The summer travel season is upon us, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants you to go green while on the road.

The federal agency says when you travel you should make an effort to stay in Energy Star labeled hotels and then pay attention to your own behavior once you're there.  

The hotels are independently verified to meet energy efficiency performance levels set by EPA. They perform in the top 25 percent of hotels nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.

And when you get to the hotel, there are still more things you can do to save energy. Here's EPA's quick list:

+turn off the lights and TV when leaving the hotel room;
+adjust the thermostat to an energy-saving setting so it doesn’t heat or cool the room while empty;
+unplug electronics such as cell phones chargers and laptops when not in use;
+open curtains to take advantage of daylight when possible;
+and re-use linens to save both water and energy.
 
EPA says the lodging industry spends more than $7.5 billion on energy a year. A 10 percent reduction would save $750 million and reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million tons.

To find an Energy Star hotel, go to here and to get more information on the Energy Star label and the lodging industry, click here.

Baltimore Sun file photo of the Fairfield Inn on President Street, Baltimore's first green certified hotel/Jed Kirschbaum

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Tips
        

A local group demanding a halt to off-shore oil drilling in the wake of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has a protest planned Saturday.  

The protestors would like to see more research into alternative energy. Some even want nationalization of the oil/energy industry because the believe that would mean tighter regulation and profits for taxpayers.

If you agree, line up for one hour beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at the  BP Station at 33rd and Greenmount.
 
The same group held a picket line May 16 with about a dozen people. They said lots of people honked in support. They'd like you to bring signs that "express your outrage at corporate disregard for human life and the environment."

For more information call 410 308-1326 or 410 433-3269.

Anyone planning to go? Will you honk in protest of off-shore drilling?

AFP/Getty photo of booms in Gulf of Mexico

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Events
        

My colleague Kelly Brewington has a thoughtful piece in the Baltimore Sun today on the dilemma people face, especially parents, in sorting through the confusing information and advice about the health hazards posed by the many chemicals used to make a panoply of consumer products.

The President's Cancer Panel recently issued a 240-page report warning that "the true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated" and urging steps be taken to reduce people's broad exposure to carcinogens. 

The panel's assertion has been disputed by the American Cancer Society, which argues that lifestyle factors like smoking and diet are the main causes of cancer, and environmental exposures are involved in only a small share of cases.

It's hard to know what to do when even health experts can't agree.  But as Kelly's story points out, some suggest people can and should look for all ways to reduce cancer, stopping or shying away from smoking, eating right and avoiding products with toxic or potentially toxic ingredients.  It can be overwhelming, though, when you consider all the things that are or might be hazardous. 

I felt that way recently after skimming through National Geographic's Green Guide Families, an encyclopedic 400-page rundown on virtually everything about which concerns have been raised, from cell phones to vaccines.  Not one thing did they advise you not to worry about, it seemed, no matter how thin or discounted the evidence of potential harm.  I finished wishing the authors or someone could provide the average person a little triage, at least a ranking of what to avoid or worry about most to least.

On some things, though, many on both sides of the environment/lifestyle cancer debate seem to agree.  More study is needed of toxic substances, and government oversight needs to be tightened to assure the safety of what's in the products we all consume, young and old.  Meanwhile, they suggest at least a little prudent avoidance.

What products do you avoid and why?  Please share if you have any tips for parents ore the rest of us about how to navigate the confusing and conflicting advice about what causes cancer and how to prevent it.

(Baltimore Sun photo by Amy Davis)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

National media are reporting that the Obama administration plans to extend a six-month moratorium on drilling new deepwater wells, and that it will cancel lease sales off Alaska and Virginia. There are reports, citing unnamed White House aides, by the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and others.

The president, who plans to return to the Gulf coast Friday for the second time since BP's Deepwater Horizon well blew out, is scheduled to have a press conference this afternoon at the White House. The moratorium - and even the cancellations - are hardly surprising, as public support for offshore oil drilling has declined and criticism mounted in the four weeks since the explosion at the rig killed 11 workers and began releasing millions of gallons of oil.

Even Obama's most loyal political allies, such as Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, have dropped any attempt to be polite about the president's plan to expand offshore drilling along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, which was announced just a few weeks before the Deepwater Horizon calamity.

While environmentalists and other Democrats like Maryland Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, promptly decried drilling anywhere near the Chesapeake Bay or Maryland, O'Malley originally had deferred to the president.  When the administration's drilling plan was first unveiled, O'Malley had said through an aide that while opposed to any drilling off Maryland's coast, he was sure the Obama admnistration would be "guided by the science" in deciding whether to proceed with any exploration off the mid-Atlantic coast.

In the past week, though, O'Malley has taken a harder public line.   Questioned about the Gulf oil spill during an announcement Friday of his new oyster restoration plan, O'Malley said he "can't imagine anybody" wanting to drill off the bay or near Maryland, given what's happened in the Gulf - at least until an investigation determines what went wrong and how to ensure it won't happen again. 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Check out this live feed of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and see if the "top kill" BP began yesterday is halting the flow of petroleum that has been spewing out of the ruptured pipe the past few weeks. The PBS Newshour has "enhanced" the oil company's feed with a ticker running off the volume of fuel escaping every second.

BP cautions that it may be 2-3 days before it can tell if the "top kill" is working.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Whole Foods Market Local Farmers' Market on June 9th-November 17th from 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Come meet local farmers and producers every Wednesday in the parking lot of the Aldersgate Mt. Washington United Methodist Church 5800 Cottonworth Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209.

Join Whole Foods for their Inaugural Market, where they'll be giving away free reusable bags, coupons, and samples to the first 100 people!

Vendors include:

One Straw Farm Organic Produce

Pond View Farm Produce, Eggs, Relish

Belvedere Farm Fresh Flowers

Eula's Cuisine Savory Soups

Hickory Chance Beef

Hawks Hill Creamery Cheese and Ice Cream

Chippers Dog Treats

Charles Street Gourmet Chutneys & Condiments

Infused Spreads Gourmet Fruit Butters

Wilson Mill Peaches & Apples(in Season)

Baltimore Backyard Nurseries Potted Flowers, Produce

Image courtesy of www.600Block.com

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Developers have wasted no time, it seems, in seeking waivers from Maryland's new storm-water pollution regulations.

Environmental consultant Richard Klein reports that in a survey he's taken, county officials told him more than 400 requests have been filed for exemptions from the rules, which took effect less than two weeks ago.   The new rules require developers to leave enough open space in their projects so that rainfall will soak into the ground, rather than collect the runoff in ponds or underground tanks, as had been the norm.

The rush for waivers is not unexpected, since developers had complained the new requirements could raise the costs of projects already in the works and make it much more costly to redevelop in urban and older suburban areas.  Local and state officials had estimated that 1,000 to 1,500 projects statewide could be exempted for up to seven years under the changes adopted at the last moment by the Maryland Department of the Environment.  It may give more heartburn, though, to the state's environmental activists, who split bitterly over whether to give local governments more leeway in applying the regulations.  

Three-fourths of the waiver requests Klein learned about came in Baltimore County, which was in the forefront of local governments pushing the state to ease the new requirements, especially for redevelopment projects.  Another 70 came in Calvert County, and 23 in St. Mary's County, with a smattering in Dorchester, Frederick, Howard and Kent counties.  Only two-thirds of counties responded, but officials who did told Klein they expect to approve more than 90 percent of the waiver requests.

Given the prior estimate, the final waiver tally is likely to be much higher when all is said and done.  Many counties have no deadlines on applying for waivers, Klein says, though the state regulations specify that projects must have obtained preliminary local approval by May 4 to be "grandfathered" or exempted from the tightened storm-water control mandates.  Klein reports county officials told him they'd approved more than 900 storm-water control plans for development projects in the last 12 months -- after the state rules had been finalized, but before they'd been applied at the local level.

Klein, founder and president of Community and Environmental Defense Services, conducted the survey in advance of a June 15 workshop in Annapolis for "clean-water advocates" on how to monitor and enforce the new storm-water control requirements.  His partner in discussing "environmental site design" will be Bruce Gilmore, a former longtime state official who's worked with environmental groups on storm-water issues.   The session is to be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Annapolis library, 1410 West Street.  There's a $50 registration fee, required in advance, since space is limited.  To sign up or for more info, go here.

(Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A B'More Green reader recently inquired by the city's hazardous waste drop-off day, which usually comes in the spring. A city spokesman confirms it's been canceled because of budget constraints.

But he provided a link with some tips about what to do with at least some of that stuff.

There are some good tips, like taking your used or broken CFL bulbs to Ikea or Home Deport for recycling.

Some are not as useful: For water or latex-based paint, the website suggests: use it completely.(It also suggests giving it to someone who can use it or air drying unwanted paint in the can and mixing it with kitty litter and disposing of dried paint in the garbage.)

Others on the list include batteries, motor oil and cooking oil.

Any one have tips for disposing of hazardous waste in an eco-friendly manner? Know of places to take some of the stuff?

Baltimore Sun file photo of hazardous waste/Doug Kapustin

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

When a developer sought approval not long ago to build an assisted living facility near the mouth of the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County, residents showed up to oppose it, as one might expect.  They had a lawyer, of course, which also was not that unusual - except that this legal eagle was representing them for free.   After a lengthy proceeding, a hearing examiner found that the project would violate the state's Critical Area law, prompting the developer to scale back his plans for building on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.

