Maryland, My Maryland

Gov. Moore Mandates electric heating. Balmer Sun, Wes Moore signs executive order on climate change, phasing out gas furnaces in Maryland,

With the executive order, Moore took several steps called for in the state’s climate plan, which was released in December by his Department of the Environment, and described a road map for cutting the state’s globe-warming emissions 60% by 2031, compared with 2006 levels, and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

As part of the to-do list, Moore’s order requires his administration to develop a “zero-emission heating standard,” which eventually would phase out the installation of new fuel-burning furnaces and boilers in Maryland buildings, in favor of electric heat pumps and water heaters.

Per Moore’s order, every state agency will be required to submit climate plans to the governor by Nov. 1, explaining how they will take steps to slash emissions, and follow the state climate plan.

“These proposals must be submitted by every single state agency, because every single state agency is going to have a role to play,” Moore said.

As part of Moore’s marching orders Tuesday, the Maryland Energy Administration also must submit a framework for reaching the goal that 100% of the energy generated in Maryland is from renewable sources by 2035. The Maryland Department of Transportation will have to set targets for reducing the number of miles Marylanders travel by car each year, and slashing emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for a sizable portion of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

How will they deal with the fact that so many workers in Maryland commute to DC, or other places up the road? 

The order also established a new Sub-Cabinet on Climate, which will report back to Moore about the implementation of the climate plan. Chaired by Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain, the cabinet includes many of Moore’s agency leaders.

“This executive order that the governor is signing today, it puts us on a clear path so that we can now begin to implement the climate pollution reduction plan,” McIlwain said Tuesday. “And this is a huge step in the right direction.”
. . .
The new standard will not require anyone to remove a functioning furnace or boiler, according to the state climate plan. Existing fuel-burning heating systems can continue to be serviced and maintained. But when a building owner replaces a heating system, it must comply with the standard.

This is not a problem for us. Down here in Slower Maryland, natural gas service is rare, despite the fact that an enormous  pipeline runs down the center of the county to carry natural gas to the LNG export facility at Cove Point. Most houses are heated with heat pumps or propane, from tanks. Heat pumps work OK, but have trouble keeping up on our coldest days. They're also expensive, and high maintenance. 

Beach Report 6/17/21

Skye and I were on our own again. When we reached the beach, this American Lady was handing around the Dogbane that is starting to bloom on the sand dunes there.

Another gorgeous day, with temperatures in the low 70s, low humidity, with mostly clear skies, and enough breeze to generate white caps and a light chop.

Do you see it?

The best of 10 shark's teeth, a smallish, but very clean upper Snaggletooth.

Thanks to the waves, we didn't make it past the big slides, but we did get a ways up the beach.

A big one waiting for its chance to load up with natural gas at the Gas Docks

On a closer look, you can easily see the four tanks. The mirage is making it look like the tanks go down into the water. Marinetraffic.com identifies it as LNG Sakura, a Singapore flagged tanker. It claims it's destination is Baltimore, but that seems wrong; it would be like carrying coals to Newcastle. All that LNG comes down past Baltimore.

First Spring Day at the Beach 3/13/21

Skye and I were on our own again. I decided to do without the "good" camera with the big zoom and just use the cell phone. I immediately regretted it You can just barely see over the dune, the Gas Docks, with a ship being loaded, and another one anchored waiting its turn. Frack on!

Today, it was clear and sunny and in the low 40s, with moderate winds from the north. Not too bad if you have decent clothing, or a nice thick pelt.

Here's where I really regretted the lack of zoom, an American Oystercatcher, a relatively rare visitor to our beach

American Oystercatchers are the only birds in their environment with the ability to open large molluscs such as clams and oysters (except for large gulls that drop clams onto pavement). 

I managed to get it mostly in the frame when it flew out of our way.

High tides, and roughish surf made the fossil hunting slow, only 7 shark's teeth. 

Beach Report 12/26/20

The temperature was in the low 30s. the sky clear, and the Bay calm when we took our walk this morning.

Whitey marked another day as the latest staying Great White Heron ever recorded in Maryland. He looks cold.

I haven't seen these before. White domestic ducks.

Georgia talks to Cindy, Skye's favorite beach walker. Cindy keeps dog treats in her pockets.

The mirage causes Taylor's Island to appear to float over the horizon.

A Lion's Mane jellyfish, also known to us as the "winter" jellyfish; not seen in the Bay in summer. While they get huge in the ocean, we rarely see them more than about 6-8 inches in diameter. They can sting, but who gets into 40 degree water?

The mirage also reflects and distorts this LNG ship tied up at the Gas Dock.

12/15/20 Beach Report

Yesterday, Skye and I settled for a street walk because it rained nearly all day, due to a winter storm. Today was much colder than two days ago, in the upper 30s, with a bit of NNW wind. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow, even snow a little farther north.

Yes, Whitey (as Georgia nicknamed him) is still here in his perch over the beach house on Calvert Beach, probably shivering and wondering why he ever left the Florida Keys.

Skye checking on me, because I let Georgia hold the leash while I took pictures of the bird.

