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January 21, 2013

Houston Environmental News Update January 22, 2013

CEC NOTES

  1. Save the Date: Visions for a Greener Houston, March 12, 2013, 1:00 pm
    to 6:00 pm.

COALITION NOTES

  1. Houston Bayou Greenways Spring Kickoff Meeting
  2. Houston Green Film Series: Wasteland
  3. Bayou HEROns Kickoff
  4. Arbor Day Celebration
  5. Whole Foods Katy and Katy Prairie
  6. 2013 State of the Air Luncheon
  7. Healthy Communities Indicators Symposium 2013
  8. Air Alliance Houston: New Days Ahead
  9. Environment Texas’ Campaign Action Meeting
  10. San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site Public Meeting

COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Texas Natural Resources/Environmental Literacy Summit
  2. Public Workshops: Brazos River Corridor in Fort Bend County
  3. Green Drinks Houston
  4. Ride for The Future 2013 Summer Leadership Development Program
  5. Biomimicry: Emulating Nature’s Genius to Inspire Innovation for a
    Sustainable Future
  6. 2013 OHBA Summit
  7. 2013 Tree Planting Competition
  8. 2013 Texas Brigades Summer Program
  9. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife
  10. Air Quality Forecast

NEWS HEADLINES

  1. Park named for Kingwood resident Herman Little wins awards from H-GAC
    (The Kingwood Observer, 01/17/2013)
  2. Houston ranks high on list of Texas’ major transportation challenges
    (Molly Ryan – Houston Business Journal, 01/17/2013)
  3. Climate change gets a prominent place in Obama’s second inaugural
    address (Texas Climate News, 01/21/2013) http://texasclimatenews.org/

GREEN JOBS

  1. Galveston Baykeeper seeks a Baykeeper/Wetland Watch Coordinator
  2. HARC seeks a GIS/Remote Sensing Research Associate
  3. Houston Endowment is seeking a Vice President For Programs
  4. Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership seeks Watershed Coordinator
  5. The Woods Project seeks Club Program Directors
  6. Hermann Park Conservancy seeks Marketing Manager

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

UPCOMING EVENTS

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS

CEC NOTES

  1. Save the Date: Visions for a Greener Houston, March
    12, 2013, 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Once again the CEC will be bringing
    together Houston’s Environmental community for a series of discussions
    aimed at fostering dialogue, interaction, and strength in numbers in
    order to identify and set goals to alleviate the pressing issues facing
    our community. Building on the success of our first summit in February
    2012, we will have updates and success stories, compare progress, and
    discuss hot issues confronting the quality of life in our growing
    region.

