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Houston Environmental News Update May 6, 2014
May 7, 2014

Houston Environmental News Update May 6, 2014

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Houston Environmental News Update May 6, 2014

COALITION NOTES

  1. CWI Workshop: Estuary Programs and Freshwater Inflows. The next Clean Waters Initiative workshop is set for May 7, 2014 from 1:30-4:30pm at H-GAC. Speakers include Emily Seldomridge, PhD of Galveston Bay Foundation, Sarah Bernhardt, PhD of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Jace Tunnell of the Coastal Bends, Bays & Estuaries Programs, Paul Montagna, PhD of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at TAMUCC, Glenda Callaway of Ekistics Corporation, and Jim Lester, PhD of HARC. Register with H-GAC.
  2. Environmental Educators Exchange: Yoga and Roundtable Forum. The next Environmental Educators Exchange meeting will be held on May 7, 2014, 4:30-6:30pm, at Levy Park. This meeting will offer a one-hour outdoor yoga session led by Environmental Educators’ Exchange (EEE) member and yoga instructor Balaka Ghosals. Bring your own yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes for the session. There is no charge to participate, however, donations will be accepted for Balaka’s professional instruction. If you do not have a yoga mat or something similar, there will be mats for loan. Please request a yoga mat through email if you are in need of one when you send your RSVP to Edith Smith smithedith@aol.com. After the yoga session, there will be the  traditional EEE Round-table Forum where, members and attendees introduce themselves, their programs, make announcements and discuss challenges and successes in environmental education. For the forum, guests are asked to bring potluck items to contribute to the food provided. Even if you are unable to bring something to eat or drink, guests are still encouraged to attend. Learn more here.
  3. Bike to Work Week. The League of American Bicyclists has designated May as National Bike Month. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy one of the region’s many bikeways. To encourage commuters to bike to work, May 12-16, 2014 has been designated Bike to Work Week. Several organizations in the Houston region are sponsoring their own Bike to Work Days: City of Sugar Land/Shape Up Fort Bend – Thursday, May 8; City of Houston – May 9; H-GAC – May 15; Energy Corridor – May 15; Bike The Woodlands Day – May 13.
  4. Rain Barrel Workshop. Rain barrels are an efficient, low-cost method for collecting rainwater. They are placed at downspouts in order to reduce runoff into storm drains, and can be used for watering a garden or houseplants, among many other uses. Learn more about rain barrels and get your kits at Galveston Bay Foundation’s workshop on May 10, 2014, from 9:30-11:30am. There is a $30 registration fee that includes admission into the workshop, one recycled 35-gallon barrel courtesy of Coca-Cola ($70 value), and one RainRecycle connector kit from The Rain Barrel Depot ($25 value). Learn more and register at www.galvbay.org.
  5. Houston Sierra Club Annual Yard Sale. Is it time for some spring cleaning? Don’t forget the Sierra Club yard sale; you can ‘recycle’ those unneeded items. The sale will take place May 10, 2014, from 8am-4pm at “CORAZON Fair Trade”, 2318 Waugh. Most saleable items will be accepted, including clothing, knickknacks, furniture, books, etc. To donate items, either bring them to the General Meeting on May 8, or you may drop off items at CORAZON (713-526-6591, call for current hours), during the week. This event is one of the Houston Group’s annual fundraising efforts. All proceeds go to support the Houston Group and its local conservation and educational programs. To volunteer, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896. To learn more about the sale, visit http://lonestar.sierraclub.org.
  6. Going Green Lecture: Sustainable Water Management. As part of its Going Green Sustainbility Lecture Series, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a lecture by Jim Lester, President and CEO of HARC. The 2011 drought and subsequent lower-than normal rainfall in Texas has placed water as a high priority issue for policy makers. Proposition 6, passed in 2013, provides state financing options for construction of water infrastructure across the state and explicitly reserves 20 percent for water conservation. What are those options for water conservation and how will the Texas Water Board decide which ones to fund? Dr. Lester will briefly describe the status of water supply, Texas water planning, prioritization of conservation projects, and new types of water supply projects (e.g. desalination of brackish groundwater and aquifer storage and recovery). Come out to the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library on May 13, 2014, at 7pm to learn more about sustainable water management. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more at www.thewoodlandsgreen.org.
  7. Houston Environmental Justice Encuentro 2014. Save the date for the Houston Environmental Justice Encuentro 2014 from May 16-17, 2014, at TCU. The goals of the symposium include fostering dialog, communication and education between conservation groups and residents of areas most affected by severe environmental health risks; enlightening Houstonians with an understanding that environmental injustices suffered by “fence-line” communities affect all Houstonians; and empowering Houston regional residents to work for the environmental quality they want their families and grandchildren to have. The cost to attend is $20 for one day and $35 for both days. Learn more and register at www.hpjc.org. View the agenda here: Environmental Justice.
  8. H.P.A.R.D. Parks Master Plan II Survey. HPARD is in the process of evaluating and adjusting its Master Plan, last published in 2008. The survey is available in both English and Spanish and the results can help shape the new Park Master Plan. Please take a moment to participate in the Parks Master Plan Survey.
  9. Coastal Waters Institute. Artist Boat is currently recruiting middle school teachers for FREE professional development training over the summer. There will be two opportunities for a four-day, hands-on field and classroom-based professional development. Sign up for the training July 14-17, 2014, which will focus on the Galveston Bay Watershed or for the training July 21-24, 2014, which will focus on the Coastal Bend Bays Watershed. Participants enrolled in this professional development will receive 32 CPE hours, Artist Boat’s Coastal Waters Institute Curriculum with 24 professionally developed and creative lessons aligned with TEKS, an unforgettable training experience about the environment, a day on the water via kayak and vessel, and hands-on training in TEKS aligned curriculum. Learn more by calling 409-770-0722.

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COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. TCEQ Environmental Trade Fair and Conference. The 2014 Environmental Trade Fair & Conference is Texas’ premier environmental educational forum, considered by many to be one of the best in the country. The conference features topics such as the drought crisis, oil & gas, air quality, and waste management. Attendees may earn CEU credits. The conference will be held May 6-7, 2014, at the Austin Convention Center. Learn more about the conference here.
  2. Sustainability: How Coca-Cola is Inspiring Change in the World. Attend the Johnson Space Center SAIC/Safety & Mission Assurance Technical Speaker Forum on May 7, 2014 from 11:30am-12:30pm. The speaker will be Nelson Mumma, Jr., Global Group Dirctor, External Affairs, The Coca-Cola Company. Nelson is the strategic communications lead within Coca-Cola’s Office of Sustainability. He will discuss Coca-Cola’s sustainability efforts and projects that go beyond environmental sustainability to the other pillars of Corporate & Social Responsibility (CSR). Learn about Coca-Cola’s internal Sustainability plans, as well as how they are reaching beyond “business as usual” to have a positive, sustainable impact on consumers and communities around the world. To RSVP, email della.cardona-1@nasa.gov.
  3. Shell-e-bration in Galveston! Be part of the shell-e-bration on the first anniversary of the Kemp’s Ridley being named our official state sea turtle. This free, family event is an outdoor festival featuring a variety of turtle and marine-related activities, exhibits and crafts. Shell-e-bration will be held at Stewart Beach Park, 201 Seawall in Galveston, on May 10, 2014, at 11am. The celebration is sponsored by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project. Don’t miss photo opportunities with “ROB” the Ridley, turtle costume contest, turtle sand sculptor contest, and turtle relay races. More information is available by e-mailing Joanie@tirn.net.
  4. Piney Woods Wildlife Society Meeting. Join the nature lovers of the Piney Woods Wildlife Society at their monthly meetings for educational talks and information about birding in Harris and Montgomery Counties. Socializing starts at 6:30pm, and the meetings get underway at 7:00pm. The next meeting will be on May 20, 2014, and will feature photographers of the club and their spring migration bird pictures. Come learn about migration and bird photography! If you would like your photos to be included in the program, send the photos to the Program Director, Carlos Hernandez, (Carlania@swbell.net) by May 13. The meeting will be held at the Big Stone Lodge at Dennis Johnston Park located at 709 Riley Fuzzel Road in Spring. This will be the last meeting until September. Learn more here.
  5. Energy Star Tax Free Memorial Weekend. During Memorial Day weekend, get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products. The 2014 ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday begins on May 24, 2014, and ends on May 26, 2014. Qualifying products will display the ENERGY STAR logo, which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during this sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required. Products qualifying for the exemption include: air conditioners priced a $6,000 or less, refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less, ceiling fans, incandescen and fluorescent light bulbs, clothes washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and programmable thermostats. For more information, visit www.window.state.tx.us.
  6. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area).
    • Will Hunt for Food
    • Lone Star Land Steward: Daphne Prairie
    • Parks and Wildlife’s 50th
    • Nicole’s Big Adventure
  7. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • May 6, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone.  Incoming background levels may be high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” levels on the north and northwest side of the Houston area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.
    • May 7, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate to strong winds and lower background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • May 8, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.

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

  1. Air Quality Watchdog Worried About Proposed TCEQ Standard Change (Florian Martin – Houston Public Media, 5/1/2014)
    There are more than 100 metal recycling plants in Houston, several of them in the East End along the ship channel. The air quality in this region seems to be lower than other areas. There is no telling if this has to do with the recycling plants but what is known is that tests have found higher than usual levels of hexavalent chromium, also called Chrome VI, in the air around these plants. Chrome VI is a metal air pollutant and has been found to increase the risk of lung cancer in workers exposed to it on a daily basis. That’s why Adrian Shelley of the Air Alliance Houston is worried about a change in the Chrome VI standards by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  2. Only 3 Texas counties exist outside a drought-related natural disaster area (Carol Christian – Houston Chronicle, 4/25/2014)
    As drought intensifies across Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated all but three counties eligible for disaster assistance. Of the state’s 252 counties, 240 have deep enough drought to be included in the primary natural disaster area, according to the department’s April 23 news release. The only one of the 13 Houston-area counties not on that list is Chambers County.
    www.chron.com
  3. Brazoria County wonders if desalination is the answer (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 5/3/2014)
    To firm up its water supply, a Brazoria County utility is moving quickly to pump from a massive saline aquifer beneath the Houston region’s surface. The Brazosport Water Authority’s roughly $60 million project – once the first phase is completed in 2017 – would convert millions of gallons of salty water into potable, or drinking, water each day. The process, known as desalination, is used across Texas, mostly in the drier western half of the state. The Lake Jackson facility would be the first of its kind in greater Houston, which typically benefits from plentiful rain and full reservoirs. The city of Houston, in particular, is planning to meet its long-term needs with surface water and reused wastewater.
    www.houstonchronicle.com