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December 14, 2016

Houston Environmental News Update December 14, 2016

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter.

Earlier this year, in June, we asked you to identify the most significant environmental accomplishments, controversies, issues, news, and events in the greater Houston region. Now that the year is coming to a close, we’d like to hear what you think now. Please consider sharing your thoughts in the following survey. We’ll report back on your responses. Next week, we’ll be asking for thoughts about 2017.

Here are some of the responses from earlier this year:

  • Tax Day Floods and subsequent floods–and a plethora of possible causes and consequences
  • Texas Supreme Court ruling regarding the City of Houston’s ability to enforce air quality laws.
  • City of Houston recycling contract renegotiation (and elimination of curbside glass pickup)
  • Warehouse fire in Spring Branch (which the Houston Chronicle covered as part “Chemical Breakdown,” an in-depth analysis of chemical safety risks)
  • The 5th Circuit upheld lawsuit against ExxonMobil for 10 million pounds of illegal pollution at Baytown refinery and chemical plant
  • Pintail Landfill in Waller County and ongoing permit applications and denials
  • Encroachment of proposed raodways on the Katy Prairie
  • Build out of Bayou Greenways 2020

Other issues identified include use of the herbicide Glyphosate, proliferation of impervious surfaces such as concrete, leaf blowers, illegal dumping, and development.


Through December 31, 2016, donate with PayPal Giving Fund and 101% of your donation will be given directly to the CEC. You can also send a check made out to the CEC to PO Box 702, Houston, TX 77001.

The banner photo in the newsletter is from a petition that Air Alliance Houston is hosting on Change.org. The petition has to do with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to strengthen refinery air toxics emission limits and monitoring requirements to protect public health. Many vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by the harmful effects of pollution from the refining industry.

CEC NOTES

Support CEC at Ten Thousand Villages on Dec. 14, 2016. Please join CEC at Ten Thousand Villages in the Rice Village for a Holiday Shopping Night on Dec. 14, 2016, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Ten Thousand Villages will donate 15% of that evening’s net sales to the CEC. Come say hi and grab a cookie while you are shopping. Support the environmental community at the same time you support fair trade for artisans in developing nations–and buy some great gifts, too!

2016wsfflogoTickets make great gifts!
Buy tickets at cecfilmfest2017.eventbrite.com! Tickets are now on sale for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour, on January 25 & 26, 2017! We’ll show 24 short films over two nights, including local films.

See your company’s logo on the BIG SCREEN!
Become a sponsor at the $250 level or higher and see your logo prior to a film of your choice. But be quick–this opportunity is only available through Monday. Download sponsorship information or contact rachel@cechouston.org.

Film Selections Announced!
We are excited to announce the film festival selections we will be showing in January. We will also show two local films; watch the choices on YouTube and tell us what you think using this survey.

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Learn more about the event at cechouston.org, and check out our facebook page for the latest updates.

Newsletter Schedule

CEC will be sending a regular newsletter next week on Dec. 14, 2016. However, the newsletters on Dec. 21 and 28, 2016, will be abbreviated, as staff will be working a holiday schedule. As always, send news and information to news@cechouston.org.

COALITION NOTES.

