Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of October 17, 2011

News from Across the USM Campuses

Oct. 19^th - Towson University celebrates Campus Sustainability Day - Scheduled events designed to raise awareness for university-wide environmental initiatives Learn about the range of events, programs and giveaways happening October 19 in celebration of campus sustainability (Towson University Newsroom) 

Oct. 21^st - "The Gross Nature of Urban Runoff" presented by Bill Stack? Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City MD. This seminar, sponsored by the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education, will be held on Friday at 2:00pm in the Technology Research Center, Room 206, on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus, and is 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 on the UMBC campus shortly before seminar.

Nov. 1^st - Deadline for the University of Maryland, College Park - Sustainability Fund Applications - The University Sustainability Fund is supported by the Student Sustainability Fee and provides funding for projects that promote environmental sustainability and positively impact the student experience at the University of Maryland. The Fund supports projects that increase the share of renewable energy produced on campus, increase the energy efficiency of our facilities, reduce the amount of waste created and material resources used on campus, encourage sustainable behaviors, and integrate sustainability into teaching, research, and service at UM. The Fund is supported by student fees and administered through a student-majority subcommittee of the University Sustainability Council.

New Master Plan packed with sustainability goals: Plan highlights energy reduction, water consumption initiatives (By Claire Saravia, The Diamondback Online, 10/16/11)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

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• Presentations
• Climate Change Definitions
• Facilities Master Planning
• Statewide Sustainability Efforts
• ACUPCC National Benchmarking
• Useful Links and References

Governor O'Malley Releases Final Report On Market-Based Approaches To Recovering Ecosystem Services: State efforts to offset environmental impacts could create green jobs, spur green economy (MD Department of Natural Resources Press Release, 10/14/11)

State wants to buy energy from animal waste: Proposals requested by end of November (By Steve Kilar, The Baltimore Sun - Maryland News, 10/13/11)

O'Malley's green grade slips a little (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 10/12/11)

Chesapeake Bay Under Agri-Chemical Attack (By William C. Baker, The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 10/12/11)

National and International News

Growth patterns must shift or poor will be worse off - UN (By Thin Lei Win, Alternet/Reuters, 10/17/11)

Rick Perry Slashed Environmental Protection Funds As Texas Governor (By Chris Tomlinson, The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 10/17/11)

Nature Studies by Michael McCarthy: Are we just going to talk our way to oblivion? At Durban in eight weeks' time, the world's gaping split over climate change will be clear (The [UK] Independent, 10/14/11)

Politicians Should Address Climate Change Concerns, Study Says (The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 10/14/11)

Rick Perry officials spark revolt after doctoring environment report: Scientists ask for names to be removed after mentions of climate change and sea-level rise taken out by Texas officials (By Suzanne Goldenberg, The [UK] Independent - Environment, 10/14/11)

France launches vast solar panel array (AFP as reported by Yahoo News, 10/13/11)

Heating Oil Prices Expected to Soar (By Jackson Stone, HeatingOil.com, 10/13/11)

Starbucks concerned world coffee supply is threatened by climate change: Starbucks sustainability chief Jim Hanna says the coffee giant has been pushing the Obama administration to little result (By Suzanne Goldenberg, The [UK] Independent - Environment, 10/13/11)

Which cities get hit hardest by rising sea levels? (By Brad Plumer, The Washington Post - Wonk Blog, 10/13/11)

Commentary: Drive a Car in the City? Time to Embrace Bike Infrastructure (By Karen Lynn Allen, SFStreetsBlog.org, 10/12/11)

Why Sustainability Messaging Should Be Directed at Children (By Presidio Marketing as reported by Triplepundit.com, 10/12/11)

Oil And Gas 'Could Last Just 17 Years' If Production Continues At Current Rate (Press Association as reported by The Huffington Post - United Kingdom, 10/11/11

Global Warming Will Make Chocolate a Luxury Item (By Akhila Vijayaraghavan, Triplepundit.com, 10/10/11)

Communicating the Science of Climate Change (Richard C. J. Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol, Physics Today and ClimateCommunication.org, October 2011)