Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of April 5, 2010

News from Across the USM Campuses

April 1^st - 30^th - University of Maryland, College Park has many activities scheduled to celebrate "Earth Month" in April 2010. View the full calendar of activities for the month of April.

April 1^st - 30^th - Eco House on the University of Maryland College Park campus is hosting a variety of events in celebration of Earth Month - April 2010. View the full calendar of activities for the month of April.

April 5^th - 9^th - Bike Commute Week at University of Maryland, College Park - This week-long campaign aims to increase motorists' and bicyclists' awareness of their shared responsibility for road safety and promote bicycling on the UMCP campus.  During the week of April 5th, the campus police will be provide information about sharing the road to cyclists and motorists during routine traffic stops, while Bike Ambassadors located at Stamp Student Union west entrance, Glenn L. Martin Hall front bike racks and McKeldin Library bike racks will provide cyclists with related information and minor maintenance. Presented by: Department of Transportation Services (DOTS), Public Safety, and Campus Recreation Services (CRS)?Co-Sponsors: Student Government Association (SGA), Off-Campus Student Involvement, Wellness Initiative.

April 5^th - Beyond the Classroom presents An Evening with Margaret Keck: "Greening Brazil: Environmental Activism in State and Society." Event will be held from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, in the 1102 South Campus Commons, Building 1; on the University of Maryland, College Park campus. For more information, visit Beyond the Classroom, or contact Dr. James V. Riker Beyond the Classroom at 301-314-6622. 

April 7^th - Miller Speaks on 'Human Use of the Chesapeake' - Dr. Henry Miller, director of research for the Maryland State Museum at historic St. Mary's City, addresses these questions as Salisbury University's 2010 Wilcomb Washburn Distinguished Lecturer in American History. He speaks 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri University Center, on the Salisbury University campus. Admission is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6312 or visit the Nabb Research Center Web site. (Salisbury University Press Release, 4/1/10)

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Get Off Oil (By Donald F. Boesch, The Washington Post - Planet Panel, 4/1/10) [Dr. Donald F. Boesch is the President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

EPA plan would allow 'no or very few valley fills' (By Ken Ward, Jr., The Charleston Gazette, 4/1/10) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Henson School Hosts 'Smart Growth Day' April 28^th  (Salisbury University Press Release, 3/30/10)

Heavy rainfall, snow may hurt bay (By Pamela Wood, The Capital, 3/30/10) [Article quotes Bill Dennison of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

JP Morgan's War on Nature: How the Wall Street darling underwrites environmental Armageddon (By Andy Kroll, Mother Jones, 3/30/10) [Article quotes Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Mercury levels in some fish could counter health benefits (WLOX - Channel 13 TV [Louisana, 3/29/10) [Article quotes Andrew Heyes of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

East Campus: Making the grass greener (By Matt Dernoga, The Diamondback Online, 3/29/10)

State of Maryland News

In Maryland, drilling meets resistance: Lawmakers, activists oppose Obama plan to seek oil off coast, warning of harm to bay, beaches (By Timothy B. Wheeler and Paul West, The Baltimore Sun, 4/1/10)

Coalition rallies for more oversight on chemicals: Industry conference prompts calls for consumer protections (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun, 3/31/10)

18K Gallons Of Sewage Spills Into Stream (The Associated Press as reported by WBAL-TV, 3/29/10)

Group calls for more safeguards on chemicals (By Meredith Cohn, B'More Green Blog, 3/29/10)

DNR gives update on water quality: State is making progress, but season's snow and rain could cause problems (By Meredith Cohn, B'More Green Blog, 3/29/10) 

National and International News

World's 4th Largest Lake Nearly Dried Up: Central Asia's Aral Sea Almost Totally Evaporated, Called One of Earth's Most Shocking Disasters by Head of U.N. (The Associated Press as reported by CBS News, 4/4/10)

Emissions limits, greater fuel efficiency for cars, light trucks made official (By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post, 4/2/10)

New mileage rules: Pay more for cars, less at pump (By Ken Thomas, The Associated Press as reported by Yahoo News, 4/2/10)

What's driving up oil prices again? Wall Street, of course (By Kevin G. Hall, McClatchys Newspspers, 4/1/10)

Boehner rebukes Obama offshore drilling plan (By Michael O'Brien, The Hill, 3/31/10)

American Industry's Thirst For Water (RedOrbit.com, 3/31/10)

Obama administration to buy first 100 Chevy Volts (By Justin Hyde, Free Press Washington, 3/31/10)

Wall Street is driving up oil prices: Consumers still pay more even though supplies are up (By John W. Schoen, MSNBC.com, 3/31/10)

Greenpeace - Big Oil funds Climategate echo chamber: Kansas-based giant found to have ‘spent millions' on research that casts doubt on climate change (By Tim Edwards, The First Post [UK], 3/31/10)

Obama to unveil offshore drilling plans for oil, natural gas:  The proposal through 2017 will open new areas of the mid-Atlantic region, Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Mexico for production but prohibit moves off California, Oregon and Washington. (By Jim Tankersley, The Los Angeles Times, 3/31/10)

Inquiry - Climate data not manipulated: British lawmakers say science sound, but want transparency (By MSNBC.com News Services - The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report, 3/31/10)

Climategate scientists didn't manipulate data: lawmakers (By Peter Griffiths, Reuters as reported by The [Canadian] National Post, 3/30/10) 

James Lovelock: 'humans too stupid to stop climate change', says maverick scientist: Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change from affecting how we live on the Earth, according to James Lovelock, the maverick environmentalist.

(By Andrew Hough, The [UK] Telegraph, 3/30/10)

D.C. bag tax collects $150,000 in January for river cleanup (By Tim Craig, The Washington Post, 3/30/10)

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time (By John M. Broder, The New York Times, 3/30/10)

Artificial leaves could provide cheap energy: Artificial leaves that mimic nature could in future provide a cheap way of generating hydrogen from sunlight and water, it was claimed. (The [UK] Telegraph, 3/29/10) 

EPA affirms delay in regulating power plant emissions (By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post - Planet Panel- Post Carbon, 3/29/10)