ECONOTES 2013-11-04: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

Featured

1. Coalition wants better air near Houston port communities (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle, 10/29/2013) The Port of Houston, the second-busiest in the country, is preparing for a large increase in cargo traffic thanks to growth in petrochemicals and the Panama Canal expansion. Now neighbors in some of the city’s portside neighborhoods are organizing for the first time to address what they fear will be an accompanying increase in air pollution. A newly formed group, the Healthy Port Communities Coalition, wants the Port of Houston to take the lead in reducing diesel pollution from trucks, trains, ships and other transport-related equipment. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
2. Study shows land development increases flood risk in NW Harris County (Cypress Creek Mirror, 10/29/2013)
   Development is often seen as positive, but it can also increase flood risk in certain areas. At a time when the population of northwest Harris County is set to double in 50 years, the Harris County Flood Control District is warning the public about a major increase in flood storm waters flowing from the upper Cypress Creek Watershed into downstream communities. In response, the Harris County Flood Control District is working on the Cypress Creek Management Overflow Management Plan study approved by Harris County Commissioners Court and the Texas Water Development Board.
   http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
3. Water proposal: Will voters think of recent rains or lingering drought? (Texas Climate News, 11/4/2013)
   Which recent rain-related news will have more influence on Texas voters Tuesday when they decide the fate of a constitutional amendment to allocate $2 billion in a one-time transfer from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to pay for water-supply and water-conservation projects? Will they be thinking about last week’s flooding or the drought that started with the record-setting heat wave and dry spell of 2011.
   http://texasclimatenews.org/

EcoNotes

• 4 November
  • Water proposal: Will voters think of recent rains or lingering drought? (Texas Climate News)
    http://texasclimatenews.org/
  • With or Without $2 Billion, Water Woes Here to Stay (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
    https://www.texastribune.org/
• 3 November
  • Hana Ginzbarg passionately defended Houston’s natural areas (Manuella Libardi – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/
  • Prop 6: Where Statewide Candidates Stand On Water Funds (Christopher Chang, Jordan Gass-Poore, David Maly, Alexa Ura, Edgar Walters and Cassie Smith, The Texas Tribune – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
• 1 November
  • Houston company uses goods recycling to fuel nonprofits, rapid growth (Josh Mitelman – Houston Business Journal) http://www.bizjournals.com/
  • HPCC Releases Port Survey (Air Alliance Houston) http://airalliancehouston.org/
  • The New Official Texas Arbor Day (Thirstier) http://thirstier.com/
  • If Proposition 6 Passes, What Comes Next for Water in Texas? (Mose Buchele – StateImpact) http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • New Proposal Could Cut Off Rice Farmers for Third Year in a Row (Terrence Henry – StateImpact) http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 31 October
  • Water quality trainings will focus on greater Houston area (Cypress Creek Mirror) http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
  • Be aware of the wildfire threat this hunting season (Texas A&M Forest Service) http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/
  • Toll Road Project Gets TxDOT Approval (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • Bayous and Creeks Remain in Banks … So Far (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
• 30 October
  • Ship channel residents sicker than most Texans due to pollution (News Fix Now) http://newsfixnow.com/
  • Want to Opt Out of a Smart Meter in Texas? It Will Cost You. (Terrence Henry – StateImpact) http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Texplainer: What’s an Energy Capacity Market? (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
    https://www.texastribune.org/
  • Out of the Wild (Orion Magazine) http://www.orionmagazine.org/
  • U.S. lays out strict limits on coal funding abroad (Anna Yukhananov – Planet Ark News) http://planetark.org/
  • Western U.S. states, British Columbia team up to battle climate change (Rory Carroll – Planet Ark News) http://planetark.org/
  • Whooping cranes beginning fall journey to Texas (Conservation Matters) http://twri.tamu.edu/
  • TFS urges caution to decrease the spread of oak wilt disease (Texas Forest Service News)
    http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/
  • Coastal Communities Face Rising Sea, Sinking Land and Powerful Storms: Science-based planning urgently needed (CLEAN News)
    http://www.cleanhouston.org/
  • Making Fossil Fuel a Thing of the Past: No Such Thing as ‘Clean Coal’ (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN News)
    http://www.cleanhouston.org/
• 29 October
  • Coalition wants better air near Houston port communities (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle) http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
  • Study shows land development increases flood risk in NW Harris County (Cypress Creek Mirror) http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
  • Why Can’t Pipelines Also Be Bike Paths? (Terrence Henry – StateImpact) http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Texplainer: How is the Texas Grid Managed? (Justin Dehn and Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
    https://www.texastribune.org/
  • Administration says pipeline bill would weaken environmental reviews (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – My SA News) http://www.mysanantonio.com/
  • Drought affecting Texas water utilities’ revenues (Barbara Vergetis Lundin – Fierce Energy News) http://www.fierceenergy.com/
  • More rain offers chance to replenish lakes and aquifers (Natalie Stoll – KXAN News) http://www.kxan.com/
• 28 October
  • $2 Billion Water Fund: Solution To A Crisis Or A Slush Fund? (Shelley Kofler – KERA News) http://keranews.org/
  • We’re Expecting! Preparing for an Asian Elephant Birth (Brian Hill – The Official Houston Zoo Blog) http://blogs.houstonzoo.org/
• 27 October
  • Bridging Buffalo Bayou Boat Tour set for Nov. 9 (Houston Chronicle) http://www.chron.com/
  • Startling photos highlight impact of Texas drought (Jessica Vess and John Fisher – KVUE News)
• 25 October
  • New Yorker gives Houston advice (Nancy Sarnoff – Houston Chronicle) http://blog.chron.com/
  • Texas and Oklahoma May Redraw the Border, Again (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune) http://www.texastribune.org/
  • Siemens, Texas A&M to Commercialize Cost-Saving Remediation Treatment (Environmental Leader) http://www.environmentalleader.com/
  • SAWS pulling the plug on free low-flow toilet program (James Aldridge – San Antonio Business Journal) http://www.bizjournals.com/
  • Texas industries’ climate-changing pollution far surpasses other states’ (Climate News) http://texasclimatenews.org/
• 24 October
  • New website updates Texas drought, conditions (KVUE News) http://www.kvue.com/
  • Polling Center: In Vote, Opposition Isn’t Overflowing (Jim Henson and Joshua Blank – The Texas Tribune) http://www.texastribune.org/
• 23 October
  • Texas, Nevada hope for increased water collaborations with Israel (Sharon Udasin – The Jerusalem Post) http://www.jpost.com/
• 22 October
  • Lookee What the Kinder Foundation’s $50M Is Gonna Help Build Along the Bayous (Swamplot) http://swamplot.com/
• 15 October
  • Protecting Natural Places from Climate Change (EarthShare) http://www.earthshare.org/