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COALITION NOTES

  1. Houston Bayou Greenways Spring Kickoff Meeting. The
    Houston Parks Board wants you to learn about the Houston Bayou Greenways
    project on January 23, 2013, 6-7pm at the Heights Neighborhood Library
    (1302 Heights Blvd). The Houston Bayou Greenways has been designed
    to elevate the city’s standing as one of the top “quality of place”
    cities in the nation, and demonstrate our commitment to the invaluable
    ecological capital in the midst of our large metroplex. There is a
    unique opportunity to create the largest park system in the country by
    2020. Learn more about it and how you can be involved at the meeting.
    More about the meeting at http://parksbyyou.org/
    and about the project at http://www.houstonparksboard.org/.
  2. Houston Green Film Series: Wasteland. The next film
    of the Houston Green Film Series will take place on January 23, 2013,
    6:30-9:15 pm, at the Rice University Media Center. The film, Wasteland,
    follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in
    Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump,
    Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he
    photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of
    recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the
    catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring
    characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of
    garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they
    begin to re-imagine their lives. View the trailer at http://www.wastelandmovie.com/.
    Light dinner kindly donated by Dr. Pat Speck and Dry Bones Cafe will be
    available. A $5 donation is suggested and greatly appreciated.
  3. Bayou HEROns Kickoff. Join the kickoff of the Bayou
    HEROns group on January 24, 2013, 6-8pm, at Jackson’s Watering Hole
    (1205 Richmond). Houston is the Bayou City and Harris County boasts 22
    watersheds that the Bayou Preservation Association (BPA) works to
    protect and restore. As our great city is experiencing an outdoor
    revolution, more and more people are taking advantage of our bayous’
    recreational assets such as paddling, biking, walking, fishing and bird
    watching. Bayou HEROns is a membership-based group comprised of young
    bayou enthusiasts and partners who support this movement and the BPA
    mission through events, volunteering and advocacy. Learn more about
    their work while also enjoying the new patio at Jackson’s Watering Hole.
    For more information please contact laura@theprboutique.com. More at http://www.yelp.com/events/.
  4. Arbor Day Celebration. Hermann Park Conservancy and
    the Houston Parks and Recreation Department will celebrate Arbor Day on
    January 26, from 9am to 12pm, with the planting of 300 trees donated by
    Apache Foundation. The planting will take place in the Lake Picnic Area
    of Hermann Park on the north side of McGovern Lake adjacent to parking
    lots E and F. Contact volunteer@hermannpark.org, or sign in at the
    registration table near parking lot F on the day of the event. Families
    and walk-ups are welcome!
  5. Whole Foods Katy and Katy Prairie. On January 31,
    2013, Whole Foods Katy is giving 1% of their net sales to support
    educational programing on the Katy Prairie Conservancy. KPC staff and
    volunteers will be at the store from 10 am – 8 pm talking to customers
    and running fun activities for shoppers. Come out to support one of your
    favorite causes while you get your shopping done! The store opens on
    January 30th and is located at 6601 S Fry Rd. More at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/.
  6. 2013 State of the Air Luncheon. The 2013 Air Alliance
    Houston State of the Air Luncheon will take place on February 5, 2013,
    11:30am-1pm, at United Way. The keynote speaker, Toby Baker, TCEQ
    Commissioner, will share his thoughts on the state of the Houston
    region’s air quality. $30 registration with lunch included. Regsiter at
    http://airalliancehouston.org.
  7. Healthy Communities Indicators Symposium 2013. After
    a year of deep-dive research on the indicators that measure the health
    of our region, Center for Houston’s Future will present its findings on
    February 22 at the 2013 Healthy Communities Indicator Symposium, at the
    George R. Brown Convention Center, hosted by Honorary Chair Dr. John
    Mendelsohn, along with prominent national and regional experts. Join
    policy makers, national experts, healthcare professionals, elected
    officials, and community leaders as we examine how the intersection of
    People and Place creates sustainable and healthy communities. Learn more
    at http://www.futurehouston.com/.
  8. Air Alliance Houston: New Days Ahead. Matthew Tejada,
    Air Alliance Houston’s Executive Director, will be leaving in March to
    be director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of
    Environmental Justice in Washington, D.C. Tajeda helped to organize
    low-income and minority communities in Houston and across Texas to
    address concerns over air pollution. He also helped launch a website
    that allows Houstonians to see smog levels at specific locations in real
    time and worked to reduce the amount of tiny particles in the air around
    the Port of Houston. Larry R. Soward has been selected to be
    Transitional Director for the organization until a new, permanent
    Executive Director (ED) is selected and in place. http://www.chron.com/
  9. Environment Texas’ Campaign Action Meeting.
    Environment Texas is holding a campaign action meeting to re-power Texas
    with Clean energy on January 22, 7-8:30 pm, at Agora (1712 Westheimer
    Road). Attend to meet others concerned about clean energy and to learn
    how to get involved! More at http://cechouston.org/.
  10. San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site Public Meeting.
    The Galveston Bay Foundation and Houston Advanced Research Center are
    hosting a public input meeting about the San Jacinto River Waste Pits
    Superfund Site. Learn about the project and get your questions answered
    on January 24, 2013, 6:30-8:30pm, at the J.D. Walker Community Center
    (7613 Wade Road). View the agenda at http://galvbay.org/.