Russell B. Stevenson Jr., the lawyer in that case, counts that as the first significant victory for the fledgling Chesapeake Legal Alliance  that he helped form.   Established a little over a year ago, the nonprofit network of lawyers and firms offers pro bono legal help to citizen and environmental groups seeking to enforce the laws designed to safeguard the bay. 

"A lot of the decisions that get made by state and local governments on issues that affect the bay are made where the commercial interests are well-represented by sophisticated, highly paid counsel, and where citizen groups and environmental organizations can't afford lawyers," said Stevenson.  "The civil servants who are supposed to enforce the law get pushed all in one direction - there's no one pushing back.  We're there to push back."

The group was to hold a fund-raiser near Annapolis last weekend, which Stevenson described as "a coming-out" celebration of sorts.

It's a new career direction for Stevenson, 68, who lives on a tributary of the Magothy himself.   He retired two years ago as general counsel for Ciena Corp. and teaches law at Georgetown University in Washington.

"I wanted to do something with my time and give back a little bit," he said.  "I grew up in Baltimore and have been sailing on the Chesapeake since I was a kid.  I love the bay, and have a house on the bay, and have been frustrated by what was going on on the bay - or not going on with the bay."

The alliance's website lists a board of 16 lawyers, many with corporate practices and some with experience working in government.  Stevenson said they serve as a network to broker free legal help, and so far have enlisted about a dozen firms and individual lawyers to take on cases.

The alliance is helping the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper in its complaint that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment have failed to enforce a 13-year-old consent agreement requiring cleanup of pollution from steel-making at Sparrows Point.  It's representing individuals and groups in challenging developments they believe would be harmful to the bay.

Stevenson said the alliance also is helping the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic on a lawsuit it brought on behalf of the Waterkeeper Alliance and one of its member groups alleging that a Worcester County chicken farm and Perdue Farms are polluting a tributary of the bay.  

The alliance is stepping up even as the political heat grows on law school clinics, which have been a traditional provider of free legal help for individuals and groups seeking to challenge environmental permits or enforce laws. 

The UM law school nearly had a chunk of its funding withheld this year by lawmakers in Annapolis angered over the involvement of the school's environmental law clinic in suing Hudson Farms and Perdue.  Lawyers for the farm and Perdue have denied the allegations, and critics have called the suit a threat to family farms and an economic pillar of the Eastern Shore.   Lawmakers ultimately dropped their plan to withold funds until the school reported on the clinics' clients and sources of other funding.  But one key lawmaker said the "message" had been delivered that the clinic should think about the cases it brings. 

Law school clinics in Louisiana also are in the political cross-hairs, after chemical and oil industry lobbyists prompted a lawmaker to introduce a bill that would deny state funding to any university whose clinic sues a government agency, seeks damages against an individual or raises constitutional clalims. 

Stevenson makes clear that the alliance is no substitute for the free legal  help offered by law school clinics.  Its members are either retired or semi-retired, like he is, or have full-time practices.  But since they work for free, this is one group that's immune to political budget cuts. 

"We are finding that if you show up with a good lawyer, you can make a difference in outcomes," he said. "That's one of the things we're about."

(Baltimore Sun file photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Got a good looking garden or landscape that is also easy on the planet? The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council wants to see it.

The group, which promotes conservation-based gardening in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, is sponsoring a contest that opens for applications June 1 and closes in September. Winners announced in November (not sure of the prizes yet.)

"This is a chance to showcase gardens and landscapes that please the environment as well as the eye. Novice gardeners, students, schools, businesses and professionals are all welcome to enter," according to the group.

Click here for more information.

And in the meantime, if you want to create such a conservation-oriented garden or landscape, the group has some tips:

The group says by implementing these practices, you can "contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and improve the region’s water and air quality." Incorporate as many as you can, the group says.

A conservation landscape (in the group's words from its website):

1. Is designed to benefit the environment and function efficiently and aesthetically for human use and well-being;

2. Uses locally native plants that are appropriate for site conditions;

3. Institutes a management plan for the removal of existing invasive plants and the prevention of future nonnative plant invasions;

4. Provides habitat for wildlife;

5. Promotes healthy air quality and minimizes air pollution;

6. Conserves and cleans water;

7. Promotes healthy soils;

8. Is managed to conserve energy, reduce waste, and eliminate or minimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 

Photo from Amy Haden, a 2008 contest winner, courtesy of the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council

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

What began as a small community garden a few years ago, Hamilton Crop Circle has now blossomed into an elaborate endeavor to build a sustainable economic engine right here in Baltimore. Led by a network of urban farmers – most of whom are self-taught volunteers – the Crop Circle’s overall mission is to unite the community through gardening. The group leads regular potluck dinners in Hamilton and has also facilitated numerous community plantings throughout the City.

Recently, the Crop Circle partnered with Hamilton Elementary Middle School to build a community garden. Volunteers tore up the school’s parking lot and worked with students, teachers, and staff to plant flowers and vegetables in its place. Rooftop cisterns are being installed on top of the school’s gymnasium to capture rainwater and irrigate the gardens. The produce is also making its way into the school’s cafeteria and science classrooms, where students are learning through experience about where food comes from and how to grow it.

Some local restaurants that have been purchasing their produce from the Crop Circle are now going a step further. Hamilton resident Arthur Morgan, who was shoveling dirt on the roof of the Hamilton Tavern when I called him the other day, explained that the Crop Circle is currently developing a system of rooftop gardening in the industrial and mercantile sectors throughout Baltimore. Chameleon Café and Clementine are next on the list. Over at Mill Valley Garden Center, which is covered with 5,000 square feet of farmable rooftop, Cheryl Wade describes the difficulty in finding space for local farming in an urban environment. She says, “In this city, we should look up, not down, when we’re looking for acreage.”

In addition to helping residents, schools, and businesses, the Crop Circle has also teamed up with local shelters. “When I think of Hamilton Crop Circle, I think of many people being able to come together over a common cause,” says Aaron Kennedy of Our Daily Bread, which partners with the Crop Circle to solicit surplus produce from vendors at the I-83 Farmer’s Market. These donations are delivered regularly and have made for a successful and healthy addition to the shelter’s daily menu.

“It doesn’t get anymore local than grown in Baltimore City and sold in Baltimore City”, says Wade. And while the Crop Circle has been doing relatively well with finding funding or bartering when expenses are prohibitive, additional funding is essential to the sustainability of their various projects. Morgan is producing worm kits for residents and businesses to partake in composting. He also plans to construct a series of greenhouses for year-round produce.

Of course, as we are all well aware, these projects may not happen without continued financial support. Currently, Hamilton Crop Circle is running a campaign to raise $15,000 from individuals for basic operating expenses. With 66 days to go, they’ve already met 15% of their goal. If you’d like the opportunity to contribute, visit their campaign at Kickstarter. “When we’re working together, we can get a lot done”, says Morgan.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The next Critical Mass ride is on for Friday, with riders meeting before 7 p.m. at the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon and heading out on the hour.

There's a map of the route here: https://sites.google.com/site/baltimorecriticalmass/may-2010-ride

The route is about six miles and you don't need a bike. You can bring your skateboard and roller blades. And whistles, noise makers and costumes (that won't make you crash) are encouraged -- as are helmets, water bottles and bike lights and cheery attitudes.

If you've never heard of Critical Mass, these are rides where non-car people take to the streets to exert their right to be there -- and to have fun. No one is supposed to break traffic rules or cause road hazards, though a little disruption for attention's sake is the point.

I've seen more experienced riders do their best to keep an eye on less experienced riders, if you're concerned. They will stop in intersections to make sure everyone gets through okay.

These rides have developed all over the world. See a list here. In Baltimore, riders used to meet the last Friday of every month, but I don't think it's that regular now.

If you know more, let us know. If you go, tell us how it went.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Gene Sweeney Jr. 

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

Environmental workers are in demand, and Civic Works, Baltimore's urban service corps, aims to meet some of the need. The group just got two grants worth $1 million to put toward green collar job training.  

The Foundation for an Open Society gave $532,319 and the Maryland Department of Human Resources kicked in $524,023 to the program that will create "sustainable employment in high demand 'green collar' jobs for Baltimore’s underserved populations," according to the corps.

The money will go the B'More Green program (they had the name before we did here at the blog, so thanks again for letter us share.) That program trains unemployed and underemployed Baltimoreans in brownfields remediation, hazard abatement and environmental demolition.

The money will also help Civic Works move job training operations to a dedicated building called the Baltimore Center for Green Careers in Moravia Business Park, 6260 Frankford Ave. It will be home to a warehouse, classrooms, hand-on training space and offices, the group says.

“Getting Baltimoreans back to work in living wage high demand jobs is a win-win for everyone,” said John Mello, green projects director for Civic Works, in a statement. “Our programs have been transforming lives, but this grant will enable us to greatly expand our operation and provide much needed skills development in high demand jobs to Baltimore’s unemployed and underemployed populations.”

Civic Works will target unemployed and underemployed residents who have some kind of barrier to a better job. The group expects to aid 44 people over two-years. Twenty four will get training in the energy retrofit installer program and 20 will learn to be environmental frield technicians and abatement workers.

They will also get job placement services with employers in contracting, weatherization or home building with a focus on energy efficiency retrofits. Others will be placed with demolition, hazard abatement or brownfield remediation companies,

They agree to pay $12-$16 an hour and have room for advancement. The employers will get six months of wage subsidies.

Public tours of the new building are scheduled for June 8 from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. For more information on the Baltimore Center for Green Careers, call 410-929-6124 or go to  www.civicworks.com.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News
        

This one snuck up on me.  Today is Endangered Species Day, when conservation advocates want kids (and adults) to learn about the importance of protecting rare animals, bugs and plants and the habitats where they live.

