January was a big month for local climate advocacy. Mayor Scott announced a goal for Baltimore City to become carbon neutral by 2045, and there were City Council hearings on three bills in Councilman Mark Conway’s climate package. Maryland’s legislative session also kicked off on January 12th, during which state legislators will consider dozens of…
It’s been a whirlwind of a year on all fronts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve navigated through many challenges, welcomed new staff members to our BWB family, and we’re working every day to hold polluters accountable. So, what has your Baltimore Waterkeeper team been up to? Growing our Team of Water Protectors Our…
This winter, I had the honor of serving on Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s Transition Committee on Environment and Sustainability. This committee was comprised of leaders from across Baltimore working on issues related to solid waste reduction, climate change mitigation, renewable energy, healthy food access and water – drinking water, waste water, stormwater, and the health of our waterways. It was an intense, and…
If you follow our work at Blue Water Baltimore, you know that we are all about trees. Why? Trees clean our air and water, reduce flooding, lower temperatures and energy bills, improve public health and social cohesion, and beautify our neighborhoods. Planting trees is a critical part of our work to restore the health of…
As you’ve probably heard, Maryland is currently in the midst of our annual Legislative Session. Our state’s General Assembly is meeting from January 8th – April 6th in Annapolis to discuss, debate, and advance legislation for the year to come. During the 2020 Legislative Session, Blue Water Baltimore is supporting two priority bills that would…
Eight attempts at a Baltimore plastic bag ban have come and gone since 2006. Today, nine times proved to be the charm. This morning, Mayor Jack Young signed the Comprehensive Bag Reduction Bill into law. The signing drew dozens of advocates, city officials, press, and community members together. In Baltimore, plastic bags are everywhere. They…
Sewage doesn’t belong in our streets – or our homes. Speak out against sewage backups into buildings in Baltimore City. Join us at Baltimore City Council’s upcoming hearing on sewage backups and a pre-hearing rally! Wednesday November 13, 2019 4pm: Rally at War Memorial Plaza (will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page) 5pm to…
How’s the Water, Hon? Blue Water Baltimore is thrilled to announce the launch of our new water quality mapping platform: www.baltimorewaterwatch.org! We worked with the experts at Chesapeake Commons for our new innovative approach to data visualization. For the first time ever, we are able share in-depth information about the specific measurements of water health…
A federal district court in Maryland ruled last week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wrongfully denied our petition to regulate stormwater runoff from commercial, industrial, and institutional sites in the Back River watershed. Blue Water Baltimore and its allies took this fight against dangerous stormwater discharges to court so that polluters who contribute…
This is meant to be a blog post about Blue Water Baltimore’s advocacy work – and it is – but I’m going to make it a wee bit personal. My name is Mike Aaron. I’ve now been working for Blue Water Baltimore for five months. I was hired for both administrative and advocacy support, which…