ECONOTES 2010-10-06: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Mayor to shut most of city’s fuel stations (James Pinkerton – Houston Chronicle, 10/06/2010)
The mayor has released plans to shut down two-thirds of the city’s 99 fueling stations. This would cut costs as well as reduce the city’s potential liability for leaking contaminants. Houston has encountered problems with leaking fuel tanks, a serious environmental concern.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7230186.html - Geologists Find Parts of Northwest Houston Sinking (Guidry News, 9/30/2010)
Geologists have found that a large section of northwestern Harris County is sinking. One likely reason is the removal of water from deep beneath the surface. Although there is no longer groundwater removal in most of the Houston area, it is still occurring in the rapidly growing northwester region.
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029785 - Mayor Annise Parker launches city hall victory garden (The Cypress Times, 10/01/2010)
The City Hall Victory Garden was recently launched at Tranquility Park. It is meant to encourage vegetable and rain gardents to be built throughout Houston. The garden is viewed as an opportunity to bring citizens into the city-wide sustainability strategy – to make Houston a greener and healthier place to live and work.
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/Local_News/MAYOR_ANNISE_PARKER_LAUNCHES_CITY_HALL_VICTORY_GARDEN/34207
EcoNotes
- 6 October
- A chat with Fritz Haeg about the American front lawn (ABC 13 Journal)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/10/06/a-chat-with-fritz-haeg-about-the-american-front-lawn/ - Texas stays on course toward clash with feds over greenhouse-gas rules (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/wp/?p=735 - FTC: “Eco-friendly” isn’t always consumer friendly (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/7233955.html
- A chat with Fritz Haeg about the American front lawn (ABC 13 Journal)
- 5 October
- EPA will focus on drinking water infrastructure (ABC13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/10/05/epa-will-focus-on-drinking-water-infrastructure/ - Swap Halloween costumes: A frighteningly sensible green idea (Barbara Kessler – ABC 13)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/10/05/swap-halloween-costumes-a-frighteningly-sensible-green-idea/ - Big Thicket National Sponsored Trash Clean-up on Village Creek for National Public Lands Day (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029915
- EPA will focus on drinking water infrastructure (ABC13 News)
- 4 October
- What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? (Brian Clark Howard – The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321 - Houston City Council approves contract as important step in creation of one-stop Houston Permitting Center (eCypress Times)
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/Local_News/HOUSTON_CITY_COUNCIL_APPROVES_CONTRACT_AS_IMPORTANT_STEP_IN_CREATION_OF_ONESTOP_HOUSTON_PERMITTING_CENTER/34381 - Bastrop Wildfire Academy aims to ready firefighters for potentially devastating winter fire season (Texas Forest Service News)
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=11948
- What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean? (Brian Clark Howard – The Daily Green)
- 3 October
- Mayor to shut most of city’s fuel stations (James Pinkerton – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7230186.html - TCEQ under Sunset Review (Jon Boyd – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/tceq-under-sunset-review/?utm_source=Houston+Tomorrow+Growth+News&utm_campaign=2bc3a2759e-Houston_Tomorrow_Livability_News_100410&utm_medium=email - County designates coastal impact funds for area projects (John Tompkins – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/news/article_7957ea86-ce9a-11df-8d91-001cc4c03286.html
- Mayor to shut most of city’s fuel stations (James Pinkerton – Houston Chronicle)
- 2 October
- Fair weather, fire weather for East Texas (Texas Forest Service News)
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=11942
- Fair weather, fire weather for East Texas (Texas Forest Service News)
- 1 October
- Where Perry and White Stand on Energy Issues (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-energy/energy/where-perry-and-white-stand-on-energy-issues/ - Mayor Annise Parker launches city hall victory garden (The Cypress Times)
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/Local_News/MAYOR_ANNISE_PARKER_LAUNCHES_CITY_HALL_VICTORY_GARDEN/34207 - BP Unit To Pay $15 million For Pollution Violations (Jeremy Pelofsky and Erwin Seba – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/59720 - Texas regulators give permit to Gulf coal plant (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Google News)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gsRn9I4vA2b6a8jjMznevOPWbOCwD9IHS6PG0?docId=D9IHS6PG0
- Where Perry and White Stand on Energy Issues (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
- 30 September
- No Excuse to Dump in Southwest Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1285885706 - U.S. Government To Unveil New Drilling Rules By Thursday (Ayesha Rascoe – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/59714 - TCEQ officials approve coal plant air permit (The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/news/article_2d95aeec-cc49-11df-8d28-001cc4c002e0.html - Company will pay for fires, pollution at Texas City plant (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7226442.html - Geologists Find Parts of Northwest Houston Sinking (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029785
- No Excuse to Dump in Southwest Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
- 29 September
- Disaster in the Gulf Report: BP fines should aid coast (Matthew Tresaugue and Jennifer A. Dlouhy)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7222582.html - Gulf Region Voters Far More Likely to Vote for Legislators Who Support Gulf Restoration Funding (Environmental Defense Fund News)
http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=11362 - State grants air pollution permits for Matagorda plant (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7224344.html - 2010 Texas Tree Conference honors business, community and educational leaders from across the state (Texas Forest Service News)
http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/default.aspx - EPA and ExxonMobil Settle Case for Closure of Illegal Acid Waste Impoundments (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029749 - Lawmakers Press Agriculture Department on Limited Help for Affected Texas Counties (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029747
- Valero Refining-Texas, L.P. in Galveston County fined $186,400 (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000029748
- Disaster in the Gulf Report: BP fines should aid coast (Matthew Tresaugue and Jennifer A. Dlouhy)
- 28 September
- GE Salmon? Are You Out of Your Minds?! (Jeffrey Smith – The Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/ge-salmon-are-you-out-of_b_742413.html
- GE Salmon? Are You Out of Your Minds?! (Jeffrey Smith – The Huffington Post)
- 26 September
- Rice researchers push carbon dioxide tax (Tim Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7219262.html
- Rice researchers push carbon dioxide tax (Tim Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
- 23 September
- Climate action needs VMT data (Phillip Langdon – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/commentary/story/phillip-langdon/ - Renewable Energy: The Wind Alliance Has Developed a Comprehensive Workforce Plan to Shape the U.S. Wind Industry (PR Web News)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/09/prweb4553764.htm
- Climate action needs VMT data (Phillip Langdon – Houston Tomorrow)
- 21 September
- Inaugural Issue of Texas Water Journal, an online, peer-reviewed journal (Kathy Wythe – Texas Water Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/news/2010/09/21/inaugural-issue-of-texas-water-journal/
- Inaugural Issue of Texas Water Journal, an online, peer-reviewed journal (Kathy Wythe – Texas Water Institute)