From today’s b, the paper

•••• Business Volunteers Unlimited Maryland’s Volunteer Central seeks volunteers to select and sort toys and clothing for needy children, as part of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Elf Night is 6-9 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday at the Salavation Army Warehouse, 3800 Buena Vista Ave., Hampden. Registration required. Contact Candace Baker at candace@volunteercentral.net or 410.366.6030.
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From today’s b, the paper

•••• Organizations such as Episcopal Community Services of Maryland, the Caroline Center, the International Book Bank and the Cylburn Arboretum Association will introduce their programs to potential volunteers during “Volunteer Cafe,” 6-7:30 pm. Thursday at Teavolve Café Lounge, 1401 Aliceanna St., Harbor East. Registration required. Contact Candace Baker, cbaker@bvumaryland.org or 410.366.6030. www.volunteercentral.net.
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A sampling of how Maryland schools are turning green

harford community
college
Joppa Hall became LEED Silver certified in April 2008. Its renovations have reduced energy consumption by 30 percent. Three green roofs were installed to reduce rainwater run-off.

goucher college
Students entering as of Fall 2007 are required to explore the ecological and policy dimensions of environmental sustainability as part of the school’s new liberal education curriculum.
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We’re known for our blue crabs. And, don’t forget about our famous crab cakes.

But, that all could change as Maryland’s crabbing industry slowly spirals toward death.

This morning, The Associated Press is running an article in which they paint a pretty bleak picture about the future of the industry. Here’s a taste:
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I finally followed through on a summertime goal of mine over the weekend and went crabbing down at Point Lookout State Park, on the southern tip of St. Mary’s County. Not that I have any crab to show for it.

I caught a grand total of four crabs, none large enough to keep. Not even close, actually. (I might have even caught the same runt twice at one point.) I’m a fan of the “Deadliest Catch” show on the Discovery Channel, and the experience reminded me of a line I recently heard after the professionals pulled up a string of empty pots: “That’s why they call it fishing and not catching.” Amen. I did catch a farmer’s tan.
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So I took off from work Sunday to go to Pearl Jam’s show at the Verizon Center in Washington (and I have to say it was one of the better performances I’ve seen from the band out of five concerts now — just check out the set list) and going in, I wondered how many songs it would take Eddie Vedder to address the audience about something political.

For the record, he made it through a whopping 13 songs before prefacing “Green Disease” with some comments about President Bush’s proposal to lift federal bans on offshore oil drilling in the face of soaring gasoline prices. Eddie came close earlier in the show, urging the crowd before “Do the Evolution” to “pay attention” amid “some good things” and “some bad things” going on with the country, but the offshore drilling remarks were the overt anti-Bush administration comments that I fully expected to hear ahead of the show. I mean, this is a guy who wrote “Bushleaguer” in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks — you think he’s going to take the stage down the street from the White House and stick to singing? That’s never been the socially conscious band’s style.

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A report released today by the National Wildlife Federation details the effects of sea-level rise on the Chesapeake Bay.

If global warming does indeed lead to rising sea levels as predicted, a sea-level increase of two feet would cause 415 square miles of dry land and marsh in our area to be replaced by open water. About 60 percent of the region’s beaches would also disappear. As a result, many habitats would also change or disappear, causing some species to thrive and others to suffer.

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Will people stop littering to avoid a tax hike? A local survey says yes.

Baltimore-area residents are bothered by the amount of trash in the harbor, but few who were surveyed realized that it was not tourists who were tossing empty bottles into the water. Most of the garbage washes into the harbor via storm drains from area neighborhoods. The city has already spent $1 million on four trash filters, which just last year caught around 134,000 pounds of debris. However, residents seem reluctant to fund additional filters.

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Carroll County commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to zoning ordinances yesterday — one that will allow homeowners to install small wind turbines in their yards.

Residents began calling the county last year with questions about installing the turbines. Because the issue wasn’t addressed in the current ordinance, the commissioners began working toward the creation of a policy.

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The Jones Falls Trail expanded a bit further on Saturday, when another 2.75 miles of the hiking/biking pathway opened to the public.

The new portion of the trail circles through the woods of Druid Hill Park, completing the section that extends from Penn Station to the Woodberry Light Rail station. When the rest of the sections are finished — at a date to be determined — the Jones Falls Trail will be 12 miles long, starting at the Mount Washington Light Rail station and extending to the Visitor Center in Inner Harbor.

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