Plastic Free July, New Plastic Bag Ban Date, Staffing Updates, and more! |
Dear Baltimore Office of Sustainability Friends,
It’s hot, but as always, we have some cool news to share! In this month’s newsletter, we are providing updates on city initiatives, including the citywide Plastic Bag Ban and DPW’s Food Waste Drop-Off Pilot. As staff, we are celebrating Plastic Free July by minimizing our plastic usage (even more than we usually do)! Be sure to read about how to get involved with the Climate Action Plan Update and check out the Turtle Tip of the Month to learn about what you can do to combat the health effects of poor indoor air quality during extreme heat season. Also, make sure you follow our Instagram account, @sustainbmore, for highlights from the successful Nature Nurtures series. You can also read more about our amazing summer Fellows Talia Shadroui, Audrey Ting, and Sam Mollin!
As we welcome summer Fellows, we say goodbye to one of our valued team members, Youth Sustainability Coordinator Anika Richter. Anika will be furthering her education at Harvard University, pursuing a master's degree in urban planning. Her experience with our office has inspired this move, and she has expressed a desire to return to Baltimore and continue serving the city after graduation. We will miss Anika but wish her all the best!
Happy Reading!
Baltimore Office of Sustainability Staff
P.S. The July Commission of Sustainability meeting has been canceled. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 18th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm via WebEx. Click here to register via Eventbrite. Hope to see you!
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Eric Fishel leading a Villainous Vine removal workshop with Springfield Woods students in June. Photo c/o BGS. |
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Eric Fishel -- Baltimore Green Space |
Meet Eric Fishel, Baltimore Green Space’s (BGS) Forest Programs Manager! He works to connect communities with nature and community green spaces while educating and empowering residents to care for and steward these spaces. In the last few months, BGS hosted a variety of workshops with partners including Springfield Woods and Stillmeadow Peace Park. During these events, participants identified dozens of species of native plants, including an endangered species of goldenrod (sharp-leaved goldenrod), and had 36 volunteers help remove 61 large bags of invasive vines! These workshops helped inspire community members to continue helping protect forests around Baltimore on their own by providing them the necessary knowledge to identify invasive plants and best practices for safe removal.
BGS programs have also helped connect partners and community members to educational opportunities in their neighborhood green spaces. Hosted by BLISS meadows, BGS held a Master Naturalist training for Black by Nature, a program designed to train local residents to ID species and volunteer in their communities. Participants also gained perspective on conservation careers, learned about ways to get involved with social and scientific bird programs around Baltimore, and were introduced to opportunities to participate in conservation. Community stewardship of these valuable spaces creates a healthier environment, community, and city. Learn more about Eric and the team at Baltimore Green Space here!
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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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Welcome Summer Interns and Fellows! |
Audrey Ting is our Community Preparedness and Resilience Fellow through the Mayoral Fellowship Program. She is working with our office and the Office of Emergency Management to research best practices for and gain community perspectives on disaster preparedness training programs. She is a rising senior at Johns Hopkins University double majoring in public health and environmental science. In her free time, Audrey enjoys gardening, rock climbing, and walking her dog.
Talia Shadroui is the Urban Farms Community Engagement Intern with the Johns Hopkins Community Impact Internship Program. She is working with us to research best practices and strategies for community engagement with the urban farming community in Baltimore. She is a rising junior majoring in environmental studies and international studies at Johns Hopkins University. In her free time, she likes to read and go on walks.
Sam Mollin is our office's Post-Pandemic Fellow through the Mayoral Fellowship Program. He is working with us to record trends and explore questions regarding changes in society during the COVID-19 Pandemic that relate to our 2019 Sustainability Plan. Sam is a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a major in political science and a minor in environmental studies. In his free time, Sam enjoys hiking, running, and trying new restaurants across the city.
Thank you all for contributing to the important work of our office!
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Get Involved with the Climate Action Plan Update |
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability is developing a public engagement strategy to support the update of the City's 2012 Climate Action Plan (CAP Update). To help guide the CAP Update process, we are forming a Resident Advisory Council. This is a great way to get involved. The application for the Advisory Council can be found here and submittals are due by Friday, August 6th. Youth and adults are welcome to apply! Overall, the commitment will likely be a one-two hour meeting every two months for 12-18 months and additional outreach/communications support. However, there will be an opportunity for the Council to co-develop the scope of the work, so the exact amount of involvement is still TBD. If you would like to be involved but not on the Council, please fill out this general interest form and we'll be in touch. No previous planning experience is needed. Please share this with youth or anyone else who may be interested!
