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October 10, 2013

ECONOTES 2013-10-15: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

Featured

  1. Mayor Parker Wants Houston’s Streets More Accessible To Pedestrians And Cyclists (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News, 10/10/2013)
    Mayor Annise Parker is unveiling a new initiative designed to make Houston’s streets accessible to everyone, and that includes walkers, cyclists, and people who use mobility devices. Parker says she’s drafted an executive order that lays out what’s called a “complete streets” policy. She’s planning to sign it once it’s reviewed by the City Council. Parker says the executive order will serve as a blueprint for future street work, creating throughfares with lanes for bikes, and easily-accessible sidewalks for pedestrians and transit users. The policy also takes into consideration things like trees, to help keep the neighborhood cooler, as well as benches, green space, and drainage improvements.
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  2. Water plan threatens sea turtles, group warns (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 10/11/2013)
    The endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle will be put in harm’s way by a Central Texas river authority’s emergency plan to cut off freshwater from Matagorda Bay, an environmental group warned state regulators Friday. In a 12-page letter, the Matagorda Bay Foundation urged the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to reject the plan, saying the suspension of freshwater will diminish the turtle’s primary food source, blue crabs. The commission is expected to vote next month on the plan.
    http://www.chron.com/
  3. Why so many Dams In Texas Are in Bad Condition (Mose Buchele – StateImpact, 10/14/2013)
    Of the 1880 dams inspected by the TCEQ since 2008, 245 were found to be in bad condition, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Around 2000 of the state’s dams were built with federal help in the wake of the great drought of the 1950s. Almost all of those are now past or nearing their projected 50 year lifespan, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The challenges confronting the state’s infrastructure of dams is underscored by the fact that Texas has more than 7,300 dams, more than any other state. There is, in fact, only one natural lake in the entire state of Texas.
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/

EcoNotes

  • 14 October
  • 12 October
    • TCEQ: Judge Wrongly Said the State Should Protect the Atmosphere (Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune – KUHF News)
      http://app1.kuhf.org/
    • Scientists’ sweeping new climate report: What does it mean for Texas? (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org/
  • 11 October
    • Water plan threatens sea turtles, group warns (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
      http://www.chron.com/
    • Update on Post Oak Development: A contractor’s dream (Shaina Zucker – Houston Business Journal)
      http://www.bizjournals.com/
    • SXSW Eco: ‘Climate Wise Women’ Hold Key to a Just Climate Movement (Harman on Earth)
      http://harmanonearth.com/
    • State: Judge is Wrong to Say It Must Protect Atmosphere (Neena Satija, Texas Tribune – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org/
    • Fisker Green-Car Government Loan Heads To Auction Block (Deepa Seetharaman and Martinne Geller – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org/
    • Energy chief shares plans for combined $8B company (Deon Daugherty – Houston Business Journal)
      http://www.bizjournals.com/
    • Deal of the Week: Government shutdown impacts Houston, future of human spaceflight (Emily Wilkinson – Houston Business Journal)
      http://www.bizjournals.com/
  • 10 October
    • Mayor Parker Wants Houston’s Streets More Accessible To Pedestrians And Cyclists (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
      http://app1.kuhf.org/
    • Dengue virus identified in Houston (Todd Ackerman – Houston Chronicle)
      http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
    • Energy industry slowly begins to feel effects of gridlock (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
      http://www.chron.com/
    • How Oil & Gas Drillers Are Trying to Earn Cred with Environmentalists (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org/
    • Riverstone PE firm to invest millions in Sugar Land upstream company (Olivia Pulsinelli – Houston Business Journal)
      http://www.bizjournals.com/
    • Kinder Morgan to spend $74M on new Eagle Ford pipeline project (Sanford Nowlin – Houston Business Journal)
      http://www.bizjournals.com/
  • 9 October
  • 8 October
  • 7 October
  • 6 October
  • 4 October
  • 3 October
  • 2 October
  • 30 September