Houston Environmental News Update September 7, 2016

View the emailed version on Constant Contact.

The photo montage above draws from images from the 1970s that are a part of the CEC’s archives at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center at the Houston Public Library.

COALITION NOTES

1. Spotlight: the RDA Prize and Lecture. Join the Rice Design Alliance as it recognizes Eduardo Cadaval and Clara Solà-Morales. Co-founders Cadaval and Solà-Moralesand  bring a full consideration of context and history to bear on their stunning projects, which range from the residential to the ephemeral. They will join us in Houston to receive the 2016 Spotlight Prize and give a lecture. Admission is free and open to the public. Wednesday, September 7, 2016, 6:30 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Learn more at www.ricedesignalliance.org.
   
2. Regional Recycling Roundtable: Circular Economy. The next Regional Recycling Roundtable will be Thursday, September 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. Han Zhang, Ph.D, Sustainability and Advocacy Manager, The Dow Chemical Company, will discuss circular economy and its role in recycling. A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them while in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials. H-GAC hosts quarterly Regional Recycling Roundtables to promote recycling and waste reduction and provide a forum for discussion about recycling issues within the region. To RSVP or be added to the list for notices of upcoming meetings, contact Erin Livingston at 832-681-2525.
3. Houston Green Book Discussion Group: The Story of Stuff. Meet with other interested folks to talk about The Story of Stuff. One of the best books out there to help understand how to improve your quality of life in the consumer culture situation we’re in. September 9, 2016, from noon to 1:00 pm. Learn more at facebook.com.
4. Swifts over Houston. Help the Audubon Society count local Chimney Swifts as part of their Swifts Over Houston program. You can join other birders at Pershing Middle School every Tuesday evening at dusk or check the website to find other count locations throughout Houston. Swift Night Out events will be hosted on September 9 and 16, 2016. For more information on how to participate, visit www.houstonaudubon.org.
5. Wildscapes Workshop & Native Plant Sale. The Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) Houston Chapter hosts their one-day Wildscapes Workshop and Native Plant Sale on Saturday September 10, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Houston Community College – West Loop Center, 5601 W. Loop South, Houston, Texas 77081. The workshop proceeds will benefit local native plant gardens, education and scholarships. Attendees will learn about ecological, environmental and economic benefits of native landscapes and landscaping as they pertain to sustaining personal, public and regional greenspaces and wildscapes. Native plants for sale will be described for usefulness in terms of providing habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Speakers will explore key aspects of native plants that citizens need to know erspecially their benefits to the sustainability of our ecosystems with Houston’s future growth. Learn more at npsot.org/wp/houston/wildscapes-workshop/
6. ArCh seeks Volunteer Walking and Bicycle Tour Docents. The Architecture Center Houston  is in need of tour docents for their walking and bicycle tours. Training is offered Saturdays, 8:00am – 12:30pm, September 10 – October 1. You must be 18 + years of age. Visit their volunteer profile at www.volunteerhou.org  to sign up.
7. Lighten Your Footprint Workshop. Have you wondered what it means to be sustainable or how you might transition to a more sustainable way of living. What ways are you inspired to make changes in your lifestyle, your neighborhood, workplace or the Houston area that offer more care for the earth, care for people and creates community? Through storytelling of active projects in the Houston area, we will discuss and work together on ideas for projects, large or small that you may have envisioned. We will share principles and ways of thinking through how to bring your goals to fruition through thoughtful design principles and concepts. This workshop, hosted by Urban Harvest on September 10, 2016, is intended to empower you to go forward with your ideas of how to live more sustainably. Learn more and reserve your spot at urbanharvest.org.
