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February 15, 2016

Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: February 15, 2015

Featured

  1. Removing derelict crab traps saves marine life (Shannon Tompkins – Houston Chronicle, 2/7/2016)
    “Since 2002, volunteers mucking around in the winter-chilled shallows of Texas coastal bays over a 10-day period each February have, conservatively, saved 2 million blue crabs and untold millions of other marine life from dying wholly wasteful deaths. They have done it by removing more than 31,000 abandoned, lost or otherwise derelict crab traps from Texas coastal waters during the state’s annual crab-trap removal program that this year runs Feb. 19-28. The program, tied to a coinciding 10-day closure of all Texas bays to use of crab traps by the state’s 200 or so licensed commercial crabbers, is a Texas original. The state was the first in the nation to create a project aimed at getting the public involved in addressing a pernicious problem that was creating a drain on marine resources and a safety issue for boaters and others who use the bays.
    www.chron.com
  2. Washed Ashore Brings Ocean Pollution to the Forefront (Max Jefferson – Houstonia, 2/1/2016)
    “When you’re at the beach, taking in the happy rays of sunshine and soaking up the surf, your eyes don’t usually pan over to the scraps of trash and half-filled plastic bottles bobbing against the tide. One conservation group is hoping to shift the gaze of beachgoers and city dwellers, shining a much-needed light (or ray of sunshine) on water pollution with Washed Ashore, on exhibit at the Houston Zoo through April 15. Set up through southwestern Oregon-based eco group Artula Institute for Arts & Environmental Education, the exhibition features art pieces made up of plastic debris found on American beaches. Coral reef, made from Styrofoam, and sea jellies, fastened together with plastic bottles, hang from the ceiling, focusing the effects of the ocean’s garbage—some 315 billion pounds of it—through an unflinching lens. Zoo visitors won’t be able to miss an elaborate addition to the exhibition, a 23-foot long rib cage of a humpback whale made from recycled plastic.”
    www.houstoniamag.com
  3. New park along Buffalo Bayou to open soon (Laura Furr – Houston Business Journal, 2/5/2016)
    “The newest park along Buffalo Bayou in Houston’s East End will open to the public on Feb. 10. The 10-acre green space, dubbed the Buffalo Bend Nature Park, is located at a former abandoned industrial site off Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive near the Port of Houston’s turning basin. The transformed park now includes hike and bike trails, a bayou overlook shelter and interpretive signs, as well as three wetland ponds.Development of the park was funded by a $500,000 grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife and matching funds raised by Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Harris County Precinct 2. SWA Group was the landscape architect on the project.The property was acquired by a group of non-profit organizations, including Buffalo Bayou Partnership, in 2004. Once the deal was completed, the park was transferred to Harris County Precinct Two.”
    www.bizjournals.com

EcoNotes

  • 12 February
    • Roundup: Cruz, Clean Power Plan, Paxton (Alana Rocha and Justin Dehn – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • EPA Remains in Hot Water Over Clarity of Clean Water Act (Erick Payne – Kansas City InfoZine)
      www.infozine.com
    • Electricity Usage In Texas Grew In 2015 Led By Renewables (The Energy Collective)
      www.theenergycollective.com
    • Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Announces New Eco-Friendly Initiatives (Restaraunt News)
      www.restaurantnews.com
    • Gulf Council to Convene its Ad Hoc Red Snapper Charter For-hire Advisory Panel (Gulf of Mexico)
      http://gulfcouncil.org
    • U.S. oil group file lawsuit against EPA over biofuels policy (Josephine Mason – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
    • House passes bill requiring EPA actions on lead-laced water (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
    • Obama climate plan’s broad scope to face skeptical Supreme Court (Lawrence Hurley – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
  • 11 February
    • Texas Buffalo Soldiers Celebrate 20th Anniversary during Black History Month with events at Texas State Parks (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Texas Regulators Eye Deceptive Electricity Pricing (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Texas Regulators Uncertain on Hunt Deal (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Gas prices down nickel in Texas to average $1.53 per gallon (KCBD News)
      www.kcbd.com
    • TEXAS VIEW: Reforms did not go nearly far enough (OA Online)
      www.oaoa.com
  • 10 February
  • 9 February
    • Whole Earth Provision Co. Hosts Banff Film Festival Benefitting Texas State Parks (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      tpwd.texas.gov
    • The Q&A: Merri Lisa Trigilio (Trib+Water)
      www.texastribune.org
  • 8 February
    • Garner State Park Taking Steps to Remove Invasive Exotic Axis Deer (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Big Tree at Goose Island State Park to Receive Special Care (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Thirty States and Numerous Other Interested Parties Seek an Immediate Supreme Court Stay of the EPA’s “Clean Power Plan” (JD Supra Business Advisor)
      www.jdsupra.com
  • 7 February
    • Removing derelict crab traps saves marine life (Shannon Tompkins – Houston Chronicle)
      www.chron.com
  • 6 February
    • Pace picks up, anticipation of Grand Parkway around Houston (Matthew Tresaugue and Dug Begley – Washington Times)
      www.washingtontimes.com
    • FM 2920, Business 249 project plans move forward in Tomball (Wendy Cawthon – Community Impact Newspaper)
      http://communityimpact.com
  • 5 February
    • New park along Buffalo Bayou to open soon (Laura Furr – Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • Solar energy grows 30 percent in Texas, keeping pace with country (James Osbourne – Fuel Fix)
      http://fuelfix.com
    • New CWD Case Discovered at Captive Deer Release Site (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • TPWD Proposing Changes to Deer Hunting Regulations for 2016-17 (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Is climate change making El Niños worse? That remains a scientific mystery (Randy Lee Loftis – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org
    • Hunt’s Controversial Oncor Plan Could Spark Texas-Wide Trend (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Captivated by always present gulls (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
  • 4 February
  • 3 February
    • State, owners battle over closure of channel in Galveston Bay (Shannon Tompkins – Houston Chronicle)
      www.chron.com
  • 1 February
    • Washed Ashore Brings Ocean Pollution to the Forefront (Max Jefferson – Houstonia)
      www.houstoniamag.com
    • A snowball’s chance in a warming world? Still excellent, scientists say (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews