Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: July 1, 2014
Featured
- Landing in Houston: ‘Like sliding down a banister’ (Rob Holmes – World Magazine, 6/27/2014)
Houston is set to be the first city to implement the NextGen project at its airports, which is designed to save fuel, time, and money. Airports will switch from the current radar-based traffic control system to a GPS satellite-based program. While enhancing passenger safety and reducing delays, this program could also result in “648,000 fewer nautical miles flown, 3 million less gallons of fuel used, and carbon exhaust cut by up to 31,000 metric tons.”
www.worldmag.com - Corridor to develop master plan (Lindsay Peyton – Houston Chronicle, 6/24/2014)
Enormous business and population growth has the Energy Corridor Management District developing a new master plan to better accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and transit vehicles. The master plan could include a Livable Centers bridge that spans I-10 and an update to the Energy Corridor’s Livable Centers Study that was completed four years ago. Growth in the corridor has been much higher than expected, with 17 buildings under construction and 10 more being planned.
www.chron.com - Supreme Court gives EPA another victory in Texas’ bid to thwart CO2 rules (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News, 6/24/2014)
Once again, the Supreme Court upheld an EPA regulation that requires emission-lowering construction permits at large new industrial facilities or existing plants where major modifications are planned. This requirement was challenged by Texas, business groups, and other states. This is just the latest ruling in a long battle with the EPA.
http://texasclimatenews.org
EcoNotes
- 27 June
- Landing in Houston: ‘Like sliding down a banister’ (Rob Holmes – World Magazine)
www.worldmag.com - Chicken kicks up legal skirmish in oil patch (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - New Boating Regulations in Texas Intended to Curb Invasive Species (Laurie Johnson – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Here’s 5 Challenges to Texas Water That Might Surprise You (Dylan Baddour and Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - EPA withholding release of report on earthquakes linked to disposal wells (Katie Colaneri – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Federal Government Targets Oil Industry for Underpaying Workers (Dave Fehling, KUHF News/StateImpact Texas – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - High-tech benches that can charge phones, monitor air quality to debut in Boston parks (David Harris – Boston Business Journal)
www.bizjournals.com
- Landing in Houston: ‘Like sliding down a banister’ (Rob Holmes – World Magazine)
- 26 June
- New NASA images highlight US air quality improvement (Kathryn Hansen – Phys.Org)
http://phys.org - Texas’ recent rains improve drought, lake levels (OA Online)
www.oaoa.com - How New Transmission Lines Are Bringing More Wind Power to Texas Cities (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - U.S. retailers look to limit pesticides to help honeybees (Carey Gillam – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org - Texas A&M Forest Service Urges Citizens to use Caution During July 4th Holiday (KBTX News)
www.kbtx.com - U.S. Commerce Department announces 2014 regional fishery council appointments (NOAA)
www.noaanews.noaa.gov
- New NASA images highlight US air quality improvement (Kathryn Hansen – Phys.Org)
- 25 June
- Feds Give OK To Start Review For Dallas-Houston High-Speed Rail (Bradford Pearson – D Magazine)
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com - Don’t Mess with Houston: Dealing with the Bayou City’s Litter Problem (Michael Hagerty – Houston Matters)
www.houstonmatters.org - Industry touts economic effect of Keystone’s southern leg on Texas (Ryan Holeywell – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com - New tests find bee-killing pesticides in 51% of “bee-friendly†plants from garden centers across U.S. and Canada (Luke Metzger – Environment Texas)
www.environmenttexas.org - Republicans Wage Anti-‘Secret Science’ Campaign Against The EPA (Brad Johnson – Huffington Post)
www.huffingtonpost.com - Proposed Dallas-Houston Rail Line to Get Federal Review (Aman Batheja – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - As Renewables Grow in Texas, Battles Over Fees and Subsidies Emerge (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Concrete Progress: No Fruit Left Behind (Peter Brewitt – Orion Blog)
www.orionmagazine.org - The Mongerji Letters (Geetha Iyer – Orion Magazine)