8. CHP in Data Centers – Building IT Resilience and Lowering Costs webinar. HARC’s Satish Ravindran, senior energy engineer for the Department of Energy’s Southwest CHP Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP), will lead a webinar on CHP in Data Centers – Building IT Resilience and Lowering Costs on September 13, 2016, 10 am. The application of combined heat and power (CHP) at data centers is proving to be a great opportunity to reduce energy costs, save money and improve the resilience of these facilities. There is considerable opportunity for the deployment of CHP across data centers. Learn more at harcresearch.org.
9. Going Green Lecture: Energy Efficiency for the Home & the Environment. On Tuesday, September 13, 2016, join The Woodlands GREEN for their monthly lecture series. Jennifer Ronk, Program Director for Energy Efficiency and Enviromental Science at HARC, will discuss the how’s and where’s  of evaluating energy use in your own home; measures that are typically cost effective, which ones are best for you, and the programs that may be able to help you be more efficient.  She will also discuss the relationship between water and energy production and distribution—the less energy we use, the more water we save. Learn more at thewoodlandsgreen.org.
10. Texas Woods Solutions Fair. Join the Architecture Institute Association on Sept. 14, 2016, for a full day of seminars and a trade exposition. The 2016 Texas Wood Solutions Fair will pack an informational punch for architects, engineers, developers, code officials and anyone else interested in wood’s exciting design possibilities. Register today if you’d like access to wood design experts for one-on-one support, informative seminars, technical information from manufacturers, engineering consultants and industry associations, and exhibits featuring a wide range of structural and finishing products. Visit www.aiahouston.org for a full list of sessions and speakers. Registration is free but required.
11. Jennie Romer to speak about plastic bags at Bayou Symposium. Jennie Romer, a national expert on carryout bag policy, will be the keynote speaker at Bayou Preservation Association’s 50th Anniversary Symposium, 50 for 50, on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. This year’s symposium will include 50 informative presentations related to the many aspects of improvements in our watersheds over the last 50 years. The keynote speaker, Jennie Romer, will discuss the challenges and successes with local legislation to manage plastic bags in LA and NYC. Her story is truly inspiring; a practicing attorney, Romer is the country’s leading expert in plastic bag law. Learn more at bayoupreservation.org. Other events celebrating BPA’s 50th anniversary include the Cypress Creek Regatta on Sep. 26, 2017, and the 50th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 5, 2016.
12. Houston Food Policy Workgroup. On September 14, 2016, at 11:30 am, join the HFPW  to discuss Agrihoods & Agricultural Districts. The mission of the Houston Food Policy Workgroup is to nurture the growth of a sustainable local food system, accessible to all, through education, collaboration, communication, and creation of a food policy council for the Houston region. Meetings are open to the public and generally include leaders from various diverse organizations in the Houston region working on food issues. The group meets to discuss and encourage the advancement of local food production and consumption, and has begun to take on projects to work towards the functions stated in the mission statement. The workgroup meets at 11:30 AM, on the second Wednesday of each  month.  All are welcome, as long as you RSVP. Email  caitlin.mcneely@houstontomorrow.org, and visit www.facebook/HoustonFoodPolicyGroup.com for more information.
