Community Notes 09-14-2011

1. Public Meeting: Addicks Reservoir and the Grand Parkway. A meeting will be held Monday, September 19, to discuss the litigation that has been filed in federal court over the impact of Segment E of the Grand Parkway on Addicks Reservoir which has been evaluated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as being subject to “catastrophic failure”. If Addicks Reservoir were to fail, much of the developed core of the City of Houston along Buffalo Bayou would be destroyed, including portions of the energy corridor, the Memorial Villages, River Oaks and the Central Business District. The meeting will discuss various ways for other organizations to become involved in actions around this litigation. It will take place at 6:30pm at the Houston Arboretum.
   
2. Climate Reality Project: 24 Events…24 Time Zones…24 Hours of Reality. From September 14th-15th, there will be an international online event, hosted by Al Gore, to address climate change. By focusing the world’s attention on the climate crisis for an entire day, 24 Hours of Reality is intended to create a global movement and inspire international action to solve the climate crisis the other 364 days of the year. To learn more about this event, visit http://www.ustream.tv/climaterealityproject.
   
3. TCEQ Public Stakeholder Meeting. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting a public stakeholder meeting on September 22nd in Austin at the TCEQ Headquarters (12100 Park 35 Circle, Room 201S, Building E). The meeting will discuss the agency’s activities to amend 30 TAC Chapter 60, Compliance History, to implement Article 4, House Bill 2694, 82nd Legislature, regular session, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.tceq.texas.gov/news/releases.
4. Environmental Education Sub-Grants Program. The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will be giving $1.5 million in the Environmental Education Sub-grants Program for 2011. This grant program was designed to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provide participants in EE grant-funded projects the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and to take responsible actions toward the environment. EPA will be hosting three conference calls for potential applicants interested in additional information about the application process. To participate, dial the toll free number and enter the conference ID code. The call-in number for all three calls is: 1-866-246-5569. The conference call dates are as follows: Sept. 22, 2011, 3:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (ID code: 97738763); Sept. 27, 2011, 2:00 pm EDT (ID code: 97740900); and Sept. 30, 2011, 12.00 pm EDT (ID code: 97741103). To learn more, visit http://www.epa.gov/.
   
5. Healthy Habitats. Service Learning Texas is offering grants for projects that engage students in grades 5-12 in service learning initiatives designed to improve or restore the natural environment. Applications are due by September 26th. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/HealthyHabitats#.
6. Earth Science Week Contests. The American Geological Institute (AGI) is sponsoring three national contests as part of Earth Science Week 2011, celebrating the theme of “Our Ever-Changing Earth.” All contests end on October 14th. To read more about each contest, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/.
• Photography Contest: A World of Change in My Community – Students, geologists, and the general public are invited to submit photos that capture the evidence of the long- or short-term changes taking place around our planet and even in your own neighborhood.
• Visual Arts Contest: Picturing our Ever-Changing Earth – Students in grades K-5 are invited to submit a two-dimensional piece of artwork to illustrate the various ways air, water, land, and living things change over time.
• Essay Contest: How Change Shapes our Planet – Students in grades 6-9 are invited to submit a brief essay, explaining how interactions between Earth’s systems can change our world over time. Discuss the processes used to study these change and how human life can be affected by geologic transformation.
7. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/monitoring/air/monops/forecast_today.html
   • August 15: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone–Winds may be light enough and incoming background levels high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” or possibly higher levels on the south, southwest, and west side of the Houston area.
   • August 16: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone–Winds may be light enough and incoming background levels high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” or possibly higher levels on the west and northwest side of the Houston area.
   • August 17: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone–Winds may be light enough and incoming background levels high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” or possibly higher levels on the north and northwest side of the Houston area.
   • On September 8 and 9, TCEQ issued Air Pollution Warnings – Level Orange for unhealthy levels of ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas. During a Level Orange warning, active children and adults as well as people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exposure.
   • On September 8, TCEQ issued an Air Pollution Warning – Level Red for unhealthy levels of ozone in the Houston-Galveston Brazoria areas. During a Level Red warning, everyone, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. People with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.