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March 23, 2015

Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: March 23, 2015

Featured

  1. Rising acidity of Texas bays concerns scientists (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 3/17/2015)
    “Many Texas bays are souring as fresh water grows scarcer because of drought and increasing urban demands, a change that could harm oysters and other shellfish and in time reverberate through the food chain, scientists reported Tuesday. Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi found a steady rise in acidity from Galveston Bay to near where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico since the late 1960s. The problem becomes more severe as the coastline curves to the south.”
    www.houstonchronicle.com
  2. Central Park in west Houston? Energy Corridor master plan envisions massive world-class green space (Barbara Kuntz – Culture Map Houston, 3/17/2015)
    “West Houston, namely The Energy Corridor District, is ready for its own version of Central Park. ‘The idea is to create a regional destination for recreation, arts and events, while creating enhanced riparian ecology, greater connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists, better-performing stormwater drainage and grand, delightful parks that neighbors and employees in The Energy Corridor District can enjoy,’ Clark Martinson, general manager for the district, writes in the area’s February newsletter. ‘It could be The Energy Corridor’s own version of Central Park, straddling the ecological corridor along Langham Creek.’ The newsletter goes on to identify Langham Creek stretching from the Addicks Dam spillway to Terry Hershey Park as ‘ripe for just such a transformation,’ with those conclusions coming after stakeholders’ most recent ongoing master plan meeting with urban and landscape experts from Sasaki Associates, The Office of James Burnett and Toole Design Group. The final plan is to be revealed sometime this spring.”
    http://houston.cd ulturemap.com
  3. Broadway to be spruced up (Erin Mulvaney – Houston Chronicle, 3/19/2015)
    “Broadway between Hobby Airport and Interstate 45 may offer a first impression of Houston to first-time visitors, but not the one many civic boosters would like. The 2 miles along the main road between the airport and the highway include strip developments and aging apartment complexes. Grassy medians along the road are scattered with few trees and shrubs. Little landscaping or lighting welcome travelers or residents coming home. ‘Tired’ is one word used to describe the area by Anne Culver, the president of Scenic Houston, a nonprofit working to raise $7.5 million to upgrade the area.”
    www.houstonchronicle.com

EcoNotes

  • 22 March
    • Ten years after a fiery explosion killed 15 in Texas City, preventable deaths continue at refineries (Jim Malewitz and Jolie McCullough – The Texas Tribune)
      http://apps.texastribune.org
  • 20 March
    • Center collaboration on air pollutants in the Texas Eagle Ford Shale wins health prize (William Gray – The Center for Public Integrity)
      www.publicintegrity.org
    • EPA Awards over $2.1 Million to Clean Up Diesel Engines in La., Okla. and Texas (Big Country)
      www.bigcountryhomepage.com
    • This Major Newspaper Just Declared War on Fossil Fuels (Tim McDonnell – Climate Desk)
      http://climatedesk.org
    • Texas, other states, announce red snapper plan (Conor Harrison – Lone Star Outdoor News)
      www.lsonews.com
    • Wood is Good For Your Body and Brain: Planet Ark Report (Chris Philpot – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
  • 19 March
    • Broadway to be spruced up (Erin Mulvaney – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Clean Transportation and Energy Consulting Firm Joins WTS as Partner for Advancement of Women in Transportation (Benzinga)
      www.benzinga.com
    • A Roundup of Energy, Water, and Climate Bills in the 84th Texas Legislative Session (Kate Zerrenner – Texas Clean Air Matters)
      http://blogs.edf.org
  • 18 March
    • Let’s work with nature, not against it (Susan Chadwick – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Groundwater, subsidence organizations (Matt Stephens – Community Impact Newspaper)
      http://impactnews.com
    • City Beautiful (James Howard Kunstler – Orion Magazine)
      https://orionmagazine.org
    • Georgetown Goes All In on Renewable Energy (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Beaumont State Rep Files Oyster Reef “Land Grab” Bill (Dianna Wray – Houston Press Blogs)
      http://blogs.houstonpress.com
    • Parks, pathways bloom along Cypress Creek as part of greenway project (Matt Stephens – Community Impact Newspaper)
      http://impactnews.com
    • Can carbon emissions be curbed without EPA rule? (Germán Ibáñez – Electric Light & Power)
      www.elp.com
    • The Next Big Drug Discovery Could Come From a Scoop of Soil in Your Backyard (Arvind Suresh – PLOS Blogs)
      http://blogs.plos.org
    • Neighborhood Planning for Resilient and Livable Cities, Part 2: Can ‘Nested’ Neighborhood Planning Lead to Urban Ecological Democracy? (Jayne Engle – The Nature of Cities)
      www.thenatureofcities.com
  • 17 March
  • 16 March
    • How The Oceans Have Dried Texas Out (Philip Issa – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org
    • Five things you need to know in Texas energy this week (Video) (Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • EPA Encourages Consumers to Save 1 Trillion Gallons of Wasted Water/ WaterSense Partners Celebrate Fix a Leak Week, March 16-22 (EPA News)
      http://yosemite.epa.gov
    • Bipartisan Legislative Stink: Questions Raised On Authorship Of Chemicals ‘Safety’ Bill (David McCumber – The Daily Call)
      www.thedailycall.org
    • Politics Is Poisoning NASA’s Ability to Do What It Needs to Do (Phil Plait – Slate)
      www.slate.com
  • 15 March
    • Pearland residents team up with Parks and Rec to plant wetland habitats (Stacey Glaesmann – The Pearland Journal)
      www.yourhoustonnews.com
  • 14 March
  • 13 March
    • Water birds find sanctuary on High Island (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Galveston Farm Raises a Unique Crop: Endangered Sea Turtles (Michael Hagerty – Houston Matters)
      www.houstonmatters.org
    • Private Sector Plays a Big Role In State Water Planning (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Texas Revenues From Oil Production Down 40 Percent From August (Andrew Scheider – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Are Food Deserts also Food Monocultures? Proposing a Citizen Science Project in Urban Ecology (PLOS Blogs)
      http://blogs.plos.org
  • 12 March
  • 11 March
  • 10 March
    • Binoculars, Enthusiasm All That’s Required for Texas Birding Event (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Houston Ship Channel remains closed, but public safe (Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • Video: Life After Proposition 6 (Evan Smith – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Endangered Species Expert Heads to Comptroller’s Office (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
  • 9 March
  • 8 March
    • T-Squared: An In-Depth Series on Undrinkable Water (Emily Ramshaw – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
  • 5 March
    • Once extravagant, renewable power plans go cheap (James Osborne – The Dallas Morning News)
      www.dallasnews.com
  • 2 March
    • What living in a dumpster for a year taught this professor about the things we don’t need (Peter Holley – The Washington Post)
      www.washingtonpost.com
    • At Hearing, Climate Change Called a “Threat Multiplier” (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org

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