There are more than 100 events planned across the country today to observe Endangered Species Day.  Unfortunately, it seems none is in Maryland.  Just down the road, though, if you hustle, the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. is offering free tours of its endangered and native plants from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For details, go here.

If you can't make it to a special event, the Endangered Species Coalition has a handy list of 10 easy things you can do at home to protect wild things and their habitat.  Here are just a few:

- Secure garbage in shelters or cans with locking lids, feed pets indoors and lock pet doors at night to avoid attracting wild animals into your home.

- Reduce your use of water in your home and garden so that animals that live in or near water can have a better chance of survival.

- Disinfect bird baths often to avoid disease transmission.  Place decals on windows to deter bird collisions. Millions of birds die every year because of collisions with windows.

How many threatened and endangered species does Maryland have?   You can find out here and here.  

One of my favorites is the hellbender, a puppy-sized salamander seen above that is found lurking under rocks in the cold, rushing water of the Casselman River in Garrett County.   I saw one myself years ago when I joined a couple state biologists, Ed Thompson and Dan Feller (at left), on a search of the river for them.   

There's a new underground coal mine proposed near Grantsville, and conservationists are worried that water pumped from the mine into the river could affect the hellbenders and another rare critter, the stonecat fish.  The state plans to require the mine company to monitor its water discharge for any possible impacts on the river and the animals. For more, go here.

(1998 Baltimore Sun photos by Linda Coan)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

"Cleaner, greener" is back, or did it ever leave?

The city is reopening Swann Park in South Baltimore this Saturday (see story here), and it's extending the hours of operation at some of its drop-off trash and recycling centers beginning May 31.

The Bureau of Solid Waste will extend hours all summer at three locations where citizens can take residential waste, bulk trash, recycling and ecycling. New hours will be Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. These hours will remain in effect through Sept. 4.

Locations include: Western Sanitation Yard at 701 Reedbird Ave., Eastern Sanitation Yard at 6101 Bowleys Lane and Northwest Sanitation Yard at 2840 Sisson St.

As for Swann Park, you may recall it was closed three years ago because high levels of arsenic were found. Officials removed the worst of it and covered the rest with fresh dirt. They also added bleachers, lights, fencing and dugouts.

The Department of Recreation and Parks plan a ceremony Saturday at 10 a.m.

Baltimore Sun file photo of workers laying sod at the new Swann Park/Karl Merton Ferron

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: News, Parks
        

What better way to spend a May weekend than outdoors, exploring one of the largest urban woodland parks on the East Coast?

On Saturday, CampFire USA Baltimore is offering guided hikes in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, followed by music and refreshments.  If you haven't been there before, it's a sylvan, streamside retreat on the city's West Side, with stone dwellings and other remnants of Baltimore's history tucked away amid the trees.

It's for a good cause - or causes, actually.  Proceeds from the Urban Hike benefit CampFire USA Baltimore, which provides after-school programs for city kids that are meant to help kids learn about the environment, work together and manage conflicts.  It'll also help your kids connect with nature - something studies show they're not getting enough of, and are poorer for it.  

Admission is $15 for adults, free for kids under 12. The hiking begins at 9 a.m., at the Winans Meadow trailhead, with celebration lasting until noon at the Cardin Pavilion.  Go here for tickets, directions or other details.  For more info, email info@discovercfusa.org or call 443-524-2591.

(2002 Baltimore Sun photo Gwynns Falls Trail by Jerry Jackson)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Harford County officials are joining the pack. They will begin single-stream recycling in September, my coworker Mary Gail Hale reports in The Sun today.

Like other surrounding jurisdictions, residents there will be able to stuff all their bottles, cans, paper and newspapers in one curbside container.

And like in other places, officials expect the recycling rate to rise and the costs to drop.

Baltimore County's rate went up by a third since single-stream began there in February, Mary Gail reports. Trash generation is down by more than 4 percent, saving some $600,000 annually.

Items that can be recycled: books, aluminum foil, plastic containers and rigid plastic items such as outdoor furniture, coolers, garbage cans, flower pots and toys. But please no plastic bags, which muck up the processing equipment.

If you live in Harford, expect a mailing prior to launch Sept. 12. For more information, call 410-638-3417.

Baltimore Sun file photo of recyling bin in Baltimore City/Jed Kirschbaum

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

A new study finds that the upper layer of the world's oceans has warmed since 1993, which researchers say is a strong signal that the planet's climate is changing.

"We are seeing the global ocean store more heat than it gives off,” John Lyman, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research and lead author of the study, said in a news release.  The study's findings are being published in the journal Nature today (May 20).

The international team of scientists looked at multiple estimates of the heat content of the oceans' upper layer and drew on data from more than 3,200 Argo floating monitors deployed around the globe and from other devices dropped earlier from ships to take the water's temperature.  Though there are some uncertainties about the data - the ship-deployed bathythermographs are not as accurate as the Argo floats - the researchers concluded that on average the heat content of the oceans' upper 2,000 feet has been increasing the past 16 years.

“The ocean is the biggest reservoir for heat in the climate system,” according to Josh Willis, an oceanographer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who contributed to the study. “So as the planet warms, we’re finding that 80 to 90 percent of the increased heat ends up in the ocean.” 

Warming oceans cause sea level to rise, because water expands and takes up more space as its temperature increases.  Estimates are that this thermal  expansion accounts for one-third to one-half of the rise in sea level.

As the oceans warm, so do bays and inland waters.  The mean temperature in the Patuxent River has risen 3 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1930s, according to University of Maryland scientists.  Sea level in the Chesapeake Bay has risen about one foot in the past century.

For more on the finding that oceans are warming, read this piece in Time by Michael Lemonick. 

(NOAA photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Atrazine, one of the world's most widely used herbicides, disrupts fish reproduction and spawning, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.  It joins a growing body of research suggesting the popular farm weed killer impacts fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, laboratory rats and possibly even humans.

USGS scientists, in a study published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology, reported that fathead minnows did not spawn as much or as well when exposed in the laboratory to concentrations of the pesticide below what's found in the wild.  Exposed fish produced fewer eggs, and researchers observed abnormalities in reproductive tissues of exposed males and females.

Atrazine is frequently used to control weeds on corn, sorghum and sugarcane fields, and it is one of the most frequently detected pesticides in agricultural areas when water in streams, ponds and lakes are sampled.  Concentrations are highest in spring, when herbicides are usually applied around planting.  With a lot of corn grown here in Maryland, it's been detected in streams as well as drinking-water systems in the state, though not above levels deemed safe for drinking water.

A study earlier this year by University of California, Berkeley scientists found that atrazine can turn male frogs into females.  Endocrine-active compounds, including some pesticides, PCBs, heavy  metals and pharmaceutical products are suspected to be behind some observations of intersex fish and reproductive effects, the USGS notes.

The European Union has banned the use of atrazine. The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that atrazine does not affect gonads in amphibians, but is reevaluating the research regarding its potential human health effects.

(2006 Baltimore Sun photo farm spraying by Doug Kapustin; USGS photo of fathead minnow)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

As Congress inches closer to acting on climate-change legislation, a trio of new reports by a broad array of scientists and technical experts says the evidence that we're altering our climate is strong enough to warrant prompt action.

The National Research Council, the working arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, issued the reports today (Wednesday) making the case for the United States to act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop a national strategy for adapting to climate-change impacts that will be unavoidable.

While acknowledging that the scientific case is never closed and there's always more to learn, the council's first report says there are multiple lines of evidence supporting the prevailing scientific understanding of climate change.

"Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for -- and in many cases is already affecting -- a broad range of human and natural systems," concludes one report, "Advancing the Science of Climate Change."

A second report recommends strong U.S. action to reduce climate-warming emissions.  It would encourage other countries to follow suit, and would help the U.S. position itself as a leader in developing technologies needed to deal with the issue.  The report's authors endorse some form of carbon pricing as the most effective way to reduce emissions, but say more is needed to improve energy efficiency and to deveop renewable energy.

Because climate already is altering, a third report says, a national strategy is needed to help communities adapt to impacts such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events and heat waves.

The reports come shortly after the long-delayed introduction of a new climate-energy bill in the Senate, following House action last year.   Others in the Senate, meanwhile, are pushing for a vote to block the Environmental Protection Agency from doing anything to regulate greenhouse gases.

Among the scientist-authors of the reports is Antonio J. Busalacchi Jr., professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park.   The research council's climate-change studies are being coordinated by a steering committee that includes another Marylander, Donald F. Boesch, president of UM's Center for Environmental Science.

It's doubtful they'll sway anyone who's already decided climate change is a hoax, but the reports are part of a series requested by Congress. 

They also come shortly after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record in April as well as for perioid from January to April.  For more on that, see colleague Frank Roylance's weather blog.

(NASA photo, 2002)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With Baltimore's cruise business growing, here's a sobering report card for green travelers.

Friends of the Earth, in its second annual assessment of the environmental performance of cruise lines, finds many of those "love boats" still pollute the air and water more than they need to, fouling the very places they're taking vacationers to see.

"For the second year in a row, we've found that cruise lines are doing less than they can to limit the environmental impact of their ships," Marcie Keever, the group's Clean Vessels Campaign director, said in a release accompanying the report.

Only a few cruise lines, for example, have retrofitted their ships to plug into available portside electricity when docked, reducing their air pollution. About a third apparently still dump raw or minimally treated sewage overboard.  And only about a third make it easy for prospective customers to learn online about the cruise lines' environmental practices and performance. 

