ECONOTES 2011-08-10: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Solar Panel Keeps Man’s Electricity Bill Cool (Damali Keith – My Fox Houston, 08/03/2011)
The summer heat usually spikes residents’ electricity bill. One man found a way to reduce what he pays. By using solar energy in his home, Abdimalik Abu has been able to run his air conditioning as cool as he wants, and his electricity bill is always about $150 a month lower than his friends. Homes being built in Northeast Houston, in the Milby Park Sub-Division, are being completed with solar power and solar water heating, which will be beneficial to its residents and the community.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/ - Drought damages Texas infrastructure (Ari Auber – The Texas Tribune, 08/05/2011)
The drought is causing more damage than just lowering water supplies. Many water mains are breaking and foundations are buckling due to shifting soil. The streets are cracking, especially near trees that are sucking the moisture from the ground. The drought is also causing the entire state to worry about power failures.
http://www.themonitor.com/ - Falling lake levels raise concern (Cindy Horswell – Houston Chronicle, 08/04/2011)
Both Lake Houston and Lake Conroe were built on the San Jacinto River as a source of drinking water for Houston. The current drought has depleted the reserviors’ water supplies. The City of Houston is considering taking an emergency step that has not been done for two decades – order Lake Conroe to release up to 150 million gallons of water a day from its dam to flow downstream to Lake Houston. However, Lake Conroe’s water level would plummet to a new all-time record low if this step lasts for two months.
http://www.chron.com/disp/
EcoNotes
- 10 August
- Houston To Mandate Water Conservation (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - 9 August
- Texas Cool Schools Grants Will Help Schools Save Energy and Cut Costs (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - Waste Management, Houston open recycling facility (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - Texas crop, weather for Aug. 9, 2011 (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - 8 August
- EPA and USDA Create a Partnership to Improve Drinking Water Systems and Develop Workforce in Rural Communities (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/ - Texas drought will harm wildlife habitat for years (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Associated Press)
http://www.boston.com/ - 5 August
- Heat Waves Pushes Texas Power Grid Into Red Zone (Eileen O’Grady – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org/ - Houstonians Keep Running Despite Heat (Bill Stamps – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Ozone Watch Days Are Down, Despite Intense Sun and Heat (David Pitman – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - No relief in sight for Texas heat and drought (Wendell Marsh – Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/ - Again Conserve Electricity During Peak Hours (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Is 100 the new 90? A question to ponder amid Texas’ record heat and drought (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Drought damages Texas infrastructure (Ari Auber – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.themonitor.com/ - Port of Houston wins award for reducing emissions (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/ - 4 August
- Drought in Texas reaches epic proportions (Lee Williams – Star-Telegram News)
http://www.star-telegram.com/ - ERCOT Initiates Level Two Emergency Once Again (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Texas Suffers Worst One-Year Drought on Record (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Negotiations Stall Over Proposed Coal Plant’s Water Supply (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Texas shatters heat and drought records, withering crop and livestock prospects (Barbara Kessler – ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ - As area lakes drop, action to preserve water supply may be needed (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Falling lake levels raise concern (Cindy Horswell – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/ - Wetlands Center seeks volunteers (The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/news/ - Record-setting drought drying up business in Lake Houston (Brad Woodard – KHOU News)
http://www.khou.com/ - Power Warning – Conservation Critical (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - EPA Takes Action on Reducing Barriers to the Use of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies / Action supports national framework for the safe use of clean energy technology (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Texas Drought Officially The Worst Ever, Says Texas A&M State Climatologist (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - TCEQ meeting on water rights during drought rules (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Charging electric cars wirelessly (Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - 3 August
- ERCOT urges power restraint during peak hours (Jane Howard Lee – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - Solar Panel Keeps Man’s Electricity Bill Cool (Damali Keith – My Fox Houston)
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/ - LCRA cancels vote on water deal (Isadora Vail – The Statesman)
http://www.statesman.com/ - 2 August
- Texas power grid operator issues emergency alert, calls for conservation (The Dallas Morning News)
http://energyandenvironmentblog. - Texas heat pushes state power grid to the max (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 31 July
- Foundation welcomes new director of development (The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - 29 July
- EPA to Crack Down on Gas Drillers (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News)
http://www.tpr.org/ - 8 July
- Parks, recreational facilities provide endless contracting opportunities (Mary Scott Nabers – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/