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COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Texas Natural Resources/Environmental Literacy Summit.
    Join education, environmental, and natural resource leaders in advancing
    natural resource/environmental literacy as the new Texas Natural
    Resource / Environmental Literacy Plan is presented at the Summit. The
    Natural Resource/Environmental Literacy Summit Committee is proud Mrs.
    Laura Bush, Former First Lady, will serve as the keynote speaker for the
    Summit. The program will also feature special guest speakers Carter
    Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife; Bora Simmons,
    Director for the National Project for Excellence in Environmental
    Education and Jose”Pepe” Marcos-Iga, North American Association for
    Environmental Education Board President. The summit will be held on
    January 25, 2013, 8:30am-4:00pm, at the TriPoint in San Antonio.
    Pre-registration ($35) ends on January 17, 2013. More at http://txcinc.wordpress.com/.
  2. Public Workshops: Brazos River Corridor in Fort Bend County. Fort
    Bend Green, along with other county partners on an initial steering
    committee, is developing a Recreation Master Plan for the Brazos River
    Corridor in Fort Bend County. There will be 3 public input meetings. If
    you would like to participate, you need only attend one of the workshops
    as the same information will be presented at each. Please RSVP
    by January 25, 2013,     to Kim Icenhower ( kim@icenhower.com or
    713-504-4378) for the workshop of your choice. 1st workshop: January 27,
    2-4pm, at Brazos Bend State Park- George Observatory (21901 FM 762,
    Needville, TX). 2nd workshop: January 28, 6-7pm, at Irene Stern
    Community Center (6920 Katy Fulshear Road Fulshear, TX). 3rd workshop:
    January 31, 3-5pm, at the Sugar Land Recreation Center Multi-Purpose
    Room (234 Matlage Way Sugar Land, TX). More at http://cechouston.org/.
  3. Green Drinks Houston. On January 29, 2013, from
    6-8 pm, join Green Drinks Houston in “The Lab” at Down House to hear a
    few words from Chris Cusack, co-owner of Down House, a local restaurant
    that features competition-level coffee, locally sourced cuisine, and a
    quality-focused bar program. Next, hear from the dynamic Sherry
    Eichberger about building a business focused not only on profits, but
    people and our planet too. Sherry Eichberger is the founder of One Green
    Street, a shop with purpose! One Green Street is an authentic Triple
    Bottom Line Business. More at http://cechouston.org/.
  4. Ride for The Future 2013 Summer Leadership Development
    Program.     This summer, join Ride for The Future to learn
    community organizing, become a stronger leader, learn from and connect
    with community leaders, spend your summer on a bike, traveling across
    Louisiana and Texas, and more! Applications are available at rideforthefuture.org/apply.
    More information is available at http://rideforthefuture.org/.
    Food and housing are provided to all participants, and limited funds are
    available to help those who require further financial assistance in
    order to ride. Priority consideration will be given to members of
    directly affected communities. Applicants do not need to be current or
    past college students to apply. Applications are due January
    30, 2013    ; extended deadline is March 1. The program will begin on
    May 20th and end on July 29th. Want to get involved but can’t ride
    the whole summer? Email Tara at tescudero@betterfutureproject.org about
    joining the riders for part of their journey or see if you can welcome
    them to your community.
  5. Biomimicry: Emulating Nature’s Genius to Inspire Innovation
    for a Sustainable Future.     Learn about biomimicry at an
    adult lecture with Linda Paisley on February 6, 2013, at 7pm at the
    Nature Discovery Center (7112 Newcastle Street). Biomimicry offers a
    holistic and deeply rooted method for achieving true sustainability.
    Nature embodies more than four billion years of experience perfecting
    the designs and behaviors that make organisms and living systems thrive.
    Biomimicry is the investigation and search of nature for solutions to
    humanity’s form, process, and system design challenges. Attend for an
    exciting talk about cutting edge theory for urban planning,
    architecture, home living, and meeting environmental challenges. Linda
    Paisley is a certified Biomimicry Specialist, she has participated in
    Biomimicry Workshops in Peru, Arizona, and in Austin, Texas. Linda also
    serves on the Boards of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center and the
    Blackwood Land Institute. Light refreshments are served. More
    here    .
  6. 2013 OHBA Summit. The Organic Horticulture
    Benets Alliance (OHBA) hosts their annual OHBA Summit on February 9,
    2013. The organic education conference will be held at the United Way
    Building, located at 50 Waugh Dr, Houston TX, 77007 from 7:30 AM- 4:45
    PM. OHBA Summit is a valuable and intense series of educational seminars
    for elite horticulture professionals. Attendees are encouraged to create
    a personalized agenda for the day, to leave the Summit with solutions
    specic to ones professional and personal needs. Five of the most
    respected and inuential educators in the eld of Organics have been
    chosen to present proven results along with break-out Round Table
    Discussions to provide interactive, solution-based exchanges in a
    smaller setting. Learn more and register at http://www.ohbasummit.org/.
  7. 2013 Tree Planting Competition. The Houston Area
    Urban Forestry Council and Harris County Flood Control District are once
    again sponsoring the Texas Urban Forestry Council’s Regional Tree
    Planting Competition to be held in conjunction with local Arbor Day
    celebrations. This event is a regional competition and the 3 fastest
    planting times will be forwarded to the State as Regional winners where
    their times will be included in the finals for the State Competition.
    Each team will consist of 10 planting members and a non-working captain
    and scoring will be based not only on time, but also on correct hole
    depth/width, mulching, planting techniques, etc. The Houston Area Urban
    Forestry Council will be supplying the judges and timers for the event
    and again, the 3 top times will be sent to the TUFC for consideration in
    the State Award for best time. The competition will be on February 9,
    2013, at the HCFCD Retention Basin. More at http://cechouston.org/.
    Contact Mickey Merritt, 713-688-891 or Matt Weaver, 713-688-8932 for
    more information.
  8. 2013 Texas Brigades Summer Program. The Texas
    Brigades is a wildlife-focused leadership development program for high
    school youth (ages 13-17). There are five different camps: Bobwhite
    Brigade, Buckskin Brigade, Bass Brigade, Waterfowl Brigade, and Ranch
    Brigade. You will be introduced to habitat management, hone your
    communication skills, and develop a land ethic. The state’s leading
    wildlife and fisheries biologists and land managers serve as instructors
    and mentors. Each camp is 4 ½ days long. Applications must be postmarked
    by March 15th. More at http://www.texasbrigades.org/.
  9. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on
    KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on cable channels in
    Baytown, Deer Park, Seabrook, and on HCC. More info on the TPWD
    website     (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). This
    week’s broadcast will include:

    • Adventure Racing
    • Parks & Wildlife People: Ronnie Sladek
    • Big Spring State Park
    • Billion Dollar Bats
  10. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html.
    Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.

    • Because of the state holiday, no forecast was posted on Monday,
      January 21, 2013.

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ECONOTES Featured News
Articles–For dozens of additional headlines, visit the CEC
website. (You can let us know about articles, too. E-mail news@cechouston.org).

  1. Park named for Kingwood resident Herman Little wins awards
    from H-GAC     (The Kingwood Observer, 01/17/2013) Herman Little
    Park, which opened last July just south of Old TownSpring, is the most
    outstanding new local park in its category and was recently awarded by
    the 13-county Houston-Galveston Area Council. Herman Little Park
    encompasses a 55-acre site connecting directly to three neighborhoods –
    Highland Glen subdivision on the east and North Hills Estates and
    Lynwood Estates on the north and west. The park features parking,
    restrooms, a pavilion, a natural play-scape, a skateboard park, two
    soccer fields, four picnic areas, a community garden, hike and bike
    trails, a 4.5-acre fishing pond, a canoe launch, a wetlands observation
    deck, six exercise stations and jogging trails. http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
  2. Houston ranks high on list of Texas’ major transportation
    challenges     (Molly Ryan – Houston Business Journal,
    01/17/2013) Deterioration, congestion and traffic safety concerns are
    increasingly affecting Texas’ roadways, according to a new report, and
    many of these issues are severely impacting the Houston area. Trip, a
    Washington, D.C.-based transportation research group, released its
    report, “Texas’ Top 100 Transportation Challenges and Improvements
    Needed to Address Them,” on Thursday, and out of the 100 issues listed,
    17 of them were in the Houston area. http://www.bizjournals.com/
  3. Climate change gets a prominent place in Obama’s second
    inaugural address     (Texas Climate News, 01/21/2013) President
    Barack Obama gave a prominent nod to climate change in his inaugural
    address, devoting about seven percent of the speech to the issue and
    signaling that it will be a priority in his second term in the White
    House. President Obama’s second term offers tremendous opportunity to
    turn the tide on this problem. http://texasclimatenews.org/

