Column Archives
Pedal Power
By Carrie Madren
The League of American Bicyclists ranks the states for bike friendliness. In 2010, Delaware was 10th, Maryland 11th, Virginia 18th, New York 36th and Pennsylvania 42nd. Carrie Madren notes legislatures are looking for ways to make the world safer for cyclists, for good reasons. 774 words.
06/08/2010 more...
Spreading and spreading the chestnut tree
By Tom Horton
Restoring the American chestnut, once the grandest tree in our Eastern forests, is meeting some success, and hopes are high, writes Tom Horton. Horton is the author of six books about the Chesapeake region.
06/01/2010 more...
We need vision as clear as the seas
By Liza Field
If humans can spoil entire oceans, we should be capable of oceanic vision, writes Liza Field. But it's easier just to look at the surface, she notes in this commentary on the ambiguous nature of "oversight." Field teaches high school and community college students in southwest Virginia.
05/25/2010 more...
Grouchy gardener's labor of love
By Sarah Minick
Gardening is not for the faint of heart, but Sarah Minick finds the rewards of replanting and rabbit chasing worthwhile. She's among a growing number of Americans who raise their own food. Minick teaches reading, hikes and gardens in Virginia. 748 words
05/18/2010 more...
Trashing recycling provides dubious returns
By David Berry
The day before Earth Day, Ocean City, Md., announced it was ending is trashing recycling program, to save money. In the long run, David Berry suggests that's not a good idea. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md. He has written two books.
05/11/2009 more...
Hiding pollution behind science
By Tom Horton
A widely used index developed by a group of soil scientists has led farmers to over apply millions of pounds of manure, writes Tom Horton, and despite the systems flaws, the scientists continue to promote it. Horton is the author of six books about the Chesapeake region. 746 words.
05/04/2010 more...
By Cindy Ross
Breaking dams restores rivers
Removing dams leads to healthier fisheries, public safety, and recreational opportunities, writes Cindy Ross. Several projects underway now will restore streams in the Chesapeake region. Ross has written extensively about the outdoors. 798 words.
04/27/2010 more...
Wise wind energy needs a deep green location
By Chris Bolgiano
Offshore winds are strong and steady, the perfect place for energy turbines. Chris Bolgiano says we should put them there, rather than on Appalachian ridges where they damage forests and harm wildlife. Bolgiano is a resident of western Virginia and is Faculty Emeritus at the James Madison University Library in Harrisonburg, VA. She has written five books and many articles for regional and national publications.
04/20/2010 more...
Robbing Paul Too
By Jim Minick
Nuclear power plants may be carbon free, but Jim Minick wouldn't trade in a coal mine to get one. Scrap both he suggests, and tackle the un-glamorous work of conserving. Minick teaches English at Radford University in Virginia. 800 words.
04/13/2010 more...
A Garden and So Much More
By Sara Kaplaniak
A little garden in your own back yard provides fresh food, and so much more, writes Sara Kaplaniak. Who knew that a few seeds and a bit of work could both boost spirits and address global issues? Kaplaniak writes from Camp Hill, PA. 700 words.
04/06/2010 more...
Emerge from Hibernation
By Carrie Madren
The natural world is reawakening after winter, and Carrie Madren suggests we get out there and enjoy early spring. There's no better time to get back in touch with our local parks and trails. 716 words.
03/30/2010 more...
The Other Tree
By Liza Field
Why does the Christian Right champion money more than life, when it comes to environmental protections? In this pre-Easter commentary, Liza Field, a self-described Bible Belt tree hugger, looks at the root of this dogma and the Values Industry promoting it.
03/23/2010 more...
Little endangered things tell the real story
By Tom Horton
The bald eagle may be off the threatened species list, but that's not the real story, writes Tom Horton. It's the little critters and unassuming plants we should pay attention to. They tell us the most about our region's health. Horton is the author of six books about the Chesapeake region. 800 words.
03/16/2010 more...
Stormwater: Pay me now, or later
By Karen Hosler
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia are all debating new rules to better control storm water runoff. None are faring well. Karen Hosler notes the winter's snows as a slow motion example of what the issue is about, and that we'd best pay attention. Hosler is a radio reporter and talk show host in Baltimore.
03/09/2010 more...
Three Stages Of Environmental Truth
By David Berry
When it comes to recognizing a truth, not everyone arrives at the same conclusion at the same time, writes David Berry. So, while many understand the problems facing our waters, others don't agree. Continued dialogue is the way forward, he argues. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md. He has written two books.
03/02/2010 more...
Restricting the Supply of Environmental Restoration Service
By Robert Wieland
Private for-profit firms are not generally eligible for Chesapeake Bay restoration funds, except at the end of a long line of sub-contracts to academic, non-profit, or government agencies. Robert Wieland, a resource economist, suggests that regime restricts the supply of environmental restoration services available to the bay restoration effort, and slows innovation.
02/23/2010 more...
Flawed concept may set back market-based bay-saving
By Kurt Stephenson and Leonard Shabman
Some bay advocates see nutrient trading as a way to funnel millions of dollars toward better controls on farm runoff, the bay's leading source of pollution. However Kurt Stephenson and Leonard Shabman, economists who have been involved in Bay issues for years, think the idea is flawed, and will steal time from more productive approaches. 767 words.
02/16/2010 more...
Critical thinkers needed
By David Berry
We need more critical thinkers to help solve some of the big environmental issues we face, writes David Berry. He notes that problems we face are rarely two dimensional, but the way we see them often is. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md. He has written two books.
02/09/2010 more...
There's something in the water
By John R. Wennersten
Ten new chemicals are manufactured ever day, and many end up in the water. The effects on fish, and people, worry some scientists. But perhaps what's most worrisome is what we don't yet know, writes John R. Wennersten. Wennersten is the author of several books. 794 words
02/02/2010 more...
Drilling in the forests
By Cindy Ross
In an effort to balance its budget, Pennsylvania has opened state forests to companies drilling for natural gas. Drilling comes with environmental threats, Cindy Ross notes, including water pollution and breaking up the woods with roads. Ross has written extensively about the outdoors. 744 words.
01/26/2009 more...
Re-planting our cities; making an urban forest
By Carrie Madren
Many towns and cities across the watershed have set goals for increasing their tree canopies. Bringing back the canopy, however, is a long game of tug o'war, writes Carrie Madren. In the end, though, the effort to install slow-growing trees will be a win for local ecosystems and communities. 800 words.
01/19/2010 more...
Telling people the party's over
By Robert Wieland
How do you tell someone that a service they have enjoyed freely (say, robust oyster stocks, or drainage ditches that send stormwater to rivers) is no longer going to be free and easy? Robert Wieland, a resource economist, says no one likes to hear the party's over, and suggests how to shape policy that brings constructive change.
01/12/2009 more...
Tough state cops wanted to protect water
By Karen Hosler
The state agencies that protect our rivers and the bay are not up to the task, advocates say. Karen Hosler notes a recent complaint against the Maryland Department of Environment and suggests specific changes to strengthen their hand. Hosler is a radio reporter and talk show host in Baltimore. She formerly wrote editorials and covered politics for The Sun.
01/05/2010 more...
Resolutions for the bay
By David Berry
If Chesapeake Bay could ask us to make a couple of New Year's resolutions, the list would be brief, but difficult to keep, writes David Berry. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md. He has written two books, "Maryland Skipjacks" and "Maryland's Lower Susquehanna River Valley; Where the River Meets the Bay."
12/29/2009 more...
A tougher shade of green
By Tom Horton
Light green vs. dark green -A persistent critic of bay policy says the region's most influential environmental group, and all groups working for a healthier environment, must be tougher, writes Tom Horton. Horton is author of six books and many articles.
12/22/2009 more...
Sale Values
By Liza Field
What's the price we, and the Earth, really pay for the gifts we seek this time of year? Liza Field writes that the costs far exceed the dollars we spend, and suggests we seek some better values.
12/15/2009 more...
Feral pigs run wild
By Cindy Ross
Pigs gone wild are making a mess of Pennsylvania's woods, and could threaten nearby states. Game officials have declared an open season, an idea Cindy Ross endorses. Ross has written extensively about the outdoors. 732 words.
12/08/2009 more...
