tough enough, given the failures of Maryland and other states to achieve the cleanup goals they set over the past 26 years.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's a bit testy, too. He's said he wants the feds to pony up more money to help the states, but go easy on the regulation. He worries that making more demands of farmers could drive the Delmarva poultry industry away. And farmers and developers are pointing fingers at each other, while insisting their own activities are not to blame for the bay's woes.

What's your view? The official window for commenting on the draft federal bay strategy ends tomorrow (Jan. 8). Go here to find out more and to give the feds a piece of your mind.

(1994 Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Want to look at the planets up close? Want to build your own telescope, too? 

The Maryland Science Center is offering stargazers the chance to view the Jupiter just as the astronomer Galileo did during its Galileo Nights (Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) at the Crosby Ramsey Memorial Observatory.

The event is in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first close-up look at the solar system's biggest planet, according to the science center. The museum's powerful Clark Telescope will be aimed at Jupiter and its moons.

The first 50 visitors can also build a replica of the astronomer’s telescope to take with them.

The event is free. In the case of poor weather, visitors should phone 410-545-2999 after 5 p.m. to confirm that the Observatory will be open.

For information and tickets, go to www.marylandsciencecenter.org or call the 24-Hour Information Line at 410-685-5225.

Photo courtesy of the Maryland Science Center

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events
        

The below normal temps are going to hang around for now and there might even be more snow. (Click here for the forecast.) So, it seems like a good time to remind everyone that this kind of weather can be dangerous. Some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are posted on the Sun's health blog that might be of use now.

Most are common sense, but they are worth repeating: Wear layers in the cold, be on the lookout for frostbite and hyprothermia, don't use the oven or candles or dangerous alternative-fuel generators inside for warmth and remember to take a winter weather kit in a car including flashlights with batteries, water, blankets and first-aid supplies.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Amy Davis

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

Tonight at Metro Gallery, a New York film maker will show locals what "sustainable transportation" looks like in other cities. 

The event tonight is called "STREETFILMS in Baltimore" and is sponsored by EnvisionBaltimore, a local group that promotes livable and sustainable cities -- which include lots of pedestrian/bike access and public transportation.

The film maker is Clarence Eckerson Jr., who founded and runs Streetfilms.org. The organization  produces short videos about making urban streets more pedestrian and cycle friendly. 

EnvisionBaltimore calls Streetfilms an inspiration to its cause and says the film shorts are entertaining. Eckerson will also talk about what he does and how it relates to Baltimore.

The event runs from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles Street (across from Charles Theater). To register, click here.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events
        

The National Audubon Society held its annual Christmas Bird Count over the last couple of weeks, and I went out to meet a few local birders on Sunday to see how it's done.

I could only stand to be out in the cold and wind for an hour or so. These guys -- Hal Wierenga, Leo Weigant and David Mozurkewich, Hal's wife Lynn Davidson and many others -- were out from dawn to dusk. That's dedication.

This is the 110th year of the count and the numbers are dumped into a massive database and used by conservationists to monitor the health of bird species and determine the best course on preserving habitat.

I wrote a story about the count, and a new wrinkle: technology. Like in most areas of our lives, iPhones apps and Web sites are becoming more commonplace in birding. Conservationists from Audubon and the Nature Conservancy seem to be welcoming this because it's appears to be bringing in more and younger people to the practice. Audubon even sells apps.

But some more traditional birders say the old ways work well, and especially on Count Day, technology isn't completely embraced (unless you're talking about a nice new scope or digital camera). Tweeting a special bird can lure other birders away from their posts.

So, are you a birder? You go out in the cold for the count? And do you have an iPhone and an app with maps, sounds and pictures? 

These locals pointed me to mdosprey.org, but anyone have another favorite site?  

Baltimore Sun photo of Leo Weigant and David Mozurkewich on Bird Count day/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: News
        

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has weighed in against a four-lane highway proposed in Charles County, calling the road and the development it would serve potentially devastating to Mattawoman Creek, one of the Chesapeake Bay's most productive nurseries for migratory fish.

In a Dec. 23 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Leopoldo Miranda, supervisor of the agency's Chesapeake Bay field office, wrote that his agency is concerned about the "direct, indirect and cumulative effects" of the proposed Cross County Connector. The creek, which flows into the Potomac River, is a prime spawning area for shad, white perch, blueback herring and striped bass, the agency noted.

