Highlights:

“We know that very diverse ecological communities provide important ecosystem services, such as pollinators, [...] These services are important not only to human well-being, but plants and animals as well.”

“Ask questions that are both intellectually intriguing to you, but at the same time strive to ensure the questions are relevant to society in general.“ 

“I also believe that most people care more than they know about sustainable practices.” 

In this interview, UMBC Sustainability’s Laura Bartock (‘2013) asks GES Professor Christopher Swan about sustainability and his research.

Dr. Swan is a leading researcher in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and specializes in Community Ecology, Biodiversity, Urban Ecology, Ecology of Rivers & Streams.

Highlights:

“We know that very diverse ecological communities provide important ecosystem services, such as pollinators, [...] These services are important not only to human well-being, but plants and animals as well.”

“Ask questions that are both intellectually intriguing to you, but at the same time strive to ensure the questions are relevant to society in general.“

“I also believe that most people care more than they know about sustainable practices.”

More from the interview:

Laura Bartock: Why is sustainability important to you (personally/professionally)?

Dr. Swan: The process of accepting the limitations of the environment is an inevitable part of our lives since humans have so successfully been able to extract natural resources for their perceived own well-being.  To me, proceeding without any foresight as to how to best manage the environment is irresponsible. Now, I am not of the mind set at all that the environment can return to its pristine state.  However, I do think that resources can be managed better and more responsibly.  Furthermore, I also believe that most people care more than they know about sustainable practices.

Laura Bartock: How would you explain your research goals to the average person on the street?

CS: My interests in lie in explaining how biodiversity – or the number of different kinds of co-occurring plants and animals – is maintained in space and time.  This is important because we know that very diverse ecological communities provide important ecosystem services, such as pollinators, nutrient recycling, freshwater, improved soil conditions, and how well ecosystems can recover from disturbances, like hurricanes and fire.  These services are important not only to human well-being, but plants and animals as well.

LB: How did you become interested in this project?

CS: A very good question.  Scientists approach their research in an effort to seek generality.  What processes explain the same patterns in different systems?  For example, if we know that nitrogen loading to the Chesapeake Bay can lead to dead zones in the summer, is this process unique to this estuary only, or to all estuaries?  We know, of course, this can occur in all kinds of waterbodies.

I became interested in the field of community ecology, which seeks to understand the mechanisms that shape species coexistence across multiple scales, largely because it was theoretically intriguing.  The notion of generalizing empirical results to apply in many types of ecosystems is powerful, and I wanted to be apart of that.

Another reason is that species are going extinct at an alarming rate.

What are the consequences of this for other ecosystem processes, like nutrient cycling and soil development? Many people in the world rely on the natural environment to provide for them daily.

The link between biodiversity and those needs makes the theory I test relevant.

LB: What advice would you give to someone embarking on their own research journey?

CS: Ask questions that are both intellectually intriguing to you, but at the same time strive to ensure the questions are relevant to society in general. 

Seek to make the work personally rewarding.  Research is hard and iterative, which means perseverance is a must.  Therefore, really having a passion for the science is critical to getting through the tough times.

Read broadly in your field, and often.  Reading good material is essential to being a good writer, and writing will comprise the vast majority of your time.  Some suggest reading two peer-reviewed articles a day, as well as writing 1-2 hours a day.  This is great advice, but often a hard pace to maintain.

Engage with good collaborators.  Personally, I value smaller research teams.  Collaboration is an organic process where intellectual engagement feeds enthusiasm and vice versa.

Take risks and accept failures. One doesn’t grow intellectually without failing, working through the problem, and moving forward. Successes don’t necessarily make you a better scientist, coping with failures does.

Do you know a sustainability champion on campus? Refer them to us to be featured, at sustainability@umbc.edu.