13. NAACP Sea Level Rise Workshop. The Houston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People invites you to attend a local workshop on climate change on September 19, 2016, at the Barbara Jordan Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. The workshop will include presentations by Jacqui Patterson, Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Dan Rizza, of Climate Central, who will demonstrate the Surging Seas web tool; Steve Costello, Chief Resilience Officer (“Dlood Czar”) for the City of Houston; And John Jacob and Steve Mikulencak of the Texas Sea Grant.  Seating is limited, and RSVP is required. Contact Dr. Jacqueline Smith at climate@naacphouston.org to RSVP or for more information.
14. BLC Welcomes New ED: Jill Boullion. Bayou Land Conservancy is thrilled to welcome Jill Boullion as our new Executive Director!  Jill is a Professional Community and Economic Developer with over 20 years of experience leading and motivating volunteers. Jill joins us from Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition where, as Executive Director, she made great strides in the development of parks, trails, and paddle access on 45 miles of Greens Bayou. Please join BLC in welcoming Jill at for BLC’s Public Lands Day Event on September 24, 2016.  Meet and greet as we roll up our sleeves and improve the trails along the Spring Creek Greenway.
15. Save the Date: STAR Texas Compost Council Summit and Training. Registration is now open for the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling’s (STAR) Texas Compost Council Summit and Training September 26-28, at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center, Conroe. This training is the leading educational and networking event for industrial composters in Texas. More at: www.recyclingstar.org.
16. Early Registration Deadline: Intersections 2016. Intersections 2016 is a cross-disciplinary conference of quality of life, health, equity, development and environmental issues facing our growing region. Our goal is to foster synergistic thinking and collaboration by bringing different people together, and to demystify the mechanisms for creating sustainable change in Houston. CEC is proud to be a part of this conference. Early registration through September 31, 2016 at intersections2016.org.
17. Houston Bike Challange 2016. Are you a passionate biker? Or looking to explore a new hobby? Support BikeHouston by joining their 2016 Biking Challenge. The Challenge is ongoing from Oct. 1 2016 – Oct. 31,2016 You can compete against other teams of participants and encourage friends and co-workers to join as a team Join this free competition with prizes for people to who beat their Challenges. The Bike Challenge will be ongoing for the month of October. Visit www.lovetoride.net for more information on how to participate and sign-up!
18. STAR Recycling Summit. Registration is now open for the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) 2016 Recycling Summit, October 16-18, 2016, at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. Recycling professionals attend this event for educational sessions, equipment demonstrations, roundtable discussions, and training opportunities. Learn more at www.recyclingstar.org/summit/.
19. H-GAC’s Our Great Region Awards. The Our Great Region Awards recognize outstanding projects in the region that are advancing the goals and strategies identified in the Our Great Region 2040 plan. Completed in 2014 by 24 partner organizations, the Our Great Region 2040 plan is a high-level plan providing tools and strategies that could be used to make the 13-county region an even better place to live, work, and prosper by the year 2040. The plan examines six major topic areas (transportation, environment, economic development, resiliency, housing and healthy communities) and presents Big Ideas and strategies in each that the region can work together toward. For more information about how to apply for the awards program, which closes October 26, 2016, visit www.ograwards.org.
20. Additional Upcoming Events:
    • 10/15/16: Park to Port Bike Ride
    • 10/22/16: Greens Bayou Regatta
    • 10/22/16: BikeHouston Moonlight Ramble
    • 11/12/16: Artist Boat’s Float the Boat
    • 3/25/16: River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash®

COMMUNITY NOTES

1. Catching The Sun Documentary Screening. Catching the Sun is a documentary about the race for clean energy, and will be presented by the Energy Coalition and UH Energy Club on Sept. 8, 2016, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, at the University of Houston Student Center South, 4800 Calhoun Rd . Visit www.uh.edu/uh-energy for more information about the Energy Coalition and the UH Energy Club. Click here to view the trailer. Following the panel will be a discussion with industry professionals and faculty experts. Registration is required for this free film screening. Please register here. 
2. Kleb Woods Hummingbird Festival. Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, from 9 am to 3 pm. Everything you want to know about hummingbirds- including identifying, attracting and gardening for hummingbirds. There will be games and activities for the whole family. There will be nature walks throughout the day. The Kleb House will be open for tours and the blacksmiths will be demonstrating in the barn. Download the flyer at www.pct3.com/parks/kleb-park/.
3. Solarize Houston: Rooftop Solar Workshops. Solarize Houston continues its mission to accelerate the use of solar energy for power generation in the City of Houston, by hosting workshops in August and September. Adaptive Solar Design co-Founder Richard Sherwood will lead both programs. The workshops will be hosted at Green Building Resource Center, 1002 Washington Blvd. On September 10, 2016, we will also discuss selecting electric purchase plans for owners of solar systems selling back to the grid.   It is free to attend. You don’t need to be a Solarize Houston enrollee. Everyone is welcome! Visit www.solarizehouston.org for more information about Solarize Houston. Email Steve Krebbs at solarizehouston@outlook.com for more information.
4. Maps, History, and the Houston Environment. The Houston Seminar invites you to join author and former CEC board member David Todd and cartographer Jonathan Ogren as they discuss their new publication, Texas Landscape Project: Nature and People. The discussion is based on the Texas Landscape Project and will focus on flooding in the Houston area. Monday, Sep. 12, 2016, at Hermann Park. Learn more at houstonseminar.org.
5. Smart Green Cities at Rice Baker Institute. Smart green cities have been proposed as a promising strategy to provide and support basic integrated infrastructures Join the Rice Baker Institute on Sept. 13, 2016, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the James Baker III Building on Rice Campus. Cities throughout Israel, China, Germany and some areas of the United States have successfully implemented “sustainability” plans. These strategies provide quantifiable standards that allow governments to evaluate their results each year. Featured speaker Woodrow W. Clark II will discuss his work on smart green communities and how such efforts can help mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming. RSVP at bakerinstitute.org.
6. Poverty & Trees: What’s the Connection? Come find out how Plant With Purpose reverses deforestation and poverty around the world by transforming the lives of the rural poor. Join us on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 6:30p.m. for refreshments and 7:00-8:00p.m. for a presentation by Executive Director Scott Sabin, followed by Q&A. The event will be held at Ecclesia Church (1100 Elder Street) in the Firefly Studio. Childcare is available upon request. Kindly RSVP to Valerie Foulkes, Regional Representative, at valerie@plantwithpurpose.org
   Plant With Purpose is a Christian development organization that partners with rural farmers and their families in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Thailand, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
7. 2016 Eco-Challenge. Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites Houstonians to join them in challenging themselves to better care for the environment during the upcoming EcoChallenge. Participants (individuals, families, or groups) choose one action to reduce their environmental impact and stick with it for the two-week challenge period (Oct. 14 – 28, 2016).  There are many possible challenges to choose from in the categories of: water, energy, food, transportation, waste, nature, simplicity, and community.  Or, you can create your own challenge. Sign up today atwww.ecochallenge.org and challenge yourself to become a better steward of the environment.
8. State Income Tax Refund on Energy for Nonprofits. A quick review of your energy bill will indicate if your organization has been charged state sales tax for your electricity and/or natural gas usage. If this is the case, then as a non-profit organization, your entity is eligible for a refund from the Texas State Comptroller on all previously-paid state sales tax charges within the last 48 months. Should you be interested in seeing if you might be due a reimbursement, contact Heidi Massin with Infinity Power Partners at 832-488-5418 to facilitate a refund process on your behalf. Ms. Massin is a former board member of the CEC, and is excited to help organizations find environmental solutions for nonprofits.
9. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Releases Draft Comprehensive Plan Update. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) has released a proposed update to its 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The draft provides important additional strategic guidance for the Council to follow as it makes decisions on funding projects and activities aimed at restoring the Gulf of Mexico. The draft Comprehensive Plan Update is intended to improve Council decisions by:
   • Reinforcing the Council’s goals and objectives;
   • Setting forth an initial Ten-Year Funding Strategy;
   • Establishing the Council’s vision for Gulf restoration;
   • Increasing collaboration among Council members and partner restoration programs;
   • Providing for advancement of large-scale projects and programs;
   • Refining the process for ensuring that the Council’s decisions are informed by the best available science; and
   • Improving the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of Council actions.

   The Council is updating its Initial Comprehensive Plan now in order to take into account recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council’s projects. Public input meetings will be held throught the gulf coast, including in Galveston, on September 29, 2016. For more information, visit www.restorethegulf.gov.

10. Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards (TEEA) honor achievements in environmental preservation and protection. As the state's highest environmental honor, the Office of the Governor and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognize outstanding projects from nine diverse categories: agriculture, civic/community, education, individual, innovative operations/management, pollution prevention technical/technology, water conservation, and youth. You can apply online at teea.org/apply; this page also contains helpful information on how to write an effective application. If you would like an example of a winning application, send your request to awards@tceq.texas.gov and include one (or more) or the award categories. The last day you can submit is September 30, 2016. Apply at www.teea.org. Read more: TEEA.
11. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Region Grant Proposal. NOAA is now seeking proposals under the Gulf of Mexico Bay-Watershed Education and Training (Gulf B-WET) Program. The full FY17 Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-SE-2017-2005000. Applicants should apply through Grants.gov. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on October 28, 2016, to be considered for funding. Please see the FFO for all application details. The Gulf of Mexico B-WET program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit www.sero.nmfs.noaa.gov for more information.
12. 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, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
    • Feral Hogs
    • History Keeper
    • Going to Garner