CHANGE MY LOCATION
Business
Examiners
Business Examiner
Most Recent Post
IRAs, 401(k)s, small businesses - candidates talk about their plans
Internet Business Examiner
Most Recent Post
Digression: YouTube video isn't a commercial but could be
California News
Multimedia News
Johns Hopkins to study reducing carbon emissions
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Johns Hopkins University will announce plans in the coming weeks to form a Climate Change Task Force, which may include some high-profile business executives and sustainability officers from across the country, in response to months of pressure from student activists.
Hopkins President William Brody has approved a draft of a formal statement endorsing the recommendations of the university’s Sustainability Committee, which has been studying ways to conserve energy resources and reduce the university’s carbon emissions. According to Davis Bookhart, head of Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship at Hopkins, the draft has been internally circulated as administrators settle the final details.
The Climate Change Task Force, a centerpiece of the university’s initiative, may include a commission filled by leaders from the business and sustainability communities, according to a source close to the discussions. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the details had not yet been finalized.
Hopkins may court officials from such companies as Citibank and Constellation Energy, according to the source. The university hopes such a commission will provide financial support and momentum for its climate change initiative.
James McGill, senior vice president for finance and administration at Hopkins, would not directly comment on the makeup of the committee or its funding.
“We’ll be reaching out to experts wherever they are,” he said. “We are going to tap as much expertise as we can.”
He said that one of the committee’s most important goals would be “to reach out broadly into the Baltimore community.”
The Hopkins Energy Action Team, an extensive coalition of student activists, has for months called on the university to commit to carbon neutrality, which would limit the university’s total carbon emissions to zero. More than 70 U.S. colleges have adopted similar policies.
“I think that the Sustainability Committee’s recommendations were relatively clear about carbon neutrality,” said HEAT Chair Teryn Norris, a freshman.
But McGill said the university was not ready to fully commit to carbon neutrality and would opt instead to wait for the results of the task force’s study, which will be completed in one year.
“We simply do not know what technically and financially will be feasible, now and in the future, to reduce carbon emissions,” he said.
sgentile@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
2:19 PM MST on Thu., Aug. 7, 2008 re: "Anne Arundel businesses and homeowners protest critical-area bill"
Report as inappropriate
5:17 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 4, 2008
re: "Anne Arundel businesses and homeowners protest critical-area bill"
Report as inappropriate
2:00 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 4, 2008
re: "Homeowners protest critical-area bill"
Report as inappropriate
12:57 PM MST on Thu., Jul. 31, 2008
re: "Women at the front of the new green movement"
Report as inappropriate
11:21 AM MST on Thu., Jul. 31, 2008
re: "Women at the front of the new green movement"
Report as inappropriate
12:42 PM MST on Sun., Jul. 27, 2008
re: "Women at the front of the new green movement"
Report as inappropriate
3:12 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 9, 2008
re: "City refuses to remove toxic dirt despite dangers, documents show"
Report as inappropriate
2:46 PM MST on Sat., Jul. 5, 2008
re: "Severn Savings Bank debuts largest green roof in Annapolis"
Report as inappropriate
4:05 AM MST on Thu., Jun. 12, 2008
re: "In reversal, city to remove toxic dirt"
Report as inappropriate
1:56 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 10, 2008
re: "Steep fees for felled trees — if Belmont has its way"
Report as inappropriate
11:57 AM MST on Mon., Jun. 9, 2008
re: "Toxin-laden dirt poses no threat, according to Baltimore officials"
Report as inappropriate
2:15 PM MST on Sat., Jun. 7, 2008
re: "Toxin-laden dirt poses no threat, according to Baltimore officials"
Report as inappropriate
2:52 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 6, 2008
re: "City refuses to remove toxic dirt despite dangers, documents show"
Report as inappropriate
10:01 PM MST on Thu., Jun. 5, 2008
re: "City refuses to remove toxic dirt despite dangers, documents show"
Report as inappropriate
9:56 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 28, 2008
re: "Greenbelt can continue preservation"
Report as inappropriate
4:23 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008
re: "Dark skies for solar-training plan"
Report as inappropriate
4:02 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 16, 2008
re: "Toss your plastics into recycling bins"
Report as inappropriate
12:41 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 14, 2008
