Video from Online Town Hall
Updated: Below is the complete video of Wednesday's town hall meeting on jobs.
The O'Malley Blog
Category » Sustainability
Chesapeake Bay Foundation honors Gov. O’Malley
Last Friday, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recognized Governor O'Malley for his leadership on environmental issues.
CBF President William Baker said: "I believe that a new day may be dawning for the Chesapeake Bay, and Governor O'Malley's hard work and leadership have helped us get there."
Governor O'Malley was honored not only for his leadership, but also:
- Pushing for science-based crab fishing;
- Prohibiting the introduction of Asian oysters into Maryland waters;
- Sponsoring Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act;
- Founding BayStat to rigorously track all aspects of the Bay clean up; and
- Positioning Maryland as the nations' leader on environmental education.
Governor O'Malley has been a strong advocate for environmental issues since he was a child, often talking about his family visits to the Blackwater Refuge and Peachblossom Creek on the Eastern Shore.
What matters to you?
Wednesday we asked Marylanders like you to fill out the Annual Maryland Issues Survey - and the response has been overwhelming.
Hundreds of concerned citizens have told us which issues matter most to them in these difficult times.
Gov. O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Brown want your help to preserve the progress Maryland has made in the last couple years.
If you haven't already completed yours yet, please do so today so we can continue moving Maryland forward!
We work for you. Help us do it better.
In the coming months, Maryland is set to make some major decisions – and Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown want your input.
Do you have strong opinions on the future of the Maryland? What should our priorities as a state be? How can the government do better by you?
Please take a moment to take the Annual Maryland Issues Survey and help us make Maryland the best state in the nation.
Video: Governor O’Malley on sustainable development in Sweden
Governor O'Malley recorded a brief message Wednesday about an eco-friendly community in Hammarby Sjöstad, Sweden, and about the lessons of sustainability that should be adopted in the U.S.
Flickr photo sets from Sweden
We've uploaded images from Governor O'Malley's visit to Sweden on Wednesday as a new photoset on Flickr.
Marylanders share great tips for going green
After signing more than a dozen environmental bills into law last month, Governor O'Malley asked Marylanders to share their best tips for 'going green' in their daily lives -- and hundreds of you responded.
Many were so helpful that we wanted to share them -- check out this page for a compilation of tips submitted by Marylanders like you, like this one from Rich in Harford County:
"Drive gently -- accelerate slowly instead of flooring it, glide to a stop instead of rushing up and then stomping the brakes. Driving gently can save up to one-third of the gas you use. And in addition to saving money, it is also safer!"
The bills that Gov. O'Malley signed include a commitment to reducing greenhouse gasses by 25 percent by 2020 and encouraging sustainable growth with the promotion of public transit and responsible development. Read more about the Governor's work on the environment here.
Help Maryland become a leader on environmental reform by following these tips and submitting your own.
Vilsack: Maryland farmers keep your drinking water clean
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack this weekend praised the state of Maryland for its proactive efforts to keep drinking water clean in an article he penned for the Baltimore Sun.
Maryland was the first state to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in 1997 and since then has prevented 8.6 million pounds of nitrogen, 820,000 pounds of phosphorous and 149,000 tons of sediment from going into the Chesapeake Bay.
Just last month, Vilsack and Governor Martin O'Malley amended the agreement to make it even easier for farmers and landowners to practice conservation.
Read the rest of the article here.
Gov. O’Malley signs environmental legislation package
Earlier today, Governor Martin O'Malley signed a legislative package that will protect Maryland's environment and natural resources, while promoting sustainable growth.
The "Smart, Green and Growing" package includes several bills that will:
- Promote transit-oriented development
- Establish aquaculture enterprise zones for shellfish growers
- Reduce greenhouse gasses by twenty-five percent by 2020
- Recycle mercury switches in vehicles
- Improve the regulation of coal ash
O'Malley was joined at the bill signing by House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. who said:
"The Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's natural resources will be our legacy. We must do everything in our power to leave them in better shape for the next generation. The bill we are signing today will help us take the major step forward for this and future generations."
The O'Malley-Brown administration is committed to protecting Maryland's environmental legacy, most notably by restoring Chesapeake Bay and protecting over 21,000 acres of land.
"A healthy environment is the most precious gift we can leave future generations," said Speaker Busch. "I commend the Governor and the legislature for the work this session and this term to protect green space, improve air quality and reduce water pollution."
MARC unveils 26 new “green” locomotives
Working together with the federal government, Gov. Martin O'Malley and MARC unveiled 26 "green" locomotives this afternoon. The first train was named "The Senator Barb Go 'Green' Express" after four-term Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski.
"I've got a lot in common with Maryland's new green locomotives. The Senator Barb 'Go-Green' Express will put 3,600 green horsepower on the track for Maryland every day. It's got plenty of horsepower and so do I," said Senator Mikulski."
Governor O'Malley and others partook in the inaugural trip of "The Senator Barb Go 'Green' Express" from the CSX Riverside Facility to the Camden MARC Train Station.
"This new fleet of 'green' locomotives will reduce our impact on the environment while at the same time improve the reliability of our MARC service for the 32,000 riders a day that use the system," said Gov. O'Malley at the event. "I want to thank Senator Barbara Mikulski and the entire Maryland Congressional Delegation for their work securing the funding for such a vital project to our transportation infrastructure and our environmental future."
The new locomotives are more powerful, fuel efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly. They will be replacing diesel-powered locomotives that have been in service for almost forty years.
All of the locomotives will be in service in the next four to six weeks.
Along with the locomotives, MARC unveiled thirteen newly purchased bi-level passenger cars.
Maryland has committed to converting its entire MTA bus fleet to hybrids within the next ten years, in a continued effort to create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for One Maryland.
The effects of the nation's economic hardship are hitting Maryland hard. We're fighting every day to protect Maryland’s families during these tough economic times. We’re also working every day to make sure that government and its programs work for people.
