Paper mills reap millions from state energy law

The Baltimore Sun

By Timothy B. Wheeler

A Western Maryland paper mill and several others in the region have collected millions of dollars over the past eight years by taking advantage of an obscure provision in a state law that is supposed to encourage the development of wind, solar and other renewable energy projects.

The paper manufacturers routinely burn waste byproducts from their mills to make the energy to run them. But since 2005, they’ve been getting paid to do so by selling “renewable energy credits” to power companies, which can buy the paper waste credits rather than purchase ones generated by the sun or wind.

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Forecast calls for pain

The Baltimore Sun
By Mike Tidwell
Not long after President Barack Obama promised to fight climate change in his inaugural address, temperatures soared to 70 last week in Baltimore — in late January. Our weather continues to be unrecognizable. Last summer was the hottest ever recorded at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. And across the 48 contiguous states, 2012 was the warmest on record by a huge margin. Globally, the heating trend — fueled mostly by the combustion of fossil fuels — proceeds apace. The years 2000-2009 were the warmest decade in 120,000 years.
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Baltimore City Council backs statewide fracking moratorium in unanimous vote

Yesterday evening, the Baltimore City Council unanimously endorsed our legislation before the state General Assembly that would place a moratorium on fracking in Maryland, adding its voice to the mounting calls for tougher scrutiny of the risks of the controversial gas drilling method.

The resolution, introduced by Councilman Bill Henry and co-sponsored by 10 council members, including Council President Bernard Young, supports passage of the “Maryland Hydraulic Fracturing Moratorium and Right to Know Act of 2013,” which is being introduced in Annapolis by State Senator Rob Zirkin and State Delegate Heather Mizeur.

“The City Council is taking up this issue because it’s clear that fracking can seriously impact not only the physical environment, but the health of entire communities,” said Councilman Bill Henry. “We want to make sure that when the General Assembly makes their ultimate decision about fracking’s future in Maryland, it won’t be because they’ve been rushed, but because they have been fully informed about all of the potential risks.”

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My First Plunge

An account of the Polar Bear Plunge written by first time plunger and current CCAN intern Rachel O’Keeffe

On January 26th, I became a part of a now 8-year-long tradition: the Polar Bear Plunge! As the crowd around me counted down from 10, the excitement spread like an electric current. My adrenaline was pumping as I ran into the icy Potomac. I kept jumping in the water, for fear that if I stopped, the icy water would further penetrate my skin.

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Hybrid owners protest Va. transportation plan

CBS6

by Joe St. George

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) — Hybrid engines do not roar, but thanks to megaphones their message to legislators was loud and clear: do not vote in favor of a $100 user fee for drivers of alternative fuels.

Over a dozen hybrid vehicles paraded around Capitol Square Thursday, objecting to a part of Governor Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan that calls for drivers of hybrids and alternative fuel cars to pay a $100 annual fee.

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