Sustainability : Buzz

Baltimore's Constellation Energy Group Inc. has nabbed a spot on a list of 100 socially responsible US companies. 

Corporate Responsibility Magazine placed in the No. 51 on its ranking. The magazine says it chose companies that take steps to address the environment, human rights, philanthropy and diversity. Read more about its methodology. 

Starbucks Corp., 3M Co., Walt Disney Co. and Darden Restaurants Inc. also made the cut. 

Chicago's Exelon Corp. recently acquired Constellation in a $7.9 billion deal. 

Maryland crab is known throughout the world. And the state's fisheries want to keep their competitive edge by touting its sustainable practices.

They are applying for Marine Stewardship Council certification, writes the Associated Press in an article that ran in Bloomberg Businessweek. 

It is following on the footsteps of Louisiana, which sought certification for its crab harvest. 

"Crabs are the Chesapeake Bay's biggest moneymaker, bringing in $52 million in Maryland in 2009, and many chefs believe they are among the world's best," the AP writes. "The lower salinity of the upper Chesapeake Bay makes the meat sweeter and more tender, and the crabs hibernate over the winter, storing fat that makes them taste richer than nonhibernating crabs from farther south, said Chad Wells, executive chef at Alewife in Baltimore."

You can read the rest of the story here. 

A recent study says that Baltimore has the potential to become an offshore wind power hub, given its port and a steel mill at Sparrows Point, writes the Huffington Post. 

"However, study author Nick Abstoss says attracting companies would require private investment in port facilities and other infrastructure," Huffington Post writes. "The studies released Wednesday come as legislators are considering bills supported by the governor and the MEA to require offshore wind power production in Maryland."

Though plans to promote offshore wind energy died in last year's legislative session, this year Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will renew his efforts. That's according to North American Windpower. 

The state unveiled the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012. 

The bill would create 1,800 construction jobs and 360 maintenance jobs, North American Windpower writes. You can read the rest of the story here. 

This article highlights research from Johns Hopkins University. "A new study of the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality offers a glimmer of hope that a major pollution-reduction effort is improving the health of the nation’s largest estuary." Read the entire article here.

This article from Bloomberg Businessweek highlighted events in Baltimore's "Occupy" movement, and the community encampment near the Inner Harbor. The article quotes the mayor's office and Occupy Baltimore participants. Read the entire post here.

City Biz List reports that the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has ranked Maryland one of the nation's most improved states for energy efficiency as well as 10th on a national energy scoreboard for 2011. "We have set some of the most aggressive goals in America for decreasing energy consumption in Maryland and our efforts to save energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels are beginning to bear fruit," Governor Martin O'Malley said. "Making the investments in safe, clean, reliable and affordable energy can create thousands of jobs in Maryland and reducing our energy consumption saves money and improves our environment." The ACEEE report also noted that Maryland was one of only a handful of states receiving top scores for greenhouse gas tailpipe emission standards and the integration of transportation and land use planning, also known as transit-oriented development. Read the entire post here.

In a program believed to be the first of its kind, Morgan State University has teamed with the Calvert County Watermen's Association to help watermen make the transition to aquaculture.

From the source:

A historically black college and Maryland’s designated “Public Urban University,” 140-year-old Morgan State’s campus is in Baltimore, where about 6,000 students are enrolled. The university offers graduate and postgraduate degrees and has programs in architecture, engineering and education, and other liberal arts programs.

And since 2004, Morgan State has run a marine research facility that is working with the Calvert County Watermen’s Association to provide equipment and training to help the watermen make the transition to oyster aquaculturists while preserving the culture and heritage of the profession.

“I believe we’re the first historically black college with this kind of facility,” said Kelton Clark, director of the Morgan State University Estuarine Research Center.

Read the whole story here.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors descended on Baltimore this past weekend and they made some national news while they were here, including a call for reduced spending on foreign wars.

From the source:

"When asked to respond to those who argue military efforts overseas have made American cities safer from foreign terrorists, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pointed to the cost of the wars.

"How did we get to a deficit and a debt larger than at any time not only in U.S. history but in human history? We got involved in two wars that, no matter what you think about those wars, we haven't paid for," Villaraigosa said.

