Charm City can feel a little better about itself today. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) released its final recycling report for 2011 (not sure why the numbers lag a year) and Baltimore’s recycling rate has increased by almost a full percentage point — from 27.01 percent in 2010 to 27.89 percent in 2011.

Overall in the city, 203,809 tons of Maryland Recycling Act (MRA) recyclables — paper, plastics, glass, steel and aluminum cans among other items — were collected from residents, businesses and institutions, according to a press release Monday from the City Department of Public Works.  Only MRA recyclables are used in calculating the City’s recycling rate.

Additionally, Baltimore City recycled 252,191 tons of construction materials, oils and scrap metals — items not figured in calculating the city’s recycling rate.

Passed in 1988, the Maryland Recycling Act mandated a 15 percent recycling rate for counties with populations of less than 150,000 and 20 percent recycling rate for counties with a population greater than 150,000.

Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation mandating “that counties with a population less than 150,000 to recycle 20 percent of their waste while counties with a population greater than 150,000 must recycle 35 percent of their waste” by the end of 2015.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. recycling rates overall have been slowly increasing, but remain far below their potential. As of 2009, for example, San Francisco recycled 72 percent of its waste, according to one study.

To increase recycling, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works has begun the “Drive to 35” campaign.

As part of that promoting that effort, the Department of Public Works will host an art exhibition, Salvage, from March 22 to May 22, at the Baltimore Public Works Museum at 751 Eastern Ave.

A mandatory helmet law, introduced into the Maryland House of Delegates last week and requiring all bicyclists to wear protective headgear, faces blowback from bicycling advocates.

Currently, only bicyclists under the age of 16 are required to wear a helmet at all times.

Nate Evans, Baltimore City’s bicycle and pedestrian planner and an avid cyclist, explained in a recent post at Bmorebike.com that he believes a mandatory bicycling helmet law for adults in Maryland represents “a step backward.”

“While helmet use is good practice, it should not be a barrier to cycling,” writes Evans, adding that he generally wears a helmet. He also notes that low-income city workers using bicycles for basic transportation would be pegged with an unnecessary penalty and cost.

Evans also cities an ongoing City Department of Transportation study showing that 65 percent of Baltimore City bicyclists already use a helmet voluntarily.

Last October, a new Maryland vehicle law took effect mandating that all motor scooters and mopeds operators, and passengers, wear a helmet and eye protection. The new motor scooter law also requires motor scooters and mopeds be titled and insured.

Although bicycling advocates and bicycling organizations — who often give helmets away to youth — support the use of bicycle helmets, they overwhelming do not support mandatory laws because studies shows that they deter bicycling. The Washington Area Bicyclists Association announced its opposition to Maryland H.B. 339 and have an organized an email-writing campaign to stop the measure that can be found here.

WABA notes, for example, that in Australia studies showed that mandatory bicycling helmet laws contributed to a 37.5 percent drop in ridership over a 26-year period.

“Pushing helmets really kills cycling and bike-sharing in particular because it promotes a sense of danger that just isn’t justified — in fact, cycling has many health benefits,” Piet de Jong, a professor in the department of applied finance and actuarial studies at Macquarie University in Sydney, told the New York Times in a story last fall. De Jong, using mathematical modeling, concluded that the benefits of cycling “may outweigh the risks by 20 to 1.”

Mandatory helment laws also hurt bike-sharing operations, driving down the number of users, and a Maryland law could damage Baltimore City's hopes of attracting a bike-sharing program to the city.

An Environmental Matters hearing on the mandatory bicycling helmet law is scheduled for Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. in the Lowe House Office Building.

Photo by William Watt via Repeal Mandatory Bicycle Helment Laws's Facebook page

Among the hot issues on the General Assembly’s plate this session — gun control, gasoline taxes, the death penalty — offshore windpower, fracking and pesticide bills are also expected to be introduced and debated.

With those environmental issues and others in mind, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment will host its 19^th annual Legislative Summit later this month. The Annapolis event, Jan. 29, is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Miller Senate Office Building.

Several Maryland lawmakers are expected to attend. Those wishing to attend may RSVP on the Maryland League of Conversation Voters’ website here.

As he has done for the past couple of years, Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to make the case for the development of an offshore windpower facility off the coast of Ocean City. Silver Spring delegate Heather Mizeur has said she will introduce several bills related to fracking, including a moratorium on the process until more studies can be completed.

The Marlyand Pesticide Network and Maryland Organic Food & Farming Association are also working to get the General Assembly to create an online, public, pesticide reporting database in the state.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2012 “State of the Bay” report shows the health of Maryland’s favorite estuary — the largest in the U.S. — making a 10 percent improvement in less than five years. Of the 13 indicators measured in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s report, five improved, seven remained the same, and one declined.

According to the report, blue crabs in the Bay made soaring gains last year, reaching the highest winter survey results since the mid-1990s (750 million crabs). Oysters continue to struggle, earning an “F” mark in the report, but showed improved signs of life. Well over a billion oysters have been planted since 2010, according to the report.

Rockfish scored the best grade in the report, earning an “A,” but their number have declined since 2003. Still, they remain above their management target.

Overall, the Chesapeake Bay scored a 32 on a scale of 1-100, with a benchmark of 70 considered a passing grade, representing a “saved” Chesapeake Bay. The Bay’s score bumped up a point since the last report in 2010

"Continued progress shows what can be done when governments, businesses, and individuals work together to save local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay," CBF President William C. Baker said in a statement accompany the release of the report Wednesday. "While the Bay is still dangerously out of balance, I am cautiously optimistic for the future. The federal/state Clean Water Blueprint for the Chesapeake Bay is in place and beginning to work."

The entire report can be found here. The press release accompanying the report can be found here.

Pollution continues to be an enormous problem, of course. Bay nitrogen loads remained the same since 2010, receiving a failing score of 16. Phosphorus loads improved slightly, but still scored a “D” grade. Water clarity remained the same since 2010 and toxic contamination in the Bay also remained unchanged.

Underwater grasses were the one health indicator in the report to have declined, in part, according to the report, due to extreme weather conditions, including high water temperatures and heavy rainfall.

"We have made progress, but much of the Bay and many local waterways don't provide healthy habitat for fish, oysters, and other aquatic life," Baker said. "Pollution has cost thousands of jobs and continues to put human health at risk.” He also added, however, that “We have never before had this level of accountability and transparency in Bay restoration efforts. "This is indeed the moment in time for the Bay.”