More than 20 years after Maryland opened its energy marketplace to competition, about one in six customers is getting electricity from a company other than their default provider. But the savings that policymakers hoped for when they adopted a deregulation plan have not materialized. In fact, studies show that Marylanders who switched paid about $621 […]
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Posted inFeatured
Redeeming stormwater: A North Baltimore church sees Chesapeake protection as part of its mission
When the Church of the Redeemer in North Baltimore needed its parking lot repaved, members convinced the rector and groundskeepers that the project could be an opportunity for the church to live out its values.
Posted inGreenLaurel
A local’s guide to composting your next event’s food waste and trash
Every September at my church, The Church of the Redeemer, we host an annual parish picnic out on the front lawn. About 400 parishioners get to enjoy a delicious barbecue lunch, cooked and served by Boy Scout Troop 35. But the fun inevitably means waste–and lots of it. We’ve traditionally used plastic plates, cups and […]
Posted inCulture
A New Way to Support Baltimore Fishbowl: Become a Member
Baltimore Fishbowl has been in business for nearly eight years. We take pride in that fact, especially because in that time other popular media products such as The Urbanite, The City Paper, The Baltimore Messenger, The Baltimore Beat, and others have folded. We understand why. Our readers understand why, too, and over the years, many […]
Posted inGreenLaurel
Greenlaurel: Camp Small, once a costly pile, is now a buzzing, zero-waste wood-salvaging initiative
Have you ever noticed that massive wood pile when you drive southbound on I-83, between the Northern Parkway and Cold Spring Lane exits? That “wood dump,” if you will, is actually Baltimore’s Camp Small Zero Waste Initiative, a vital supply of home-grown timber, mulch and firewood logs for the city. And what’s more, those money-making […]
Posted inPolitics & Business
State report: Marylanders overpaying by nearly $55 million for electricity, gas from using third-party suppliers
We’re nearly two decades out from the moment Maryland lawmakers decided to deregulate the state’s energy markets in hopes of boosting competition and driving down prices for consumers. A first-of-its-kind, state-commissioned report confirms what some observers already figured: Many Marylanders are getting swindled on their rates by third-party suppliers.
Posted inFeatured
Report: Maryland’s deregulated energy market ‘dysfunctional,’ harming low-income households
Maryland’s deregulated energy market, in which third-party electricity and gas suppliers compete with the big utilities, isn’t delivering on promises from 1999 to lower utility rates. In fact, it’s led the roughly one-in-five Maryland households that have switched to third-party suppliers to overpay by a combined $255 million from 2014 to 2017, while allowing companies […]
Posted inTop Headlines
Top Stories: War Memorial Lighting Fix Planned, A Home with Southern Charm in North Roland Park, Documentary About Baltimore Step Team Praised at Sundance
Our most popular story this week was Ed Gunts’ coverage of a planned restoration project for Baltimore’s 92-year-old War Memorial Building at 101 N. Gay Street. Ed Gunts reported in his Urban Landscape column that the historic building is set to receive a simple makeover when the city removes the soundproofing covering the interior glass windows. Once […]
Posted inPolitics & Business
As One Baltimore State House Seat is Filled, Another Opens
The faces representing Baltimore in Annapolis will be a bit different this year. Ahead of next month’s legislative session, Baltimore’s delegation picked up one members and saw another step down before the end of the year.
Posted inTop Headlines
Top Stories: Authorities Investigate Icy Crash Involving Tanker; UB’s Langsdale Library Sheds Skin; Unique Renovation of Riverside Rowhome
Last Saturday’s spot of winter weather led to a horrific crash on I-95 in which a Carroll Fuel tanker slipped over the edge of I-95 near Caton Avenue, killing the driver. Our readers were most interested this week in reading about investigators’ search for information on what led to the tragic accident. While authorities are still […]
Posted inFeatured
Top Stories of 2016: John Waters’ Kidney Stones, SNL’s Kate McKinnon Tries Out a Baltimore Accent and More
For many of us, the past 364 days didn’t add up to a great year. This year was rife with stories about political chaos, obituaries for celebrities who left us too soon, ongoing violence in Baltimore and abroad, divisive police-involved incidents and court rulings, more political chaos and plenty else. But a freakshow year like this […]
Posted inTop Headlines
Looking for a Job? D.C. Solar Job Fair Hiring On the Spot
If you know of someone looking for a job, or specifically considering a career in solar, the free Solar Job Fair happening in D.C. on November 17 is an excellent start. Even better, you don’t need prior solar experience, and employers will be interviewing and hiring on the spot. The Solar Job Fair will coincide […]
Posted inLifeline
Texas Company Withdraws Plan to Send Oil Trains Through Baltimore
Baltimore Fishbowl’s Laurel Peltier has been carefully detailing the potential risks Baltimore faces from trains carrying crude oil through Baltimore City. This week, one company made a move that means new oil won’t be rolling through town.
Posted inGreenLaurel
The Report Card Every Parent Should Read
If you have school-aged children, you know that it’s almost report card time. Report cards offer parents a snapshot of your child’s bright spots, but also spell-out those “areas of challenge.” Another important report card was quietly posted three years ago by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This fifth report […]
Posted inGreenLaurel
Baltimore County and City’s Summer Air Quality Was The Pits. Here’s Why.
Summer 2016 was smokin’ hot and that didn’t bode well for Baltimore’s air quality. Summer’s hot sun bakes air pollution’s chemicals into unhealthy smog which is harmful for sensitive populations. Surprisingly, this “at risk” population is huge; 25 percent of Baltimore County and City residents suffer from asthma, COPD, heart disease or diabetes. Though Maryland’s […]
