Jon Merryman is a usability engineer, training developer, and "Go Green Coordinator" at Lockheed Martin in Hanover. But when he is not at his day job, you can often find him walking along the banks of Deep Run on the Howard-Anne Arundel county line. Jon is a volunteer stream watcher for the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, a volunteer group that preserves, protects, and cares for the Patapsco River watershed. In 2011, Jon Merryman led the efforts to remove over 15,000 pounds of trash from the Deep Run/Piney Run watershed, proving one person really can make a difference.

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The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV) urges Marylanders to email their legislators in support of the proposed five-cent tax on plastic and paper shopping bags.

The Community Cleanup and Greening Act, sponsored by Delegate Mary Washington (District 43, Baltimore City), HB1247 and Senator Brian Frosh (District 16, Montgomery County), SB511, will place a five-cent fee on shopping bags. The proceeds will be used first to purchase and distribute free reusable bags to low-income and elderly residents. The remaining proceeds will be given to counties to apply to water quality improvement projects and to the Chesapeake Bay Trust to administer as environmental restoration grants.

According to Maryland LCV, this legislation would:

- Reduce litter in Maryland's neighborhoods and waterways. Plastic bag use is projected to drop 60% or more.

- Save retailers money by not having to buy as many bags to give away. A single shop owner could save upwards of $1,000 per year.

- Save consumers money when they avoid the hidden cost of "free" bags in higher prices. The average Maryland consumer spends up to $37.50 each year in hidden bag costs.

- Create green jobs by giving counties valuable funds for community investments such as neighborhood greening, stormwater improvements, watershed implementation plans, etc.

- Distribute hundreds of thousands of free cloth bags to those in need.

Washington, D.C.----Global use of hydropower increased more than 5 percent between 2009 and 2010, according to new research published by the Worldwatch Institute for its Vital Signs Online publication.

Hydropower use reached a record 3,427 terawatt-hours, or about 16.1 percent of global electricity consumption, by the end of 2010, continuing the rapid rate of increase experienced between 2003 and 2009.

The cost of hydropower is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity. The average cost of electricity from a hydro plant larger than 10 megawatts is 3 to 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

Hydropower is also a flexible source of electricity since plants can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands.

Yet there are many negative aspects associated with hydropower: for example, damming interrupts the flow of rivers and can harm local ecosystems, and building large dams and reservoirs often involves displacing people and wildlife and requires significant amounts of carbon-intensive cement.

"In the future, hydropower is likely to continue to grow----despite the environmental challenges involved in expanding it----because of its competitive price and climate benefits, which make it an attractive option as countries seek to lower their greenhouse gas emissions," said report author Matt Lucky, a Worldwatch MAP Sustainable Energy Fellow.

China was the largest hydropower producer and is expected to continue to lead global hydro use in the coming years. The country produced 721 terawatt-hours in 2010, representing around 17 percent of domestic electricity use. China also had the highest installed hydropower capacity, with 213 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2010. It added more hydro capacity than any other country, 16 GW in 2010, and plans to add 140 GW by 2015. This is equivalent to building about seven more dams the size of China's Three Gorges Dam, currently the largest in the world.

"While hydropower energy production helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels and avoids much of their carbon dioxide emissions, this form of electricity generation is rarely without social and environmental cost and risk," said Worldwatch President Robert Engelman. "Hydropower is indeed low-carbon renewable energy, but new hydro development nonetheless needs to pass rigorous tests for its environmental and social impacts."

Hydropower is produced in at least 150 countries but is concentrated in just a few countries and regions. The Asia-Pacific region generated roughly 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010. Africa produces the least hydropower, accounting for 3 percent of the world total, but is considered the region with the greatest potential for increased production. In 2008, four countries----Albania, Bhutan, Lesotho, and Paraguay----generated all their electricity from hydropower, and 15 countries generated at least 90 percent of their electricity from hydro. Iceland, New Zealand, and Norway produce the most hydropower per capita.

Micro-hydropower, which is defined as a plant with an installed capacity of 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) or less, has grown in importance over the last decade and can be an effective means of providing electricity to communities far from industrial centers. As of 2009, roughly 60 GW of small hydro was installed worldwide, accounting for less than 6 percent of the hydropower total. Small hydro is likely to expand, especially as populous countries like India continue to pursue rural electrification.

Further highlights from the study:

• Five countries----China, Brazil, the United States, Canada, and Russia----accounted for approximately 52 percent of the world's installed hydropower capacity in 2010.
• There are now three hydropower plants larger than 10 GW: the Three Gorges Dam in China, Itaipu Hydroelectricity Power Plant in Brazil, and Guri Dam in Venezuela.
• A total of $40-45 billion was invested in large hydropower projects worldwide in 2010.

Article provided by the Worldwatch institute.

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—A recent Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) report, titled Debunking the "Job Killer" Myth; How Pollution Limits Encourage Jobs in the Chesapeake Bay Region, examines claims that environmental regulations hurt the economy and finds them to be false. In addition, the report looks at the jobs that have been and will be created as a result of the Bay pollution limits, and finds that, especially during economic downturns, these regulations will stimulate job growth while cleaning the water, restoring fish and shell fish, and creating a healthy environment for our children.

"For years opponents of environmental regulations have argued that they cost jobs and hurt businesses. That is not borne out by the facts," said CBF President William C. Baker. "Whether the target is EPA or the Bay pollution limits, it is essential that the public understand that environmental regulations will create jobs to reduce pollution, and sustain jobs that depend on clean water."

There have been many examples of industries crying wolf over new environmental regulations. In the 1970's Henry Ford II warned that clean air and fuel efficiency standards would "shut down" the Ford Motor Company. Thirty five years later, Ford not only remains in business and makes cleaner cars today that it did then, it showed a profit of $6.5 billion in 2010.

"One of the strengths of the American economy is our ability to innovate," Baker said. "Complying with regulations that reduce pollution has spurred advances in technology that actually improve products that we all take for granted every day."

Another example of inflated rhetoric about jobs and regulation was the debate over federal Clean Air Act amendments in 1990. Opponents said it would produce a "quiet death for businesses across the country." In fact, those predictions were not true, and in 2003, President George W. Bush's Office of Management and Budget found that the benefits outweighed the investments by more than 40 to 1.

Dr. Eban Goodstein, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College found no support for a net loss of jobs because of environmental regulations, a result of his study of economic literature on jobs and regulations. He said, "Virtually all economists who have studied this jobs-environment issue agree....There has simply been no trade-offs between jobs and the environment."

Since the passage of federal clean water and air laws in the 1970s, a burgeoning new industry has sprouted that creates jobs and stimulates the economy through pollution reduction, including improvements to sewage and power plants. This environmental industry is now worth $312 billion a year nationally and employs almost 1.7 million people, with roughly 75 percent of job growth in this field driven by government regulation.

Close to home, when Maryland considered the Healthy Air Act to control pollution from coal-fired power plants in 2006, critics said it would force closure of power plants, cause layoffs, and cripple the reliability of the region's electric system. In fact, none of those claims occurred, and at Constellation's Brandon Shores power plant in Anne Arundel County, 1,300 construction workers were employed on the renovation, and 32 people were hired in part to run the pollution control equipment.

While too early to be specific about the number of jobs that will be created by the Bay pollution limits, between 1990 and 2009, the number of environmental clean-up and monitoring jobs increased by 43 percent across the region. A projection by the Economic Policy Institute found that stormwater projects could provide work for 178,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the region over the next five years. Maryland and Virginia plan to invest a total of $3 billion to upgrade sewage treatment plants over more than a decade, creating an estimated 60,000 construction related jobs.

"If history is any guide, regulations that reduce pollution will create jobs, strengthen local economies, and restore the health of our national treasure," Baker said. "A clean environment and a vibrant economy are two sides of the same coin. One supports the other. We will have more fish, crabs, and oysters, and fewer health impacts from dirty water. "

Release provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Thanks to the passion, dedication and sheer tenacity of Maryland No Child Left Inside Coalition members across the state, we were able to defy the odds and make history this year with several groundbreaking achievements that have eyes across the nation focused on Maryland.

*First Environmental Literacy Graduation Requirement in the Nation. After years of hard work and passionate support by hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals, Maryland became the first state in the nation to approve an environmental literacy graduation requirement to ensure all public school students receive a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental education. Efforts to implement effective environmental literacy programs in every county school system are now moving forward, so stay tuned and check out the new online environmental literacy resources.

*Reintroduction of Federal No Child Left Inside Act. In July, the No Child Left Inside Act was reintroduced into Congress with bipartisan support! The Senate HELP Committee also completed its mark up of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and voted to include environmental education as a subject eligible for federal funding for the very first time.

*Schmidt Center Saved. Earlier this year, the Schmidt Outdoor Education Center was slated to be closed due to budget cuts. The closure of this valuable program would have been devastating to the 7,000 Prince Georges county students & teachers served every year. Thanks to your calls, letters and in-person support, the Schmidt Center was saved and will hopefully live on for many years.

*The Coalition Grew. Our Coalition continues to expand and is now 250 organizations strong, representing 630,000 individuals across the state, with new members every month! We are working directly with the MD Partnership for Children in Nature as they enter 2012 with a new structure and exciting plans to connect children to nature in communities, on public lands and during the school day.

What's Next?

*Federal Environmental Literacy Executive Order. The White House has indicated interest in an Environmental Literacy Executive Order that would charge the Secretary of Education to lead an effort across all federal agencies to review & coordinate efforts to support EE in public schools and reconnect youth with the outdoors. Efforts are under way to show support and encourage action. Stay tuned!

*Rebirth of the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature. In January, the Partnership will unveil their new structure as they move forward on many exciting initiatives in 2012. We'll keep you posted!

*U.S. Green Ribbon Schools to be Chosen. MSDE has joined the National Green Ribbon Schools Program recently launched by the U.S. Department of Education and has begun a statewide search for outstanding environmental schools. Learn more here.

* It Takes a Village. There will be many critical opportunities in 2012 to network and join forces to make a difference for kids, teachers, families and communities. Registration is now open for both the MAEOE and Greater Baltimore Children & Nature Collaborative conferences. Hope to see you there!

Thank you all so much for your incredible support and enthusiasm. None of this would have been possible without your help. Don't forget to visit us on Facebook for exciting news & opportunities. Have a wonderful holiday season and we'll be in touch in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Julie Dieguez

Coordinator Maryland No Child Left Inside Coalition