Oh, Tannenbaum, Which evergreen is the greenest Christmas tree of all?
By Carrie Madren
Which is the greenest of all the green Christmas trees? Which is friendliest to our streams, rivers and bay, wondered Carrie Madren, and she did some digging to find out. 800 words
12/01/2009 more...
Root for the ponies, and their farms
By Karen Hosler
Working farms and the industries they support, including horse racing, give the region much of its character. But horse racing is on the slide, and Karen Hosler says that losing it could end up costing us valued open space. Hosler is a radio reporter and commentator in Baltimore, where she formerly wrote editorials and covered politics for The Sun.
11/24/2009 more...
Motivating Energy Conservation at the Root
By Robert Wieland
What we need is an energy company that sells energy efficiency versus energy use, and Robert Wieland, a resource economist has a radical suggestion, one he suspects both liberals and conservatives may hate. He must be on to something good.
11/17/2009 more...
I don't know how to do that
By David Berry
There will always be people who simply don't care whether their actions harm our environment. Yet, there are many more who want to do the right thing, but may be simply overwhelmed by the task, writes David Berry. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md. He has written two books, Maryland Skipjacks and Maryland' Lower Susquehanna River Valley; Where the River Meets the Bay.
11/10/2009 more...
A DISASTER IN WAITING
By David Berry
The sediment trapped by the Conowingo Dam pose an imminent threat to the Chesapeake, writes David Berry. He suggests that the Dam's upcoming licensing process provides an opportunity to address the problem. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md., where he teaches sailing. He has written two books, Maryland Skipjacks and Maryland' Lower Susquehanna River Valley; Where the River Meets the Bay, and articles and columns for magazines and newspapers.
11/03/2009 more...
A Ray of Hope for the Bay
By Howard Ernst
Every President since Ronald Reagan and all regional office seekers have claimed support for the Chesapeake Bay's restoration. Their pledges have been bi-partisan, overwhelming, and inconsequential, notes Howard Ernst. But the latest promises from the Obama administration may prove different, and start a real struggle for the future of the bay. Ernst teaches political science at the United States Naval Academy, has written extensively, including two books about the Chesapeake. 850 words.
10/27/2009 more...
Region's environment leaders balk at alternatives to growth
By Tom Horton
The health of our rivers and the Chesapeake is driven by the ways humans act, notes Tom Horton. Every person brings more impact, yet challenging population and the notion that the economy must grow to prosper is tough, and at the moment, few environmental leaders are willing to even discuss it. Horton is author of six books and many articles. 800 words.
10/20/2009 more...
Conservation camps engage the next generation of leaders
By Cindy Ross
Conservation camps, many sponsored by local organizations, engage the next generation of stewards for the environment, writes Cindy Ross. She notes that now's the time to investigate camps for next summer. Ross lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about the outdoors. 800 words.
10/13/2009 more...
Pumpkins: Food You Can Play With
By Carrie Madren
It's pumpkin time and Carrie Madren invites us to join the fun inherent in this big squash we routinely hurl, carve, overfeed, and eat ourselves. 696-words.
10/06/2009 more...
Homeowners tackle their development's runoff woes
By David Berry
Urban and suburban runoff is the fastest growing category of pollution for our rivers and the Chesapeake. David Berry writes about how one community addressed their problem, and suggests how others can as well. Berry lives and writes from Havre de Grace, Md., where he teaches sailing and captains a charter boat. He has written two books, Maryland Skipjacks and Maryland's Lower Susquehanna River Valley; Where the River Meets the Bay, and articles and columns for magazines and newspapers.
09/29/2009 more...
Aid for honey bees starts at home
By Cindy Ross
What good's an apple tree without a honey bee? Not much, learned Cindy Ross, who writes that the honey bees' slow recovery from a population collapse would benefit from the helping hands of home gardeners. Ross lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about the outdoors. 767 words.
09/22/2009 more...
Should Uncle Sam Make Us Green Up?
By Carrie Madren
Green consumers as individuals can change markets slowly over time, but a new law or regulation can make an immediate, definite impact by getting everyone on board, notes Carrie Madren in this 755-word piece that notes some of the steps governments are taking to address environmental issues.
09/15/2009 more...
If you build it, they will come
By Karen Hosler
A major new power line and a planned new nuclear plant could combine to provide enough power on Delmarva to encourage a more than a million new homes, enough growth to drastically change the mostly rural region's nature. But no state agencies have looked at the growth implications of the new power, writes Karen Hosler, and none is likely to. Hosler is a radio reporter and commentator in Baltimore, where she formerly wrote editorials and covered politics for The Sun.
09/08/2009 more...
Humans on Acid, a World's Bellyache
By Liza Field
We are giving the earth a belly ache, writes Liza Field. Our diets and our reliance on coal and oil are acidifying both our bodies and world. The cure will require genuine universal health care for a globe whose health is also our own. 800 words.
09/01/2009 more...
The Recession and the Chesapeake
By John R. Wennersten
The current recession has slowed growth in areas as diverse as Adams County, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, and that may be a good thing for the region's rivers and the Chesapeake, writes John R.Wennersten. Wennersten is the author of several books.
08/25/2009 more...
Leave No Rock Unturned In the Name of Learning
By Sara Kaplaniak
Summer gives Sara Kaplaniak’s children a chance to explore the outdoors free of schedules. It's a freedom she would like to hang on to year around because it gets them outdoors, where they learn much about nature and themselves. Kaplaniak writes from Camp Hill, PA. 786 words.
08/18/2009 more...
Stretching Our Green Wallets Thin
By Carrie Madren
Will the green-consumer ethic wilt in the heat of hard times? Carrie Madren finds a thinner wallet challenges green shoppers, but we may make long-term gains toward more sustainable consuming. 716-words
08/11/2009 more...
Will politics still stymie better oyster management?
By Robert Wieland
Years of political management have left Maryland with record low stocks of oysters. Now a government commission has suggested new policies that could dramatically increase the bay's oyster population. But, will legislators and fishery managers listen, asks Robert Wieland. Wieland is a resource economist who has studied the oyster industry.
08/04/2009 more...
Lawn be gone
By Chris Bolgiano
While shopping for an electric lawn mower, Chris Bolgiano discovered some unsettling facts about our love for lawns. She argues we'd have more fun and a healthier planet if we had less lawn to mow. (Facts in this article are based on EPA NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL LABORATORY Environmental Science Fact Sheet Natural Landscaping at EPA's Laboratory 901-F-03-004D August 2005 www.epa.gov/ne/lab.)
07/28/2009 more...
Fireflies Light the Way Back to Life
By Liza Field
Firefly season is drawing to a close. But...forever? Worldwide researchers hope not--and so do conservationists. Liza Field writes about the decline of this magical beetle, and what we can do to ensure its, and our, well-being. 775-words, includes subtitles, which could be cut.
07/21/2009 more...
Path to healthier farms, healthier waters
Cindy Ross
Pennsylvania farmers can sign up before July 31 for a new program to help them change to organic practices. Maryland and Virginia offer similar programs. Organic practices can provide healthier land, food, and water, writes Cindy Ross. 750 words.
07/14/2009 more...
BYOB: A Guide to Prompting a Culture Shift
By Karen Hosler
Sometimes the best of intents just don't prevail over long-time habits, notes Karen Hosler. Such is the case with her addiction to plastic and paper bags. But addictions yield, she has learned when faced with a kick in the pocket book, and there-in lies one of several lesson for anti-litter and water pollution activists. Hosler is a radio reporter and commentator in Baltimore, where she formerly wrote editorials and covered politics for The Sun.
07/07/2009 more...
Extra credit for energy savings
By Carrie Madren
The economic stimulus program offers homeowners money-saving incentives to improve their home's energy efficiency, and that could provide a boost to the region's economy and environment, writes Carrie Madren in this 800-word piece.
06/23/2009 more...
My Eco-Friendly Father
By Sarah Minick
Here's a father's day column. Sarah Minick's eco-friendly father grew up in the depression and the years of World War II, and his frugal nature and conservation of resources reflects values common to the time. Saving the earth may not have been our parents and grandparents motivation, but their habits could teach us a few things about being eco-conscious, writes Minick. Minick teaches reading, and hikes and gardens in Virginia. 794 words.
06/16/2009 more...
Battling for Our Coastal Economy
By James D. Watkins and Donald F. Boesch
The federal government needs to lend support to regional efforts to prepare the Mid-Atlantic states for rising sea levels, say two leaders in ocean policy, Adm. James Watkins, and Donald Boesch.
06/09/2009 more...
Tipping Points For The Bay
By Tom Horton
Although scientists understand much about how the bay works, some things still confound them. Why are some areas improving more than expected, and why are some worse? Tom Horton writes about these unseen tipping points in this 800 word commentary.
06/02/2009 more...
Go Play in the Dirt
By Cindy Ross
It doesn't take rotating compost bins or fancy tools to grow a good garden, writes Cindy Ross. All it really requires is a willing attitude, labor, and a bit of knowledge to get the freshest vegetables you'll ever eat, and save money. 793 words.
05/26/2009 more...
The President's bold stroke for conserving Chesapeake landscapes
By David O'Neill
It could be easier for people to get to the bay, and irreplaceable landscapes and ecosystems could be conserved as a result of the President's new Executive Order, writes David O'Neill. O'Neill is executive director of the Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail, a new national historic trail in the Chesapeake.
05/19/2009 more...
What comes after the great economic adjustment?
Robert Wieland
With the stimulus package kicking in to restore the economy, Robert Wieland wonders whether we will create an economy that is more sustainable, or return to past practices that have unbalanced both our balance sheets and our environment. Wieland is a resource economist working to expand the application of economic analysis in environmental decision-making.
05/13/2009 more...
Helping Restore the Bay, One Battlefield at a Time
By Bill Thompson
How can muskets save mollusks, asks Bill Thompson? He found the answer in the non-profit Civil War Preservation Trust, and the battlefields they conserve. Thompson reported and wrote editorials for The Baltimore Sun. He is also the author of magazine articles and books about the Chesapeake region. 753-words.
05/05/2009 more...
Ride the big yellow bus
By Jim and Sarah Minick
School buses offer a green alternative for busy parents wanting to get their children safely to school, write Jim and Sarah Minick. School buses save fuel, reduce global-warming gases and congestion on the roads, and ease the strain on families. How come there's still a line of cars at every school?
04/28/2009 more...
A Breath of Fresh Air
By Carrie Madren
Spring provides time to renew gardens, and attitudes, writes Carrie Madren in this 736-word piece. Take advantage of it, soon well be swatting sweat bees, she cautions.
04/12/2009 more...
Trees: On the ground aid for an ailing planet
By Liza Field
Arbor Day, April 24th, is one of the nation's oldest "environmental" holidays. It remains a practical and perfect moment to do good for Mother Earth, writes Liza Field in this 751 word commentary (730 without the quote from Berry). Edit first sentence as needed for timing. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
04/12/2009 more...
Grounding the connection to what kids eat
Cindy Ross
Farm to School programs create markets for local farms and help connect children to a healthier understanding of where food comes from, writes Cindy Ross. Most state's in the mid-Atlantic have Farm to School programs. Cindy Ross writes about the outdoors. She has authored six books.
04/07/2009 more...
Students provide gauge for energy conservation success
By Amy Marasco Newton
A band of high school students in a Virginia town have started an effort to easily conserve gasoline. They hope their effort will spread across the mid-Atlantic. It's a common-sense approach to conservation that we can all follow, writes Amy Marasco Newton. Newton is president of the Newton Marasco Foundation, a nonprofit that designs innovative programs to foster learning, appreciation and caring for our natural environment. 753 words.
03/31/2007 more...
Taking Out the Trash
By Carrie Madren
River cleanups start this month. While picking up litter may not solve the big environmental issues, it is a great way for people to be introduced to what it means to take care of our environment, writes Carrie Madren. 786 words. NOTE: We have included a list of other clean ups in the mid-Atlantic and corresponding websites. Editors can use this as a box, or edit the story to include a local cleanup.
03/24/2009 more...
Power to the People!
By Chris Bolgiano
Power to the People! says Chris Bolgiano in this piece that illustrates the many benefits of distributed generation -- or little power plants on every house. Bolgiano is a resident of western Virginia and has written five books and many articles for regional and national publications. 784 words.
03/17/2009 more...
Time for green groups to reassess
By Bill Thompson
Who watches the watchdogs, Bill Thompson asks? He suggests that the environmental groups engaged in restoring the Chesapeake Bay review their progress and develop strategies to energize the region's environmental movement. Thompson reported and wrote editorials for The Baltimore Sun. He is also the author of magazine articles and books about the Chesapeake region. 774 words.
03/10/2009 more...
Forests face big challenges from small bugs
Cindy Ross
Tent caterpillars and web worms may look creepy, but these native insects present little danger to our forests, writes Cindy Ross. However, a steady invasion of aggressive, exotic species and the changing climate do hurt the woods, and present foresters from Virginia to New York new challenges.
03/03/2009 more...
You too can contribute to the scientific record
By Sarah Minick
Our readers and yours have been invited to contribute to the scientific record by joining in Project BudBurst, an effort to record the dates of natural events, like the first blossoms of spring or the arrival of migrant birds. Their record, reports Sarah Minick, will contribute to a database of observations reaching back to Henry David Thoreau and help answer big questions about our earth. Minick is a knitter, basket maker, and reading teacher. She hikes and gardens in Virginia. 730-words.
02/24/2009 more...
Stimulus could build green infrastructure, create jobs
By Tom Horton
The stimulus package the President plans to sign Tuesday ( 2 17 09) contains a small category of spending for water quality and green infrastructure improvements. Tom Horton reminds us that under President Roosevelt a similar effort created millions of jobs and some of our nation's most lasting treasures. Horton is author of several books on the environment and a free lance writer.
02/17/2009 more...
Taking the Birds to Heart
Valentine's Day is for the birds, literally, says Liza Field. So as the bluebirds start to scout for nest sites and other birds begin to stir, it's time for us to get outside, and pay attention to the decline in many of our best loved songbird species. Field teaches English and philosophy in the Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for local papers.
02/10/2009 more...
Time for new approach to bay restoration
By Robert Wieland
The effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay's health has failed to achieve its goals, notes Robert Wieland, a resource economist working to expand the application of economic analysis in environmental decision-making. So, perhaps we should try a different and market-based approach to how we spend public money and create environmental policy. Wieland owns Main Street Economics and wrote "Why People Catch Too Many Fish" (Center for Marine Conservation) and "Fish, Markets, and Fishermen" (Island Press).
02/03/2009 more...
Backyard Chickens Represent a Return to Basics
By Sara Kaplaniak
The quest for healthy food of known provenance has fueled renewed interest in keeping chickens, an idea that's out of synch with community rules in many towns and suburbs, writes Sara Kaplaniak in this 732-word piece. But could backyard chickens be good for the region's environment, and for our diets?
01/27/2009 more...
Clean water advocates find legal gold in desert stream
By Karl Blankenship
A dispute over a stream in the Arizona desert may provide clean water advocates with an effective tool for cleaning up our region's waters, reports Karl Blankenship. But the tool, the product of a court case, comes with ramifications. Blankenship is a veteran environmental journalist and edits the 50,000 circulation Bay Journal. He has reported for daily newspapers in Michigan and Pennsylvania, won numerous awards for his work and been widely published in regional and national magazines.
01/20/2009 more...
Bank executives see what President Bush did not
By Jim Minick
Recently Bank of America said it would no longer finance surface mining projects that bury streams, yet President Bush ratified a change in federal law that takes away a buffer that protected mountain streams. Jim Minick suggests we need to take back the moral high ground. Minick teaches English at Radford University in Virginia. 668 words.
01/13/2009 more...
Swans bring a winter message
By Tom Horton
Tundra swans fly to the Chesapeake's rivers from as far away as Alaska's North Slope, looking for the perfect place to winter. Their long migration tells us something about the value of protecting forests, a place these big waterfowl would never land, writes Tom Horton in this 697-word commentary.
01/06/2009 more...
Crisis in the Eastern Hemlock Forests
Cindy Ross
The cold that has gripped the Mid-Atlantic the past weeks has one good effect - it slows the spread of an invasive species that is killing millions of majestic hemlocks across the East. Cindy Ross reminds us how devastating invasive species can be, and says the hemlock wooly adelgid might rival the chestnut blight in the damage it does.
12/30/2008 more...
Letting Heaven and Nature Sing
By Liza Field
In this season in which we sing "Joy to the World," Liza Field finds herself baffled by radio preachers who come down hard on nature and call environmentalists "a cult." After all, the Bible talks about God's presence in nature, she notes. And, if the earth is the Lord's, she wonders, wouldn't believers want to protect the place?
12/22/2008 more...
The Train Has Finally Left the Station
By John W. Frece
Trains serve multiple purposes at a time when we can no longer afford the luxury of single-purpose investments, says John Frece, and transportation experts agree. They see rail as a way to reduce greenhouse gases, offset high gas prices, mitigate or at least avoid highway congestion, and foster transit-oriented city living. Frece observed state governments for years as a news reporter. For the past decade he has been a policy adviser and spokesperson on Smart Growth issues and written extensively on the subject.
12/16/2008 more...
Manure, the main event in a yearly cycle
By Jon Rutter
Manure, and lots of it, makes Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a fecund, fertile place, writes Jon Rutter. But all that manure is far too much of a good thing for the local waters and Chesapeake Bay, and the state is struggling to do something about it. Rutter writes for the Lancaster (PA) Sunday News. He completed a Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting at University of Rhode Island in 2005. In his spare time he cycles his county's back roads.
12/09/2008 more...
Time to rethink growth
By Tom Horton
When a bad economy results in better air, it's probably not a sign of long-term sustainability, suggests Tom Horton in this 800 word commentary. Horton writes that we need to rethink how we measure progress and wean ourselves off the idea that we need more growth and more people to increase our economy.
12/02/2008 more...
I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas
Spread glad tidings with sustainable gifts
By Carrie Madren
Buy local doesn't have to stop when the farmer's market closes, says Carrie Madren. There are many ways to think locally and sustainably when shopping for the holidays. 745 words.
11/25/2008 more...
Rescuing another bank
By Liza Field
Individuals may not be able to ease the global financial crisis, but they can help save our bank of groundwater, writes Liza Field. Field teaches philosophy and English in the Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for her local papers.
11/18/2008 more...
When going green, little things mean a lot
By Katherine Unger
Little things still make a difference, notes Katherine Unger, so at a time when we are thinking of grand strategies to stop global warming and wean ourselves off petroleum, why not re-emphasize things learned as an eight-year old, like turning off the lights when you leave a room? 653-words. Unger writes from Bethesda, Maryland
11/11/2008 more...
Gutting the Endangered Species Act
By Sharon Guynup
The Bush administration has proposed a series of end-of-term changes to regulations, including changes which weaken the Endangered Species Act that protects hundreds of species in the mid-Atlantic region. Sharon Guynup is an environmental writer for national magazines. 760 words.
11/04/2008 more...
A golden moment to stop sprawl
By Dick Cooper
High gasoline prices, tight credit and a falling housing market have stopped development and offer a breathing space in which policy makers can create new policies to protect our region's farms and forests - writes Dick Cooper. Will we have the political courage to seize the moment, he wonders. NOTE meeting on November 7. Dick Cooper spent 36 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, and in 1972 won the Pulitzer Prize for General Local Reporting
10/28/2008 more...
Autumn Apples: Last Fruits of the Season
By Carrie Madren
Apples, the last fruit of summer, remind Carrie Madren of the past spring and summer and give us one more way to support local farmers. Madren writes about environmental issues and sustainable living. 667-words.
10/21/2008 more...
Crabbers feel regulations pinch
By Dick Cooper
A ban on harvesting female crabs has cut into watermen's profits. Now, Dick Cooper reports that despite a federal declaration that the Chesapeake crab industry is a disaster, the watermen are criticizing the wisdom of the restrictions meant to rebuild the crab stocks.
10/14/2008 more...
Signs of stress for seasons symbols
By Sara Kaplaniak
Bats, bees, and fireflies lead to crickets, and each has a season. They connect Sara Kaplaniak's year. Now, she notes three are connected in a disturbing way, all suffering population declines and mysterious plagues. Is there a larger, common problem? 789 words.
10/07/2008 more...
Barack Obama: Platform contains Chesapeake-specific policies
By David Bancroft
This special two-part commentary from Bay Journal News Service presents the views of the Republican and Democratic candidates for President. This piece, written by David Bancroft, who is an energy and environment advisor to the Obama/Biden campaign explains why voting for Senator Barack Obama would be good for the environment in our region. A companion piece on Senator McCain accompanies this piece. We urge editors to present both to their readers.
09/30/2008 more...
John McCain: Stewardship ethic would guide decisions
By David Jenkins
This special two-part commentary from Bay Journal News Service presents the views of the Republican and Democratic candidates for President. This piece, written by David Jenkins, who is the government affairs director for Republicans for Environmental Protection, explains why voting for Senator John McCain would be good for the environment in our region. Jenkins serves as National Coordinator of the Environmental Stewardship Coalition for McCain-Palin 2008. A companion piece on Senator Obama accompanies this piece. We urge editors to present both to their readers.
09/30/2008 more...
Celebrating public lands
By Katherine Unger
You don't have to drive to Yosemite to visit some great public lands. From town parks to national forests, they are close by, writes Katherine Unger in this 773-word commentary. This Saturday is Public Lands Day, a perfect time to support these underfunded public treasures. Unger is a staff writer for The Wildlife Society in Bethesda, Maryland.
09/23/2008 more...
Bear Wisdom
By Sarah Minick
Every summer bears meet humans in unlikely places. Last week a bear wandered down Maryland's Eastern Shore, far from current bear territory, and many people have moved into traditional bear country. People can help keep bears safe, and in the wild with some easy practices, writes Sarah Minick in this 796 -word commentary. Minick is a knitter, basket maker, and reading teacher. She hikes and gardens in Virginia with her husband and three dogs.
09/16/2008 more...
Turning a Shambles of the Past into a Promise for the Future
By John W. Frece
The shambles of an abandoned hotel became the sparkplug for a downtown revival in Hagerstown, Maryland. It's a success story that any city seeking a place to locate a new facility might emulate, writes John Frece in this799-word commentary. Frece observed state governments for years as a news reporter. For the past decade he has been a policy adviser and spokesperson on Smart Growth issues and written extensively on the subject.
09/09/2008 more...
Cracking Local Eggs
By Jim Minick
Entrepreneurs from Virginia to New York are experimenting with ways to create local businesses, the kind that rebuild the town's economy and draw on local resources. Jim Minick shows us a good example and suggests that if we want to find more sustainable models for communities we need to crack some local eggs. Minick teaches English at Radford University in Virginia.
09/02/2008 more...
Tired
By Sierra Gladfelter
Do streams have a magnetic pull on tires? Do all tires dream of swimming with the trout? After a day on a stream clean-up, Sierra Gladfelter thinks they must. 792-words. Gladfelter is a Temple University freshman. She is as passionate about writing as she is about environmental issues and community.
08/26/2008 more...
A Gold Rushing Wind
By Chris Bolgiano
You can hear the trees in the Appalachians sighing in the wind. Anxiety? Maybe. Chris Bolgiano says that wind power may be an important part of our energy future, but not in the forests of Appalachia. There the breezes are unpredictable, the wildlife vulnerable, and the forests are the real gold. Bolgiano is a resident of western Virginia and is now Faculty Emeritus at the James Madison University Library in Harrisonburg, VA. She has written five books and many articles for regional and national publications.
08/19/2008 more...
Chesapeake Bay: You can't get there from here, but if you do, it's worth the effort
By Dick Cooper
A third of Americans live within a day's drive of Chesapeake Bay, yet public access to the bay is limited. Improving access may improve public understanding and support for the Chesapeake's restoration, says Dick Cooper in this749-word commentary. While a reporter at the Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union, Cooper won the Pulitzer Prize for General Local Reporting. He is now president of Cooper Media Associates, and lives and sails in St. Michaels, Maryland.
08/12/2008 more...
Supplying "the Pump"
By Liza Field
Banking groundwater? It's a dividend paying idea that Easterners need to adopt, writes Liza Field, in this 791-word commentary. Photo available. Field teaches philosophy and English in the Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College, plants trees and writes a weekly column for her local papers.
08/05/2008 more...
Counting Mayflies
By Tim Zink
The far-reaching disruptions to ecology caused by mining and drilling in the Appalachian mountains often goes uncounted when we add up the price of energy, writes Tim Zink in this 800-word commentary. Zink is a contributing editor at Bay Journal News Service and is Director of Communications for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations.
07/29/2008 more...
Living together: maybe it's a mother's thing?
By Cindy Ross
It's a big world, but when it comes to the pea patch it's not that big, Cindy Ross finds in this 767-word commentary. How we share it is the question. Ross lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about hiking, travel and recreation.
07/22/2008 more...
Choosing A Cradle of Sustainability Over A Grave of Waste
By Sara Kaplaniak
Wall-E, the hero in a new movie, can inspire us to search for innovative ways to sustain life on earth, notes Sara Kaplaniak in this 800 - word commentary. But right now, she'd be happy if movie theaters recycled. Kaplaniak is a freelance writer, and was formerly a staff member for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, and worked for the Nature Conservancy and Island Press publishing company. She lives in Pennsylvania.
07/15/2008 more...
The Weight of a Balloon
By Sarah Minick
Balloons seem weightless, yet when released burden the environment, particularly marine mammals. Sarah Minnick suggests we celebrate with the earth-friendliest balloons possible in this 792-word piece. Minick is a knitter, basket maker, and reading teacher. She hikes and gardens in Virginia.
07/08/2008 more...
Reason to Celebrate
By Cindy Ross
It's summer. Is there a better reason to celebrate? Cindy Ross suggests in this 736-word commentary that outdoor celebrations build traditions. Ross lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about hiking, travel and recreation.
07/01/2008 more...
We should mine the sea's last big gift
By Liza Field
Our seas and the life they nurture are in trouble. Weve overharvested their resources and over fertilized them with our wastes. Now theres talk of offshore drilling. Yet there is one resource the seas offer that weve barely touched, but should mine deeply, writes Liza Field, in this 776-word commentary. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
06/24/2008 more...
A Greener 'I Do'
By Katherine Unger
The "wedding-industrial-complex" generates a serious carbon footprint, notes Katherine Unger in this 652-word commentary. But the modern, eco-conscious bride and groom can make choices that lower the impact and provide an extra note for that all-important day. Unger, who is planning her own wedding, is a staff writer for The Wildlife Society in Bethesda, Maryland.
06/17/2008 more...
Mid-Atlantic natural gas offers a promise and a threat
By Nathaniel Gillespie
The Marcellus Shale, a geologic formation that spans the mid-Atlantic and is rich in natural gas, has drawn the attention of energy companies, and raised concerns about how to protect water and air quality, writes Nat Gillespie in this 798-word commentary. Gillespie is a fisheries scientist and a woodsman.
06/10/2008 more...
Public Access: A Growing Problem in the Chesapeake Country
By John R. Wennersten
The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure, but it's not so easy for the public to get to the water. John R. Wennersten notes governments are working to increase access, but suggests that developers have a role to play as well. 679 words. Wennersten is the author of several books and is a frequent contributor to the Bay Journal News Service.
06/03/2008 more...
The Pennsylvania Navy Sails Again
By Dick Cooper
The geese are long gone. The ospreys are hatching their young. Now a new migration is underway. The Pennsylvania Navy is streaming south to the Chesapeake Bay, intent on squeezing the most out of every weekend, writes Dick Cooper. Cooper has retired his commission in the Pennsylvania Navy. He now lives and sails in St. Michael's, Maryland. He spent 36 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, the last 28 on the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While a reporter at the Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union, Cooper and fellow writer John Machacek won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for General Local Reporting.
05/27/2008 more...
It all began with the Appalachian Trail
By Cindy Ross
June 7th is National Trail Day and this year the day it helps mark the 40th anniversary of the congressional act that created our nation's system of national trails. Getting involved with one of our many trails is a great way for people to get outdoors, says Cindy Ross in this 800-word commentary. Ross, and her husband Todd, are Triple Crown Hikers, having hiked the length of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. She lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about the outdoors.
05/20/2008 more...
A natural gem slipping away
Visitors from around the world go to Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to view the waterfowl and eagles that make the big marsh home. But the refuge is slipping away as the bay's waters rise. In this 741-word commentary, Dick Cooper argues we need to step in to stop the erosion. Cooper spent 36 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, the last 28 on the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While a reporter at the Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union, Cooper and fellow writer John Machacek won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for General Local Reporting. He is now president of Cooper Media Associates, a media consulting and writing firm. He lives and sails in St. Michaels, Maryland.
05/13/2008 more...
Baptizing the Christians
Polar opposites have come together. Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson agree on global warming. The typically divisive Christians are working together to protect an Earth they commonly agree is "the Lord's." Perhaps, writes Liza Field, the world is small enough and faith large enough that both can be kept alive. 812 words with quote; 757 without quotes. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
05/06/2008 more...
The Face of Our Food
By Sara Kaplaniak
Community supported agriculture puts a face on food, supports local farmers, provides healthier food, and has environmental benefits, notes Sara Kaplaniak in this 712-word commentary. Plus, the food tastes so fresh! Kaplaniak is a freelance writer, and was formerly a staff member for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, and worked for the Nature Conservancy and Island Press publishing company. She lives in Pennsylvania.
04/29/2008 more...
The Real Gift of Spring Gobbler Hunting
By Cindy Ross
When you find the moment, seize it -get outside and observe the world. That's the message Cindy Ross gives us in this 777 - word commentary on spring gobbler hunting. Ross lives in Pennsylvania and has written extensively about the outdoors.
04/22/2008 more...
The New Cheap Cars and Sustainability
By John R. Wennersten
Nano, a little car that promises mobility to millions in the world's developing nations, has received a frosty reception because it and its brethren may push up gasoline prices and carbon emissions. Yet it has a lesson for us all - develop new modes of transportation, says John R. Wennersten in this 635-word commentary. Wennersten is the author of several books and is a frequent contributor to the Bay Journal News Service.
04/15/2004 more...
Carbon Offsets a Future for Bay Farmers?
By Nat Gillespie
Trees and wetlands pull carbon dioxide, one of the global warming gasses, from the air and lock it away in their cells. That natural ability may provide farmers and landowners a new source of money, and provide a boost for the restoration of rivers and the Chesapeake, writes Nat Gillespie in this 742-word commentary. Gillespie is a fisheries scientist and a woodsman.
04/08/2008 more...
Greener gardens for bluer waters
By Bill Matuszeski
Green gardens can help keep our streams, rivers, and bays clean and blue, says Bill Matuszeski in this 791-word commentary. Matuszeski, who's a long-time gardener, retired in 2001 after 10 years as Director of Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program Office.
04/01/2008 more...
We Know Knot What We Do
By Chris Bolgiano
Honoring an environmental ethic while dealing with life's little challenges makes for some head-scratching moments, notes Chris Bolgiano in this 701-word commentary. Bolgiano is a resident of western Virginia and Faculty Emeritus at the James Madison University Library in Harrisonburg, VA. She has written five books and many articles for regional and national publications.
03/25/2008 more...
Spring: Time to think like a deer to avoid collisions
By Cindy Ross
In springtime wildlife is on the move and the chances of a car-and-deer collision greatly increase, reports Cindy Ross in this 771-word commentary. We can improve our chance of avoiding collisions by thinking like a deer, she suggests. Ross has written extensively, including 6 books, about nature, hiking, and the great outdoors.
03/18/2008 more...
Cats and Birds; or If Only Sylvester Wasn't Such a Good Hunter
By Jim Minick
To put it bluntly, cats are a non-native, invasive species overrunning their habitats, Jim Minick reports in this 663-word piece. Like starlings, zebra mussels, and multiflora roses, all the Garfields of the world have no real controls to limit their populations. They are "subsidized predators," well-fed little killers that annually kill more than a billion birds and small animals, according to wildlife biologists. Minick, who once owned and loved a cat, teaches English at Radford University in Virginia.
03/11/2008 more...
