Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of January 4, 2011

News from Across the USM Campuses

Jan. 11^th - Presentation of the findings and recommendations in the National Oil Spill Commission's final report on the causes of BP's Gulf rig blowout and prevention of future disasters. National Press Club at 11am. The National Press Club is located at 529 14^th St., NW, Washington DC. Credentialed press only. Public viewing available via live stream at www.OilSpillCommission.gov. [Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is a member of President Obama's National Oil Spill commission]

2011 Seminar Series Listing - Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Seminars are held on Fridays at 2 PM in the Technology Research Center, Room 206, and are free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Visitor parking passes for the TRC lot may be purchased for $4.00 in the CUERE office in TRC 102/105 shortly before seminar.

2010-2011 Green Events Listing - University of Maryland, College Park

For Shore economy, a time of highs, lows (By Deborah Gates, DelMarVaNow.com, 1/1/11) [Article cites University of Maryland Eastern Shore's solar energy collection system]

Jan 7^th - Maryland Forward Forum on Sustainability - Opening remarks for the forum will be at 9am, stakeholder breakout sessions will be at 10am, and the presentation and discussion with Governor O'Malley will be held at 1pm. This forum will be held at Chesapeake College, Rufus M. and Loraine Hall Todd Performing Arts Center at Routes 50 and 213 in Wye Mills, MD.  

Feb. 22^nd - 14^th Annual Bike Maryland Bicycle Symposium - The symposium will take place Tuesday, February 22, 2011 from 9:00am to 4:00pm in Annapolis. Hosted by Bike Maryland, the Symposium will bring together advocates, industry leaders, on and off-road recreational cyclists and commuters, elected officials and staff from the Tri-State Region. Location: 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401?East Miller Office Building in the President's Conference Center.  

Neighbors dispute Arundel Wegmans store over fly ash concerns: Developer says it is following all rules, points to union opposition (By Nicole Fuller, The Baltimore Sun, 12/30/10)

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Drilling Is Stalled Even After Ban Is Lifted (By Ben Casselman and Daniel Gilbert, The Wall Street Journal, 1/3/11)

Dramatic spike in gas prices forecasted (Reported by The Washington Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX on TradingMarkets.com, 1/3/11)

Australia Floods Turn Deadly: 'A Disaster Of Biblical Proportions' (The Huffington Post, 1/2/11 updated 1/3/11)

MPs rule out deep-water drilling ban: Deep water drilling could take place at hundreds of sites off the British coast after MPs ruled out a moratorium, despite concerns the practice could lead to a disaster worse than BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (By Louise Gray, The [UK] Telegraph, 1/2/11)

House Republicans pledge to fight Obama administration plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions (The Associated Press as reported by The Baltimore Sun, 1/2/11)

India's hidden climate change catastrophe: Over the past decade, as crops have failed year after year, 200,000 farmers have killed themselves (By Alex Renton, The [UK] Independent, 1/2/11)

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Next Act: Return To LA, Go Green (By Michael R. Blood, The Huffington Post, 1/1/11)

New Yorkers debate over increasing number of bike lanes (Reported by Bob Moon, NPR - Marketplace, 12/30/10)

Italy to begin ban on plastic bags in shops: A ban on plastic bags is coming into effect in Italy, which has one of the highest rates of consumption of the bags in Europe. (BBC News- Europe, 12/30/10)

India Gripped By Freezing Weather (PHOTOS) (The Huffington Post, 12/29/10)

The Peak Oil Crisis: 2011 - A Pivotal Year? (By Tom Whipple, The Falls Church News-Press, 12/29/10)

Brazil to replace oil rigs with 'underwater cities': Traditional oil rigs will be replaced with "underwater cities" within a decade under ambitious plans being drawn up by Petrobras, Brazil's state-owned energy group. (By Robin Yapp, The [UK] Telegraph, 12/29/10)

More Wind Farms Off Massachusetts Coast Eyed By Federal Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management (By Steve LeBlanc, The Huffington Post, 12/28/10)