Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: January 30, 2019
Featured Articles:
Here’s how a Houston neighborhood is taking action after decades of environment injustice (Katie Moore – Environmental Defense Fund, 01/30/2019.) Established in 1948 as the first planned community for African-Americans in the city, Pleasantville faces significant concerns today about environmental justice and human health due to its location by the Houston Ship Channel and one of the busiest stretches of Interstate 610, as well as a sprawling brewery, warehouses, metal recyclers and salvage yards. In response, Environmental Defense Fund has launched a project with Houston-based nonprofit Achieving Community Tasks Successfully (ACTS) and Texas Southern University to bring community-led air monitoring to this neighborhood surrounded by several pollution sources. blogs.edf.org
Houston trash pickup stinks. Here’s how to fix it. [Editorial] (The Editorial Board – Houston Chronicle, 01/24/2019. Photo by Godofredo A. Vasquez.) “It’s time for the city to find a long-term solution to stabilize trash collection that doesn’t waste taxpayer money…“managed competition,†allowing private firms to bid against the city for the best deal on many services, including waste management.” houstonchronicle.com
More light rail? More bus lanes? Have your say. [Editorial] (The Editorial Board – Houston Chronicle, Updated 01/24/2019. Photo by Steve Gonzales.) “It’s important to get Metro’s map for the future right. Every rider, potential rider, critic and advocate of mass transit in Houston and Harris County should choose a public hearing to attend and help put the finishing touches on the plan. The better it is, the better its chances of receiving the support it will need to win a bond election.” houstonchronicle.com
EcoNotes
- 29 January
- It could take 300 years for Joshua Tree National Park to recover from the government shutdown (Aria Bendix – Business Insider) https://www.businessinsider.com
- 28 January
- The way we eat is killing us – and the planet (Felicity Lawrence – The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/
- Pearland city council to consider new trash pick up pilot program with Waste Management (Yvette Orozco – Houston Chronicle) https://www.houstonchronicle.com
- 24 January
- Satellite data confirms Permian gas flaring is double what companies report (Colin Leyden – Environmental Defense Fund) http://blogs.edf.org
- Dramatic growth in laws to protect environment, but widespread failure to enforce, finds report (United Nations Environment Programme) https://www.unenvironment.org
- 23 January
- Tossed aside: Recyclables mount as city scraps regular collection (Adam Zuvanich – The Leader News) https://theleadernews.com
- 22 January
- City of Bellaire readies to unveil renovated Ware Family Park (Staff report – Houston Chronicle) https://www.chron.com
- Americans’ climate change concerns surge to record levels, poll shows (Oliver Milman – The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com