Oh the Weather Outside... |
Dear BoS Friends,
It goes without saying that 2020 has been quite a year for everyone, but we wish you good health and fortune in 2021. Thank you for your continued support and partnership, and we look forward to engaging with you in the New Year.
Warmly,
BoS Staff
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Billy Humphrey, Executive Director of City of Refuge in the Brooklyn Neighborhood of South Baltimore.
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Billy Humphrey - City of Refuge |
Growing up in South Baltimore, Billy Humphrey's parents struggled with addiction and evictions. As an adult, he has used a childhood spent in crisis as motivation to support others in crisis. In 2000, he and a friend started a food pantry because they knew that people can't focus on recovery if their basic needs aren't met.
Today, Billy is the Executive Director of City of Refuge, a service-based non-profit located in the Brooklyn neighborhood that is also partnered with the city as a Community Resiliency Hub. Throughout the Pandemic, they have expanded their work significantly to meet the needs of their South Baltimore community. In 2020 alone they have served over 100,000 prepared meals and over a million pounds of food, not to mention toilet paper, PPE, and other donated items. "For me, I never want to see a kid go hungry. I don’t think you can help somebody with what’s next in their life if they’re hungry."
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You don’t have to be a climate scientist or city planner to help improve the sustainability and resilience of Baltimore. Everyone has a story to tell about making Baltimore a stronger, fairer, and safer place for all of us. We’ve been collecting stories on our website, and we invite you to share yours with us by posting on social media with the hashtag #EveryStoryCounts and/or by emailing us.
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The 'Bring Your Bag' campaign to promote the use of reusable bags will kick-off on January 13th, 2021, when the Baltimore Comprehensive Bag Reduction Act goes into effect. Plastic bags will be banned at the point of sale, pick up, or delivery. Baltimore businesses must charge a minimum of 5 cents for an alternative bag. Businesses keep 4 cents and remit 1 cent to Baltimore City. There is a long list of exceptions for plastic bags used solely for fresh produce, meat, fish, newspapers, dry cleaning, etc. Data shows that bag bans reduce the overall consumption of plastic bags. For instance, after passing their ban 10 years ago, Washington D.C. saw an 85% drop in single-use bag use.
Why does this matter? Plastic bags are a large portion of the plastic pollution that ends up in our trees, streets, parks, drains, harbor, and waterways. In the U.S., we throw away enough plastic to fill a football stadium 1.5 times every day and that amount is increasing. By prohibiting their use, Baltimore is taking an important step towards a cleaner city and planet.
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Bag Ban Flier developed by our Office. |
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Our Office has been partnering with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) since 2018 to eliminate food waste through the Food Matters Program. The team has been working towards increasing composting in the city, but more importantly, is promoting the prevention of food waste in the first place.
A recent blog post, co-written by Sophia Hosain, former Food Matters Fellow at the Office, and Yvette Cabrera, Interim Director of NRDC's Food Waste, Healthy People & Thriving Communities Program, discusses the work accomplished by the Food Matters program, offers details on food waste in Baltimore, and previews the new pamphlet the team has created to help educate and shift mental models around composting and food waste reduction. Check out the blog post to start your journey towards food waste elimination!
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Part of a new Food Matters Program poster designed by Yifan Luo, @yifanluoart.
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Sustainability Highlights |
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Made in Baltimore Online Pop-Up Store |
We are pleased to highlight that the Made in Baltimore (MIB) Online Store is here! The store features hundreds of local products by dozens of small businesses, including many of the brands Baltimoreans know and love. There are plenty of different gift options, and thanks to Flying Cloud Fulfillment, they can be shipped directly to your door. You can support Baltimore's local businesses you love without ever leaving your home. Fun fact: the MIB program originally got its start in our Office.
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Tree Maintenance Reminder - Hire Licensed Tree Experts |
Now that leaves are fallen, many Marylanders will prepare for winter by trimming live trees or removing dead trees. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a few important suggestions that homeowners should follow before hiring a contractor to do the work. Only Maryland Licensed Tree Experts should be hired to trim branches and remove trees – they are the only tree care professionals who lawfully can perform this work in Maryland. See more tips on hiring a tree expert here.
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Books + Articles our Staff are Reading |
The story of how the Swinomish tribe off the coast of Washington State has launched a strategy to deal with the effects of a warming planet.
An in-depth look at efforts to "bulwark oil and gas against ambitious climate change policies by claiming the moral high ground - even as those fuels kindle a global crisis that disproportionately harms people who aren't white."
A new report on "how cities can play a key role in helping America recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while building American infrastructure for the future."
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Photo by Blue Water Baltimore. |
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Winter months bring winter precipitation including rain, sleet, and snow. This precipitation turns into stormwater runoff, which can sweep trash down the street and onto the grates of storm drains. Trash and debris can block stormwater drains which can create ponding of water on the streets that can turn into ice and the debris can enter the Chesapeake Bay. Help keep your community and the Chesapeake Bay safe by checking and cleaning your community's stormwater grates before and after each precipitation event.
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We Love Feedback
Tell us what you want to hear! Do you have ideas on newsletter content? Or would you like to nominate an organization or person to be featured? Email us at sustainability@baltimorecity.gov.
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Our Mission
The Office of Sustainability develops and advocates for programs and policies that improve Baltimore's long-term environmental, social, and economic viability.
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417 E Fayette St, 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
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Editor-in-Chief: Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner
Newsletter Contributors: Bruna Attila, Coastal Resources Planner + Acting Floodplain Manager; Abby Cocke, Environmental Planner; Anne Draddy, Sustainability Coordinator; Amy Gilder-Busatti, Environmental Planner; Kimberly Knox, Green Network Coordinator; Lisa McNeilly, Sustainability Director; Anika Richter, Youth Sustainability Coordinator
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