Composting Key to Thousands of MD Jobs, Says Report

A Washington, DC-based think tank led a study of the potential to compost and create jobs in Maryland.

Composting—the practice of diverting biodegradable waste into fertilizer—is all about the numbers.  In Maryland, we throw away food scraps, grass clippings, wood chips and the like equal to about 780,000 tons each year. Gathering those scraps and allowing them to naturally combine into a super-potent fertilizer would create two times the number of jobs than simply putting the waste into a landfill. Workers at composting facilities could make up to $20 an hour.  All of those numbers are courtesy a report by Institute of Local Self-Reliance, a Washington, DC think tank, Pay Dirt: Composting in Maryland to Reduce Waste, Create Jobs, & Protect the Bay, which broke down why public and private composting programs make sense. And dollars, too.  “…

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Drug Take Back Event in Bowie Saturday

Bowie police are taking part in a national program to dispose of unused prescription drugs.

Baysox Mascots Participate in Earth Day Event

A mascot with the Bowie Baysox attended the event and took video of the kids working.

Key School students participated in a service project for the South River Federation at their Davidsonville Wildlife Sanctuary project site on Monday. Eighth-graders planted native tree species, wetland grasses, and switchgrass. They collaborated with volunteers from Double Tree Hotel, met the Bowie Baysox mascot, and took tours of the sanctuary. The project they worked on is a multistage water recovery system that uses a series of ponds to capture, filter and absorb runoff from the animals, according to The Key School. Key's participation was part of an Earth Day event that began with a film exemplifying individual sustainability activism and closing with an address of Earth Day's political and cultural history. Baysox mascot Rocko was …

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BLOG: Greetings From the Bowie Green Team

The Bowie Green Team tells residents how to become more involved with the city's efforts to become Sustainable Maryland Certified.

Maryland Ranks Seventh Nationally for Green Jobs

Green jobs in the state increased more than 18 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Green jobs accounted for 3.7 percent of jobs in Maryland in 2011, making the state's workforce the second greenest in the mid-Atlantic and the seventh greenest in the country, according to a recent report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only the District of Columbia had a higher number of green jobs in the region. More than 91,000 workers in Maryland held jobs producing green goods and services in 2011, representing an increase of 18.3 percent over 2010, according to MDBizNews. MDBizNews lists the following criteria as requirements for industries to qualify as providers of green jobs: Read the full article on MDBizNews.

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Help Clean Bowie's Streams

Join the city of Bowie's eleventh Stream Team Cleanup on Saturday, April 6, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine.

Charge Your Electric Car in Bowie

Need to charge your electric car? There are a few stations nearby to keep you topped off for your eco-friendly commute.

Looking for a new way to go green on your commute to work? If you're in the market for an electric vehicle, you'll certainly have your pick.  Electric vehicles can provide up to three times the power conversion compared to their gas-powered counterparts and boast an engine that operates more quietly and requires less maintenance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. To top it off, buying an eco-friendly car can net you a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Though electric cars are more energy-efficient, you can still travel up to three times as far in some internal-combustion vehicles. Another thing to consider is electric car batteries are expensive to replace and can take up to eight hours to charge. Several car manufacturers …

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How to Build a Rain Barrel

Learn how a simple food-grade plastic barrel can be converted into a water-collecting and Bay-saving machine with Blue Water Baltimore.

Last Chance: Color Maryland Green Contest

Entries in this children's art contest must be postmarked by close of business March 1.

Young artists of Bowie, break out those pens, pencils, paints, and cameras because Friday is your last chance to enter the 2013 Color Maryland Green Contest. The contest, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), “is designed to encourage children to take advantage of the abundant recreational opportunities and natural resources that Maryland has to offer,” according to a press release.  The contest is open to children grades kindergarten though 12.  All artwork should be original and feature the great outdoors of Maryland. Entries can be in any number of artistic mediums—videos, photographs, oil paintings, computer designs, crayon and marker drawings, poetry, or pencil and charcoal sketches.  One winner from each …

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20 Easy Ways to Save Money by Going Green

Here is a list of ways to live a greener lifestyle, plus some resources to help you go green right here in Bowie.

If you aren’t ready to throw some solar panels on the roof and ditch your power company, but would like to save some money by living a greener life in Bowie, here are 20 tips to help you get started. Around the house: 1. Buy food, including spices and flour, in bulk. You’ll save money and reduce the amount of packaging that goes in the trash. MOMs Organic Market offers bulk food options. 2. Make sure your thermostat is set properly. Lowering the default settings during the summer and at night could save you almost $200 a year, according to Energy Star. More tips at energystar.gov. 3. Insulate your hot water heater. To see if you need to insulate, touch your heater. If it is warm to the touch, it needs additional insulation. You will lower …

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