Read the interview in its entirety at Sustainability Matters at UMBC

NSF REU 2014

Research Experiences for Undergraduates
in Green Building Environments at UMBC

May 28 – August 15, 2014

New emerging “smart plugs” embed a micro-controller and low-power communication device that allows you to monitor the power consumption of individual devices (e.g., microwave, coffee machine, laptop) plugged into power sockets, and communicate such power consumption information over a wireless network to a central monitoring station. Such devices could lead to substantial savings of energy & money by enabling Internet-based monitoring & real-time control of the behavior of individual appliances. This project will use real-life microcontroller kits (ACME Plugs from Moteware) & real-life building measurement data to explore whether such measurement-based monitoring can be used to

• Develop Smart Circuit Breaker — i.e., to lessen the burden of the user of plugging each and every appliance/device in the building with a smart plug; we will investigate connecting multiple devices together with an individual smart plug/smart circuit breaker and design a smart circuit breaker using energy metering chip (ADE7753), AC/DC power supply, Microcontroller with radio (TI MSP430F16 and Cypress Powerline Communications (PLC) modem) and solid state AC relay (Sharp S216SE1) etc.
• Profile individual devices — i.e., use NILM (non-intrusive load monitoring) data analytics algorithm on the time-series of power consumption traces to infer the type of plugged-in device (e.g., distinguish between a laptop & a coffeemaker), thereby building a dynamic catalog of the types & number of devices connected by a consumer.
• Predict the power consumption of individual rooms — i.e., using the past history of the power consumption of individual devices to create predictive inferences of the usage patterns for individual devices (e.g., learn that the individual switches on a dehumidifier for ~3 hrs every Thu).
• Receive $4,500 stipend, free on-campus housing
• Access to university resources, Travel support to UMBC, Unique research experience

Please send your CV (include any relevant experience) and unofficial transcript to Dr. Nirmalya Roy at nroy@umbc.edu .

Well there is no need to splurge on an expensive bike on a college student's budget. The perfect solution is the RetrieverFleet! The program is free (unless renting overnight) and consists of 6 Diamondback bikes!

How does it work?

You hand your UMBC I.D. to the RAC staff and check out a bike—they come with locks and helmets. Bikes are due back to the RAC 15 minutes before closing time to avoid the overnight charge.

Need the bike for more than one day?

The program allows for overnight rentals at the rate of $17 per day and the first day is free. 

Author: Uyen Nguyen, OCSS Sustainability Outreach Intern

Use your power to make change a reality.

Vote here for a thrift store from rescued items!

SGA's Prove It! competition features many student groups looking to create real change on campus. This week, UMBC students vote for the grant proposals they like the most. The two winning ideas will receive $10,000 to implement their programs on campus.

One of the campaigns that students can vote for is Retriever Treasure.

During the move-out period every May, UMBC deals with a significantly larger trash load than average. Much of this extra waste is from residential students cleaning out their rooms. A lot of what students discard isn't trash; materials in good or nearly perfect condition end up being tossed because students cannot bring them home. Come fall semester, students need to buy many of the same things again at full price.

What a waste to throw out materials like bookshelves, coat hangers, garbage bins, and printers! How can UMBC students stop this destructive cycle of waste?

We think Retriever Treasure is the answer!

A group of students from SEA (Students for Environmental Awareness) is working to set up a student-run system of collections to save students' unwanted but usable materials.

The campaign strives to eliminate excess waste while saving students money through a few steps:

1. STUDENTS DONATE: A collections drive will be set up near residence halls and dumpsters during the move-out period in May. This would allow students to donate their gently used, unwanted items.

2. STORAGE: The Retriever Treasure team will rent trucks and storage space to store the collected items over the summer.

3. THRIFT STORE!: Come fall semester, Retriever Treasure will bring the items back to campus during the move-in period to have a yard sale. There, students would be able to buy items that other students/faculty donated at a fraction of the prices found at commercial stores!

The proceeds of the sale go back to the UMBC community by sustaining this program year after year. And additional funds will be put towards a revolving fund for students looking to start their own initiatives to make campus a better place.

You can make Retriever Treasure a reality! Vote for this campaign this week, Monday March 24 through Friday March 28 in the myUMBC Prove It! poll.