"That we would build bridges in Baghdad and Kandahar and not Baltimore and Kansas City, absolutely boggles the mind."

Read the full story here.

With a $50,000 grant from Constellation Energy, two local Catholic schools are planning to explore the possibilities of wind power.

Here's an excerpt:

"Students at Ellicott City's Our Lady of Perpetual Help School will soon be putting a lot more energy into their studies � literally.

The 215-student school in Howard County, in partnership with the Albright Foundation, University of Maryland Baltimore County and Federal Hill Preparatory School in Baltimore City, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Constellation Energy to study the school's use of wind as an energy resource.

OLPH and Federal Hill Prep students will participate in an applied science project to evaluate whether a wind turbine can produce enough energy to meet the power needs of the two schools. "

Read the entire article.

Washing your car. Everybody does, but few think about its impact on the environment. A local entrepreneur is on the cutting edge of the carwash industry with his green carwash in Canton.

Watch the video:

Companies developing alternative green energy sources are known for their innovation and out-of-the-box mentality.  New Energy Technologies, a Baltimore-based company, is taking it to the extreme with two new technologies that seem like something from a Sci-Fi film.

Here's an excerpt:

"In the not too distant future, companies may spray the world's tiniest solar cells on office and residential building windows to generate electricity. New Energy Technologies, (OTCBB: NENE), a Baltimore-based firm that is developing the SolarWindow technology, is also working on a MotionPower system that grabs kinetic energy from cars, trucks and buses as they decelerate to enter maintenance facilities, parking areas or drive-in windows.

The company has developed successful prototypes of its technologies. It tested MotionPower, for instance, at a Burger King, a Holiday Inn Express, and a Four Seasons Hotel and is looking for additional test sites with high bus or truck traffic in and out of a facility.

Its SolarWindow technology not only works with sunlight, but also with artificial light, says John Conklin, who recently took the helm as CEO of the company."

Read the entire article here.

It was an expensive lesson, but following his graduation from Yale University Roy Skeen, a history major, realized he didn't have a lot of skills that would land him a professional position. Farming in Baltimore, however, can be learned on the job. He's not alone. A growing number of young people are returning to the farm.

Here's an excerpt:

"Skeen moved back to his hometown, Baltimore and is now working the land on an urban farm. He finds the work hard, but satisfying, in an almost spiritual way.

"To me, the magic of seeing a cucumber on the vine, it was like a circle, and my psyche was connected. Here's something that was in front of me every day of my life and I never knew where it came from."

Skeen is not the only young person yearning for a simple, more spiritual life. The National Future Farmers of America � an organization kids join in junior high and high school � has seen its membership soar. It now boasts 520,000 members � the most in its long history."

Read the entire article here.

Just in case you couldn't make it to the TEDxOilSpill conference held in Washington, D.C., here's what the event's two founders, Dave Troy and Nate Mook, had to say about it.

Here's an excerpt:

"There's sort of this void right now with information coming out of the Gulf," says Nate Mook. "Something catastrophic has happened. Most people don't understand the underlying issues that led to this happening. They're really not aware of the all of the complexities behind their getting into their car and driving � it's brought to the forefront a lot of things that have been on the sidelines for a long time � with our oceans, with how important the marine eco-system is, with where we are getting our energy, what are we putting at risk, and � new technologies being developed."

Read the entire post here.

Baltimore's public schools aren't the only schools teaching the city's young people about healthier eating. Charter schools like Baltimore Stadium School are also helping to spread the word.

Here's an excerpt:

"Although Michelle Obama and her Let's Move Campaign call for major top-down food policy reform, Dixon takes a different approach. While reforming food policy is of course a long-term goal, Food Is Elementary has a more immediate priority: educating kids about healthy eating by working within existing constraints and regulations. Major policy changes face a tremendous number of barriers: the federal reimbursement rate for the school lunch program, for example, has not increased since 1973. In contrast, Food Is Elementary's bottom-up strategy could lay the necessary groundwork for changes to take place and serve as a model for other nutrition programs with similar goals."

Read the entire article here.