ECONOTES 2011-09-14: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Too wacky? Moving water from flood to drought (Seth Borenstein – Yahoo! News, 09/09/2011)
The East has been inundated with rain, while Texas remains dangerously dry. This has brought up previous tempting visions of installing pipelines to carry water across the nation. This would help out both regions with their water problems. Unfortunately, moving vast quantities of water is not simple or cheap, and thus not realistic. The distance is too great and it would cost too much money. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of water, just an unequal distribution of it.
http://news.yahoo.com/ - Houston’s Electric Vehicle Initiative (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News, 09/08/2011)
The City of Houston has launched its comprehensive, city-wide electric vehicle program called Houston Drives Electric. This program is designed to implement clean and economic driving alternatives. The first public electric vehicle charging station, the Freedom Station, was installed at the HEB Buffalo Market in SW Houston. 28 additional stations are planned to be built at city libraries and parks.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - A tenth of extra summer heat due to emissions growth, state climatologist says (Texas Climate News, 09/12/2011)
Climatologist, Nielsen-Gammon, says 9 percent of summer’s extra heat (that is, about 0.5 degree of the 5.4 degrees F in extra heat from previous summers) was caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The La Niña weather pattern is the main reason for the drought, but man-made global warming has exaggerated its effects. The extra degrees in temperature increased the rate of evaporation, making groundwater more scarce.
http://texasclimatenews.org/
EcoNotes
- 14 September
- Perry Sidelines Critic Of Texas Nuclear Waste Site (Peter Henderson and Karen Brooks – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/63256 - Wildfire raged at George Bush Park in west Houston (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - A Dry Odessa Wonders if Desalinization is the Answer (Ari Auber – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - 13 September
- TxDOT breaks ground on Grand Parkway expansion between 290, I-10 (Joe Southern – Cypress Creek Mirror)
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ - Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Announced Job Losses Due to EPA Rule (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - Poster Contest helps students fall for trees (Texas Forest Service News)
http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ - 12 September
- A tenth of extra summer heat due to emissions growth, state climatologist says (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Luminant sues EPA over rules (Tom Fowler and Matthew Tresaugue – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - EPA’s rules cost 500 Texas jobs (EPA News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - New website tracks impact of proposed federal actions related to endangered species, air and water (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Beaumont’s “Shred It & Forget It!” (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - 10 September
- Drought blamed for rise in donkey abandonment (William Pack – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - 9 September
- Too wacky? Moving water from flood to drought (Seth Borenstein – Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/ - Texans wary as drought, heat, and La Nina create perfect recipe for more fast-moving wildfires (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ - A Panoramic View Of East-Central Texas (Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/63223 - New technology gives energy industry the world by remote control (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 8 September
- Houston’s Electric Vehicle Initiative (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Drought limits habitat for record numbers of incoming teal (Shannon Tompkins – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - La Niña’s return may extend Texas drought (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Cooler Weather Relieves Pressure On Texas Electric Grid (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Turkey Creek Trail Now Open (Big Thicket National Preserve News)
http://guidrynews.pmailus.com/ - Offshore drilling agency about to split in two (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Texas A&M Prof Says Study Shows That Clouds Don’t Cause Climate Change (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - Mayor Parker and Partners Announce Launch of Houston Drives Electric (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - 7 September
- Houston Remains Under Water Restrictions, But Water Trees (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Oil industry ties jobs to expanded drilling (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/news/ - Texas wildfires: Is drought the new climate? (Los Angeles Times)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ - 6 September
- Shell to pay $500,000 for pollution (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/news/ - Shell must notify Harris County of pollution activity, court rules (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 5 September
- Deficit panel may aim at oil tax breaks (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/news/ - Houston Leaders React To Obama’s Ozone Delay (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/ - Keeping Things “Green” at UH (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/