Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: November 11, 2014
Featured
- Conservancy worries power lines could harm Katy Prairie (Rebecca Elliott – Houston Chronicle, 11/6/2014)
Before the population boom, before Katy Mills and the multiplying subdivisions, much of the land surrounding this Houston suburb looked as protected swaths of the Katy Prairie do now: sweeping grasses interspersed with wetlands, birds, and wildflowers. The latest threat, some say, is a proposed high-voltage electric transmission line, with support structures up to 15 stories tall, designed to serve the Houston region.
www.houstonchronicle.com - NOAA Releases Interactive Storm Surge Map (Valerie Lawhorn and Ed Mayberry – Houston Public Media, 11/7/2014)
NOAA’s National Hurricane Center has released an interactive map that shows different hurricane categories and considers flooding caused by a storm surge. Users can find their location on the map and assess their risk for storm surge from a future tropical storm or hurricane.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Texas A&M Study Trumpets Texas State Parks’ Economic Benefit (Texas Parks & Wildlife, 11/6/2014)
The Texas State Park system’s more than 90 sites have a significant economic impact on the state’s economy, generating $774 million in retail sales annually, contributing $351 million in economic benefits and creating 5,800 jobs statewide. Those were just part of the findings of a recent Texas A&M University study shared with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. Texas state parks not only provide conservation, recreational and health benefits, but also greatly contribute to the economies of communities throughout Texas, far exceeding the state’s expenditures to operate these sites.
www.tpwd.state.tx.us - Bullet train a hit with City Council, but with concerns (Dug Begley – Houston Chronicle, 11/16/2014)
Plans for a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas are moving relatively quickly beyond a recent initial round of public meetings. Questions about the route are dominating discussions. Though still years away – a 2021 launch is predicted under the best of circumstances — backers of the privately funded train are making the rounds to drum up support. Thursday, they met with the Houston City Council’s transportation and infrastructure committee.
http://blog.chron.com
EcoNotes
- 7 November
- Texans celebrate Arbor Day at the State Capitol (Texas A&M Forest Service)
http://txforestservice.tamu.edu - NOAA Releases Interactive Storm Surge Map (Valerie Lawhorn and Ed Mayberry – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Environmental, public health groups sue FDA to pull ractopamine approvals
http://planetark.org
- Texans celebrate Arbor Day at the State Capitol (Texas A&M Forest Service)
- 6 November
- Agency sets rules to fund water projects (Matthew Tresaugue, Houston Chronicle – Express News)
www.expressnews.com - Willow Waterhole an oasis of trails – and movie screen (Rebecca Hennes – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Bullet train a hit with City Council, but with concerns (Dug Begley – Houston Chronicle)
http://blog.chron.com - Texas A&M Study Trumpets Texas State Parks’ Economic Benefit (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us - TPW Commission Recognizes Employee Achievement (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us - New Federal Regulation Coming For Oil and Gas Well Pollution (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Denton Voted To Ban Fracking. So Now What? (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Proposed Texas Textbooks Attacked by Lobbying Group (H. Sterling Burnett – Heartland News)
http://news.heartland.org - Office of Sustainability Invites UH Community to Participate in Poetry Contest (University of Houston)
www.uh.edu - Meet the Beetles (Sharman Apt Russell – Orion Magazine)
www.orionmagazine.org - Water Project Funds Ready to Flow — Almost (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org
- Agency sets rules to fund water projects (Matthew Tresaugue, Houston Chronicle – Express News)
- 5 November
- Texas city bans fracking in its birthplace, court battles loom (Chicago Tribune)
www.chicagotribune.com - Texans Vote To Ban Fracking (Think Progress)
http://thinkprogress.org - New Federal Regulation Coming For Oil & Gas Well Pollution (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
- Texas city bans fracking in its birthplace, court battles loom (Chicago Tribune)
- 4 November
- Why heavy rains may not help parched lakes (Janet St. James – WFAA 8 News)
www.wfaa.com - Amid Oil Boom, Texas Votes On Who Holds the Reins of Regulation (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - November Brings Prime Camping for First-Timers and Experienced Pros Alike (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
- Why heavy rains may not help parched lakes (Janet St. James – WFAA 8 News)
- 3 November
- UT Energy Poll: The younger the voters, the more support for climate action (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org - Water to be the focus of the 2014 Texas Plant Protection Association conference in Bryan (Blair Fannin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – The Eagle)
www.theeagle.com - Options Drying Up For Some Parched North Texas Towns (Kyle Ver – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Superior Crude to pay $1.6 million penalty for Texas spill (Petro Global News)
http://petroglobalnews.com
- UT Energy Poll: The younger the voters, the more support for climate action (Texas Climate News)
- 2 November
- League City celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting (Howard Decker – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - To fight fracking bans, oil firms heavily outspend environmentalists (David R. Baker – SF Gate)
www.sfgate.com
- League City celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting (Howard Decker – Houston Chronicle)
- 1 November
- Professor Pecen: Our world is close to an energy crisis! (Sunday’s Zaman)
www.todayszaman.com
- Professor Pecen: Our world is close to an energy crisis! (Sunday’s Zaman)
- 31 October
- Fight over oyster reefs stirs up Galveston Bay (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com
- Fight over oyster reefs stirs up Galveston Bay (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 30 October
- Rubinstein: SWIFT puts Texas at the forefront of water issues (Carlos Rubinstein – The Statesman)
www.statesman.com
- Rubinstein: SWIFT puts Texas at the forefront of water issues (Carlos Rubinstein – The Statesman)
- 29 October
- Five Facts About GMOs (EarthShare)
www.earthshare.org
- Five Facts About GMOs (EarthShare)
- 28 October
- Wildlife advocates enter state water wars (Sara Sneath – Victoria Advocate)
www.victoriaadvocate.com
- Wildlife advocates enter state water wars (Sara Sneath – Victoria Advocate)
- 22 October
- Union Pacific to meet with local officials at workshop on upcoming railroad project (Maggie Kiely – The Eagle)
www.theeagle.com
- Union Pacific to meet with local officials at workshop on upcoming railroad project (Maggie Kiely – The Eagle)
- 21 October
- TxDOT offers monetary incentive to accelerate US 59 SW freeway frontage road reconstruction (The Examiner)
www.yourhoustonnews.com
- TxDOT offers monetary incentive to accelerate US 59 SW freeway frontage road reconstruction (The Examiner)
- 20 October
- Offering Wounded Warriors a Day in Nature (EarthShare)
www.earthshare.org
- Offering Wounded Warriors a Day in Nature (EarthShare)