Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Week of January 13, 2014

News from Across the USM Campuses

Feb. 15^th - EnviroFest "6 Degrees of Sustainability" - This event will be held from 9:00am - 4:30pm at the West Village Commons Ballroom, on the campus of Towson University. EnviroFest is an exciting environmental conference designed to raise awareness among students, faculty and staff about environmental topics, issues, and solutions including the importance of sustainability. This year's conference theme is "6 Degrees of Sustainability" - 1^st Degree - In the Home;  2^nd Degree - In Business; 3^rd Degree - In the Community; 4^th Degree - In Health Care; 5^th Degree - In Politics and

6^th Degree - In College/Education. The Keynote Speaker is Sam Davdison, presenting "Cool People Who Care." For the list of presenters, workshops, and more information please visit www.towson.edu/envirofest.

Mar. 3^rd - Summer Internship Program 2014 - The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) is accepting applications for the 2014 SESYNC Undergraduate Summer Internship Program. Interns in this program will spend the majority of their time working with mentors at their offices or labs on research projects related to socio-environmental issues. Additionally, interns will participate in weekly Internship Program events, including field trips and seminars: these events will include trips to SESYNC's facilities in Annapolis, where interns will be introduced to the socio-environmental synthesis research approach, and will have the opportunity to meet researchers at the Center. Location of the internship is College Park, MD.

February report could lead to seismic study, Atlantic drilling (By Jennifer Dlouhy, The Houston Chronicle, 1/11/14) [Article quotes Dr. Donald F. Boesch, President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science]

State of Maryland News

Feb. 11^th - 17^th Annual Bike Symposium - Bike Maryland presents the 17th Annual Bicycle Symposium: your chance to learn from leaders in the bicycling field, bicycling advocates, planners, community leaders and legislative officials on current topics with the goal of increasing bicycle safety, connectivity and accessibility at this free premier event that includes breakfast and lunch. This event will be held from 8:00am - 2:30pm at the Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Senate Building, President's Conference Center, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Feb. 12^th, Dr. Matt Oliver, University of Delaware-Lewes, "The Match and Mis-Match of Environmental Selection: Does Mesoscale Variability Provide Refuge and Management Options in a Changing Climate?" This lecture is a part of the Spring Chesapeake Bay Laboratory Distinguished Scholar Seminar Series - 2014. Seminar will be held at 3:30 p.m., BFL 1101 at CBL.

March 2^nd - 5^th - Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference - The sharing economy: no place is this more evident than on our campuses.  Students are rethinking vehicle ownership, swapping clothes, trading books, and participating in MOOCs.  In other words, finding ways to make their limited funds go further.  Campuses must also find opportunities to conserve limited resources, make college more affordable, and make our communities more resilient to economic and environmental change.  A sharing economy is leading to more sustainable consumption, operations, services, and lifestyles in our communities and on our campuses.  Come share with us. This conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, in downtown Baltimore, MD.

- Climate Progress Blog, 1/6/14)

Feb. 10^th - 11^th - Good Jobs, Green Jobs 2014 Conference - This event features dynamic speakers-including Congressman Keith Ellison, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and NRDC President Frances Beinecke-interactive and informative workshops, and opportunities to connect with leaders from across America who are building a stronger economy and healthier environment for all of us. The conference will take place in Washington, DC, at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Registration.

Disney radio will stop shilling for frackers (By John Upton, Grist.org, 1/13/14)

L.A. ditches traffic jams: A Hollywood renaissance for walking and biking: The notoriously car-centric metropolis is reinventing its smoggy identity (By Henry Grabar, Salon.com, 1/11/14)

Dear Climate Change Deniers, Meet Australia's Wildfire-Raging, Bat-Killing, Kangaroo-Fainting, iPad-Melting Heat Wave (By Abby Zimet, CommonDreams.org, 1/10/14)

Gas pump warning labels would caution drivers to fill up at the planet's risk: A new campaign aims to drive home the connection between gas use and climate change (By Lindsay Abrams, Salon.com, 1/10/14)

Newt Gingrich spouts nonsense about dinosaurs and climate change (By Ben Adler, Grist.org, 1/9/14)

New York Governor Announces $1 Billion For Solar Energy (By Kiley Kroh, ThinkProgress.org, 1/9/14)

9,135 out of 9,136 scientists believe climate change is happening: The scientific literature leaves nothing for climate deniers to turn to (By Lindsay Abrams, Salon.com, 1/9/14)

Green Capitalism: The God That Failed (By Richard Smith, Truthout.org, 1/9/14)

Antarctic penguins forced up 100-foot ice walls, study shows: Warmer temperatures are forcing emperor penguins to make gravity-defying journeys out of their traditional breeding grounds (Press Association as reported by The [UK] Guardian - Environment Blog, 1/9/14)

Check Out This Shocking Map of California's Drought (By James West, Mother Jones - Blue Marble Blog, 1/8/14)

Why 100,000 Dead Bats Fell From The Sky In Australia (The Huffington Post - Green Blog, 1/8/14) [VIDEO]

Report: House Of Representatives Voted 109 Times To Undermine Environmental Efforts In 2013 (By Katie Valentine, ThinkProgress.org - Climate Progress Blog, 1/7/13)

Senator James Inhofe Rejects The ‘Global Warming Thing' Because It's Cold Outside (By Rebecca Leber, ThinkProgress.org