Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of June 14, 2010

News from Across the USM Campuses

June 28^th - 29^th - "Explore New Farm Income Opportunities" - sponsored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Small Farm Outreach Initiative. The goal of the tour is to provide small farmers a chance to learn from successful and innovative farming ventures in the Southeast/Tidewater region of Virginia.  Select tour stops offer diverse and practical examples of what farmers can do to help their bottom line while implementing sustainable practices.  The tour bus is scheduled to leave UMES at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, June 28, and returns on the following day around 6:30 p.m.  The registration fee is $25, and it covers bus transportation, hotel accommodations for one night, educational materials and snacks/refreshments throughout the tour. For more information about the "Exploring New Farm Income Opportunities" bus tour or the Small Farm Outreach Initiative, contact Berran Rogers at 410-651-6206 or 6693.

No Progress on Better Chemicals for Oil Disaster Cleanup (By Brandon Keim, Wired Magazine, 6/10/10) [Article quotes Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Environmental Nurses Hold First U.S. Conference at the UM School of Nursing (University of Maryland, Baltimore Press Release, 6/10/10)

Maryland Scientists To Examine Impact Of Gulf Oil Spill (Reported by Alex DeMetrick, WJZ-TV Channel 13, 6/9/10) [Article quotes Michael Roman of the Horn Point Laboratory]

Maryland scientists to study Gulf spill impact (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 6/9/10) [Article cites the work of Michael Roman, Director of the Horn Point Laboratory, and William Boicourt and James Pierson, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Shore scientists to study Gulf spill effects (DelMarVaNow.com, 6/8/10) [Article cites the work of Michael Roman, William Boicourt and James Pierson, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Horn Point Laboratory Scientists to Study Oil Spill Effects in Gulf of Mexico (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Press Release, 6/8/10)

Horn Point Laboratory Scientists to Study Oil Spill Effects in Gulf (By Kye Parsons, WBOC TV 16 News, 6/8/10) [Article cites the work of Michael Roman, Director of the Horn Point Laboratory, and William Boicourt and James Pierson, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

Plumes of Oil Below Surface Raise New Concerns (By Justin Gillis with contributions from John M. Broder and Henry Fountain, The New York Times, 6/8/10) [Article quotes Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

With 1 million gallons of dispersants in Gulf, worries mount (By Lauren French and Reid Davenport, McClatchy News Service, 6/7/10) [Article quotes Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

State of Maryland News

Perdue manure recycling plant reduces nutrients in bay (By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, 6/12/10)

Mikulski, Cardin touring Gulf today (By Paul West, The Baltimore Sun - Maryland Politics Blog, 6/11/10)

What if the Gulf oil leak were in the Chesapeake? (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 6/10/10)

Proposed industrial energy tax rankles manufacturers: Levy is latest budget battle in City Hall (By Andrea K. Walker, The Baltimore Sun, 6/9/10)

Officials mark launch of free north-south bus route downtown: Purple Line of Charm City Circulator connects Federal Hill, Penn Station (By Liz F. Kay and Katherine Smith, The Baltimore Sun, 6/7/10)

Aquarium gets ready to tend Gulf's turtles (By Candus Thompson, The Baltimore Sun, 6/7/10)

National and International News

BP begins more aggressive response to spill as Obama prepares to make another visit to Gulf (By Brian Skoloff and Ray Henry, The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 6/13/10) [video and article]

Obama Plans First Oval Office Speech to Put Pressure on BP (By Jackie Calmes, The New York Times, 6/13/10)

Obama wants BP to set up escrow account: President to address the nation Tuesday night (By The Associated Press as reported by MSNBC.com, 6/13/10)

Gulf Oil Spill Latest News (Update by The Associated Press, WMDT TV - Channel 47, 6/12/10)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

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

The majority of Americans believe in global warming (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 6/11/10)

Scientist Warns Sand Berms Won't Last (By NPR Staff, 6/11/10)

Rich countries accused of carbon 'cheating' (By Richard Black, BBC News, 6/11/10)

Scientist Proposes Unleashing Mississippi River to Flush Oil From Delta (By Paul Quinlan, The New York Times, 6/11/10)

New Estimates Double Rate of Oil Flowing Into Gulf (By Justin Gillis and Henry Fountain, The New York Times, 6/10/10)

The Conversation: Press Hassled on Gulf Coast? ABC Reporter Matt Gutman Questioned During Video Chat on Alabama Beach (Reported by ABC News Reporter Matt Gutman, ABC News, 6/10/10) [Article and video]

Brits blame Obama as BP-linked pensions plummet (By Jennifer Carlile, msnbc.com staff, MSNBC.com World Blog, 6/10/10)

Plastic's Future May Not Be In The Bag (By Alan Greenblatt, National Public Radio, 6/10/10)

EPA leans on Amish farmers in Pennsylvania (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 6/9/10)

Efforts to Limit the Flow of Spill News (By Jeremy W. Peters, The New York Times, 6/9/10)

The Reality of Life for Louisiana Fishermen Is an Unpalatable Choice (By Abby Aguirre, The New York Times - Op Ed, 6/9/10)

Cousteau: U.S. oil spill response reflects 'soul of this country' (By Andrew Seidman, McClatchy Newspapers, 6/9/10)

AP journalist dives into Gulf of Mexico: Quiet, scary and 'only thing I see is oil (By Rich Matthews, The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 6/9/10) [video and article]

A Call to Triple U.S. Spending on Energy Research (By John M. Broder, The New York Times, 6/9/10)

Ingredients of Controversial Dispersants Used on Gulf Spill Are Secrets No More (By Elana Schor, Greenwire as reported by The New York Times, 6/9/10)

Reports at BP over years find history of problems (By Abrahm Lustgarten and Ryan Knutson, The Washington Post, 6/8/10)

Rethinking our oil-drenched lifestyles (By Joanna Weiss, The Boston Globe - Op-Ed, 6/8/10)

BP buys first place in Google results: Company attempts to spin story in decidedly modern way (By Helen A.S. Popkin, MSNBC.com, 6/8/10)

Subsea oil plumes found 142 miles from rig: Crude moving under surface could threat (Reuters as reported by MSNBC.com, 6/8/10)

Ride your bike, charge your cell phone (By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 6/8/10)

Pennsylvania well brought under control after natural-gas explosion (The Associated Press as reported by The York Daily Record, 6/8/10)

A slippery business: It's the end of easy oil - and maybe BP too (By William Rees-Mogg, The [UK] Daily Mail Online, 6/8/10)

As cap slows leak, officials battle 'hundreds or thousands of patches of oil': As 15,000 barrels are recovered per day, more skimmers are sought to mop up oil on the ocean's surface. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says the challenge now is cleaning up a 'massive collection' of small spills. (By Kim Geiger, The Tribune as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 6/7/10)

Deepwater trouble - Our view: As much as it may cause some temporary economic discomfort, a six-month ban on gulf drilling is a prudent step in wake of the BP disaster (The Baltimore Sun - Op-Ed, 6/7/10)

BP well may be spewing 10,000 barrels a day, scientist says (By Renee Schoof and Erika Bolstad, McClatchy Newspapers, 6/7/10)