re: "Toss your plastics into recycling bins"
Report as inappropriate
10:23 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 3, 2008
re: "Maryland’s coastal grass continues to vanish"
Report as inappropriate
6:36 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 31, 2008
re: "It's a bicycle built for pure water, too"
Report as inappropriate
4:48 PM MST on Sat., Mar. 29, 2008
re: "The City gets dark tonight"
Report as inappropriate
5:39 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Gore preaches to global warming choir"
Report as inappropriate
4:45 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007
re: "S.F. green groups to receive more than $2M"
Report as inappropriate
3:43 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007
re: "S.F. green groups to receive more than $2M"
Report as inappropriate
9:21 PM MST on Wed., Nov. 28, 2007
re: "Audubon study sees local birds particularly threatened"
Report as inappropriate
1:56 PM MST on Thu., May. 24, 2007
re: "Experts: Light pollution growing environmental problem"
Report as inappropriate
11:36 AM MST on Mon., May. 14, 2007
re: "Gore preaches to global warming choir"
Report as inappropriate
7:27 AM MST on Wed., May. 9, 2007
re: "Environmental advisers request study of county’s waste stream"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Finally something to stop people from building and then getting a permit. IT ABOUT TIME!
8 agree | 6 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
in anne arudnel county they should worry about their police department before the environ, i mean whether they allow mahjor accidents because they close down an interstate for 10 vehciles to get on or let dogs kill a goat without getting involve. i mean if you are not wearing a seat belt in anne arundel you will get a ticket but god forbid the polcie need to direct traffic. none of them know how they just close the road even while four of them sit there looking at the accident. now big brother wants to tell you whether you can cut down a tree. how about the developers, or better yet the county themselves. once a sewer gets built the county lets all these developers just move right on in. that is the problem.
6 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
johnn said:
this is what people like omalley do when they want something
7 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Tegiri: Sounds like a bunch of whining to me.....how come I DONT see you out there making a change..from the way you are framing your comment you must have an advanced degree or something....so when can I expect you to show up to a community of color and create sustainable change?!?!...tomorrow maybe? I think not. Stick to what you "say" you know..and not making ignorant comments
6 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
You don't need a degree per se when your mentor who has a master's degree was giving her hands on experience and that's what she has is EXPERIENCE so instead of getting a degree she took a break and did the groundwork and has done more things in the Bayview -Hunter's Point community than most 25 yr olds.Bill Gates didn't graduate from Harvard but he is still BILL GATES because he had hands on experience with the technology. Furthermore, The Women Policy Institute obviously thought she was good enough to receive a yearlong fellowship...ignorant people like you "tegiri" (which is a fake name by the way) make me sick...but a question we should ask is "what are you doing about EJ in your community??? "
6 agree | 6 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Tegiri Nenashi said:
The education background (or the lack of thereof) is remarkable. Some college (community?), and arts? How do these people can form an educated opinion upon what technologies are good and what are bad for the environment?
8 agree | 10 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I've discovered that at least 80% of the pile placed there is contaminated by fuel and human waste from a broken sewer pipe and the rest is probably been contaminated by contact. The City directed where to leave it. Their plan is to have all of the contaminents wash out into the community and then stick one of the contractors with the cost of moving it once it is "clean". City pays to dispose of contaminated materials, contractor pays to move uncontaminated (now you see their game). City will not share test results after "dog and pony show" of moving 12 truck loads. I'm sure we will see results once they get a good test. It is amazing that City wastes money on politically connected but utterly useless layer of "consulting" oversite (they already use RK&K, Whiting Turner & qualified good city inspectors and also 4th unnamed layer of pointless political money related oversight) , but will not pay to protect residents from contaminated material. All easily verified by good reporter
11 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Mike said:
I bet Severn Savings wishes they had not built this green monster/white elephant now that the stock price has gone from 22 to 6...yikes!