Our Fertile Crescent
By Tim Zink
Mid-Atlantic business and political leaders have begun an initiative to encourage green technology, building design, and energy conservation and Tim Zink knows just where they should begin - on traffic choked Interstate 95. Zink is a contributing editor at Bay Journal News Service and is Director of Communications for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations. 730-words.
03/04/2008 more...
Nurturing a love of nature in the backyard
By Sara Kaplaniak
Are backyard bird feeders good for birds? Sara Kaplaniak was struggling with this question until her children showed her the answer. 662-words. Kaplaniak is a freelance writer, and was formerly a staff member for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, worked for the Nature Conservancy and Island Press publishing company. She lives in Pennsylvania.
02/26/2008 more...
Going Tubeless
By Sarah D. Minick
Want to gain nine years of activity over a 65-year lifespan? Sarah Minnick gives us a plan in this 786 -word commentary. Minick is a knitter, basket maker, and reading teacher. She hikes and gardens in Virginia with her husband and three dogs.
02/19/2008 more...
Whose liability is it anyway?
By Robert Wieland
So, if government is accountable, what happens if an environmental experiment goes awry, asks Robert Wieland in this 683-word commentary? Basically, "Who you gonna sue?" Wieland is a resource economist working to expand the application of economic analysis in environmental decision-making. He owns Main Street Economics and wrote "Why People Catch Too Many Fish" (Center for Marine Conservation) and "Fish, Markets, and Fishermen" (Island Press).
02/12/2008 more...
Embrace Mother Nature; fall in love
By Liza Field
Get out; embrace nature, because what this old world needs love, sweet love, writes Liza Field in this 724-word valentine (689 words without the quotes from Stegner and Shakespeare) Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia..
02/05/2008 more...
Countering Carbon
By Richard Whiteford
When it comes to creating a much hotter world, scientists say we are dangerously close to an irreversible tipping point. Yet with concerted action, by all of us, we may head it off, says Richard Whiteford in this 800-word commentary. Whiteford has written more than 500 articles and a book, Wild Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Climate Project.
01/29/2008 more...
Little boats can cause big problems
By Brett Prettyman
Our recreational boats are spreading invasive species like zebra mussels into pristine waters as far flung as lakes in the Southwest, reports Brett Prettyman in this 725-word commentary. He notes that if we take some simple precautions, we can protect the waters we love. Prettyman has been an outdoors writer at the Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1990 and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America since 1991. He lives in Salt Lake.
01/22/2008 more...
Sojourning On The Shenandoah
Finding a Watershed Address
By Chris Bolgiano
Wet to the bone, Chris Bolgiano discovered, as she flowed downstream on the rain-swollen Shenandoah, just what it is to be a part of the great hydrological circle, and just how meaningful our watershed addresses really are. 743 words. She is a resident of western Virginia and is now Faculty Emeritus at the James Madison University Library in Harrisonburg, VA. She has written five books and many articles for regional and national publications.
01/15/2008 more...
To Flush or Not to Flush: The Moral Dilemma of Bathing Our Feces
By Sarah and Jim Minick
The 1.6 gallons our toilets use per flush represents 26.7 percent of daily household water usage. Daily we flush away 11.75 billion gallons of water, enough to fill a lake 2 miles wide, 3 miles long, and ten feet deep. That's not such a big lake, you think. But consider its size after a year, 365 days of our daily flush. Jim and Sarah Minick, well-water users in south-west Virginia explore ways to save some water in this 734-word commentary. Sarah is a reading teacher and Jim teaches English at Radford University in Virginia.
01/08/2008 more...
Vanishing Acts: The mid-Atlantic's disappearing landscapes
By John R. Wennersten
In this 777-word commentary, John R. Wennersten asks, "What's the force behind the changes we see in our landscape and our waters?" Sprawl, environmental and economic change, certainly. But, he concludes, behind all of them are political decisions and power. Wennersten is the author of several books and is a frequent contributor to the Bay Journal News Service.
12/31/2007 more...
Gift of water, gift of life
By Liza Field
Liza Field once wanted a creek for Christmas, a gift she's finally gotten. But her little brook's re-emergence after a summer of drought brings to mind some old truths worth remembering, she writes in this 782-word column. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
Column can run with or without Rumi stanza.
12/24/2007 more...
Eagles and kestrels, a tale of celebration and concern
By Cindy Ross
The wind funnels the hawks and song birds along the Appalachian chain and past Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, where the most complete record of the eastern migration is kept. The numbers collected there each fall tell us something about the health of birds, and our environment, writes Cindy Ross in this 679-word commentary.
12/18/2007 more...
Paper or plastic? There's a better choice
By Sara Kaplaniak
It's time to bag plastic bags, writes Sara Kaplaniak in this 759-word commentary. Making the bags requires millions of barrels of oil and the bags themselves become an environmental problem. Across the country cities are talking about bans, and around the world several nations have acted. Kaplaniak was a staff member for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, and worked for Nature Conservancy and Island Press publishing company. She lives and writes in Pennsylvania.
12/10/2007 more...
Creating Winter Warmth
By Sarah Minick
Generating inner warmth may be an antidote for global warming, and the morning chill, says Sarah Minick in this 707-word commentary. Plus, it can save you money on heat. Minick is a knitter, basket maker, and reading teacher. She hikes and gardens in Virginia with her husband and three dogs.
12/04/2007 more...
Doing the Right Thing?
Developers, Social Responsibility and the Environment
By John R. Wennersten
Do Developers have a responsibility to protect the environment beyond their legal obligation? Maybe not, but consumer trends and community pressures suggest they would be wise to adopt the best practices of new green development, writes John R. Wennersten in this 681-word commentary. Wennersten is the author of several books.
11/27/2007 more...
The Gift of Hunting
By Cindy Ross
A lot has changed since Cindy Ross started hunting when she was a rebellious teen. There are fewer hunters now, and less land open for hunters. Yet some things, perhaps the real gifts of the sport, haven't changed at all. Ross is an outdoor and travel writer living in Pennsylvania.
11/21/2007 more...
In mountain top removal, which side are you on?
By Jim Minick
Rumbling blats and lumbering machines are taking the tops off mountain throughout Appalachia to provide coal for electricity generation. The desecration of the landscape and the destruction of forests, rivers and valleys is easy to oppose. Yet everyone who flips on a light switch draws from the coal river that flows from the mountains. Which side are you on, asks Jim Minick in this 658-word commentary.
11/13/2007 more...
Really Sound Science
By Tim Zink
Shhhhhhhh. Even when we're quiet, there's lots of noise, notes Tim Zink in this 653 word commentary. That background hiss - dubbed noise pollution -- saps a lot of our energy. Now, innovative National Park Service folks are experimenting with quiet zones, places where we can find real quiet. Zink is a contributing editor at Bay Journal News Service and is Director of Communications for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations.
11/06/2007 more...
A speedy way to save gas, help Mother Earth
By Tom Horton
Want to do something good for your pocket book, water quality and global warming? Want to do it fast? Then slow down. That's the advice Tom Horton has for us in this -730-word commentary. If we all drove 55, the savings in gasoline and emissions would be immediate, and significant. And we'd save money. Horton is the award-winning author of six books about the Chesapeake Bay.
11/01/2007 more...
Bambi ate my rhododendrons:
The growing cost of an ecological imbalance
By Nat Gillespie
What suburban homeowner doesn't have a deer-in-the-back yard story? What wildlife manager doesn't have a too-many-deer-in-the-woods worry? The White-tailed deer has reached record-high population levels and is munching forest understory and the patio rhododendron, Nat Gillespie tells us in this 782-word commentary. Gillespie is a fisheries scientist and a woodsman.
10/23/2007 more...
To Fish is to Hope
Cindy Ross
Therapy for the body and soul comes in different forms. In this 684-word commentary Cindy Ross writes about a new program for wounded veterans that uses the art of fly fishing to restore physical and emotional balance. Ross is an outdoor and travel writer living in Pennsylvania.
10/16/2007 more...
Leaving the Lawn
By Liza Field
One day Liza Field looked at her wide-open lawn, considered the hours it took to mow it, and came to a conclusion. She wanted her lawn gone. She wanted trees. So, as she writes in this 775-word commentary, she started raking leaves in reverse. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
10/09/2007 more...
