ECONOTES 2011-05-11: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

Featured

1. After 7 months of almost no rain, three-fourths of Texas has reached the ‘extreme’ drought stage (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle, 05/07/2011)
   About 74% of Texas is in an “extreme” drought and 24% reaching “exceptional,” which is the worst category. These are the highest percentages since the Drought Monitor was started in 2000. Houston has only received about 1.5 inches of rain over the last three months, which is 15% of its normal amount.
   http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7554191.html
2. UH Raises the Roof on Green Building (Donna Mosher – CLEAN, 5/2011)
   The University of Houston is one of three universities in Texas labeled as “green” according to The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges. One reason for this campus’s title is the Burdette Keeland Jr. Design Exploration Center. This building was renovated to incorporate natural daylight and ventilation and a “green roof.”
   http://www.cleanhouston.org/living/features/greenroof2011.htm
3. UT team will take close look at fracking (Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle, 05/06/2011)
   There has been a lot of controversy regarding the practice of hydraulic fracking. University of Texas geologist Chip Groat is taking on a cross-disciplinary study to review the science, policy, and perceptions surrounding fracking. The goal of the study is to find the scientific evidence to back any claims made about the practice.
   http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/7554373.html

EcoNotes

• 11 May
  • TCEQ approves fines totaling $860,718 (TCEQ News)
    http://www.tceq.texas.gov/news/releases/commissionersagenda051111
  • EPA and Mexico Develop $13.9 million Project to Improve Border (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/B2601D316633900E8525788D005C017B
• 10 May
  • Wildfire Politics Grip State as Disasters Hit Elsewhere (Ben Philpott – The Texas Tribune)
    http://www.texastribune.org/texas-state-agencies/governors-office/wildfire-politics-state-as-disasters-hit-elsewhere
  • Texas crop, weather for May 10, 2011 (Robert Burns – AgriLife Today)
    http://agrilife.org/today/2011/05/10/texas-crop-weather-for-may-10-2011/
  • Houstonians examine history, walkability on East End Jane’s Walk (Jay Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
    http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/houstonians-examine-history-and-walkability-on-east-end-janes-walk
  • Report Links Fracking To Tainted Drinking Water (Edward McAllister and Eileen Moustakis – Planet Ark News)
    http://planetark.org/wen/61952
  • UH Raises the Roof on Green Building (Donna Mosher – CLEAN)
    http://www.cleanhouston.org/living/features/greenroof2011.htm
  • Environmental Legislation 2011: No Victories Expected (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
    http://www.cleanhouston.org/air/features/legislation2011.htm
  • Three Women Dedicated to Healing and Protecting the Gulf Coast (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
    http://www.cleanhouston.org/heros/three_women.htm
• 9 May
  • National poll reveals far more support for renewables than for fossil fuels (Texas Climate News)
    http://texasclimatenews.org/wp/?p=1692
  • Houston Water Officials Say City Is Not On Verge Of Water Restrictions (David Pitman – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1304973824
  • Greater East End wants a pedestrian-friendly Navigation Boulevard (Jay Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
    http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/greater-east-end-wants-a-pedestrian-friendly-navigation-boulevard
  • Keeping Lawns Green (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1304978643
  • Feds Roll Out $15 Million to Begin Studying Feasibility of DFW-to-Houston High-Speed Rail (Robert Wilonsky – Dallas Observer)
    http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/05/feds_roll_out_15_million_to_begin_studying_feasibility_of_dfw-to-houston_high-speed_rail.php
  • Texas State-Fish Art Contest Winners Announced (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034678
• 8 May
  • Most Texas dams would go unregulated under House-passed bill (Tim Eaton – The Statesman)
    http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/most-texas-dams-would-go-unregulated-under-house-1463046.html
• 7 May
  • Worst may be over for Texas wildfires (Stephen Ceasar – Los Angeles Times)
    http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texas-wildfires-20110508,0,3632227.story
  • After 7 months of almost no rain, three-fourths of Texas has reached the ‘extreme’ drought stage (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7554191.html
• 6 May
  • UT team will take close look at fracking (Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/7554373.html
  • Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Creates Citizens’ Advisory Committee, Releases Restoration Priorities / EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, joined by CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, other task force members, hold official meeting today in Mobile, Ala. (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/09555CD8DC97EF9B85257888005D057D
• 5 May
  • Severe drought in Texas worst in map’s history (Betsy Blaney – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7552100.html
• 4 May
  • Senators From Texas Question Federal Response to Wildfires (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1304542647
  • Hutchison’s Statement on the Administration’s Denial of Disaster Declaration for Texas Wildfires (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034580
• 3 May
  • Analysis: 100 years after boom, shale makes Texas oil hot again (Selam Gebrekidan – Reuters)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/us-pipeline-eagle-ford-idUSTRE7420PA20110503
• 30 April
  • Frack with care: Effective regulation of natural gas extraction process is an environmental, safety must (Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/7545199.html