8 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
nothing like a pile of dirt in the city!
10 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I guess the City of Belmont is more worried about saving its dying and hazardous trees than the homeless camps that were being covered by these trees. I personally was happy to see the trees removed I was always worried about the big branches overhanging the roadway that were broken not to mention that the homeless camp was sent packing because they lost their cover of the tree branches hanging down. Why would the city sue them for providing a great service, except they want money from the little guys.
12 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
You can bet on it that if the pile of dirt had been left in Roland Park, it would be gone PDQ.
10 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Solution - Either move it or put up a 12 foot high fence around it with security 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. (whichever is cheaper.
10 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Great. I live two blocks away and walk my dog past that pile of dirt. Wonderful Baltimore. Just wonderful.
9 agree | 10 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
johnn said:
not dixsons clean and green program is it
10 agree | 12 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I guess when the salmon count is so low that wildlife agencies have to place a mandatory ban on fishing to replenish their numbers, and when the whales are about 10-15% thinner, it's a sign that the oceans are stressed out. Kudos to the state Supreme Court for protecting the ocean and giving our coasts protective areas to restore ecosystems and rejuvenate her marine life.
16 agree | 15 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Policy issues related to the solar program need to be vetted before money is spent, McGoldrick told The Examiner in an e-mail. The supervisor characterized Solar City’s threat to abandon The City as “greenmail.” Oh man...can someone please get goldbricker McGoldrick to get a real life, hopefully one not in public service! Geeze if this guy ran the world we would be forever spitting in the wind.
17 agree | 17 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Next step: Wire Hangers!!! (Dry cleaners don't seem to want them back).
19 agree | 18 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I throw everything I can into the recycling bin and let them decide.
22 agree | 21 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
i think the bicycle built for water is a dum story
23 agree | 24 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
how much will the bike cost?
23 agree | 22 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Good. Can't wait for the criminals to do a number on the City!
22 agree | 23 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
there are no heading on what each paragraph is about
167 agree | 207 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Bob said:
What concerns me isn't so much all this green stuff; (and green is just a buzz word for Corporate America to make big bucks)what is being done to animal species being wiped off the face of the earth? Polar bear, Rhinos (being slaughered for their horns); elephants, snow tigers, and the list goes on and on;
230 agree | 185 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
all this green is a bunch of crap....i still burn wood, drive my car alone to work (better than some smelly bus or bart) do not recycle..thats what i pay those garbagemen for. i would rather use my firplace and wood than pay Pacific Grred and Extortion zny of their rip bills.
237 agree | 196 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Another Examiner Reader said:
Sure nuclear power is "clean." Just ask the Chernobylites.
232 agree | 242 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for this article. However it needs more development, especially in the area of light trespass onto down hill property. Full cut off on level ground is not full cut off on slopes. Also, motion detectors often activate when a person walks on his own property and is detected by the neighbor's poorly designed/installed system. Please consider this in the future.
655 agree | 432 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Al Gore should provide more support for nuclear power. When you come to the realization that we have to STOP using fossil fuels, there is nothing else that can produce the huge amount of power that would be required to replace fossil fuels. Nuclear already provides 20% of our electric power. Nuclear power is as cheap or maybe cheaper than coal, especially when you compare 'clean coal' vs. nuclear. It is time we started replacing all of our coal fired power plants with nuclear.
874 agree | 433 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Sandy Wisner said:
Dear Kelsey, If you take 15% of one portion of a thing and 17% of another portion of the same thing, you will not get 32% of the whole. Depending on the size of the portions, you will have between 15 and 17 percent of the whole.
621 agree | 460 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree