Baltimore Beyond Plastic is a youth-led, action-oriented organization, founded in 2016, dedicated to merging public health, environmental advocacy, and legislation to change the world. They coordinate youth advocacy efforts around a diverse range of environmental problems facing Baltimore City, such as: waste & trash; climate change & energy; economic inequalities & job insecurities; health disparities stemming from environmental issues; and working with legislators to pass laws with environmental focuses. Previously, BBP has held book talks on books such as Toxic Communities by Dorceta E. Taylor and A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet A. Washington. They have networked with various non-profit organizations such as Baltimore Tree Trust, Clean Water Action & No Boundaries Youth Organizers. The group has also been involved in efforts to limit the use of plastic bags and pass bag bans in counties throughout Maryland.

Baltimore Beyond Plastic is currently led by three Baltimore City high school students: Yasmine Blanchard, a senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute who has been with BBP since 2021; Jannah Sorrell, a senior at Bard High School Early College who has been with BBP since 2022; and Aniya Branch, a senior at Western High School who has been with BBP since 2022. Each of them joined the organization with the common interest and goal of improving the environment and creating social change.

On December 8th, the Dutch Embassy organized a collaborative trip for seven Baltimore City government employees including Sustainability staff members. During this trip, City staff were taken on a tour of several flood mitigation and resilience projects in Manhattan. These projects were in various stages of completion and one of the projects included the construction of several large flood walls. These walls cross several major roads, include swing gates, and must be moved into place before a flood event occurs. This is done through a series of tracks and winch systems. After a morning of seeing projects, city staff headed back to the office of One Architecture & Urbanism (ONE). Here, staff enjoyed an NYC Chinatown lunch while listening to presentations from representatives from the NYC Mayor's Office of Resiliency and Rebuild by Design, a non-profit focused on solving complex problems using community engagement and collaboration. The trip proved to be a great first step at utilizing the expertise and experience from other municipalities through collaborative partnerships.

What will it take to make Baltimore a climate-resilient, 21st-century city? -- Baltimore Banner/Inside Climate News

"Old Goucher’s experience with tree planting had inspired [Doris] Minor-Terrell, and leaders from the two neighborhoods have been working together over the past few years. “These two communities really helped inspire the concept of BSEC,” [Ben] Zaitchik said, as he walked to keep up with the group on North Broadway. Both neighborhoods are now partnering with BSEC and have separately formed a citywide coalition of six communities called the Baltimore Climate Resilience Coalition. Drawing from past experiences, the coalition aims to turn the participating neighborhoods into green, pedestrian-friendly communities."

Baltimore City community groups receive congressional funds for environmental projects -- WYPR

"Ruth Ann Norton, president and chief executive officer of GHHI, said the $750,000 in congressional funding will aid more seniors throughout the city...She said mitigating hazards that lead to adverse health outcomes will renovate 75 homes, help seniors age in place and build wealth. The Gwynns Falls Business and Homeowners Association also received funding. Its president, Christopher Schulze said the $535,000 will transform six neighboring vacant lots in Southwest Baltimore into a community park."

Cold weather has officially arrived in Baltimore! Are you familiar with Baltimore Salt Boxes? The Baltimore Salt Box is an iconic part of Baltimore winters and you can learn more about the history of Salt Boxes in Baltimore here! However, salt is not always great for our environment, especially our green spaces and waterways. Here are some tips to develop more sustainable habits while using salt on icy sidewalks this winter!

• Spread a light layer of salt before ice or snow accumulates. If this isn't possible, remove it manually before applying. 
• Follow directions to avoid over-application.
• Sweep up extra salt to reuse. 
• Store in a waterproof container and keep it out of the sunlight or under cover. 
• Consider alternatives that provide traction instead of melting ice and snow (bird seed, sand, or kitty litter).

Another option is to consider a different de-icer that might be better for different applications. A list of options and the pros and cons of each can be found here. Some other useful resources to keep bookmarked are the Baltimore City snow resource page and the Health Department's Code Blue resource page. During extreme cold weather in Baltimore City, the BCHD will declare a Code Blue Extreme Cold Alert. Through their website, information is available regarding energy assistance and weatherization services, resources for City residents, and cold weather tips for pets.