Cruise Lines International Association, an industry group, says on its website that recent pollution violations by cruise ships have served as a wake-up call to member companies to redouble their efforts to improve their environmental performance.

Not much has changed from last year's report card, though. Disney and Royal Caribbean improved their grades, while Holland America and Princess lost groud. 

Of the three rated cruise lines that serve Baltimore, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean got a D-plus, and Carnival a D-minus.   American Cruise Lines, which sails the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast from Baltimore, wasn't rated.

To see the ratings, go here.

UPDATE:  The Cruise Lines Industry Association, which disputed the Friends' earlier report card, issued a statement saying this one was flawed and arbitrary as well. The industry group says its ships treat all "blackwater" aka sewage before discharging it, and it contends its members "meet and often exceed all applicable international and federal environmental standards."  For more, go here.

(2009 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Join the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance (CSBA) for their next Green Monday at the Irvine Nature Center on June 7.

Considered a leader among Maryland's environmental education centers, Irvine features 116 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows, and an interactive exhibit hall, meeting space, and nature store.

CSBA's guest speaker will be Dale Hendricks, founder of Green Light Plants, LLC. Drawing from his extensive experience in horticulture and business, Hendricks will discuss the benefits and beauty of native plants, and share his experiences working with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and being a founding Board member of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

Enjoy light fare from Bon Appetit Catering - one of the area's most sustainable caterers. Local wine and organic beer will also be served.

The event runs from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Irvine Nature Center is located at 11201 Garrison Forest Road in Owings Mills. For information about costs and membership, visit the CSBA web site.

Image courtesy of Irvine Nature Center

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Loading Dock is offering some free classes to help people learn about such things as greening the home and remodeling.

The next class is May 22 and is about kitchen design. In June, there will be classes on installing and refinishing hardwood floors. All classes run from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Find out about registering here.

If you don't know about the Loading Dock, at 2 N. Kresson St., it's a nonprofit organization that's been around since 1983 and collects surplus building supplies to keep them out of the landfill. Since 1984, the facility has saved low-income housing and community projects over $16.5 million and has rescued over 33,000 tons of building materials from landfills.

They have all sorts of cabinets, lighting fixtures, appliances and other unique finds. Unlike Second Chance, which specializes largely in architectural salvage, the Loading Dock takes all sorts of stuff. Anyone can donate (and get a tax deduction).

While they originally aimed to help support construction and rehab of low-income housing, now anyone can become a member and shop there for cheap stuff, too.

Photo courtesy of the Loading Dock

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

Ever think of riding to work? This is the day to give it a try. Bike to Work Day is this Friday and if last year is any indication, there will be lots of two-wheeling going on.

More than 1,000 people registered in the region last year, up from 800 the year before, according to local sponsors the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. And given the attention to bike lanes, bike racks and legislation, perhaps there will be more this year?

This is the 13th year for the event in the region, and there will be rallies in at several locations from 7 a.m.-9 a.m.: 
Anne Arundel Co/Annapolis - City Dock, Annapolis
Baltimore City - War Memorial Plaza at City Hall (100 N. Holliday St.)
Baltimore County - Courthouse Square (400 Washington Ave., Towson)
Carroll County - Westminster
Harford County - Government Center (220 S. Main St., Bel Air)
Howard County - The Mall in Columbia (by Sears Service Center, 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Other events are planned at area universities and corporations. 

The event caps off the League of American Bicyclists' Nationak Bike Month and promotes a "clean commute."

If you want to register locally, click here. It can earn you a t-shirt and guide.

If you'd like more information, go click here.

And if you're still in the mood for some biking or bike watching, the BikeJam will come to Patterson Park on Sunday. There will be racing with pro riders, plus food, beer, kid activities and a bike and health expo.

There will also be a set of rides for the recreational riders. Click here for more information on those rides.

Baltimore Sun file photo of last year's ride/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Events
        

Some researchers have found a good use for those billions of cigarette butts that line our streets and generally foul our environment.

They can be recycled into an anti-corrosive agent for steel, according to the researchers in the American Chemical Society's March issue of Industrial & Engineering Chemisty Research.

"Cigarette butts, one of the most ubiquitous forms of garbage in the world, have been found to be toxic to saltwater and freshwater fish," the researchers write. "Still, humans are inadvertently carpeting the planet in cigarette butts. That is billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places every single day."

The article says one estimate is that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are cast off into the environment every year. And while some states and cities have moved to ban smoking on beaches, there doesn't seem to be much impact and there havn't been reports about how to reuse them.

The researchers took discarded butts from cigarettes made in Virginia, ran some water through them and mixed what was extracted with hydrochloric acid in different concentrations until the found the best anti-corrosive agent.

With all the smoking bans in effect, including in Maryland, the would need only go outside any bar to find a ready supply of material.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Karl Merton Ferron

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

The "historic" cleanup settlement that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced earlier this week with the Environmental Protection Agency covers a lot of ground.  It commits the federal government to deal with a host of ills fouling the estuary's waters, including urban, suburban and farm runoff and the fallout from vehicle exhaust and power plants.  The deal even obligates the EPA to address chemical contaminants in the 64,000-square-mile bay watershed, something the feds haven't exactly been eager to do over the years.

The 27-page settlement further says that in tackling toxic pollution, the government will "maintain a particular focus" on the Elizabeth River in Hampton Roads and on the Anacostia River in the Washington area. Those were long ago identified as "Regions of Concern" in the Chesapeake, because decades of shipbuilding, manufacturing and other industrial activity have left hazardous metals and other chemicals in the bottom, posing health risks to fish, wildlife and even people.

But for some reason, the settlement didn't mention the third "Region of Concern" long acknowledged in the bay -- the lower Patapsco River, aka Baltimore Harbor. Its bottom sediment also is laced with contaminants from long-gone factories and shipyards.

And the bay foundation itself contends toxic pollution is still getting into the waters surrounding Sparrows Point - it's threatened to sue Severstal, the owner of the steel mill there.  CBF senior scientist dredged up some foul-smelling black muck from waters near the plant (seen at right, in background) to show reporters.

"We haven't changed our areas of concern," J. Charles Fox, EPA's senior advisor on the bay and Anacostia River, said this week when asked. He said the settlement language on toxic pollution was drafted by the bay foundation.

Jon Mueller, the environmental group's vice president for litigation, was at a loss to explain why Baltimore wasn't mentioned. He noted that EPA originally didn't want to agree to do anything about toxic pollution at all, which nearly scuttled the settlement talks.

"It's certainly not off our radar screen, and I would doubt it's off EPA," Mueller said.

Let's hope not. The Anacostia and Elizabeth rivers have both been getting a fair amount of government attention lately, with the development of an ambitious watershed restoration plan for the DC-area river and dredging of toxic "goo" in Hampton Roads. Nothing like that seems to be happening around here - could that be why Baltimore got overlooked this week?

(Baltimore Sun photos: Inner Harbor by Amy Davis and Sparrows Point by Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Looks like the sun may peak out this weekend, which makes it a great time to explore the river on which Charm City was founded.

The Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway are organizing a guided bike ride Saturday and guided paddle Sunday of a stretch of the Patapsco that flows through Baltimore's western suburbs on its way to the harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.

The bike ride starts at 10 a.m. and goes from Ellicott City to the BWI trail near Hanover and back again.  It's about 25 miles roundtrip and should take three to four hours, depending on how hard you pedal or how much you dawdle.  Organizers suggest folks who want to shorten the ride should carpool with another rider and leave one car near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.   Each rider will get a local trail map.    Riders are to gather at 9:30 in Parking Lot A next to the Trolley Stop restaurant on Frederick Road in Oellla, just across the river from Old Ellilcott City.  Cost is free to members, with a $5 donation asked of non-members.   Registration is required, though, which you can do online here. 

On Sunday, the Friends are offering a guided paddle from noon to 3 p.m. , ranging upriver from the Daniels Dam then below it to the Old Frederick Road iron bridge.  Bring your own kayak or canoe, plus water shoes and PFD (life vest).  Water is two to four feet deep, with some mild Level 1 rapids below the dam.  A car will be available to shuttle paddlers back to the put-in at Daniels Dam.  This event also is free to members, $15 per person for others, adults only.   To register, go here.  

For more info on these or other Patapsco events, go here.

(Baltimore Sun file photo by Elizabeth Malby)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

On Saturday, May 15th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., sixteen schools will present student-led projects that were created as part of Baltimore City Public Schools’ Cleaner, Greener Sustainability Challenge – an initiative that empowers students to make their schools environmentally-friendly places to learn and play.

Each of these sixteen schools received $1,000 in funding from the Cleaner, Greener Baltimore Initiative and the Baltimore Community Foundation to implement projects that addressed a range of topics from reducing water waste to greening, constructing a schoolyard mural, and producing a video about recycling.

Patrick McMahon, who is a member of the Baltimore City Sustainability Commission, says of the schools, “It’s amazing what they have been able to accomplish with a limited amount of funding and how each of them have developed plans to expand and continue their efforts over the next several years.”

The schools represented in the Challenge are Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, Barclay Elementary/Middle School, Calverton Elementary/Middle School, Chinquapin Middle School, City Neighbors Charter School, Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle School, Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary School, Federal Hill Preparatory Academy, Fort Washington Elementary School, George Washington Elementary School, Independence School Local 1, James Mosher Elementary School, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, Southside Academy, the Stadium School and Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle School.

