ECONOTES 2013-01-28: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- If Texas Water Plan Is Funded, Where Will The Money Go? (Mose Buchele – StateImpact, 1/24/13)
The Texas State Water Plan has been described as a $53 billion dollar wish list, full of local projects that remain largely unprioritized and unfunded. If Texas gets a proposed $2 billion from the state’s rainy day fund, those regional entities could jumpstart their water projects. However, these projects would be prioritized, ranked by their timing, presumably how fast they could be ramped up, how much they are needed, and the degree to which they rely on conservation.
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Another Coal–fired Power Plant Bites the Dust (Larry R. Soward – Air Alliance Houston, 1/24/13)
Industry’s aggressive resistance to environmental regulations is not the “burdensome regulations,†it is profit. Coal plants are not competing well with new cleaner sources of power like natural gas, wind and other renewable energy sources. In early December Houston-based NRG Texas Power LLC announced that it has dropped the planned $1 billion, 800-megawatt expansion of its coal-fired power plant in Limestone County, 120 miles upwind of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
http://airalliancehouston.org/ - Heroes are Zero (Waste) (Earth Share, 1/24/13)
What if we changed our mindset from recycling single-use products to replacing these products with those that can be reused or upcycled over and over again, before biodegrading harmlessly in the environment? In other words, what if we moved to a zero waste economy? A zero waste mindset can start at the design end of the production cycle. It starts by asking questions like: “What is this packaging made of?â€, “Why do I need to replace my entire computer when it dies?â€
http://www.earthshare.org/
EcoNotes
- 26 January
- Public meetings to be held on Fort Bend Subregional Plan (Fort Bend Star)
http://www.fortbendstar.com/
- Public meetings to be held on Fort Bend Subregional Plan (Fort Bend Star)
- 25 January
- Whole Foods CEO: Climate change is real and “not necessarily bad†(Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - 4.1 Earthquake Hits East Texas, Reports of Minor Damage (Mose Buchele and Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Texas Railroad Commission Takes Steps to Modernize (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - EPA Releases New Report on Children’s Health and the Environment in America (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/
- Whole Foods CEO: Climate change is real and “not necessarily bad†(Texas Climate News)
- 24 January
- Another Coal–fired Power Plant Bites the Dust (Larry R. Soward – Air Alliance Houston)
http://airalliancehouston.org/ - $1.33 million in Local Outdoor Grants to Benefit Texas Communities (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Heroes are Zero (Waste) (Earth Share)
http://www.earthshare.org/ - Water Waste: Technology-Based Game Changers (Earth Share)
http://www.earthshare.org/ - The Piccolo and the Pocket Grouse (Eric Wagner – Orion Magazine)
http://www.orionmagazine.org/ - Dewhurst on Funding Water Plan: ‘There’s No Other Option’ (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - If Texas Water Plan Is Funded, Where Will The Money Go? (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Analysis: Obama’s next climate steps apt to be temperate (Valerie Volcovici – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/
- Another Coal–fired Power Plant Bites the Dust (Larry R. Soward – Air Alliance Houston)
- 23 January
- Major Gulf Coast Coal Power Plant Suspended (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - In Battle Between Lawns and HOAs, Lawmaker Files Bill to Save Water (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to EPA rulemaking (Jonathan Stempel – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - TCEQ lifts restrictions on water rights (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter Announces New Director (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Texas Joins New National Air Quality Association (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/
- Major Gulf Coast Coal Power Plant Suspended (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
- 22 January
- Trees For Houston selects Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve as Tribute Site (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Texas is Shaking Again: 3.0 Quake Strikes Near DFW Airport (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Tracing the Culprit if Fracking Pollutes Water Supplies (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Coalition Launches Texas Natural Resource/Environmental Literacy Plan (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Tax law changes to be highlighted in landowner workshop (Texas A&M Forest Service)
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/ - Six locations being considered for the proposed SH 288 Direct Connector to the Texas Medical Center (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Environmental groups support legislation to allow water conservation measures (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - Edward Parten Tapped for Induction into Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/
- Trees For Houston selects Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve as Tribute Site (Guidry News)
- 21 January
- H-GAC announces parks, natural areas award winners (Cypress Creek Mirror)
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ - Obama Vows to Tackle Climate Change in Inaugural Speech (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- H-GAC announces parks, natural areas award winners (Cypress Creek Mirror)
- 18 January
- EPA pokes holes in plan to waive industry’s pollution bill (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/
- EPA pokes holes in plan to waive industry’s pollution bill (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
- 17 January
- Galveston Intermodal Transportation Committee (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/
- Galveston Intermodal Transportation Committee (Guidry News)
- 16 January
- Drought Stokes Water Fights (The Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/
- Drought Stokes Water Fights (The Wall Street Journal)