***EDIT: Vote for us HERE: http://my.umbc.edu/discussions/11313

(AFP) – 5 days ago  

Washington — US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on American ambassadors around the world to make the fight against climate change a top priority ahead of new UN talks next year.

In his first department-wide policy guidance statement since taking office a year ago, he told his 70,000 staff: "The environment has been one of the central causes of my life."

"Protecting our environment and meeting the challenge of global climate change is a critical mission for me as our country's top diplomat," Kerry said in the letter issued on Friday to all 275 US embassies and across the State Department.

"It's also a critical mission for all of you: our brave men and women on the frontlines of direct diplomacy," he added in the document seen by AFP.

He urged all "chiefs of mission to make climate change a priority for all relevant personnel and to promote concerted action at posts and in host countries to address this problem."

The clarion call comes ahead of key UN-led talks in Paris next year when the international community is due to try to set new emissions goals for greenhouses blamed for global warming.

The emission levels will be applicable to all countries, not just the developed world, and will come into effect in 2020.

The new agreement will replace the Kyoto treaty which is due to expire in 2015.

The United States, which along with China is the world's top polluter, did not ratify the Kyoto Treaty arguing that developing countries should also be obligated to cut greenhouse gases.

Kerry travelled to China last month and won agreement from Beijing that the US and China would cooperate closely ahead of the Paris talks as they aim to agree emissions targets.

In his policy guidance, Kerry set out a seven step program to enhance the focus on tackling climate change including boosting multilateral and bilateral efforts.

"We're talking about the future of our earth and of humanity. We need to elevate the environment in everything we do," he said.

It was, he said "our call to conscience as citizens of this fragile planet we inhabit."

Kerry is currently weighing a decision on whether the US should approve the building of a pipeline carrying oil from the tar sands of Alberta, in Canada, to US refineries in Nebraska and then Texas.

An environmental review found that the Keystone XL project would not add significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

But opponents are calling on Kerry to reject the proposals by Canadian operators TransCanada, and a small but noisy protest was held late Thursday outside the State Department.

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

Israel is home to three of the world’s most diverse marine systems – the Mediterranean, Red and Dead Seas. Although found in rare and remarkable proximity, each is distinguished by unique oceanography, biology, flora and fauna, making Israel a particularly extraordinary destination for students of marine and environmental sciences.

This summer, from June 22 to July 6, Yonathan Zohar, chair of UMBC’s Department of Marine Biotechnology, will lead students on an intensive study of the three Israeli seas at the Ruppin Academic Center, in Netanya, Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. Students will be exposed not only to the diverse biology of the three seas, but also to leading marine and environmental scientists from around the world. “Exploring Three Seas: Med, Red and Dead” – which will explore such topics as marine and environmental biology, oceanography, marine and estuarine ecology, microbial ecology, marine flora and fauna, coastal geology and limnology through hands-on field trips and laboratories – is the latest offering from an emerging model of focused, shorter-term study abroad programs at UMBC.

“Exploring Three Seas: Med, Red and Dead” is a part of a long-term research and educational partnership between UMBC and the Ruppin Academic Center’s School of Marine Sciences. Expanding on UMBC’s commitment to marine and biotechnology, faculty from UMBC and the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology (a joint University System of Maryland research institute) have taught intensive, one-week courses at the Ruppin Academic Center for the past five years. Many of these same faculty members helped to develop the graduate program at the School for Marine Sciences. “This summer program is what we hope to be the beginning of broadening the partnership between Ruppin Academic Center’s School of Marine Sciences and UMBC,” says Zohar.

International study and research are part of the culture at UMBC, allowing students to build their global outlook and cross-cultural skills. Shorter, intensive, professor-led trips, such as Zohar’s are a unique and increasingly popular prototype for study. Rather than the traditional mold of study abroad, which typically focuses on classroom-style learning and touring the regions of a country, these focus more intensely on experiential learning and fieldwork.

