ECONOTES 2011-09-07: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Reusing Air Conditioning Condensation To Save Water (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News, 09/01/2011)
Rice University has found a new way to save water. The University’s Department of Facilities, Engineering and Planning is capturing the condensate that forms when warm air is cooled by an air conditioning system. On a nice humid day, one building on campus can collect about 15 gallons per minute of water. The collected water is already pure, distilled, and cold.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Aquifer an option for water in county (Nicklaus Lovelady – Houston Chronicle, 09/07/2011)
Montgomery County may be able to soon rely on the Catahoula Aquifer as the newest groundwater source, which could reduce the demand on Lake Conroe. The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District has been conducting a study on the Catahoula Aquifer to determine if it was a viable water source. Early indications seem to be positive.
http://www.chron.com/ - Businesses join push to conserve water (Ronnie Crocker – Houston Chronicle, 09/03/2011)
Many businesses across the state are changing their habits to help conserve water. The Houston-based Bubbles car-wash chain has begun equipping its express locations with new machinery that mixes and sprays soap and water more efficiently so that less falls unused to the floor. The 5-star Four Seasons Hotel recently began furnishing rooms with a ceramic boot that guests place on their beds if they are willing to forgo having the linens changed for up to three days to save water for laundry. Many more steps are being taken as small efforts in conservation add up quickly.
http://www.chron.com/
EcoNotes
- 7 September
- Aquifer an option for water in county (Nicklaus Lovelady – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - TCEQ continues to monitor statewide air quality (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - 6 September
- Devastating fires: Latest hardship to issue from Texas’ record heat, drought (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Anahuac water issue resurfaces (Ben Tinsley – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - Flames Engulf A Road Near Bastrop State Park (Mike Stone – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/63177 - TCEQ urges common sense when in the proximity of smoke from regional wildfires (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Gov. Perry Takes Aerial Tour of Wildfire Damage in Central Texas (Office of the Governor)
http://governor.state.tx.us/ - 5 September
- Bretshire Stormwater Detention Project to Reduce Halls Bayou Flood Risks (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Combined Heat and Power Generation System save Texas A&M Money
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Conditions, growth feed wildfire risk (Marty Toohey and Tony Plohetsk – The Statesman)
http://www.statesman.com/ - Exclusive: Perry Sought To Sideline Nuclear Waste Site Critic (Chris Baltimore, Peter Henderson and Karen Brooks)
http://planetark.org/wen/63155 - 3 September
- Dirty words? Not for San Antonio’s mayor, unafraid to say “climate change†(Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Texas researchers test flood-prediction system (April Castro – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Businesses join push to conserve water (Ronnie Crocker – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - 2 September
- Obama delays ozone rules again; industry cheers, enviros jeer (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/ - Houston-Dallas HSR could be running in 2020 (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - ‘Clean Air Will Have to Wait’ – Obama Delays Smog Protections until at least 2013 Pressure from Polluters Leads to Missed Opportunity to Protect Our Kids from Dirty Air and Asthma (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Cornyn: After Dismal Jobs Report, President Should Halt All New Regulations (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - TCEQ statement on today’s EPA ozone action (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Obama withdraws stricter ozone pollution standard (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - New video details best watering methods for drought-stricken trees (Texas Forest Service)
http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ - 1 September
- Reusing Air Conditioning Condensation To Save Water (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - New EPA rules could mean major power outages (Melissa McEver – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 66 million Houston trees will die (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Water Board not sure about climate change (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Sierra Club Calls On ERCOT and PUC to Stop Pointing Fingers and Start Adopting Solutions (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - August was Houston’s hottest on record – by a lot (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - More than 4/5 of Texas now in worst drought stage (The Ennis Daily News)
http://www.ennisdailynews.com/ - Rice recapturing millions of gallons of water (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - TCEQ accepting nominations for 2012 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - 31 August
- Memorial Park Conservancy Announces Major Forestry Management Plan with Demonstration Project in Memorial Park (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - East Texas agriculture experts point out positive side of drought (Alexis Spears – KTRE News)
http://www.ktre.com/ - Coming to Sugar Land in October – Farmers Market (Elsa Maxey – FortBendNow)
http://www.fortbendnow.com/ - Castro declares Climate Change Awareness Month as Texas cooks (Greg Harman – The Current)
http://sacurrent.com/ - University of Texas nabs $7M to study Deepwater Horizon ecological impacts (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - TCEQ approves fines totaling $390,472 (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Forget Irene: The Drought in Texas Is the Catastrophe That Could Really Hurt (Hilary Hylton – Time)
http://www.time.com/ - Worst Drought in Texas History Ravages Crops, Livestock (Gwen Ifill – PBS News)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/