ECONOTES 2012-09-17: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

Featured

1. Westbury Community Garden may be in jeopardy (Deborah Wrigley – ABC13 News, 09/06/2012)
   The seven acre Westbury Community Garden in far southwest Houston now may be in jeopardy. The undeveloped land has been owned by the Houston Housing Authority for three decades, and leased by the Westbury Civic Club for a community garden for only the past two years. However, last month, surveyors for the Houston Housing Authority were looking at the land. Neighbors are now circulating a petition drive to save the garden, appealing to the Housing Authority to let it stay.
   http://abclocal.go.com/
2. It’s Not As Hot, So Why Is Houston Under Ozone Watch? (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News, 09/11/2012)
   High ozone is often associated with heat, but the temperature really doesn’t have much to do with it. The presence of sunlight and the lack of wind to circulate emissions around increases the probability of having an ozone issue.
   http://app1.kuhf.org/
3. Solar-powered water park to debut in Houston: Splash with renewable energy in the Fifth Ward (Joel Luks – CultureMap Houston, 09/06/2012)
   Houston’s first solar-powered splash pad in the Fifth Ward on Lyons Avenue will add educational fun to a community in the midst of a transformation. Eighteen solar panels perched atop a 2,340-square-foot metal web of open air canopies will form a water park with net zero energy consumption, where 6,600 kilowatt hours generated annually are expected to provide the required electricity to keep children smiling in the water while parents unwind at one of the shaded park benches and picnic tables.
   http://houston.culturemap.com/

EcoNotes

• 17 September
  • Life After the EPA: What’s Next for Al Armendariz (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 16 September
  • Texas Wind Boom Threatened by Expiring Tax Credit (Kate Galbraith – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
• 14 September
  • Why the Next UT-A&M Rivalry Could Be Fought in the Lab (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • More Houstonians Are Bringing Their Bikes Aboard The Bus (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • EPA Region 6 Updates Its National Priorities List of Superfund Sites (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/
• 13 September
  • How Texas Quail Is Making a Rebound, And Why It Might Not Be Enough (Elizabeth Trovall – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Exxon Refinery in Baytown Releases Massive Amount of Chemicals (Terrence Henry – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • ‘It’s All About the Money’: TransCanada Pipeline Takes Holdouts to Court (Dave Fehling – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • Ducks Unlimited elevates Texas water involvement (Ducks Unlimited)
    http://www.ducks.org/
  • EPA Awards UT-Austin over $1 Million for Chemical Safety Research (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/
  • Bigger automakers should focus on flying cars: Tesla investor (Ben Klayman – Planet Ark News)
    http://planetark.org/
  • Coal power to drive U.S. emissions higher next year: report (Patrick Rucker – Planet Ark News)
    http://planetark.org/
  • New Census designation could mean more transportation funding (Brian Walzel – Community Impact Newspaper)
    http://impactnews.com/
  • TCEQ Announces Availability of Clean Air Grants (TCEQ News)
    http://www.tceq.texas.gov/
• 12 September
  • Protecting Our Drinking Water Source (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/
  • Exxon Refinery in Baytown Releases Massive Amount of Chemicals (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 11 September
  • It’s Not As Hot, So Why Is Houston Under Ozone Watch? (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • Your Summer Report Card: Not as Hellish as Last Year, But a Barely Passing Grade (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Free rides on METRORail courtesy of Ellen, KHOU 11 (KHOU News)
    http://www.khou.com/community/
  • In U.S., 2012 so far is hottest year on record (Deborah Zabarenko – Planet Ark News)
    http://planetark.org/
  • Solar installations surge on strong utility market (Nichola Groom – Planet Ark News)
    http://planetark.org/
  • USACE Galveston suspends lock operations at Wallisville Saltwater Barrier due to continued drought conditions on Trinity River Watershed (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/
• 10 September
  • Five Key Lessons (and Challenges) from the Great Texas Drought (The University of Texas at Austin)
    https://www.utexas.edu/
  • GOP’s climate skeptics, court rulings, wind power, water conservation (Texas Climate News)
    http://texasclimatenews.org/
  • Drought Update: Another Dry Spell for Texas, But Enjoy the ‘Cold Front’ (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Why the Fight Over Salamanders in Texas is Only Just Beginning (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 6 September
  • Westbury Community Garden may be in jeopardy (Deborah Wrigley – ABC13 News)
    http://abclocal.go.com/
  • Solar-powered water park to debut in Houston: Splash with renewable energy in the Fifth Ward (Joel Luks – CultureMap Houston)
    http://houston.culturemap.com/
  • Renewable Incentives Spark Debate at Texas Hearing (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
    http://www.texastribune.org/
  • Texas heat pushes electricity use to new monthly record (Reuters)
    http://in.reuters.com/
• 5 September
  • Power retailer’s entry sheds light on green gains (Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/
• 27 August
  • Turning waste into power (Leslie Rhode – KXAN News)
    http://www.kxan.com/