Participants will be honored at the World Trade Center’s Top of the World Observation Level. For more information, visit www.baltimoresustainability.org.

Image courtesy of Green for All via Flickr's http://www.flickr.com/photos/green4all/ / CC BY 2.0Creative Commons.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Don't look now, but today is officially Diamondback Terrapin Day in Maryland.  Not the University of Maryland mascot, the real one.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has issued a proclamation making May 13 the day to celebrate the state's iconic reptile and its role as a reminder of our ecological diversity - and its fragility.  He was prompted to do so by 12-year-old Alex Zerphy of Annapolis, according to Marguerite Whilden of the Terrapin Institute.

Zerphy, a home-schooler, wanted to remind people that this is breeding season for terrapins and most other turtles and to look out for them.  In May, they emerge from the water where they spent the winter, mate, nest and bask in the sun on sandy beaches.

Marylanders have been observing Terrapin Day since 2000, but the slow-moving critters haven't exactly flourished from the official attention. Raccoons prey on their nests, cars smush them crossing roads, and crab pots also take their toll when the turtles swim in to feed on the bait and drown when they can't get out.

School children and others have pressed to protect natural shorelines, vital habitat for terrapins, and successfully lobbied Maryland lawmakers in 2007 to prohibit their commercial harvest.  The state also requires all crab pots to be fitted with by-catch or turtle excluder devices, rectangular sleeves put in the traps' to prevent all but the smallest of turtles from getting in.

For more on Maryland's state reptile, go here.

(2003 Baltimore Sun photo by Andre F. Chung)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Chesapeake Bay, News
        

With the nation's attention fixed on the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Sens. John Kerry and Joe Leiberman thought today would be a good time introduced a new climate/energy bill.

They hope that the can capitalize on the public's disgust with pollution to push the measure through before the mid-term elections, according to a story in the Washington Post.

It doesn't have the cap and trade set-up that's in the House bill and has brought so much resistence from Republicans, but it has limits for certain industries. It has incentives for nuclear energy and new technology to trap emmission from coal. And it has money for transportation infrastructure and efficiency improvements.

Kerry says on his website, "The American Power Act will transform our economy, set us on the path toward energy independence and improve the quality of the air we breathe. It will create millions of good jobs that cannot be shipped abroad and it will launch America into a position of leadership in the global clean energy economy."

He also said the bill will reduce carbon pollution by 17 percent in 2020 and by more than 80 percent in 2050.

He provides a section by section summary of the bill.

Reactions from industry aren't totally good. But environmentalists are, not surprisingly, more enthusiastic.

Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, says, for example, “The growing oil catastrophe in the Gulf and the Massey mine disaster have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that we must start now to end our dangerous dependence on dirty energy, move toward safe and clean energy, and steadily cut carbon pollution. The bill released today by Senators Kerry and Lieberman marks an important step toward passage of comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation by the Senate."
 
But she and other environmentalist have some problems with the bill. They don't think it goes far enough to control pollution, for one. And they don't all like nuclear energy, and they certainly don't like any incentives for states to approve more offshore drilling, which this bill offers. Though, it also allows for some veto power.

So, anyone think the bill has a chance this year, with an election coming and other issues still left unattended, including a Supreme Court nominee, an immigration bill?

Baltimore Sun file photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Climate change
        

Gov. Martin O'Malley isn't done handing out the 2010 awards under the Smart, Green and Growing program, but he's already calling on residents to nominate next year's winners.

Citizens can nominate their fellow citizens, local governments and organizations for recognition under the program.

“Smart, Green & Growing is both an initiative and a call to arms,” said O’Malley in a statement.  “It is about people –- governments, businesses, citizens and grass roots organizations -- coming together to create a sustainable future for our state."

He said winners were not just taking action, "but creating innovative models for sustainable agriculture, community development, natural resources restoration, smart growth and more.” 

This is the first year that citizens are allowed to make nominations. The categories include: Innovation, Community Activism and Achievement, Community Revitalization/Development/Redevelopment, Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship Award, Buy Local Agricultural Challenge, Youth Education and Awareness, School Siting/Construction/Renovation, Natural Resource Protection, Economic Development and Job Creation, Smart Moves in Transportation, and Sustainable Infrastructure/ Innovation in Stormwater Management. 

For details on the nomination process and criteria go to www.green.maryland.gov.

This year's winners included: 

--Tony Geraci, head of the Baltimore City public school food and nutrition services, who received the Buy Local Agricultural Challenge Award for bringing national recognition and leadership to the farm to school effort by showing that getting fresh local foods into the cafeteria can be done.

--Bill and Ann Collier, Caroline County farmers, who were selected as the Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship Award recipients in honor of their long-term, stewardship of soil, water, air, and other natural resources.

--The St. Mary’s Soil Conservation District, which was honored as the Outstanding Soil Conservation District of the Year for their superior level of service.

--Jeff and Terri King, Dorchester County farmers, who received the Smart Green and Growing Soil Conservation Districts Outstanding Cooperator of the Year Award for their dedication and participation in soil and water conservation activities on their farm, as well their strong conservation leadership in the agricultural community.

--Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who won the SGG Smart Moves Award for Baltimore City's collaboration with the Maryland Department of Transportation to complete a three-mile section of the Jones Falls Trail that connects the Woodberry Light Rail Station to Penn Station. The trail provides inter-modal connections for bicycles and pedestrians to light rail, metro and regional rail service, as well as connections to major parks and residential areas.

See more award winners here.

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

On the eve of the Obama administration unveiling its strategy for ramping up the lagging Chesapeake Bay restoration, the region's largest environmental advocacy group is apparently dropping its legal tiff with the federal government.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has scheduled a press conference in Annapolis this morning (May 11) to announce a "significant new development" in its 16-month-old lawsuit accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of neglecting its legal responsibility to clean up the bay.

According to the Newport News, Va., Daily Press, the foundation has agreed to drop the lawsuit, in return for pledges of action by federal officials.  The report by Cory Nealon provided no details of the settlement, but quotes the foundation's federal affairs director, Doug Siglin, saying, "We're very convinced of the good intentions of this EPA, of this Administration."

Obama administration officials have scheduled an announcement of their own Wednesday morning in Washington to unveil details of their plan for accelerating the pace of the 26-year-old bay cleanup.  Their announcement comes a year after President Obama issued an executive order declaring the Chesapeake a "national treasure" and directing agency heads to put together a plan for coordinating federal and state restoration efforts.

In filing its January 2009 lawsuit, the foundation had forged common cause with watermen's groups in Maryland and Virginia, with whom it often had been at odds over restricting crabbing or other commercial fishing.  In the waning months of the Bush administration, it formally threatened to sue, and staged  a protest at the annual meeting of bay restoration leaders in November 2008 in Washington's Union Station (pictured at left).

After President Obama took office, the foundation announced it was putting its suit on hold while discussing a potential settlement.  Last fall, frustrated by what he perceived as backtracking by federal officials on the cleanup plan they were drafting, the foundation's president William Baker had threatened to revive the legal action. 

It's not clear what has changed now.  But while the foundation may finally be convinced of the Obama administration's good intentions, at least one of the individuals and groups with which CBF forged an alliance to sue EPA isn't happy with the deal. 

"There's nothing in there that has any teeth," Ken Smith, president of the Virginia State Waterman's Association, was quoted saying.  He complained that the settlement doesn't require the federal government to commit a specific amount of funds to the bay cleanup.  That's something only Congress can do, and a bill introduced by Maryland lawmakers that would authorize new funds for tackling polluted runoff remains in committee.

Others joining the foundation in its lawsuit were the Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfisherman's Association, former Maryland Gov. Harry Hughes, a pair of former state senators, Bernie Fowler from Maryland and Tayloe Murphy from Virginia, and Washington, D.C.'s mayor at the time, Anthony Williams.

(Baltimore Sun 2008 photo by Doug Kapustin)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

A new waterfront park is in the works on South Baltimore's Middle Branch.  The National Aquarium unveiled the artist's rendering above at a ceremonial seeding of the park Monday.  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and other dignitaries donned gardening gloves and tossed handfulls of grass seed onto the bare riverbank. 

They did that instead of the traditional ground-breaking no doubt because the 7-acre site is to be "greened up" instead of built upon.  But sticking shovels in the ground also would have disturbed the layer of clean dirt that contractors have spread after removing 7,500 tons of contaminated soil and debris.The park is part of a 20-acre tract the city once used as a vehicle garage and yard, which left the soil tainted with heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants.  The riverbank was built up with debris from the construction of Interstate 95 and other building projects.

When the park is finished next spring, it will feature trails, a pier and overlooks to take in the waterfront views.   It's another step in the slow revitalization of this long-neglected area of South Baltimore.  Farther west by the Westport light-rail stop, a new mixed-use development is in the early stages of development.  

Assuming all goes as planned, in a few years, many more people will be living and recreating along the Middle Branch.  Maybe the water will get a makeover, too, as it's still fouled with trash, sewage overflows and storm-water runoff washing pet waste, oil and other pollutants from city streets and parking lots.  

(Baltimore Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

With the Obama administration set to unveil on Wednesday its strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, the feds are getting a lot of last-minute "advice" (aka pressure) from environmentalist on what the plan should say.

A coalition of 40 activist groups making up the Choose Clean Water coalition released Monday a letter they'd sent to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson spelling out four things they believe the federal strategy must contain to succeed.  They want EPA to set a high bar for cleanup plans to be submitted by Maryland and other bay states, and "tough consequences" if the states fall short, either with their plans or their follow-through.  The same goes for the two-year "milestones" the states have voluntarily pledged to set.

