Houston Environmental News Update May 13, 2014

Houston Environmental News Update May 13, 2014

COALITION NOTES

1. 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.
2. San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site. The Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) has updated the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site webpage. The schedule of activities has been changed to update the latest information from the EPA. Visit the webpage to learn more about the cleanup of the pits, which are located on the west bank of the San Jacinto River upstream of the I-10 bridge. There will be a future meeting which will provide the public with the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Plan for cleanup. This will most likely be in September 2014. You can stay updated by visiting the website and signing up for the mailing list, which will provide you with the latest updates and public meeting notices.
3. Regional Recycling Roundtable: School Recycling Programs. Would you like to learn more about starting up a school recycling program? How about composting in schools? Would you like to learn how these programs can be made successful or what type of equipment and education is needed? Then join H-GAC at the upcoming Regional Recycling Roundtable to hear from Peggy Caruso with Katy ISD and John Ferguson with Nature’s Way Resources. The roundtable will be held on May 15, 2014, from 10am-noon at the H-GAC offices. For more information or to RSVP please contact Erin Livingston at 832-681-2525 or erin.livingston@h-gac.com.
4. Greening the News – A talk with Lisa Gray, Houston Chronicle Education Reporter. How can you encourage media coverage of ecology in general, and native-plant issues in particular? Why are some stories covered in far more depth than others? How did the Deer Park prairie capture the public imagination? Who should you call when a story is breaking? And how does the changing media business affect coverage? Come find out at the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meeting  on May 15, 2014, 7-9pm, at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. This event is free! Refreshments and door prizes will be available. Learn more at http://npsot.org.
5. Bingo for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Come play bingo to help support Buffalo Bayou Partnership! Every third Thursday until September, join BBP at Market Square Park for a fun night of music and bingo. Arrive early and enjoy the DJ from 6-7pm. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs or snag one of the tables at the park for a night of music and great prizes. Bingo begins at 7pm. $10 admission includes one Bingo packet (approximately 9 games). Additional games and daubers can be purchased for $1 each. Cash only. The next Bingo Night will be held on May 15, 2014. The theme is disco! Stay connected via Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Facebook Page.
6. Two Part: Collaborative Access Event. The next Collaborative Access Event is coming up on May 15, 2014, from 9:30-11:30am a the Houston Wilderness Conference Room. Come learn about GET OUT HERE Houston Gulf Coast Website designed to highlight the region’s amazing outdoor opportunities. Also find out about the Back the Bay Campaign with the Galveston Bay Estuary Program. This campaign was designed to raise awareness of the importance of Galveston Bay and the benefits it provides. RSVP to holly@houstonwilderness.org.
7. Houston Zoo Call of the Wild Speaker Series: Sharks and Rays with Dr. Rachel Graham. Join wildlife heroes from all over the world for the Houston Zoo’s Wild Speaker Series as they share their stories of working with local communities to protect animals and habitats. The next event will be held on May 15, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm at the Brown Education Center. The speaker will be Dr. Rachel Graham, Director of Wildlife Conservation Society’s Gulf and Caribbean Sharks and Rays Program. Rachel Graham works to save sharks and rays in the Gulf and Caribbean. She is based in Belize, and her conservation work extends to Mexico, Honduras, Cuba and Pohnpei (Micronesia.) including some work on the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This is a free event but tickets are limited. Learn more here.
8. 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.
9. Prairie Tour along Buffalo Bayou. Join Buffalo Bayou Partnershipand Katy Prairie Conservancy for a docent led tour of the prairie areas in Buffalo Bayou Park, which will eventually total 11 acres along the Shepherd to Sabine stretch of Buffalo Bayou! Learn about the importance of prairies and the historical background behind these sites. The prairie tour will be held on May 17, 2014, from 10-11am. Everyone will meet in front of the Lee & Joe Jamail Skate Park (150 Sabine Street, 77007). To make reservations, email tsmith@buffalobayou.org or call 713.752.0314 ext. 103.
10. Ask the Experts: Mercer Day at Kingwood Garden Center. Experts from Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, a Harris County Precinct 4 park, will be on hand Saturday, May 17, 2014, from 10am-4pm, to answer gardening questions and offer advice at Kingwood Garden Center (1216 Stonehollow Drive). Learn about the plants best suited to the local environment, how to plant and maintain them for optimal growth, and help support The Mercer Society (TMS) at the same time! To learn more, call Mercer Arboretum & Botanic gardens at 281-443-8731 or visit the webpage at www.hcp4.net/mercer.
11. Educational Seminar: A LEED v4 look at Concrete Technologies. The Green Building Resource Center will host Lionel Lemay for an educational seminar on May 28, 2014, from 6-8pm at the Houston Permitting Center.The seminar is entitled “Concrete is a durable, but energy intensive building material. What’s Next?” Lemay  will discuss new strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of concrete on the built environment, transparency reporting with Environmental (and Health) Product Declarations and Corporate Sustainability Reports, as well as proactive approaches to natural disasters regarding policies, design methodologies, and construction technologies within the context of LEED v4. Barry Stiles will discuss an alternative local pervious paving product and how it will aid in stormwater quantity and quality improvements including retention and detention capabilities. Lastly, Patrick Thiel will discuss an alternative type of concrete chemistry and deployment, and its environmental footprint benefits. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP online or by calling 832-394-9050. Learn more here.
12. HARC’s Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. In partnership with the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), HARC is launching the Department of Energy’s State Energy Program Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) grant. There is tremendous opportunity to increase the energy efficiency of Texas’ industry, as well as install a significant amount of CHP. The state of Texas has over 17 GW of Combined Heat and Power (CHP ) installed with a technical potential of installing another 11 GW. The outcome of this grant will result in significant improvements in energy efficiency which will result in lower emissions, greater industry market competitiveness and a more resilient infrastructure. To improve outcomes, the program has been tasked to evaluate and understand the current market, regulatory and policy barriers to industrial energy efficiency and CHP implementation and develop an Action Plan to reduce barriers using practical, real world solutions. In the coming months, HARC will engage state, local, and private-sector stakeholders with the expectation of identifying real barriers to IEE And CHP implementation and the solutions that can be used to overcome these barriers. You can help begin the dialogue around these barriers. If you would like to be a participant, please contact Gavin Dillingham at gdillingham@harcresearch.org. www.harc.edu
13. 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.
14. 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. Aquaponics System Design and Operation Workshop. Register for this workshop to learn more about aquaponics which is a method of growing plants in a symbiotic relationship with fish. The fish waste feeds the plants, and the plants clean the water that returns to the fish! The full day workshop will be held on May 17, 2014, from 8:30am-4pm, at the Tom LeRoy Education Center in Conroe. The workshop will feature both classroom time and “hands on” assembly of a single family aquaponics system. Classroom topics include a history of aquaponics, various system designs and terminology, planting and harvesting techniques, fish health and water quality, and pump selection and flow rates. The cost is $60 and includes lunch. Learn more here.
2. Galveston Bay Estuary Program Projects. Galveston Bay Estuary Program is seeking projects that fund research needs that support action plans described in The Galveston Bay Plan and provide resource managers with information that will assist them in making management decisions concerning the bay over the next 10 years. Projects must address one of these research topics in order to be considered: Galveston Bay water quality, quantity, and patterns; fauna of Galveston Bay – benthic, nekton, and colonial water birds; wetland habitat management in the Galveston Bay Watershed; and economic and social valuation of Galveston Bay habitats. Click here for more information.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Energy and Sustainability: Jeffrey Sachs. On May 27, 2014, the Columbia University Club of South Texas, in partnership with the Harvard University Club of Houston and U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, will host a presentation with Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, an economist renowned for his work on sustainable development and globalization. He became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments during the transition from communism to a market system or during periods of economic crisis. Subsequently he has been known for his work on the challenges of economic development, environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, debt cancellation, and globalization. Dr. Sachs is the Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia’s School of Public Health. He is Special Adviser to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the Millennium Development Goals, having held the same position under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He is co-founder and Chief Strategist of Millennium Promise Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty and hunger. The presentation will take place on May 27, 2014, from 12:30-2:30pm, at the Magnolia Hotel Houston. Tickets are $100 and include a 3-course seated lunch. Learn more here.
6. Building Better Communities Grant. National Recreation and Park Association is pleased to partner with the American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) to implement the Building Better Communities program. Building Better Communities is designed to create and enhance nature-based playgrounds and natural play spaces for children, while also providing educational messaging and demonstration areas about water stewardship and conservation. Building Better Communities projects are supported with funding from AWCF and implemented through annual grants administered by NRPA. Applications for the 2014 grants are due May 30, 2014. Read more at www.nrpa.org.
7. 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).
   • Waiting for Winter Trout
   • A New North Deer
   • Talking to the Animals
8. 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 13, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone.  Lingering smoke and haze from Mexico and Central America may help to keep the daily PM2.5 AQI in the “Moderate” range in coastal areas of Southeast and South Texas, before a cold front pushes the smoke and haze out of the state in the evening.
   • May 14, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds, unseasonably cool temperatures, and low incoming background levels should keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
   • May 15, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone.  Light winds and increasing background levels could help to raise ozone to “Moderate” levels in much of North Central, Central, and Southeast Texas, and possibly in the Corpus Christi area, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

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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. Harris Co. Urges EPA To Order Cleanup Of Dioxin Pits (David Pitman – Houston Public Media, 5/6/2014)
   The Harris County Attorney is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to order the cleanup of a local Superfund site. Vince Ryan formally made the request for the agency to force the companies responsible for pulling the San Jacinto River to remove the worst-contaminated soil. If you’ve ever driven across the San Jacinto River on I-10, you’ve passed through one of the most polluted parts of the country. That’s where International Paper, along with Waste Management, dumped tons of dioxin – a byproduct of paper production.
   www.houstonpublicmedia.org
2. Overfishing has wiped out 96 percent of Pacific bluefin tuna (Brad Plumer – Vox, 4/23/2014)
   The Pacific bluefin tuna has fallen to historically low levels in recent years — a victim of heavy fishing and Japan’s boundless appetite for sushi. A new assessment published Monday estimates that bluefin tuna numbers in the northern Pacific Ocean are still 96 percent below their historic baseline — the same as last year. The Pacific bluefin tuna — prized for its tender red meat — has never been considered an endangered species, unlike its counterpart in the Atlantic Ocean. But, Amanda Nickson, director of global tuna conservation for the Pew Charitable Trusts, argues that data from recent years points to the need for serious conservation measures in the Pacific — and soon.
   www.vox.com
3. Future of Texas climate may look a lot like 2011 (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle, 5/6/2014)
   Texas will be hotter and drier at century’s end, a climate report released Tuesday concluded. The findings in the National Climate Assessment for Texas suggest that the extraordinarily hot and dry year the state endured in 2011 may be a harbinger of what is to come. “Rising temperatures are leading to increased demand for water and energy,” the report states. “In parts of the region, this will constrain development, stress natural resources and increase competition for water among communities, agriculture, energy production and ecological needs.” The third U.S. climate assessment is an attempt by scientists and U.S. policy makers to bring home the present and future effects of climate change on Americans. The report is required to be prepared every four years.
   www.houstonchronicle.com