Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of February 6, 2012

News from Across the USM Campuses

So, why are the plant zones changing? (By Donald F. Boesch, The Washington Post - Opinions, 2/3/12) [Dr. Boesch is President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He has provided expanded commentary from his Washington Post response on the UMCES web site.].

UM 'synthesis' center seeks to balance nature, people: Center is funded by $27.5 million federal grant (By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, 1/30/12)

Univ. unveils new $27.5M center for the environment: Officials say research will propel the state (By Jim Bach, The Diamondback Online, 1/30/12)

Offshore Wind, Science Education Standards, Standards For Honey Purity, and Falling Home Prices (NPR/WYPR Headlines, 2/3/12)

Boosting Maryland's Gas Tax is a Must (By Rob Perks, Natural Resources Defense Council's Switchboard Blog, 2/1/12)

Investigating climate change in the classroom (By Carrie Samis, DelMarVaNow.com, 1/31/12)

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

Climate-change solutions depend on open dialogue (By Thomas Hayden, The San Francisco Chronicle - SF Gate Blog, 2/5/12)

Scientists: Arctic Melting Leading to Europe's Freeze: Is Climate Change Bringing the Arctic to Europe? (By Common Dreams staff, CommomDreams.org, 2/5/12)

Penn State defies Facebook campaign calling for it to drop climate lecture

University cites its First Amendment commitment in supporting its climate scientist Michael Mann's right to give lecture (By Leo Hickman, The [UK] Guardian - Environment Blog, 2/3/12)

Harnessing nature's solar cells: Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells. (By David L. Chandler, MIT News Office, 2/3/12)

Obama Won't Touch Climate With a 10-Foot Pole: So far, Obama and his campaign have been running from climate change. But soon enough, they'll have to embrace it. (By Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones - Environment, 2/2/12)

Two Nobelists Offer Views of Human-Driven Global Warming (By Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times - Dot Earth Blog, 2/2/12)

Wall Street Journal rapped over climate change stance: Leading scientists, including climate change experts, complain about opinion piece akin to 'dentists practising cardiology' (By Suzanne Goldenberg, The [UK] Guardian - Environment Blog, 2/1/12)

Wall Street Journal Slammed for Giving Platform to Climate Change Deniers (By Common Dreams staff, CommonDreams.org, 2/1/12)

'Gasland' Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order of House Republicans (UPDATES) (The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 2/1/12)

'Global warming' morphs badly into 'clean energy' (By Maxwell T. Boykoff, The Washington Post as reported by the Arizona Daily Star, 2/1/12)

Wall Street Journal Slammed for Giving Platform to Climate Change Deniers (By Common Dreams staff, CommonDreams.org, 2/1/12)

Can saving the Amazon save the planet? A global carbon market aims to curb emissions and slow climate change by protecting rainforests (By Simeon Tegel, Global Post as reported by Salon.com, 2/1/12)

Off the Grid in the City (By Karrie Jacobs, The New York Times - Great Homes and Destinations, 2/1/12)

NASA Confirms Man's role in Global Warming: A new NASA study confirms the fact that greenhouse gases generated by human activity - not changes in solar activity - are the primary force driving global warming. (By ClickGreen Staff, Environmental News Network, 1/31/12)

Spicewood, Texas Water Shortage Leaves Residents Reliant Upon Tanker Trucks (Huffington Post - Green Blog, 1/31/12)

Global Sustainability Panel Says a "Future Worth Choosing" must be based on true costs to people and the environment (The United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, 1/30/12) [PDF]

WSJ Publishes Op-Ed From 16 Climate Deniers, Refused Letter From 255 Top Scientists (By Brad Johnson, Think Progress - Green Blog, 1/30/12)