The groups also want EPA to plug the gaps in existing clean-water regulations, with rules that would apply to farm and storm-water runoff not now covered.  Lastly, the coalition says federal agencies need to get more involved in conserving "treasured landscapes" such as Civil War battlefields, mature forests and farmland. 

Meanwhile, the Center for Progressive Reform, a Washington think tank, had even more recommendations - eight in all, many of them focused on consequences, enforcement and accountability.  If states fall short, it argued, the EPA should be prepared to block the issuance of discharge permits for new or expanded sources of pollution.  And as a last resort, it says, the feds should spell out how and when they'll take over from states their delegated authority to enforce the Clean Water Act.

We'll know soon enough if the feds were listening.  On Wednesday - one year after President Obama issued an executive order directing federal agencies to take the lead in the lagging bay cleanup - EPA's Jackson and other top administration officials are scheduled to outline the strategy at a press conference in Washington.  The setting for their presser is Kingman Island, a park in the Anacostia River - one of the bay's most degraded tributaries, flowing through the nation's capital.  

(Baltimore Sun 1994 photo of Bay Bridge by Doug Kapustin)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals loves its rankings, and I can't resist when Baltimore ends up on the list. This time, peta2, the animal rights group's youth offshoot, says Baltimore City schools has the nation's most vegetarian-friendly cafeteria.

The school system's Meatless Monday seems to have put it over the top of four other school districts in Georgia, Virginia and California in the public school category.

Burgers all around for the winners. Just kidding. The schools will get a framed certificate and a thank-you card signed by peta2 staffers.

Baltimore was the only district to participate in Meatless Mondays, and offers such items as spicy vegetarian chili, meatless lasagne and Tex-Mex style black-bean nachos. The judges also noted the city's partnership with local farmers and food distributors that brings in fresh, locally raised fruits and vegetables to the students.

"Baltimore City Public Schools stands as a role model for school districts across the country when it comes to educating students about how their food choices affect not only their own health but also the world around them," said peta2 director Dan Shannon in a statement. "More and more young people are learning that the best thing that they can do for animals, the planet, and themselves is to go vegan."

Photo courtesy of The Monday Campaign

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

Dozens of area residents and business people filed into the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Friday for the first day of the Solar & Wind Expo to get an idea of how much it would cost to install solar panels or wind turbines and how much it would save them on their utility bill.

The expo is the first kind, bringing together companies that offer all kinds of renewable energy for home or office, the sponsors said. They, the vendors and state officials on hand said they thought there was demand now that federal and state incentives and declining prices are making the switch affordable for many more people.

“The incentives for renewable energy have never been better,” said Malcolm Woolf, director of the Maryland Energy Administration. “We’ve seen exponential growth in the [state] program.”

Woolf said the state is getting 50-100 applications a month for solar, wind and geothermal grants, which are now backlogged as officials sort through which ones are for historic properties that require more paperwork. Much of the money comes from federal stimulus grants that will run out next year, but will partially be made up with money from utilities who will pay a fee for their carbon emissions.

He said the cost to install a major solar system on a typical suburban house was about $30,000, but could end up costing as little as $4,000 after federal, state and county tax credits and grants and selling energy credits to a utility. And the system could pay for itself with energy savings in five years.

That was good news to many who were trying to estimate what their costs would be for solar and wind systems.

“I’m excited to see what we could get,” said Barbara Lightner of York, Pa., who was especially interested in a backyard wind turbine. “We need to get away from Mideast oil.”

The expo will be in town until Sunday at the fairgrounds, with speeches and demonstration planned all weekend. And founder and executive director George Lopez expects it will be back next year, as well as in up to two other East Coast cities.

Wind turbine photo taken by me with my cell phone

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events
        

Join Baltimore Green Works on June 9th for their fifth installment of the Sustainable Speaker Series featuring Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer. Hosted at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Main Branch, at 7 p.m., Carpenter will share her experiences as an urban farmer in Oakland, California.

Carpenter began her venture in urban agriculture ten blocks from downtown Oakland, with a garden of herbs, pumpkins, artichokes and other vegetables. As time passed though, her plot grew to include chickens, bees, and finally, pigs. She writes, “This image of me as Ye Olde Swineherder, while affirming that urban farming in America was a reality, also confirmed something else: I was indeed a bit nuts.” Carpenter's pastoral undertaking, set against the backdrop of gritty city life, led her through a fascinating, humorous, and sometimes horrific journey - one that is certainly worth reading and hearing about.

Baltimore Green Works is a volunteer-driven organization. Its mission is to increase awareness about how local residents can make the Baltimore region cleaner and environmentally safer for all who live and work here. For more details about their Sustainable Speaker Series, visit their website.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It appears the managers of Atlantic coast fisheries may finally be moving to curtail the catch of menhaden after a new report found the lowly but vital fish has declined to historic low numbers after being repeatedly overharvested the past 50-plus years.

As reported today by Sun outdoors writer Candus Thomson, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission unanimously called for a committee of experts to come up with more conservative regulatory benchmarks for ensuring the sustainability of the Atlantic's menhaden population. The federally appointed body of fisheries managers acted after a "stock asssessment" by scientists found the overall abundance of the fish had fallen, the commercial and recreational catches were well over the target level and the reproductive potential was way down.

The move is a relief for recreational anglers, conservation groups and many biologists who have been pressing for years for tighter curbs on the catch of menhaden, contending that the base of the Chesapeake Bay's food chain is being depleted.  The small fish - dubbed "the most important fish in the sea" by writer H. Bruce Franklin - is a major part of the diet of striped bass and other fish in the bay and along the entire Atlantic coast.   In particular, the bay's striped bass or rockfish, though abundant, have been showing signs of malnutrition and illness for years, which many attributed to a shortage of menhaden.

Menhaden are not caught for their inherent food value - they taste nasty, I understand.  Rather, they are sought as bait for other fish and even more for their oil, which is high in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. 

Maryland allows some menhaden to be caught for bait, but the lion's share of those taken in the bay are by a single company in Virginia, Omega Protein in Reedville.  This time every year it launches a fleet of trawlers that round up vast schools of menhaden using spotter planes to guide their efforts.  The catch is then ferried to Reedville, where the fish are processed into oil and other products.  The menhaden harvest is so large in bulk that Reedville ranks second only to Dutch Harbor in Alaska as the nation's top fishing port.

The company issued a press release saying the new scientific assessment confirms earlier findings that menhaden are not being overfished.  A spokesman said the study validates Omega's position that it poses no threat to the long-term sustainability of the fish.

Others, though, saw the study as clearly pushing for lower catch limits in future. "The science is clearly saying the coastal menhaden population needs help," Bill Goldsborough, fisheries scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and a member of the commission, said in a statement. "It is critical that management decisions be based upon science, not politics."

That may be easier said than done.  The commercial catch has been capped for now, but Virginia's elected lawmakers have reserved for themselves the right to regulate menhaden fishing in their part of the bay.  They refused again this year to cede that responsibility to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which oversees all other fisheries and has a staff of scientists to guide it.

The Atlantic States commission has asked for recommendations on a range of new, lower targets and catch limits for menhaden by August.   It may take several months after that for the body to take public comment and make a deciion.  Then, states must follow suit - or risk federal sanctions. 

(AP Photos)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

No, this has nothing to do with Baltimore's professional football team. Loch Raven is one of the city's three drinking-water reservoirs, and it's going to be abuzz with activity this Saturday (May 8).

To cap off National Drinking Water Week, the city is inviting the public to come out and see where their water comes from. You can even walk out on the 82-foot high dam holding back some 23 billion gallons of water from the Gunpowder Falls and a batch of smaller creeks and streams.   

Engineers from Gannett-Fleming, the firm that managed a reconstruction of the dam completed five years ago, will be on hand to explain the mammoth $28.8 million overhaul. And there'll be opportunities to learn about the history of the Gunpowder valley and how the water system serving the city and surrounding counties operates. 

For you history buffs, this is the 100th anniversary of what we know as the region's modern water system - when the city began to disinfect the water and laid plans to build the dam at Loch Raven and a water treatment plant at Montebello.

Not far from the dam, in the Pines area on Loch Raven Drive, there'll be other activities, including exhibits of live local wildlife from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There'll also be demonstrations on fly fishing, and guided hikes through the forest surrounding the lake. 

And, if you're feeling really energetic, the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy could use some more volunteers to help plant trees around the reservoir on Saturday.  The group aims to get nearly 800 in the ground this season, adding to the more than 18,500 it's planted in the valley since the 1990s to help protect the water supply from pollution.  To take part, contact Peggy Perry at pperry@gunpowderfalls.org

Water rates may be going up again - that's another story - but at least some things about the water system are free.  This is one of them.  Plan on bringing a lunch, and wear hiking shoes.  Call 410-396-3500 for more information.

And if you can't get out to Loch Raven just north of the Beltway, take a stroll around scenic Lake Montebello at 3901 Hillen Road in northeast Baltimore.  To commemorate the system's centennial, the city has mounted a series of historical photographs depicting the construction of all these facilities.

To get to the dam, take Cromwell Bridge Road from the Beltway, then left on Loch Raven Drive just past Sanders Corner restaurant.  For the wildlife, fly-fishing and hikes keep driving up Loch Raven Drive past the dam about two miles.  For a map to Loch Raven, go here.  For Montebello, here.

