ECONOTES 2012-12-03: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Builder Boasts Most Energy Efficient House First Built In Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News, 11/29/2012)
HouZE, a Houston-based company, has built two affordable zero-energy homes in the historic Independence Heights neighborhood in north Houston. These homes feature amenities that will produce more energy than they consume. HouZE plans to build 30 homes, priced between 120 to $200,000 dollars in the neighborhood, and will expand to 35 cities over the next 2 years.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Energy Conservation Project Pays Off Big (Guidry News, 11/30/2012)
In 2010, the City of Sugar Land received a $770,000 Department of Energy grant for a program to decrease electric consumption at Sugar Land’s largest facilities. McKinstry Essintion, Inc. was hired to design and construct improvements that primarily included interior and exterior lighting changes at nine of the City’s largest facilities as well as building automation enhancements at Sugar Land’s police and municipal courts facility. This project saved taxpayers more than $85,000 last year.
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Ground-breaking Law: Air Pollution Can Be a Crime and Affected Citizens Crime Victims (Larry R. Soward – Air Alliance Houston, 11/27/2012)
Although not receiving much attention, a long-running air pollution case in federal court in Corpus Christi is breaking new ground in environmental enforcement litigation. Citizens affected by air pollution can now be considered crime victims, and are entitled to rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, including giving testimony during the sentencing phase and full and timely restitution.
http://airalliancehouston.org/
EcoNotes
- 3 December
- Lawmakers cry ‘fowl’ over move to help lesser prairie chicken (Ros Krasny – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Why Coal is On the Decline in Texas (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Lawmakers cry ‘fowl’ over move to help lesser prairie chicken (Ros Krasny – Planet Ark News)
- 2 December
- Ike Dike plans aren’t dead yet (Laura Elder – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://www.galvestondailynews.com/ - Supporting Ike Dike should be no-brainer (Harris L. “Shrub” Kempner Jr. – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://www.galvestondailynews.com/
- Ike Dike plans aren’t dead yet (Laura Elder – The Galveston County Daily News)
- 30 November
- Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposed For ‘Threatened Species’ Listing (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Energy Conservation Project Pays Off Big (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Visiting Leaders from Europe Find Texas’ Lack of Concern for Environment Puzzling (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/ - Explainer: How Does a Texas Sunset Review Work? (Elizabeth Trovall – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - EPA OKs revision of Texas permitting process (Matthew Tresaugue – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - EPA Proposes Approval of Public Participation Rules in Texas’ Clean-Air Plan (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Abnormally Dry November Stirs Fears of Extreme Drought’s Return (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Parkway work to resume under deal to protect bones (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Gulf Coast Restoration Council Announces First Public Meeting (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/
- Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposed For ‘Threatened Species’ Listing (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
- 29 November
- Builder Boasts Most Energy Efficient House First Built In Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Galveston Bay pollution limits discussed (Mark Fleming – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - World Wants A Little Piece Of Texas On A Map (Edel Howlin – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - New txH2O issue examines research ensuring water supplies (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - Tourism industry feels drought impacts, state parks bounce-back from 2011 (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - Marshall recognized at Texas Section Society for Range Management (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - Turf study monitors runoff, establish fertilizer management practices (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - New publication sheds light on agricultural water use in Texas (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - Consumer food prices remain relatively stable despite drought (Texas Water Resources Institute)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - Tolling Texans: Interactive State Toll Map (Ryan Murphy and Aman Batheja – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - Dry Texas Town Loses Water Truck, Straining a Lifeline (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Dewhurst: Consider Using Rainy Day Fund for Water Projects (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Builder Boasts Most Energy Efficient House First Built In Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
- 28 November
- Ike Dike plans a bit expensive – Letter to the Editor (Ben Daniels – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://www.galvestondailynews.com/ - FERC cites Entergy for alleged grid reliability violations (Eileen O’Grady – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Contract suspension could cost BP millions (Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Harry R. Weber – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - Secret Price of Power Hides What Texans Really Pay (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Ike Dike plans a bit expensive – Letter to the Editor (Ben Daniels – The Galveston County Daily News)
- 27 November
- Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine has inspired Texans to love the outdoors for seven decades (Louie Bond – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/ - New data prompts NOAA Fisheries to withdraw proposed rule to require turtle excluder devices in certain shrimp trawls (NOAA News)
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ - Ground-breaking Law: Air Pollution Can Be a Crime and Affected Citizens Crime Victims (Larry R. Soward – Air Alliance Houston)
http://airalliancehouston.org/ - The CCC used native materials and thoughtful design to create iconic features in state parks (Russell Roe – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/ - Bus service responsive, important to community (Dale Dimitri – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/ - Houston-Galveston Area Council chooses members, alternates (Ultimate Bellaire)
http://www.ultimatebellaire.com/ - Wildfire Report Sparks Concern Over Power Line Safety (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Why Midland is the Second-Richest City in the Country (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - As Tax Credit Hangs in the Balance, Texas Sets Another Wind Record (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine has inspired Texans to love the outdoors for seven decades (Louie Bond – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
- 26 November
- Unwanted seeds could save badly burned forest (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Houston Region Leading The Way On Diesel School Bus Upgrades (Gail Delaughter and Jack Williams – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Texans’ Enthusiasm About Smart Meters Wanes (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - The Conundrum of Texas water rights: Who has ultimate claim to the state’s water resources? (Logan Hawkes – Southwest Farm Press)
http://southwestfarmpress.com/ - Please Welcome the Lost Pines Back to Bastrop (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Unwanted seeds could save badly burned forest (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 24 November
- Project will create sub-tidal reef (The Bay City Tribune)
http://baycitytribune.com/
- Project will create sub-tidal reef (The Bay City Tribune)