ECONOTES 2010-09-08: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Houston to receive $423,069 to reduce greenhouse gases (ABC13 News, 09/07)
The City of Houston will receive $423,069 to reduce the emission of transported related gases. The grant will be used to build electric vehicle and bicycle infrastructure. Houston does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone pollution, so this will be important in helping to reduce gas emission.
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/09/07/houston-to-receive-423069-to-reduce-greenhouse-gases/ - Invasive plant a threat to native greenery in Galveston (Rod Rice – KUHF News, 09/03)
The Brazilian pepper-tree is not a native plant to Galveston, and it has been found spreading on Galveston Island. The pepper-tree crowds out native plants, therefore reducing the available food and shelter for animals. Currently, there is a licensed contractor who is targeting the tree.http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283547259 - Will more urbanization hurt Houston’s waterways? (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News, 09/06)
Putting up buildings and cutting down trees has a detrimental effect on water quality and it increases runoff and flooding. Houston is expected to continue to expand, which means more urbanization. The city is attempting to strictly regulate how the construction will occur. There must be mitigation measures taken to make up for the destruction of green spaces.
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283808842
EcoNotes
- 7 September
- Equistar sued by Harris County for illegal pollution (Houston Business Journal)
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/09/06/daily13.html - Environmentalists concerned by plans for section of Grand Parkway (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283900007 - Houston to receive $423,069 to reduce greenhouse gases (ABC13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/09/07/houston-to-receive-423069-to-reduce-greenhouse-gases/
- Equistar sued by Harris County for illegal pollution (Houston Business Journal)
- 6 September
- EPA wants feedback from Texans on coal ash dumping (David Martin Davis – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283806794 - Will more urbanization hurt Houston’s waterways? (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283808842
- EPA wants feedback from Texans on coal ash dumping (David Martin Davis – KUHF News)
- 3 September
- EPA to issue more rules in climate fight (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/59398 - Invasive plant a threat to native greenery in Galveston (Rod Rice – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283547259 - After latest explosion, the offshore drilling industry defends itself (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283549587 - Rescue brings fearful flashbacks of BP explosion (Monica Hatcher and Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7184450.html
- EPA to issue more rules in climate fight (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark News)
- 2 September
- EPA disapproves parts of Texas permit program (Erwin Seba – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/59380 - Local company at center of latest gulf explosion (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283459600 - Natural gas exploration targets 3 Houston parks (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/7183047.html - Texas prepares for appliance rebate 2.0 (David Pitman – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283461180 - Luminant sued by Sierra Club over coal-fired Texas power plant’s pollution (Andrew M. Harris – Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-03/luminant-sued-by-sierra-club-over-coal-fired-texas-power-plant-s-pollution.html - White Stallion Energy Center Update (Matthew Tejada – Air Alliance Houston News)
http://airalliancehouston.org/commentary/detail/white_stallion_energy_center_update/
- EPA disapproves parts of Texas permit program (Erwin Seba – Planet Ark News)
- 1 September
- George Greanias presents operating plan for “New Metro” (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283296848 - If oil’s on the way out, what will be in? (Marin Katusa – Forbes News)
http://blogs.forbes.com/energysource/2010/09/01/if-oils-on-the-way-out-what-will-be-in/?partner=yahootix - TxDOT updates state’s 100 most congested roadways list (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029135 - Shallow water drilling in Gulf of Mexico sluggish months after lifting of moratorium (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029119 - Migratory Bird Hunting Report No. 1 (Texas Parks and Wildlife News)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20100901b&nrtype=all&nrspan=2010&nrsearch= - Harris County tops list of bad Texas traffic spots (Christine Hall – Houston BizBlog)
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/2010/09/harris_county_tops_list_of_bad_texas_traffic_spots.html - Agencies face deadline on Ike funds (T.J. Aulds – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://galvestondailynews.com/story/173298
- George Greanias presents operating plan for “New Metro” (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
- 31 August
- EPA rejects Texas approach to setting new plan emissions (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7180414.html - Houston weathers its hottest recorded month (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7180615.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Fmetro+%28chron.com+-+Houston+%26+Texas%29 - Wast firm in disputes with city, regulators (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7180561.html
- EPA rejects Texas approach to setting new plan emissions (Houston Chronicle)
- 30 August
- Record heat may be our new normal (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7177184.html - Five years later, Houstonians conflicted about Katrina (Reeve Hamilton – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/texas-political-news/five-years-houstonians-conflicted-about-katrina/ - Texas marks 10 years, $30 million in State Wildlife Grants Federal Funding (Texas Parks and Wildlife News)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20100830a&nrtype=all&nrspan=2010&nrsearch= - Federal regulators propose new fuel economy labels (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1283204288 - The race to save turtles (Allan Turner – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7176847.html
- Record heat may be our new normal (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
- 28 August
- Legal tool may sneak up on some in spill (Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7175406.html
- Legal tool may sneak up on some in spill (Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
- 26 August
- Audit, newspaper retraction undermine AG’s argument in Texas’ EPA petition (Bill Dawson – TCN Journal)
http://www.texasclimatenews.org/TCNJournal/82610AuditnewspaperretractionundermineAG/tabid/1807/Default.aspx - Think tank sees reason to lift drilling ban (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7173610.html
- Audit, newspaper retraction undermine AG’s argument in Texas’ EPA petition (Bill Dawson – TCN Journal)