"Strongest" climate change plan
Governor Martin O'Malley said Maryland has a "moral obligation" to avert climate change, The Baltimore Sun reported in its coverage of the release of Maryland's plan to address the potential impacts of climate change.
"The new plan, required by state law, was delivered to hundreds of environmental advocates, scientists and business leaders at a climate change summit in Linthicum," the newspaper reported. The summit attracted television cameras (WBAL-TV, WJZ-TV and Prince George's CTV) and drew coverage from media specializing in environmental issues.
"Maryland Governor Unveils Strongest US Plan to Fight Climate Change," read the headline from CleanTechnica, which touts itself as the most-visited cleantech website in the country.
The Associated Press described how the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act Plan calls for Maryland to increase recycling and get more energy from renewable sources.
Information on the the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act Plan and the climate change summit, including the Governor's speech and copies of presentations, is available at climatechange.maryland.gov.
A recipe for sustainability
“Talk about leading by example,” began a Baltimore Sun report on the launching of MDE’s program to collect employees’ food scraps for composting.
MDE marked Earth Day by beginning to collect food scraps at the agency’s headquarters at Montgomery Park in Baltimore for composting. MDE expects the program, in its first year, to divert more than six tons of waste that would have otherwise gone to landfills.
Composting is an effective, inexpensive and natural way to handle organic waste. When organics are composted, they become natural soil additives for use on lawns and gardens. The product also helps improve soil in a way that can help control erosion and reduce polluted stormwater runoff. It is inherently local, providing jobs and other local economic benefits.
Also, by recycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, composting reduces the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
The Sun noted that MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers called composting “the next frontier in recycling” and quoted from his statement: “If we want to change citizens’ actions, we need to lead by example.”
The newspaper also covered the opening of Howard County’s new composting facility, describing the “cooking” process for turning household food scraps into fertilizer. Columbia Patch covered the ribbon-cutting, where MDE Deputy Secretary David Costello helped celebrate the facility’s opening.
Focus on stormwater
WYPR-FM’s “The Environment in Focus” reported on the response to a State law requiring local governments in Maryland’s 10 largest jurisdictions to establish fees to pay for stormwater control measures. In the report, MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers pointed out that controlling polluted stormwater runoff is a federal Clean Water Act requirement, and that MDE will work with the local jurisdictions to help them implement stormwater control programs. The program also reported that more than 3,000 jobs for engineers and construction workers have been created in the past two years through pollution control projects funded by Montgomery County’s stormwater fee – describing this as “real income from clean water.”
Meanwhile, newspaper editorial writers urged officials to move forward on the issue for the good of the Chesapeake Bay and local streams and rivers. The Baltimore Sun pointed out the benefits not only to the Bay but to protecting the health of drinking water and preventing local flooding, stating: “Nobody likes paying more in taxes, but at least this is a straight-up user fee — financing a dedicated fund that goes directly to cleaning up a problem. People who don't think twice about water once it flows into a storm sewer are the ones living in a fantasy land.”
When the Anne Arundel County Council bill establishing a fee was vetoed, The Capital urged lawmakers to override the veto – and the council did just that.
In Baltimore County, the local Chamber of Commerce praised the County Council for “thoughtfully evaluating” its fee proposal. The Chamber noted: “A clean Chesapeake Bay is essential for all Marylanders and especially so for businesses in Baltimore County who depend on it for their livelihood."
MDE’s website includes answers to frequently asked questions about the stormwater fee.
Water works
Capital News Service-TV helped spread the word: groundwater is crucial to our lives.
MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers marked Maryland Groundwater Awareness Week by joining other officials to discuss drinking water wells and septic systems maintenance at Sandy Point State Park. Maryland Groundwater Awareness Week encourages citizens to learn more about groundwater, how it can be potentially contaminated and what Marylanders can do to protect it.
“Water, water everywhere. In the bay and in your sink. Most of us probably don’t think twice about the water we drink,” CNS-TV reported, adding that about a third of Marylanders get their water from the ground.
MDE provides tips for Marylanders to maintain their wells and septic systems.
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