ECONOTES 2011-08-31: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Water Conservation is key to accommodating growth (John Jacob – Houston Chronicle, 08/24/2011)
Houston has been forced to enact mandatory water conservation due to scarce resources, and the city is expected to grow by 4 million people in the next three to four decades. The state-mandated Region H water-planning group believes that there is more than enough water to accommodate the expected growth, although many area scientists do not agree. Water conservation will remain a big topic in the upcoming years.
http://www.chron.com/ - State officials still weighing how to deal with climate change in water plan (Texas Climate News, 08/30/2011)
Five years ago, state officials controversially chose not to factor man-made global warming into the Texas State Water Plan. The Plan is set to be updated in four months and the agency is still deciding how to address human-caused climate change. The current record-setting drought has been attributed by experts to La Niña, but they also say that man-made global warming has made the situation worse.
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Offshore wind Texas-style: fast and big (Melissa Mehony – Smart Planet News, 08/18/2011)
Coastal Point Energy has a goal to get a single 3-megawatt wind turbine built and running off Galveston by the end of the year. This would be the country’s first offshore wind farm. Baryonyx Corporation also has plans for turbines off the coast of Texas, near Corpus Christi and South Padre Island. These could take huge strides in the energy industry. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club has not yet taken a stance on the projects, as the effect the wind farms might have on populations of migratory birds, fish and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles is unknown.
http://www.smartplanet.com/
EcoNotes
- 31 August
- Program eyes waterway protection (Mark Fleming – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - UT, Texas A&M to study Gulf oil spill (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 30 August
- State officials still weighing how to deal with climate change in water plan (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Poll shows Americans concerned about Gulf Coast (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - Celebrities, religious and environmental leaders protest tar sands pipeline; 500+ arrested (ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ - Proposed changes to air quality permits announced (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - The drought is teaching some valuable lessons (Randy Lemmon – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - Water: A Houston region challenge (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - 29 August
- U.S. Edges Closer To Decision On Canada Pipeline (Timothy Gardner and Ayesha Rascoe – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Harris County Leading Green Affordable Housing Effort (Jack Williams – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Rail Not Moving At Light Speeds For Some (Edel Howlin – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Texas regulator drafts frac fluid disclosure rule (Tom Fowler – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/ - Historic hurricanes, drought, floods and tornadoes: Do we see a pattern here? (Barbara Kessler – ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ - LCRA cancels water vote for coal plant (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Website and citizen outreach for I-69 Texas System begins (The Tribune)
http://www.ourtribune.com/ - 26 August
- Houston’s thirst takes toll on sinking Lake Conroe (Cindy Horswell – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - In pursuit of federal biofuels funds (Melissa McEver – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - U.S. Green Groups Write Obama To Oppose Oil Pipeline (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Texas Grid Narrowly Avoids Power Outages (Eileen O’Grady – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Grand Parkway Hits Another Segment E Road Block (Edel Howlin – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Cath Conlon: Living and teaching sustainable, peaceful living with nature (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/ - 25 August
- Power plant troubles go beyond heat and drought (Tom Fowler – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/ - Groundwater monitoring condition for designation (Robin Foster – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/ - High levels of contamination found in bayou (Christopher Smith Gonzalez – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://galvestondailynews.com/ - Discovery Green increases water conservation (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Texas Drought Takes Its Toll On Wildlife (John Burnett – NPR))
http://www.npr.org/ - Baylor Releases New Report on Water Reuse in Texas (LGEAN)
http://lgean.org/news - $5.6 million in Outdoor Grants to Benefit Texas Communities (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Analysis: Rails, Not Pipes, May Tame Twisted Oil Market (Joshua Schneyer – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Texas Grid Cuts Power For Some Industrial Customers (Eileen O’Grady – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - 24 August
- Water Conservation is key to accommodating growth (John Jacob – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Houston Mayor Has Harsh Warning For Water Scofflaws (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Water: could be worse next summer (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Sierra Club sues to block Grand Parkway expansion (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Facing our water woes (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - More power plant woes likely if Texas drought drags into winter (Tom Fowler – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/ - 23 August
- Bolt Your Door: Invasive Species Attacking Texas, Says TAMUG Researcher (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/story - 22 August
- This summer’s drought may worsen next year (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/news/ - Expo shows complexity of energy industry (Melissa McEver – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 19 August
- Container deposit system would help tubing business (David Weinberg – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - 18 August
- Offshore wind Texas-style: fast and big (Melissa Mehony – Smart Planet News)
http://www.smartplanet.com/