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GREEN JOBS Tell them you
heard about it from us! Job listings can be found at CEC’s
Green Jobs page.

  1. Galveston Baykeeper seeks a Baykeeper/Wetland Watch
    Coordinator.     Part time position. Galveston Baykeeper, a
    member of the global Waterkeeper Alliance, is a grassroots organization
    committed to preserving and protecting the health of Galveston Bay and
    its watershed for our children, our economy and our future, through
    advocacy and education, and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
    Galveston Baykeeper is particularly focused on wetlands, but all threats
    to the aquatic integrity of the Galveston Bay and bayou system are its
    concern. The Galveston Baykeeper speaks for the Bay, and is the public
    face of the Galveston Baykeeper organization. The Galveston Baykeeper
    keeps abreast of threats to the Bay, and works to mobilize citizens in
    defense of the Bay, through partnerships and direct action. The
    incumbent of this position will also manage the Wetland Watch program, a
    citizen-staffed effort to monitor and report unauthorized fill of
    wetlands in the lower Galveston Bay watershed. The GBK/WWC must have
    excellent people and organizational skills, as well as a real passion
    for our Gulf Coast habitat. Experience in water or natural resource
    areas required. Should have solid computer skills and grant writing
    experience. Send resume and cover letter to John Jacob, GBK Board Chair,
    jingleheimer53@gmail.com.
  2. HARC seeks a GIS/Remote Sensing Research Associate.
    HARC is a non-profit research hub located in The Woodlands, TX dedicated
    to performing independent analysis for people and institutions seeking
    scientific answers in support of a sustainable future. HARC’s research
    focuses on clean air, clean water, and clean energy. We are seeking a
    person with an educational background and work experience in GIS,
    Geography, Environmental Science, Biology or related disciplines and
    skills in ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Server, and other ESRI products.
    Major duties will include creation of digital mapping products for use
    in reports, proposals, websites and presentations; design, creation and
    maintenance of interactive mapping applications for distribution via the
    internet; and quantitative and statistical analyses on geospatial
    datasets. For more information about the position and to upload a
    resume, please visit http://mitchell.harc.edu/.
  3. Houston Endowment is seeking a Vice President For Programs.
    The Vice President for Programs works closely with the President to
    develop and implement foundation strategies. The Vice President manages
    the foundation’s day-to-day grantmaking activities in keeping with
    current policies and procedures and coordinates the work of the entire
    program staff to meet the highest standards. The Vice President develops
    and maintains strong relationships with peer foundations and community
    leaders and effectively articulates foundation goals and programs. The
    search for the ideal candidate will remain open until the position is
    filled. Qualified applicants should forward a cover letter and resume
    to: Deborah Bessire, Human Resources Manager, Houston Endowment Inc.,
    600 Travis Street, Suite 6400, Houston, TX 77002;
    dbessire@houstonendowment.org.
  4. Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership seeks Watershed
    Coordinator.     The mission of the Armand Bayou Watershed
    Partnership is to “improve the quality of life in our communities by
    protecting, enhancing, and restoring the ecological integrity and
    natural benefits of the Armand Bayou watershed.” The Watershed
    Coordinator is responsible for the overall administration and management
    of the Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership, including
    fundraising/grantwriting and business operations. Areas of
    responsibility include planning and evaluation, policy and program
    development and administration, personnel and fiscal management, and
    public relations. This is a full-time position, hired by and directly
    accountable to the Armand Bayou Watershed Council, communicating
    regularly with its elected Council chair. The Watershed Coordinator
    implements policies approved by the Council, manages the organization’s
    programs and operations (including implementation of its Strategic
    Plan), and represents the organization in the community.  Cover
    letter, resume, and written answers to the questions below should be
    submitted via e-mail to: linda.shead@sheadconservation.com. The
    questions are: 1. Based on the “Ability to create and foster teams to
    solve watershed problems,” how have you used this skill in the past, and
    what would you do differently in the future? 2. Tell about past
    experience with outside consultants and contractors.
  5. The Woods Project seeks Club Program Directors. The
    Woods Project is seeking part-time (approximately 6 hrs/wk) Club Program
    Instructors to teach one or more of our weekly afterschool club programs
    for the 2013 spring semester. The right candidate will be an
    outdoorsperson with experience working with high school youth,
    preferably some experience with at-risk youth. Some additional
    requirements are flexible weekly schedule, access to personal
    transportation, must be comfortable with camping/backpacking gear, enjoy
    being in a mentor/leadership role. Duties will include travelling to
    schools to teach an hour club, working with existing curriculum as well
    as developing new research-based lessons. Instructors must commit to the
    remainder of the 2012-2013 school year, attend one spring semester
    camping trip, and are highly encouraged to participate in the 2013
    summer trip to places in Northern California or Montana. Ability to work
    independently and with confidence is a requirement of the
    job, as is the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in
    writing. For more information about The Woods Project and the Club
    Program Instructor position, please visit www.thewoodsproject.org.
    Interested candidates should contact Brittany White, Director of
    Programs, at brittany@thewoodsproject.org.
  6. Hermann Park Conservancy seeks Marketing Manager.
    Hermann Park Conservancy is currently seeking a full-time marketing
    manager. The marketing manager will have primary responsibility for all
    external communications, marketing initiatives, the membership program,
    PR, and media and donor relations. The marketing manager will work
    closely with the executive director and staff, particularly in the
    development department. Hermann Park will reach its 100th birthday in
    2014. In preparation for this milestone, the marketing manager will
    oversee a multifaceted marketing program, to include media and
    sponsorship initiatives, expansion of the membership program, the use of
    new web technologies, and promotion of happenings among various
    constituencies, including community partners, corporate sponsors,
    donors, members, and public officials. To apply, please email a cover
    letter and resume to info@hermannpark.org. Click here
    for more information.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

CEC is sharing information during the session about what
bills our member groups and readers are tracking. More information is
available at cechouston.org/category/texas-legislature/.
As of January 21, 2013, 201 bills have been filed by the Senate (up from
176) and 748 bills have been filed by the House (up from 626). Learn more at
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Reports/General.aspx.
The following are bills (SB=Senate Bill, HB=House Bill, and HJR=House Joint
Resolution) which may be of interest to the region’s environmental community
and which have been filed in the past week:

  • SB
    174    : Relating to the protection of stray bison.
  • SB
    175    : Relating to the allocation of the proceeds from taxes imposed
    on the sale,
    storage, or use of sporting goods.
  • HB
    555    : Relating to the creation of a criminal offense for certain
    violations of the law regulating metal recycling entities.
  • HB
    569    : Relating to a study on the stringency of state
    environmental standards.
  • HB
    589    : Relating to the Lower Colorado River Authority.

No further actions have been taken on bills identified in CEC updates,
although keywords have been assigned to many of the bills. Committees of
both the house and senate have been identified, and some legislators have
been assigned to those committees.

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UPCOMING EVENTS If you
attend one of these events, please let them know you heard about it here!
Visit the new calendar at cechouston.org.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Friday, January 25, 2013

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

 

Tuesday, January 29, 2012

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