When the "big fall" (those huge boulders in back) fell in June, it left a large Tulip Poplar tree with half its roots exposes on top of the cliff. We wondered how long it would be until it fell. And the answer? Until last night. It must have been quite a crash; large limbs are scattered all over the beach.

The girl in the foreground found a nice Snaggletooth as we were walking behind them on the way back. We only got 12 small teeth, not counting the one that Georgia handed me, that I dropped and couldn't find. 

"Hey, there's something over here I simply must sniff"

And another big one fills up at the Gas Dock.

Frack on!

Beach Report 11/1/20

It came as a surprise to me when it started raining a little before 9 AM. It rained steadily until  a little after 1 PM, for a total of 0.8 inches. Skye and I left for the beach shortly after the rain stopped, and by the time we reached the harbor, the sky was well on the way to being clear.

It was a pretty day by then, about 55 and not windy. 

Looking south, you can see the weather system that left the rain; also a big ship tied up at the Gas Docks. 

A closer view, with a hint of mirage off the water.

Pretty much clear to the north. However, the tide was quite high, and even with boots we couldn't cross the stream to Matoaka. Only 9 small teeth to start the month.

Beach Report 10/6/20

We left around noon (but before lunch) for today's walk. I spotted this Cloudless Sulphur in the roadside weeds on the way down.

It is absolutely gorgeous here today. Blue sky with 72 F temperatures, negligible wind, and low humidity. October tends to be one of our better months.

Not a lot of beach traffic, either. 19 shark's teeth, but nothing noteworthy.

One of the last remaining Ospreys, or is it a transient on his was south? There aren't many left, and you can here the eagles in the trees, squawking about having to catch their own damn fish soon. 

There's something meta about this one.

Looking south, across the jetty at the Dominion Gas Docks.

And Whitey is still around. I hadn't seen it since Sept. 30, and I was getting ready to write it off as having moved on, but when we walked through the Harbor, there it was in back. John says it often comes there at low tides to fish for minnows in the shallow water where the stream comes in.

First Beach Post of 2017

It was low tide, almost 50 F, mostly sunny and not windy, so why not?

 And Skye had already started lobbying.

 A few other hearty souls and their people were out.

This doesn't happen every day.

 A relatively large Lions Mane jellyfish washed up. It was about a foot across. They get much bigger, but not usually around here. Not to be confused with a huge breast implant.

The Bufflehead ducks are in at the harbor (and have been for a few weeks). There are also lots of Oldsquaw offshore, but not within easy camera view.

A ship is in at the Gas Docks. The project down there to convert the Gas Dock from an export to an import facility is well along. As of August:

• The terminal is 67% complete and on track for an in-service date in late 2017.
• There are currently 1,800 construction workers on site.
• All of the concrete has been poured, the sound wall is finished, and more than 50% of the steel has been installed for this project.
• 31 of the 34 barge loads have been received and 68 of the 77 heavy haul deliveries have been transported.

Court Clears Gas Docks from Further FERC Review

Federal court rules FERC doesn’t have to review upstream impacts of LNG

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is not required to examine the upstream impacts of natural gas development when reviewing the environmental impacts of new liquefied natural gas export facilities under the National Environmental Policy Act. Instead, the court said that if any agency should examine upstream impacts, it would be the Department of Energy, which has to approve LNG exports. The case involved two LNG terminals on the Gulf Coast, one in Sabine Pass, Louisiana and the other in Freeport, Texas. The D.C. Circuit is also reviewing challenges to Maryland’s Cove Point LNG terminal but has not yet ruled in that case.

Charlie Riedl, executive director of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, said the rulings “make clear” that the current environmental review process is complete when it comes to LNG exports.

“The consequence of these rulings is that the US LNG industry will continue to grow – creating jobs, tax revenue and economic growth across the country,” Riedl said in a statement. “Additionally, studies have shown that US LNG exports help promote the use of natural gas by our allies and trading partners, which, in turn, helps to lower global greenhouse gas emissions.”

The challenge was brought by the Sierra Club, which did not respond to request for comment.

Basically, this was an attempt to get FERC to rule against natural gas exports based on the imaginary environmental problems of fracking. Of course, the real problem is that they don't like any energy development that's not wind or solar. I'm sure they'll find some other angle from which to try to kill it.

Fishing at Sunset

 I talked Trevor into going fishing this afternoon, about 2:30. Hard job, I know. Almost immediately, we found birds working over baitfish and Striped Bass. Here you can see a mass of birds fishing over a school.

 These fish proved to be, as I expected, mostly small, and after trying several different flocks of birds, we made our way down to Location X, where we tried the usual things, and had very little luck.

Sunset found us running back up the Bay ,still fishing around batches of birds, and mostly catching small fish.

 I lucked into one 20.25 inch fish (legal is 20.0) somewhere on the way back.

Meanwhile, the sunset just deepened. Looking back west toward the harbor.

 South toward the Gas Docks . . .

And east, towards the Eastern Shore. We were off the water at 4:45, and the show was about over.