"These programs enable students to learn a great deal in a condensed time period – not only about themselves and their academic interests, but also about the world around them," says Katherine Heird, assistant director of Study Abroad at UMBC. "Because students are accompanied by their UMBC peers, faculty and staff, faculty-led programs are often an easier and less intimidating introduction to living and studying in a foreign country than other, more independent program models."

UMBC’s International Field Research Program is considered a pioneer of such innovative experiential study programs. Each spring, a small group of students from the Health Administration and Public Policy (HAPP) program spends the semester preparing for a seven-day summer trip to Switzerland, where they conduct individual field research to better understand how culture, policy and practice interact to achieve a sustainable and healthy society.

Shorter programs often allow students whose schedules would otherwise not allow full semester travel to experience international and cross-cultural study – and professors are being encouraged to consider this model. Maggie Holland, professor of Geography and Environmental Systems, is traveling with students from across four majors to Costa Rica for an international study in sustainable development and conservation. This innovative study abroad experience will involve a mix of field research and service learning. Over the course of 15 days, students will meet with community groups, engage in service learning, gain experience in field research techniques, participate in focus group discussions and contribute to mapping.

"We feel strongly that our department’s offering of a field course should be designed to offer students a rich experience at relatively low-cost, and with a shorter time commitment than a full semester," says Dr. Holland, who believes that academic, financial and family reasons often prevent students from taking a full semester abroad. "Offering this class as an early summer session course opens the program more broadly to UMBC students, as their perspectives and skills could lend substantially to the overall experience.”

Rising junior and senior undergraduates (BIOL 499) and graduate students (BIOL 601) interested in “Exploring Three Seas: Med, Red and Dead” are encouraged to apply by the deadline of March 10.

Learn More

Download Application

(3/4/2014)

RecycleMania parade on Monday, March 10^th from 12-1/1:30!

Rain/snow date will be Wednesday, March 12th at the same time.

The parade will begin at the Performing Arts & Humanities
Center at 12:10, continue down to the  University Center Plaza with a speech from President Hrabowski and end with a celebration at the Commons Terrace. There will be Electric Vehicles floats designed by groups from across campus, bikes, segways, dance and musical performances and more!

We are looking for volunteers interested in promoting this event by acting as parade marshals, photographers, promoters, etc.  We want you to lend us your talent and enthusiasm in order to make this year’s parade the best it can be!

Yesterday, I was arrested for opposing climate change. I, along with hundreds of other college students from UMBC and elsewhere, peacefully protested the proposed Keystone XL pipeline by disobeying orders to leave the White House sidewalk.

A lot of people have asked me why I tried to get arrested. It was not a decision I made lightly. I have never been arrested before, and don’t plan on it again.

I want to prove that this issue is serious enough to get arrested over. Not serious only for me, but for all Americans. Farmers in the Midwest who depend on the Ogallala Aquifer to grow the nation’s crops. Americans who depend on them for food. First nations in Alberta who find their voice silenced by Big Oil.

It's serious for people in Miami, Ocean City, and all along the coasts who are affected by human-caused rising seas. For the people of New York City and New Orleans who’ve already felt the disasters of stronger storms and rising waters.

This pipeline makes no sense for America. TransCanada and the oil companies get to sell oil more cheaply on the world market, and what does America get in exchange? Temporary construction jobs, carbon dioxide pollution, and a 1,700 mile long pipeline which has already spilled at least 14 times in 12 months of operating its southern portion.

We can’t end our dependence for fossil fuels in an instant. But we can sure as hell keep TransCanada from increasing our dependence. Say no to Keystone XL. Say yes to energy independence and renewable energy.

To quote a sign at the rally, “KXL most affects people who can’t afford to be here.” They couldn’t, but I could. I got arrested because I could make my voice heard.

What do you think? You can speak out too. Tell your friends and family about Keystone XL. Tell Obama that America rejects fossil fuel dependence, rejects pollution, and rejects the Keystone XL pipeline.

UMBC has a great history of Civic Action. Thanks for reading.

Patrick Hixenbaugh
UMBC Students for Environmental Awareness

Sources: