ECONOTES 2013-08-06: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Armand Bayou Nature Center Receives 50th Solar Energy Donation from Green Mountain Energyâ„¢ Sun Clubâ„¢ (PR Web, 7/31/2013)
Green Mountain Energy™ Sun Club™ has dedicated its 50th solar energy system to Houston area non-profit nature preserve, Armand Bayou Nature Center. The nature preserve received a donation that added three solar arrays to its campus. The rooftop installations on its boat house, admissions pavilion and education building now use renewable energy to help power its educational tours and exhibits. Armand Bayou Nature Center now hosts 29 solar panels on its grounds, powering the center’s various educational programs with 8,500 kilowatt-hours of pollution-free energy and avoiding about 9,900 pounds of CO2 each year. That’s enough CO2 to fill 802,500 hard hats! An additional solar installation on the Nature Center’s boat house will charge the electric pontoon boat, the “Bayou Ranger,†used for weekend bayou tours, so visitors can explore the wetlands with the power of the sun.
http://www.prweb.com/ - Construction Starts To Turn Eleanor Tinsley Park Into Buffalo Bayou’s Signature Green Space (Florian Martin – KUHF News, 8/5/2013)
As part of the continuing Buffalo Bayou development, Eleanor Tinsley Park is now undergoing some significant changes. Old shelters, playground equipment, and certain trees will be removed. Other trees will be planted, the parking lot remodeled, a big pavilion added and the garden expanded. The special upgrades for the park are possible thanks to a $2 million donation by local beer distributor Silver Eagle. In addition, the park renovation, including hike-and-bike trail improvements, is part of the $58 million Buffalo Bayou revitalization project. As Houston grows, so does the importance of having more green space.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Experts offer advice on saving Texas prairie (Alex Macon, Galveston County Daily News – My SA News, 7/29/2013)
The coastal prairie once stretched across 9 million acres from Southeast Texas to Southwestern Louisiana. Years of urbanization and agricultural range improvement have led to almost 99 percent of the habitat being wiped out, according to the National Wetlands Research Center, but the prairie is attempting a comeback. It just needs a little help. The Galveston County Daily News reports more than 30 farmers, ranchers, conservationists and volunteers recently studied techniques for restoring and preserving prairie at the Texas City Prairie Preserve.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/
EcoNotes
- 5 August
- Construction Starts To Turn Eleanor Tinsley Park Into Buffalo Bayou’s Signature Green Space (Florian Martin – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Obscure Agency Could Gain Power With Water Measure (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
https://www.texastribune.org/ - EPA Screens More Than 66,000 Contaminated Sites for Renewable Energy Potential (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/
- Construction Starts To Turn Eleanor Tinsley Park Into Buffalo Bayou’s Signature Green Space (Florian Martin – KUHF News)
- 3 August
- The hogs keep winning (Off the Kuff News)
http://offthekuff.com/
- The hogs keep winning (Off the Kuff News)
- 2 August
- The Nature Center’s green; so is its electricity (Emily Pickrell – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/ - Environmental Groups Target Battery Maker Rayovac for Bad Record on Recycling (Product Policy Institute)
http://productpolicy.blogspot.com/ - How 10 Western Cities Are Dealing with Water Scarcity and Drought (Holly Heinrich – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- The Nature Center’s green; so is its electricity (Emily Pickrell – Fuel Fix)
- 1 August
- Obama Signs Order for Increased Safety and Oversight at Chemical Plants (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - During Domestic Drilling Boom, Why Are Gas Prices Still High? (Holly Heinrich – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Why The Houston Area Should Look Forward To The Peak Of The Tropical Season (David Pitman – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - EPA Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses for Sustainable Technology Development (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/
- Obama Signs Order for Increased Safety and Oversight at Chemical Plants (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
- 31 July
- Houston Non-Profit Receives 50th Solar Energy Donation from Green Mountain Energyâ„¢ Sun Clubâ„¢ (PR Web)
http://www.prweb.com/ - Galveston Bay Foundation earns national recognition (The Friendswood Journal)
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ - Is This Chip the Key to Desalination? (Michael Marks – StateImpact)
stateimpact.npr.org/ - EPA Strengthens Chemical Assessment Process to Protect Public Health (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - EPA Proposes Rule to Modernize Clean Water Act Reporting (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Texas ranked last on green state list (Matt Dietrichson – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Gaps remain in Houston’s bike/ped infrastructure (Matt Dietrichson – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/
- Houston Non-Profit Receives 50th Solar Energy Donation from Green Mountain Energyâ„¢ Sun Clubâ„¢ (PR Web)
- 30 July
- With New Head of EPA, Battles With Texas Likely to Continue (Holly Heinrich – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Does Fracking ‘Steal’ Oil & Gas From Neighbors? (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Houston: Sheldon Lake State Park (Rob McCorkle – Texas Co-op Power)
http://www.texascooppower.com/ - Invasive aquatic species: a concern even abroad (Katie Heinrich – Conservation Matters)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - San Antonio a Leading U.S. City on Sustainability (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/ - Making Fossil Fuel a Thing of the Past: Why Not Solar Now? (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/
- With New Head of EPA, Battles With Texas Likely to Continue (Holly Heinrich – StateImpact)
- 29 July
- Experts offer advice on saving Texas prairie (Alex Macon, Galveston County Daily News – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - As Drilling Expands, So Do Fights Over Land Rights (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Study: Sea-level rise threatens 1,400 U.S. cities (Wendy Koch – USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/
- Experts offer advice on saving Texas prairie (Alex Macon, Galveston County Daily News – My SA News)
- 26 July
- Cleaning Up Coal Plants in Texas (Environmental Protection News)
http://eponline.com/ - UPDATE 3-U.S. appeals court rejects states’ challenge over climate rules (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/
- Cleaning Up Coal Plants in Texas (Environmental Protection News)
- 25 July
- New Texas Open Beaches Act Amendment Explained (Surfrider Foundation News)
http://www.surfrider.org/
- New Texas Open Beaches Act Amendment Explained (Surfrider Foundation News)