(2005 Baltimore Sun photos by Christopher Assaf and David Hobby)

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

Can an urban garden like the one pictured above help bring blighted neighborhoods together,  impart some measure of hope or peace where little exists?  That's the question a group of community activists and Baltimore's chief arborist will tackle on Friday (May 7) during a daylong "urban revitalization expo." 

Organized by Civic Works, Baltimore's "urban service corps," the expo features some hands-on work completing a pathway through a rain garden, exhibits and presentations on the group's residential energy-upgrade efforts, plus film screenings and art installations.  

Discussing what impact community greening might have on urban violence will be representatives of Civic Works, BUILD, Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition and other community and nonprofit groups, plus Brian Henry, chief city arborist.   WYPR's Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast previewed this discussion on her show this morning, which you can listen to here.

The expo runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes breakfast.  The forum is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  All events - except for the rain garden work -- will be held at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Community Center, 901 N. Milton Ave. on the third floor.  The rain garden to be fixed up is across the street.

(2003 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna, garden at Lafayette & Mosher)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Only a few days left to find that perfect Mother’s Day gift. Why not shop local? Here are a few fun ideas from Baltimore crafters. All items are handmade using recycled, reclaimed, or green materials (click on the link below each photo for more details):

Reclaimed Wood Spice Shelf by Pot Hole Customs, Recycled Woodgrain Journal/Sketchbook by of machines

Rosemary Mint Soap by Lana Bella, Tight Rope Walker Pedant by The Broken Plate

Tiny Trio Planter by Yummy and Company, Vintage Upcycled Flower Pillows by Open Eyes Press

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Thought of putting solar panels on your house? Thought about a turbine for the office?

The Solar and Wind Expo 2010 is coming this Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to the Timonium Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12, or $10 if bought online. Kids under 12 are free and there are $2 discounts for taking the light rail. Moms with kids are free on Sunday, Mother's Day.

Organizers say you can come with a faint idea of what you want and leave with all information on what is appropriate for you home or business, how much it will cost, what incentives are available and what contractor is right for you.

There will be all kinds of speakers and vendors.

Wind and solar energy are becoming more mainstream as people look for ways to cut their utility bills and tread more lightly on the planet.

I reported in a story last year that more than 10,000 people around the country bought wind systems in 2008, in part because of federal and state incentives. The Maryland Energy Administration began accepting grant applications from residents for wind turbines in late 2007 under its Windswept program. The state provides up to $10,000 depending on the size of the turbine.

And earlier this year, I reported that U.S. solar electric capacity grew by 63 percent in 2008, triple the growth in 2005, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates up to 250,000 U.S. homes generate some solar energy. And half of people recently polled said they were thinking about solar power for a home or business.

The MEA also offers grants of up to $10,000 for solar-power systems, on top of a 30 percent federal tax break. From July to January of this year, records show 662 people applied around the state.

So, you thinking about panels or turbines or other energy conservation plans? Going to the expo?

Baltimore Sun file photo of a Glen Burnie resident with solar panels in his backyard/Kenneth K. Lam

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Events
        

With the stroke of a pen, Maryland's youth are about to be recruited to help restore the Chesapeake Bay and learn some job skills - thanks to the perhaps-unwitting generosity of the state's electric utility customers.

Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a batch of natural resources bills into law at the State House on Tuesday, including one to create the Chesapeake Conservation Corps.  Championed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, the corps would be formed to get young adults involved in helping the bay -- doing things like planting trees, helping schools become greener or performing energy conservation projects for local government. In the process, corps members are to learn skills that should help them land "green" jobs.

The state already has two similar outdoorsy youth armies - the Civic Justice Corps and the Maryland Conservation Corps.  As an example of the kind of work they've been doing, in 1995, conservation corps members (pictured above) helped build a bridge across Deep Creek as part of the Lower Susquehanna Greenway Trail. The new bay-oriented corps "builds upon" those older environmental service programs, according to a press release.  The corps would be overseen by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, yet another state entity that funds environmental stewardship projects in communities across Maryland. 

What the release doesn't spell out is where the money would come from to set up the new corps.  The law diverts $250,000 a year from a fund the state has to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with building new power plants in Maryland.  That fund is maintained via a 10- to 20-cents monthly surcharge on every residential electricity customer's bill.

The bay can use all the help it can get, of course, and young people could use a helping hand acquiring job skills and experience in today's rough economy.  But at a time when new nuclear, solar and wind energy projects are being pushed in the state - not to mention offshore - one wonders if Peter is not paying Paul.   Will the Department of Natural Resources power-plant research program  be left with enough funds to give all these new energy ventures the careful vetting they need to avoid unanticipated environmental problems they might cause in years to come? 

(1995 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Did the Obama administration just kick the can down the road on whether to crack down on slipshod coal-ash disposal? Or did it feint toward light treatment of the troublesome power plant byproducts while laying the foundation for a tough regulation later?

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled Tuesday its long-delayed decision on what to do about coal combustion byproducts in the wake of the calamitous blowout of a Tennessee Valley Authority ash impoundment in December 2008.  

The resulting flash-flood of coal sludge wasn't the first horror story.  Just the year before in Maryland, officials found homeowners wells in Anne Arundel County had been tainted with toxic pollutants from ash being dumped by Constellation Energy at a nearby gravel pit - a lapse that cost the Baltimore company $55 million in a civil settlement and government fines.  But the dramatic Kingston, Tenn. impoundment failure ratcheted up the public pressure on the federal government to rethink its Clinton-era decision not to regulate ash as a hazardous waste because of the toxic contaminants it harbors, like mercury and selenium.

After the images of the TVA disaster faded from the news, though, industry pushed back against treating the ash as hazardous.  It argued that such a label would choke off a growing recycling effort to market the ash as a cheap, safe ingredient in wallboard, concrete and other environmentally beneficial uses.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Tuesday that she didn't buy that argument.  Indeed, some have countered that stringent rules should boost reuse of ash by making it more costly to bury it.  But on Tuesday, EPA proposed a dual approach, either requiring it be treated similar to hazardous waste or letting it be disposed of like other less toxic industrial waste.  In a nod to industry, even under the more rigorous approach, ash wouldn't be offically categorized as hazardous, but as a "special waste."

To some, that looked like a copout.   "EPA postpones decision that would toughen coal ash rules," reads the headline on a story by Renee Schoof in the Kansas City Star.  "EPA Caves on Coal Ash Regulation,'' reads another, on an analysis by environmental blogger Bill Wolfe.  Industry lobbyist Frank Maisano also seemed to think the agency's either-or proposal was simply a face-saving setup for going easy on ash regulation.

Environmental activists, though, weren't ready to concede the Obama administration had lost its nerve.  As they pored over the 500-plus page proposal, they took heart from the EPA's statements in it about health risks from exposure to toxic ingredients in ash and the growing list of problem disposal sites around the country. Some also noted that the agency had included findings from a new testing method that found more toxic contaminants leaching from ash than previously accepted sampling had shown.

"The EPA has paved two roads, but all signs point to a hazardous-waste management scheme," said Lisa Evans, senior legislative counsel for Earthjustice.  And just to be sure, she  said, activists intend to present the agency with still more information on other leaking coal-ash impoundments and landfills that pose risks to people, fish and wildlife.

Eric Schaeffer, director of the Environmental Integrity Project, speculated that "there was a political calculation" in EPA's decision to pair its tough approach to ash disposal with a "soft option."   But he said he remained convinced the Obama administration would see it their way in the end. "This is too big a problem to put a cork in with some kind of wimpy rule," he concluded.

Still to be settled, though, is whether all the "beneficial uses" to which coal ash is being put are a good idea. 

Unnamed EPA officials at the agency's telephone press conference said the agency wants to encourage environmentally safe recycling of ash, but intends to take a hard look at its use as fill material in construction projects.  Large-scale spreading of ash across the ground to fill in in low places on construction sites would be no better than the current slipshod practices of dumping it in pits without liners to keep toxic contaminants from seeping out, they said.  Yet even there, they said they wanted to leave room for using ash in some highway construction projects. 

The Maryland Department of the Environment has been wrestling with similar issues.  After adopting stringent rules for disposing of ash two years ago - ones similar to what EPA is now proposing  - the state is now putting the finishing touches on rules defining what uses of ash would be considered "beneficial" and what not.  

Where to draw the line is critical, and potentially costly.  The state's coal-fired power plants and other factories produce about two million tons of ash a year, and that amount is expected to grow.  Coal-fired power plants have been required to install air pollution scrubbers, which leave behind an additional load of "sludge" containing the contaminants pulled out of the stack emissions.

And in a related vein, there is also the practice in Maryland and other Appalachian states of using coal ash as fill dirt in reclaiming strip mines.  Though environmentalists contend that the practice is further fouling mountain streams often already tainted with mine waste, EPA has left the decision on whether to crack down on that with the federal Office of Surface Mining.

(AP photo of 2008 TVA coal sludge flood; Baltimore Sun photo of coal ash being dumped to reclaim strip mine near Frostburg, MD, by Doug Kapustin.)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It almost goes without saying these days that climate change can be a divisive issue.  Even among people who think it's a problem, they can't necessarily agree on the solutions, or on working together to reach them. 

Climate Lab, a Washington nonprofit group, has launched a new online network aimed at using the Internet to bridge this "collaboration gap," as one of the group's leaders calls it.  Climate Lab Networks aims to provide the lab's "partners" with "customized streaming access" to information generated on the lab's year-old wiki.  It's a new-tech way of saying there's going to be a whole lot of sharing going on.