The highway has long been sought by local officials to improve east-west traffic in their once-rural, now-booming county.  Building it would require federal and state approval to fill in more than seven acres of fresh-water wetlands, disturb more than 2,000 feet of stream and clear nearly 74 acres of forest. But environmentalists in the Smarter Growth Alliance for Charles County argue that Mattawoman is too valuable ecologically and already impaired by pollution to subject to such disturbance.

The fish and wildlife service, in its letter outlining similar concerns with the project, said it was acting in the spirit of President Obama's executive order last year calling for the federal government to take a leading role in restoring the health of the bay. The creek already is impaired by nutrient pollution, Miranda wrote, and building the highway will spur the loss of more forestland to development, with detrimental impacts on water quality.

He urged the Army to deny the wetland permit needed to build the highway until there is more study of the project's impacts and of alternatives to building it there.

Clem Gaines of the Army Corps' Baltimore District Office said the service's concerns would be considered as federal and state regulators continue to review the county's request for a permit to build the highway. The Army and the Maryland Department of the Environment expect to decide the issue jointly "in the near future," he wrote.

County officials have maintained that the highway can be built without harming the stream, and they argue that the road will improve traffic safety on increasingly crowded, narrow country roads. The Washington Post quoted Charles County commissioner Gary Hodge late last week calling the federal agency's letter "part of the propaganda war" that opponents have been waging against the road.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

This weekend, most of the Food Network cooking shows highlighted light and healthy recipes. One that I can't wait to try is Aida Mollenkamp's Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew. It features bold flavors of cinnamon and preserved lemon, and the recipe received 5 stars from the Food Network web site users. I think the episode of "Ask Aida" was a rerun, but I hadn't seen it.

If you give it a try, let us know how it turned out, and feel free to share your own vegetarian recipes.

Of course, the big Food Network show of the weekend was the Iron Chef battle that featured the White House chef and Michelle Obama. Garden Variety writes about it here.

Posted by Kim Walker at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food
        

Inspired by the National Aquarium’s ever popular Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance, artists in Hamilton-Lauraville have come together to create a body of work that explores the impact of jellyfish on our aquatic ecosystems. An opening reception, sponsored by Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street, Inc., will be held at the Hamilton Art Gallery on Friday, January 8, from 6-9 p.m.

"The intended message is that the jellies, though graceful and beautiful, are an indicator that the oceans are out of balance. Much of the artwork shows the absolute beauty of the creatures, while our gallery window will depict the relationship between our trash and the abundance of jellies in our waters. We, humans, are the cause of the problem," explains Regina Lansinger, Director of Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street, Inc.

On the night of the opening, light refreshments will be provided by the local restaurants and pubs of Hamilton and Lauraville on Harford Road. In addition, Nancy Hotchkiss, Senior Director of Visitor Experience and Education at the National Aquarium, and Susan Rothrock, Director of Strategic Marketing, will be present to share information about Jellies Invasion.

Hamilton Art Gallery is located at 2927 Hamilton Avenue. Artwork will remain on exhibit in the gallery as well as in local restaurants and storefronts throughout the month of January.

Image courtesy of Hamilton Art Gallery. Artist: Linda White-King.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Environment Maryland says the state's lawmakers are pretty green.

Six in the Maryland congressional delegation and both of the state's senators voted for environmental measures 100 percent of the time in the past year and a half, according to the environmental group's latest scorecard.

The scorecard was released as part of the group's effort to get Congress to use stimulus money to fund clean energy, cut global warming pollution and restore the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways. 

“Maryland’s congressional delegation has consistently voted to put the environment ahead of special interests.  In the past year and a half, they successfully fought to invest an unprecedented $80 billion in clean energy and to protect more than two million acres of wilderness,” said Environment Maryland Field Associate Mike Sherling in a statement.

Reps. Chris Van Hollen, John Sarbanes, Elijah Cummings, Donna Edwards, Dutch Ruppersburger, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski got the 100 percent scores.

The scorecards are based on 15 votes in the House including bills to cut pollution causing global warming, to preserve open spaces across the country, to spend $80 billion in stimulus money on clean energy and to promote public transportation.

See the whole scorecard.

Associated Press file photo of the Chesapeake Bay

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: News