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New Effective Date for the City's Plastic Bag Ban |
The Comprehensive Bag Reduction Act was signed into law in January 2020, banning single-use plastic bags at the point of sale. The enforcement date changed due to the Pandemic, but now, beginning on October 1st, 2021, businesses will charge a minimum of $0.05 for each alternative bag distributed to customers at checkout. In order to reduce waste and avoid the bag fee, we're encouraging Baltimore residents to 'Plan for the Ban' and remember to Bring Your Bag when shopping! Check out the full press release here.
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Sustainability Highlights |
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Baltimore City DOT Awarded Two Traffic Safety Grants |
The National Association of City Transportation Officials awarded the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) and community partners Bikemore, Black People Ride Bikes, and Graham Projects $50,000 to increase visibility and access to Druid Hill Park and Lake Montebello. BCDOT will install traffic calming at 33rd Street at Hillen Ave and along The Big Jump through this grant. Black People Ride Bikes will help kick off bike rides and safety lessons from Lake-to-Lake, while Bikemore and Graham Projects will solicit community input for art within the traffic calming areas. This project aims to make parks more accessible to people without cars.
The Maryland Highway Safety Office also granted BCDOT $30,000 to pilot community engagement for roadway safety through community partners. Through this grant, BCDOT will host a series of pop-up events where safety interventions are planned and be able to pay community organizations to host biking, walking, and civic engagement activities onsite. This project aims to increase understanding and awareness of the new Complete Streets treatments which will make Baltimore City streets safer for everyone.
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Baltimore City DPW Launches Food Scrap Collection at Residential Drop Off Centers |
On July 12th, 2021, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) launched a pilot program for residential food scrap collection for composting in Baltimore City. This is the first time that the City will host such a program at its various DPW Residential Drop-Off Centers. These sites are currently known for accepting bulk items, recycling, scrap metal, electronics, and more, so they are primed to manage the added organic waste. The pilot project is funded by a grant with the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) as part of the Food Matters Regional Initiative and will run for three to four months, depending on participation.
All residents can bring their food scraps to these locations for composting. Accepted materials will include fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, grains and bread, coffee grounds, and tea bags. These are the same materials accepted at the food scrap drop-off sites at the JFX Farmers’ Market and the 32nd Street Farmers’ Market. Hours and addresses for each site can be found on the DPW website.
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Books + Articles our Staff are Reading |
Three of Baltimore's Community Resiliency Hub partner organizations are featured in this article about how climate impacts, such as extreme heat and flooding, are affecting residents in Baltimore and what the City is trying to do about it.
For The Climate And Fairness, Take Buses And Sidewalks Before Electric Cars -- NPR All Things Considered. "Getting people out of cars rarely happens in America, yet planners in most U.S.cities are thinking about how to make it happen. Cars and trucks account for roughly a quarter of all the country's greenhouse emissions, and stopping climate change requires that those emissions sink to almost zero. Electric vehicles are only part of the answer, climate experts say. Focusing on electric vehicles as the primary solution can actually make racial and income disparities worse, and undercuts more broad-based solutions."
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Improving Your Air Quality |
It’s Code Red Extreme Heat Season and we’re already experiencing a hot summer! Baltimore’s Code Red Extreme Heat response is a multi-agency effort to address the impact of extreme heat on residents. Already this year, Baltimore has experienced a total of 10 code red extreme heat days, which are days with a heat index of 105˚F+. Have you ever wondered what a code red day means for your health?
Extreme heat impacts both outdoor and indoor air quality (IAQ). Air quality is both a public health issue and an environmental justice concern as the urban heat island effect results in higher heat-related illnesses for marginalized communities and can particularly impact indoor air quality. Considering that many people spend more than 90% of their time indoors, we are providing some helpful tips to make sure you are breathing cleaner air indoors!
- Open a window. Airflow or letting outdoor air into your home is critical to maintaining good IAQ as it dilutes the concentration of air pollutants.
- Remove potential sources of pollution. Smoking, mold, and construction such a new flooring can release particles and toxins into the air.
- Know the signs of poor ventilation. Moisture and/or condensation on windows and walls can be a sign that your home is not well ventilated. Mold may also indicate an underlying moisture issue that needs your attention. Smelly of stuffy air can result from these conditions.
- Replace your air filter routinely. Many modern-day HVAC systems have air filters that require routine (usually every 90 days) replacements. Try to write the date on air filters and set reminders for when they need to be swapped out.
Interested in learning more? Click here!
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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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Lead Editor: Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner
Newsletter Contributors: Bruna Attila, Coastal Resources Planner + Acting Floodplain Manager; Abby Cocke, Environmental Planner; Amy Gilder-Busatti, Environmental Planner; Kim Knox, Green Network Coordinator; Lisa McNeilly, Sustainability Director; Ava Richardson, Sustainability Manager; Anika Richter, Youth Sustainability Coordinator; Lauryn Countess, Communications Intern; Sara Kaiser, Baltimore Public Allies Fellow
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