"There's broad agreement on the need to find and implement solutions," Adam Tapley, the lab's managing director, said in an interview.  "Also, that sharing is good on information related to climate change."  Yet for a variety of reasons, Tapley says, even like-minded environmental groups have not been able to get past their own individual missions to collaborate more closely.  The network hopes to do that with a "bottoms-up" approach, putting information out for all to use as they see fit.

It's a new venture by the lab, which a year ago launched a website and wiki aimed largely at what Tapley calls the climate "professionals."  So far it has attracted about 350 registered users, who collaboratively author and collectively edit articles on climate change.  Now, with the network's debut, the lab hopes to broaden the community to engage schools, academics, students, activists and others.

"It's not who you are, it's what you do," Tapley says. "If you have good information and follow the guidelines on the website so that ... everyone's contributions fit together in a productive and valuable way, then you're certainly welcome to be part of the community."

Though the network will be oriented toward finding and sharing information on responses or solutions to climate change, Tapley says the network will be open to anyone, regardless of their views.  But it will be an online water cooler for sharing information, not invective, he stresses. 

"We want things to be fact-based and verifiable," he says.   He's hoping the network can be seen as a reliable place to vet ideas and information -- not unlike the scientific peer-review process, but with quicker turnaround and more transparency.

"What's happening is people are not sharing information, and the process is slower than some people feel is necessary, given that a lot of research going on is on very pressing problems and issues," the lab's managing director says.  The group believes "that we need to speed this up and work togethr to push forward solutions."

It's an interesting concept.  The idea of openness and transparency about information comes at a time when the scientific community is still struggling to cope with the furor caused by the unauthorized disclosure last fall of emails among climate researchers at a British university. Among the issues raised by the email exchanges, some of them unflattering, was the openness - or lack of it - among scientists besieged by climate contrarians bent on picking apart the researchers' data and debunking their findings.

It remains to be seen if this modest new network outside of the scientific realm can make a dent in the ideological divide that polls show has formed among the public about climate change - about whether it's a real problem, whether it's pressing, and what if anything to do about it.

(2009 Bloomberg photo, bridge over Tigris River in Baghdad, by Michael Luongo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Environmental activists and those concerned about animal welfare are touting a return to pasture-based livestock farming as a more environmentally and financially sustainable alternative to the current large-scale "industrial" agribusinesses raising most of our meat these days.

On Tuesday (May 4), a former Eastern Shore chicken farmer, a rancher and two writers will be hashing out the growth and prospects of this new-old movement.  "Green Pastures, Bright Future: Taking the Meat We Eat Out of the Factory and Putting it Back on the Farm" is the longish title for the panel discussion 6 p.m. at the Pew Conference Center, 901 E. Street NW in Washington. 

The former Shore chicken farmer on the panel is Carole Morrison, who was featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary, "Food Inc."  Also on the panel is Dr. Patricia Whisnant, rancher, veterinarian and president of the American Grassfed Association.  The writers are David Kirby, author of Animal Factory, and Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Righteous Porkchop.

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited, so RSVPs in advance are required. To reserve a place or for more info, go to www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org

(2006 AP photo of dairy cattle grazing on organic farm in Minnesota)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

As if the prospect of oil smothering Louisiana's marshes and Gulf coast beaches isn't bad enough, some people are worrying publicly that the Deepwater Horizon blowout could be felt beyond the Gulf of Mexico, with tar balls and contaminants smearing the Atlantic coast as well.

Climate activist Mike Tidwell, a Louisiana native, even suggested on the Diane Rehm public-radio talk show this morning that the Gulf oil leak could stretch all the way into the Chesapeake Bay.

The bay's probably safe for now, barring some really extraordinary events, says Bill Boicourt, an oceanographer with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.  There's no real need to worry much about Ocean City's beaches, either.

But Boicourt says it''s possible - unlikely but possible - that the Gulf oil leak could be swept into the Atlantic, where some might wash ashore in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

"Could it reach the Gulf Stream?" Boicourt asks. "That's a possibility."

If the prevailing winds change direction and begin blowing to the south, Boicourt says, it wouldn't take long for oil leaking from the site of the sunken Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to reach the Loop Current. That's a persistent clockwise flow of Gulf water that could carry oil to the southern tip of Florida, where it would connect with the powerful Gulf Stream that sweeps northward up the Atlantic coast.

While that could be bad news for beaches in the South, the Chesapeake and mid-Atlantic beaches are likely to be spared, Boicourt says, because the Gulf Stream veers away from the coast around Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

How much oil would make such a long trip to the Atlantic, and whether it would be concentrated enough to pose any hazards to fish or wildlife there, is a question. But because they're closer to the source, Florida Bay and Tampa Bay may be more vulnerable, Boicourt says.

Meanwhile, to add to the what-ifs, the environmental group Greenpeace has superimposed the Gulf oil slick on a satellite photo of the mid-Atlantic to show what's in range if a similar blowout were to occur in the ocean off the Virginia coast.  That's an area that until the Gulf disaster the Obama administration was close to opening up for oil and gas exploratory drilling.

Kert Davies, Greenpeace's research director, says the Gulf oil slick shown in its Mid-Atlantic nightmare image above is the same size and configuration as the projected one mapped in the Gulf by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It's just been turned 90 degrees to point westward toward the Atlantic coast, he says.

"We’re not trying to be Chicken Little here," Davies says. "This is just a what-if scenario. This is what it could look like if it came to your neighborhood."

Oceanographer Boicourt says ocean currents tend to drift south along that portion of the Atlantic coast, but Greenpeace's what-if is not far-fetched.

While Ocean City might be spared if a spill occurred to our south, Boicourt says a stiff breeze can easily overpower currents and push a surface oil slick in other directions - north and west.

In which case, Boicourt says, "all bets are off."

(Image courtesy of Greenpeace)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Amid the uproar over the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government's Superfund hazardous-waste cleanup program marked its 30th birthday last week virtually unnoticed.

Moved by toxic dump nightmares uncovered in the 1970s like Love Canal in New York and Times Beach in Missouri, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act - better known as Superfund - in 1980.  Since then, the government has identified and investigated tens of thousands of hazardous-waste sites, conducted emergency removal of poisonous chemicals at many and put nearly 3,000 abandoned dumps on its "National Priorities List" for long-term containment or cleanup.

As of the end of March, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that remedial work had been completed at nearly 1,100 priority sites, with partial completion at about 50 more.  More than 300 sites were deleted from the prioirity cleanup list for various reasons.  Yet nearly 1,300 sites remain in some stage of cleanup or containment, and the EPA is still adding new dumps to the list - 61 are proposeda this point.  For a complete rundown, go here.

Maryland has 18 sites on the National Priorities List, with one more proposed.  They're scattered all around the state with half on military bases or civiiian federal  installations.  Four Maryland sites have been "deleted" from the Superfund list, meaning they've either been cleaned up or the government determines no further action is needed to prevent contanimation from getting off site.  For the state list, go here.

One of the four "deleted" cleanup sites in Maryland, though, isn't exactly cleaned up, though.  Toxic vapors are still seeping into four homes in the Westport neighborhood in southern Baltimore, not farm from the long-ago demolished Chemical Metals Industries.  More than 1,500 rusting, leaking drums were removed from that metal reclamation business in 1981, in the nation's first emergency removal action under the Superfund law.

Jay Apperson, spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment, said state officials have installed vapor collection systems in the basements of two homes and plan to put one in a third in the next few months.  The occupant of a fourth home declined offers of help.  Meanwhile, Apperson said, the state has overseen more than 200 injections of a chemical into the ground near the old plant in an attempt to break up the lingering subsurface plume of toxic solvents believe to be generating the vapors.

Superfund has been effective at quickly removing abandoned stockpiles of chemical drums and tanks, as in the case of Chemical Metals Industries, Apperson said in an email.   Cleaning up contaminated soil and ground water has proven more difficult, the MDE spokesman acknowledged, but said even there there have been successes.

One he pointed to is an old industrial dump at Kane and Lombard streets in East Baltimore, where after removing some of the contamination authorities "capped" the lingering underground hazards and now allow the site to be used as a driving range.

(1996 Baltimore Sun photos: top, Maryland Sand & Gravel cleanup in Elkton, by Perry Thorsvik; left Kane & Lombard East Baltimore site fence, with monitoring well pipes, by Jed Kirschbaum.)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Several U.S. senators lead by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin sent a letter to President Obama over the weekend urging him to reverse his decsion to allow drilling for oil and gas off the East Coast. They cited the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The letter was also signed by fellow Maryland Democrat Sen. Barbara Mikulski and other Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Bill Nelson of Florida. 

“The tragic accident last week involving the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico makes it abundantly clear that the costs and benefits of offshore drilling need to be reassessed,” the letter said. “Deepwater Horizon, which cost $600 million, is considered the most technologically advanced offshore oil rig in the world. … That is why we are so concerned about the possibility of a catastrophic accident off our shores.” 

Obama has already backpeddled a bit on more oil drilling. He said this weekend, “I continue to believe that domestic oil production is an important part of our overall strategy for energy security, but I've always said it must be done responsibly, for the safety of our workers and our environment.” 

But the senators want an iron clad agreement that the Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic and Straits of Florida Planning Areas will be removed from consideration for oil and gas exploration and development.

See the full text of the letter.  

What do you think about drilling off the East Coast, including not too far off of Ocean City? We need the oil or is it not worth the potential damage?

Los Angeles Times/MCT photo of the the coast of Louisiana where workers have placed booms to try and control the spilled oil

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: News