Living with Biofuels
By Bill Matuszeski
BioFuels offer the region's farmers strong prices, but bring along higher prices for food and a risk of more pollution to our rivers and the Chesapeake. What we need to do, says Bill Matuszeski in this 778-word commentary, is take extra measures to protect our waterways and move fast to become a national leader in a new kind of biofuels-those derived from cellulose.
Matuszeski retired in 2001 after 10 years as Director of Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program Office. He recently was Project Leader for the Chesapeake Bay Commission's biofuels study.
10/02/2007 more...
A view of the Chesapeake from a very slow boat
By Andrew Bystrom
If you go slowly you see many things, and this summer Andrew Bystrom traveled 1,500 miles around the Chesapeake Bay in a 17th century-style workboat, following in the wake of Capt. John Smith's famous exploration of the region 400 years ago. In the bay region, military test explosions and industrial ports are next door neighbors to rich underwater grass beds and eagle nests. But, Bystrom writes, there's only a tenuous balance between man's works and nature's.
09/25/2007 more...
Three tough steps to restore the Chesapeake
By Gerald W. Winegrad
We've done the easy work to restore the bay, now, if we want to make progress, we must mandate the hard things, writes Gerald W. Winegrad, an adjunct professor at the University Of Maryland School Of Public Policy in this 767-word piece. Winegrad says voluntary programs haven't worked, and we need to require pollution controls on agricultural lands, do better land planning, and plant more forests. Winegrad was in the Maryland legislature 16 years and is responsible for many bay initiatives, including the state's phosphate detergent ban.
09/18/2007 more...
Death by 10,000 Culverts
By Nat Gillespie
All over the mid-Atlantic, poorly designed or installed road culverts cut streams into segments, dividing fish habitat in ways that harm the region's brook trout population. These fish are the canaries-in-the-coal mine of our region's water quality, and restoring streams connectivity is a critical priority for fisheries biologists, writes Nat Gillespie, a fisheries scientist, in this 799-word commentary.
09/11/2007 more...
Furry crabs, twining vines, and other threats
By John R. Wennersten
New plants and animals enter the region all the time, notes Jack Wennersten. Some of them become invasive and threaten the order of our native ecosystems. In this 771-word commentary he suggests that vigilance, aggressive eradication and some common sense will help prevent problems.
Wennersten is the author of several books and recently served as a Senior Fellow in Environment and Technology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He enjoys examining the "fixed ideas" that many people have about their social environment. He is Professor Emeritus of Environmental History at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.
09/04/2007 more...
A lesson from a dauntless fish
By Tom Horton
Tom Horton, noted author of six books about the Chesapeake Bay and award-winning environmental journalist, says his optimism about restoring Chesapeake Bay has waned. Still, there's reason to hope, and he takes a lesson from a fish that has never given up hope.
08/28/2007 more...
Talking Transit-ion
By John W. Frece
Have you heard your political leaders tell you they'll solve your traffic problems? So has John Frece. In this 799-word commentary he writes that he'd like them to quit trying to fool us and tell us the facts instead. Frece observed state governments for years as a news reporter. For the past decade he has been a policy adviser and spokesperson on Smart Growth issues and written extensively on the subject.
08/21/2007 more...
Walking On Watershed
By Liza Field
We don't need more scientific conventions to save our watersheds, writes Liza Field in this 783-word commentary. What we need is a walk. Only by getting out, seeing the problems and finding their solutions will we protect our streams and rivers, she writes. Field teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College and writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia.
08/14/2007 more...
Eco-Forestry, A Clear-cut Idea
By Jim Minick
Forestry practices that keep forests intact, maintain a healthy habitat, and provide long-term yields of valuable timber are gaining ground against clear cutting. Every consumer can aid this trend, writes Jim Minnick, a teacher and a forester, in this 794-word commentary.
08/07/2007 more...
Sharing the Wind
by Sara Kaplaniak
Appropriately sited, wind farms could be a beautiful thing, writes Sara Kaplaniak in this 744-word commentary. However, in the wrong place, she notes, they will destroy habitat and upset nature's rhythms. Kaplaniak spent more than a decade working to advance environmental causes. She held several positions at The Nature Conservancy and was a staff member for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford. Sara began her career as an assistant at Island Press, an environmental publishing company in Washington, D.C. She lives and writes in Pennsylvania, where she reduces, reuses and recycles along with her husband and two kids.
07/31/2007 more...
Time for Congress to kill the dead zones
by Scott Faber
Every summer huge areas of the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, and other estuaries are declared "dead zones," areas so low in oxygen that almost nothing can live in them. Scott Faber writes in this 800-word commentary that a group of eminent scientists has prescribed a cure and that Congress could apply it with changes in the Farm Bill and the Energy Bill. Faber has been a campaign director at Environmental Defense for seven years and serves on the Board of Directors of Protected Harvest, which certifies sustainably grown foods. He previously worked at American Rivers and holds a JD from Georgetown.
07/24/2007 more..
The Argument of Simple Living
by Cindy Ross
How simple is simple? What choices and sacrifices should we make to keep our planet healthy? Does our definition change? Cindy Ross explores the idea of simple living and what makes a happy life in this 800-word commentary.
07/17/2007 more...
Summertime, a time to watch the mercury
by Sharon Guynup
Summertime and fishing naturally go together. Now, so does fishing and reading your state's fish consumption advisories, Sharon Guynup, an environmental writer for national magazines, notes in this 799 - word commentary. She argues for stronger controls on mercury emissions and eliminating coal-fired power plants.
07/10/2007 more...
Family forests: public utilities that deserve support
by Jim Minick
Family-owned forests produce most of the nation's timber and provide other important public services. However, family forests are facing a difficult period. Jim Minick, a teacher and a forester, says in this 766-word commentary that changes in public policy could help protect these natural resources.
07/02/2007 more...
Swimming Lessons
by Liza Field
Liza Field, a writer and teacher in Wytheville, Virginia, writes in this 774-word commentary that understanding the connections between details and facts and the larger world helps students learn, and may help us protect our future. Some of the best lessons, she says, are learned swimming in rivers. Field writes a weekly column for newspapers in southwestern Virginia and teaches philosophy and English in Virginia Governor's School and Wytheville Community College.
06/26/2007 more...
The Potomac: Last Chance Watershed?
by John R. Wennersten
The little reaches of the headwaters are the places we need to concentrate to clean up our big rivers, says Jack Wennersten. In this 785 - word commentary about the Potomac, Wennersten notes how the river briefly improved, but has begun to deteriorate due to burgeoning population and a growing poultry industry in its headwaters. Wennersten is the author of several books and recently served as a Senior Fellow in Environment and Technology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He enjoys examining the "fixed ideas" that many people have about their social environment. He is Professor Emeritus of Environmental History at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.
06/19/2007 more..
Changing Behavior When the Facts Change
by John W. Frece
We are at a tipping point where we need to change our notions about land use and the rights of land owners in order to ensure better growth patterns for our future, John Frece writes in this 798-word commentary. Frece observed state governments for years as a news reporter. For the past decade he has been a policy adviser and spokesperson on Smart Growth issues and written extensively on the subject.
06/12/2007 more...
No Child Left Inside: Saving our kids from Nature Deficit Disorder
by Cindy Ross
There is startling new evidence that spending time in nature is as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep, Cindy Ross notes in this 743-word commentary. We adults need to get our children outdoors, she argues, and let them explore. Ross is the author of several books on outdoor adventures.
06/05/2007 more...
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Choice
H. Bruce Franklin
Menhaden are small, bony and oily, hardly a delicacy for anyone's plate. However, H. Bruce Franklin argues the menhaden's dual role as filter and food makes it a key to the health of our coastal waters and says it's time to protect the fish. This essay is based on his new book, Menhaden, The Most Important Fish in the Sea. Franklin is the John Cotton Dana Professor of English and American Studies at Rutgers University-Newark and the author of eighteen books and many articles.
05/29/2007 more...
The Parched East
by John R. Wennersten
Easterners, long accustomed to plenty of water, can expect increasing water shortages, says John R. Wennersten in this 800-word commentary. The shortages may bring their own economic, social and environmental impacts. Wennersten is the author of several books and recently served as a Senior Fellow in Environment and Technology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Wennersten enjoys examining the "fixed ideas" that many people have about their social environment. He is Professor Emeritus of Environmental History at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.
05/22/07 more...
Shad and Shared Cars
by Tim Zink
Every spring Tim Zink suffers a peculiar malady. He explains in this 780-word commentary how a new car sharing service soothes the symptoms, helps address some of our region's environmental issues, and makes life simpler for urban dwellers. Zink is a contributing editor at Bay Journal News Service and Director of Communications for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations. He lives in Washington, D.C.
05/15/2007 more...
Glimpses of John Smith's Chesapeake, and ours
by Tom Horton
On the occasion of Jamestown's 400th anniversary this weekend, Tom Horton, noted author of six books about the Chesapeake Bay and award-winning environmental journalist, says we can still catch sight of the Chesapeake explorer John Smith saw 400 years ago, but there are differences, some surprising, between the Bay he saw and the one we live with.
05/08/2007 more...
Diplomacy by Brook Trout
by Nat Gillespie
The little brook trout, state fish for New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, could be a hero in the effort to restore streams and rivers in the mid-Atlantic, writes Nat Gillespie, a fisheries scientist, in this 814-word commentary.
05/02/2006 more...
A worthwhile investment in buffers
by Jim Minick
Two conservation programs up for renewal this year have helped farmers protect water quality and provide wildlife habitat. Nationally, the programs need more money, but in our region, Jim Minick points out in this 800-word piece, they need more farmers participating.
04/24/2007 more...
Losing The Moonlight
by Jack Greer
All across the region, bright lights are changing our dark, rural skies. In this 708 word commentary, Jack Greer says we're losing a "night sky attitude" and an appreciation of the dark. Greer writes about Chesapeake Bay science and policy for the University of Maryland Sea Grant College.
04/16/2007 more...
Sheet Music
by Jim Minick
April 19th is national "Hanging Out Day" and Jim Minick celebrates the beauty of the idea in this 800-word commentary. Why not use the sun and the wind to dry our clothes, he asks. It would save us money and wear and tear on clothes and on the environment. Plus, it's an art!
04/10/2007 more...
Farm Bill Offers Best Chance for Bay
by Scott Faber
Congress is designing a new Farm Bill. The policies and funding it includes will greatly influence the pace of restoration of our streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, says Scott Faber in this 800-word commentary.
Scott Faber has been a campaign director at Environmental Defense for seven years and serves on the Board of Directors of Protected Harvest, which certifies sustainably grown foods. He previously worked at American Rivers and holds a JD from Georgetown.
04/03/2007 more...
Redistributing the Passengers
by John W. Frece
In this 825-word piece about Smart Growth John Frece argues that it seems increasingly clear there must be a limit to the growth we can absorb, a finite "carrying capacity of our land" and a point beyond which we inevitably become different people living in a different place. There is a point beyond which our landscapes, our array of towns and our environment will become unrecognizable, dysfunctional, or both, he says.
Frece observed state governments for years as a news reporter. For the past decade he has been a policy adviser and spokesperson on Smart Growth issues and written extensively on the subject.
03/24/07 more...
EPA torches public's right to know
by Karl Blankenship
What would you do if the chemical plant next door burst into flame? Karl Blankenship, the author of this 798-word column went on-line to find out what might be going up in the smoke around his house, but others may not have that opportunity unless Congress undoes a change recently made by the Environmental Protection Agency. The change would reduce the value of the Toxic Release Inventory, meaning we will have less access to information about the chemicals in the plant next door. (NOTE: STATE SPECIFIC INSERTS AT END OF STORY).
Blankenship is a veteran environmental journalist and edits the 47,000 circulation Bay Journal. He has reported for daily newspapers in Michigan and Pennsylvania, won numerous awards for his work and been widely published in regional and national magazines.
03/20/2007 more...
How much is enough?
by Jan Eliassen
In our running public argument about growth, we often hear the phrase, "Growth is good." Yet we will readily admit that somewhere between our current population and 100 million more people, there is a line we should not cross, a point where enough is enough. Jan Eliassen argues in this 774-word piece that once we have made that admission, we have the obligation to begin planning for a sustainable future.
Eliassen served on the planning council of Virginia Beach. He was active in the protection and restoration of Back Bay, Virginia. An expert on agricultural policy, he has written extensively on conservation, growth and agriculture issues.
03/13/2007 more...
Creek Walking
by Rick Van Noy
Creek walking is not an official after school sport, yet like other sports it requires skills, teaches values and -- equally important in this sedentary age of digital devices -- gets kids outdoors, writes author Rick Van Noy in this 800 word column.. Unlike sports on a field, creek walking puts kids in touch with natural terrain and living things, and its playing surface is always shifting.
Van Noy is a lifelong creek walker, but his passion for the sport has rekindled as he introduces his two children to the game. Van Noy teaches literature and writing at Radford University in southwestern Virginia and is presently working on a collection of literary nonfiction called Nature Knows Best: Essays on Getting Kids Outside.
03/06/2007 more...
Twilight on Beards Creek
by Jack Greer
Jack Greer writes about Chesapeake Bay science and policy for the University of Maryland Sea Grant College. In this commentary he writes about Beards Creek, a tributary of the South River off Chesapeake Bay. Near his community dock a stormwater discharge pipe pours sediment from upstream development into the creek. Our demand for shopping centers, roads, and subdivisions fuels the major part of sediment runoff he notes. Perhaps we should all share the costs of the state-of-the-art storm water systems needed to protect our streams and rivers, he suggests.
02/27/2007 more...
Rowing against the tide:
Environmental restoration in the face of population growth
by Tom Horton
In this commentary Tom Horton, noted author of six books about the Chesapeake Bay and award-winning environmental journalist, says trying to restore the Chesapeake Bay without also trying to limit population growth gives us a doubly difficult task: to restore the bay we need to roll-back the levels of pollution by 50 years; yet population is already twice what it was 50 years ago, and is likely to increase by 50 percent in the next 50. Try to explain this, he says, to international audiences that seriously try to limit population growth.
02/20/2007 more...
A Walk by the Old Dog Park
by Tim Zink
In this column, Tim Zink suggests we pay attention when our local trees are threatened. He notes that trees make great neighbors and excellent public engineers. According to Tim, a regular contributor to Bay Journal News Service who writes from Washington, DC, trees work for us in unappreciated ways. Urban trees reduce the flood that races to storm drains. They cool our houses in summer, break the winter wind, and suck-up air pollutants. Trees cool streams for fish and provide shelter for birds. They also do heavy-duty environmental engineering. New York City does not need expensive filtration equipment on the water supplies it draws from three forested watersheds sitting between 25 and 125 miles of Manhattan. These intact watersheds deliver remarkably pure water to more than 10 million people. At taste tests, New York City's tap water has been recognized among the best in the world. (Seven municipalities in the mid-Atlantic have signed onto the urban tree goal for the Chesapeake Bay Region. They are Leesburg, VA, Columbia, PA, and Annapolis, Baltimore, Cumberland, Hyattsville and Rockville, and Baltimore County in MD).
02/13/2007 more...
Foreign invaders enter our gardens; threaten our woods
by Jim Minick
Fanciful invaders from outer space are no where near as scary as the aliens that Jim Minick reports have already invaded our gardens and woods. Minick, who teaches English at Radford University in Radford , VA and writes a column for the Roanoke Times New River Current has spent considerable time tramping the fields and woods of his native Pennsylvania and adopted Virginia . He writes about how foreign species, as different as bittersweet, hemlock wooly adelgid, and nutria have taken hold in the mid-Atlantic and are doing tremendous harm. We need a better national policy to keep them out, he suggests. Noting they lack natural predators, he suggests it may be time to eat them.
02/06/2007 more...
A Changing Climate for the Chesapeake Bay ?
by Donald F. Boesch
This week's author, Don Boesch, a noted estuarine scientist, knows about systems. If you shift one piece the whole system must adjust. He writes that science, the public, and nearly all politicians now agree that man contributes to global warming. Now as we think about environmental policies to save our region, we need to ask how our decisions about green-house gasses will influence our efforts to restore the environment, and vice-versa.
01/30/07 more...