www.orionmagazine.org - As Renewables Grow in Texas, Battles Over Fees and Subsidies Emerge (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - U.S. to face multibillion-dollar bill from climate change: report (Sharon Begley – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org - With heat and humidity, areas will be ‘unsuited for outdoor activity’ (Sharon Begley – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org - Houston NextGen Project completed ahead of schedule (Thomas Net News)
http://news.thomasnet.com - Texas officials respond to complaints about human waste fertilizer (Brett Shipp, WFAA – KHOU News)
www.khou.com
- Feds Give OK To Start Review For Dallas-Houston High-Speed Rail (Bradford Pearson – D Magazine)
- 24 June
- Will Dispute Sink $6 Million Buffalo Bayou Erosion Plan? (Ted Oberg – ABC 13 News)
http://abc13.com - Corridor to develop master plan (Lindsay Peyton – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - Supreme Court gives EPA another victory in Texas’ bid to thwart CO2 rules (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org - New report puts price tag on climate change in US (Andrea Thompson – Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org - Officials recruit Bay-area residents’ input on ‘Back Home’ housing project (Lindsay Peyton – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - Houston Parks and Recreation Department Community Gardens Will Grow For Good (City of Houston News)
www.houstongovnewsroom.org - Feds Target Oil and Gas Industry for Underpaying Workers (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - ‘Dead zone’ the size of Connecticut expected along Louisiana coast, scientists say (Mark Schleifstein – NOLA News)
www.nola.com - How Texas Could Easily Meet New Carbon Regulations (Bentham Paulos – Green Tech Grid)
www.greentechmedia.com
- Will Dispute Sink $6 Million Buffalo Bayou Erosion Plan? (Ted Oberg – ABC 13 News)
- 23 June
- EPA claims victory in high court ruling (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Ryan moves to force tank cleaning company to obey pollution law (The Pasadena Citizen)
www.yourhoustonnews.com - Ranchers, feds seek path to wildlife survival (Matthew Tresaugue, Houston Chronicle – WRAL News)
www.wral.com - Rain Harvesters Overflowing After Weekend Storms (CBS DFW News)
http://dfw.cbslocal.com - Houston Increasing Its Walkability (Camilo Smith – Houston Press)
http://blogs.houstonpress.com - Chairman Nelson Cannot Ignore Texas Wind’s Benefits and Condemn Its Cost (EDF News)
http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters - 18th Annual Great Texas Birding Classic Breaks Records (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
- EPA claims victory in high court ruling (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 21 June
- EPA rules do not impose crippling burdens; instead they benefit public health (Adrian Shelley – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Fossil fuels offer human benefits that renewable energy sources can’t match (Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - New $1 million grant to fund Rice study on Houston-area urban development (The Rancher)
www.yourhoustonnews.com - Feral hogs cross the border (Charles Kuffner – Off the Kuff)
http://offthekuff.com
- EPA rules do not impose crippling burdens; instead they benefit public health (Adrian Shelley – Houston Chronicle)
- 20 June
- Space project raises concerns over impact (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Earth-Kind combines the best of organic, traditional gardening (Sharon Walker – The Montgomery County Courier)
www.yourhoustonnews.com - San Antonio Wants To Mock Dallas’ Death-River. How Cute. (Eric Nicholson – Dallas Observer)
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com - Sargassum, Galveston’s Seaweed that Won’t Quit (Camilo Smith – Houston Press)
http://blogs.houstonpress.com
- Space project raises concerns over impact (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 19 June
- Texas A&M Monitoring Water Quality at Texas Beaches (News 92 FM)
http://news92fm.com - Houston Man Charged with Biofuels Fraud Scheme (Yuma News)
www.yumanewsnow.com
- Texas A&M Monitoring Water Quality at Texas Beaches (News 92 FM)
- 18 June
- How Wasted Gas From Drilling Could Save Millions of Gallons of Texas Water (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org
- How Wasted Gas From Drilling Could Save Millions of Gallons of Texas Water (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
- 16 June
- Office of Sustainability Relaunches its Blog (University of Houston)
www.uh.edu
- Office of Sustainability Relaunches its Blog (University of Houston)
- 10 June
- Good News for Texas Bats (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
- Good News for Texas Bats (Texas Parks & Wildlife)