Week of October 31, 2011

News from Across the USM Campuses

Nov. 10^th - Environmental Excellence in Health Care: Measuring Success. Join regional and national health care professionals, environmental industry experts, and educators for this learning and networking event designed to showcase the measurement practices of hospitals as they journey toward more sustainable environments for hospital staff, patients, and communities. Keynote speaker: Christina Vernon, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, senior director, sustainability and environmental strategy, Office for a Healthy Environment, Cleveland Clinic. 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., School of Nursing. For fees and registration information, please visit the web site. This event will be held from 7:30 am to 4:15 pm, at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, located at 655 W. Lombard St., Baltimore, 21201.

Climate change is real, and action is needed (Editorial by Don Boesch, The Baltimore Sun, 10/30/11) [Dr. Donald F. Boesch is president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

UMBC Researchers Develop Sensor for Satellite Climate Change Measurements (UMBC News Blog Stories, 10/27/11)

State of Maryland News

Constellation, Exelon chiefs testify before PSC: Leaders grilled on first day of merger review before state energy regulators (By Hanah Cho, The Baltimore Sun, 10/31/11)

Clean Energy Confab in Baltimore (By Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun - B'More Green Blog, 10/27/11)

Md. commission proposes 15-cent increase in gas tax (By Aaron C. Davis, The Washington Post - Post Local, 10/25/11)

USM Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Initiative

• Practices
• Programs
• Policies

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

Oil Declines in New York, Paring Biggest Monthly Increase Since May 2009 (By Ann Koh, Bloomberg News, 10/31/11)

With Generators Gone, Wall Street Protesters Try Bicycle Power (By Colin Moynihan, NY/Region, 10/30/11)

Richard Muller, Global Warming Skeptic, Now Agrees Climate Change Is Real (By Seth Borenstein, The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 10/30/11)

President Interrupted: Turned off by Obama, young enviros look to EPA for salvation. (By Olga Belogolova, The National Journal - Environment, 10/28/11, updated 10/29/11)

What Do Republicans Have Against Biking and Walking? In these antagonistic political times, bikers and walkers are now targets of controversy for some members of Congress. (By Jay Walljasper, Alternet.org- Environment, 10/28/11)

Romney Remarks on Global Warming Trigger New Claims of Flip-Flopping (By Jonathan Wiseman, The Wall Street Journal - Washington Wire Blog, 10/28/11)

Koch-funded global warming proof goes unnoticed: Work bankrolled by the right-wing magnates finds support for global warming -- too bad the media doesn't care (By Peter Finocchiaro, Salon.com, 10/27/11)

Interior outlines plans to speed solar development on public lands (By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post - National, 10/27/11)

Jane Lubchenco Exclusive: ‘We Don't Fully Understand The Consequences' Of Drilling The Arctic (By Brad Johnson, Think Progress - Green Blog, 10/25/11)

Durban May Be Last Chance to Stabilize Climate Under Two Degrees (By Stephen Leahy, Inter Press Service as reported by CommonDreams.org, 10/24/11)