  1. Air Alliance Houston Holiday Open House. On Dec. 14, 2016, 5 pm – 8 pm, come enjoy holiday cheer with colleagues and light refreshments. Please also bring non-perishable food donations for the Public Citizen/Air Alliance Houston Annual Holiday Food Drive, benefiting the Houston Food Bank. RSVP to the facebook event, or visit airalliancehouston.org/events/.
  2. Christmas Bird County Start Today! The 117th annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for December 14, 2016 to January 5, 2017. Organized by the National Audubon Society, this all-volunteer effort takes a snapshot of bird populations to monitor their status and distribution across the Western Hemisphere. The results are compiled into a database that is shared with federal, state, and private authorities. Past data can be viewed at the Audubon’s website. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels. Learn more about the plethora of locations and dates at houstonaudubon.com. (And check out their snazzy new website.)
  3. SWIFT Funding Workshop: Focus on Water Conservation Projects. Is your utility company considering whether SWIFT funding from the Texas Water Development Board is an appropriate funding source, that can manage your water supplies and implementing water saving programs, that will benefit your utility and customers in the long term? Join this workshop on Dec. 15, 2016, in Richmond, TX.  The application period for the third round of SWIFT Funding is open Dec. 1, 2016.  The time to evaluate your utility’s options and plan to take advantage of low-cost SWIFT funding for water conservation is now. Learn more at texaslivingwaters.org.
  4. H-GAC Pedestrian and Bicycle Subcommittee Meeting. . Join the Houston-Galveston Area Council on Dec. 15, 8:30- 10:30 am, for a meeting to advise the Technical Advisory Committee on the design of bicycle travel, review and recommend updates to the Regional Bikeway Plan, and serve as an information sharing forum for the public. Visit h-gac.com for more information.
  5. Fun Farm Camp with Blackwood Educational Institute. Need a place for the kids while you work, or get your holiday shopping done? This community farm camp is the perfect place for kids to spend their time during the Christmas holiday. This camp will teach kids new outdoor skills, with the aim of teaching environmental responsibility. The camp is Dec. 16-18, 2016. Visit blackwoodland.org for more information and to register.
  6. Buffalo Bayou Volunteer Day. Their monthly clean up will be Dec. 17, 8:30 am – 11:30 am.  Help Buffalo Bayou maintain the beauty of their parks by joining in on their monthly volunteer day. Every hand helps! Volunteers must be ages 9 and up. Please fill out a volunteer waiver, wear outdoor appropriate clothing, close-ties shoes, and bring your own work gloves. Visit buffalobayou.org for more information.
  7. Public Comment Opportunity: EPA Petroleum Refinery Rulemaking. In October, the EPA announced that it would grant reconsideration and take comment on specific issues that were raised by petitioners for which EPA did not provide adequate notice and comment relating to proposed rules for the petroleum refinery sector. This reconsideration was due, in part, to efforts of Air Alliance Houston and EarthJustice. These groups are concerned that various loopholes will significantly decrease the effectiveness of new air protections decreasing the amount of pollution oil refineries can emit and reducing some of the health threats faced by millions of Americans living in the shadows of oil refineries. You can learn more about their efforts and a comment opportunity at earthjustice.org. Comments are due by Dec. 19, 2016.
  8. Houston Advanced Research Center Lead Panel at Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency Conference. HARC’s Program Director for Clean Energy Policy, Gavin Dillingham, will lead a panel on Energy Efficiency for Educational Facilities. Jennifer Ronk, Program Director for Environmental Science and Energy Efficiency, will give two different presentations. The conference will be hosted Dec. 19-21, 2016, in San Antonio. Learn more at harcsearch.org.
  9. Ultimate Jewelry Estate Sale benefiting Hermann Park Conservancy. Still Christmas shopping to get done? Hermann Park Conservancy is one of several benefiting charities in this Jewelery Estate Sale, going on now until Jan. 21, 2017. For hours and more information about the estate sale, visit ultimatejewelryestatesale.com.
  10. Folk ‘n Oysters. Join Galveston Baykeeper on Dec. 30, 6 pm – 10 pm, for their annual Folk ‘n Oysters event. There will be beer and wine, oysters from the Galveston bay, and more great food and live music. Learn more and purchase tickets at galvestonbaykeeper.org.    
  11. Air Alliance Houston Earth Day Art Contest – Call for Submissions. For students in grades three through 12 in the Houston area. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2017. Air Alliance Houston is seeking submissions for its Earth Day Art Contest. Winning artwork will be shown on tour and then auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the winning schools’ art departments, and Air Alliance Houston’s educational programs. Please visit airalliancehouston.org for information on how to submit artwork or become a sponsor.
  12. Memorial Park Conservancy’s Brunch Run. Registration is now open for the Memorial Park Conservancy’s Annual Brunch Run on April 1, 2017. The race will have 4 mile run/walk for adults, and 1K for kids to participate in. Visit thedriven.net  for a full schedule, and to register. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
  13. Pedestrian Evaluation Tool. Sidewalks, paths, intersections, and other pedestrian amenities are an important part of the transportation network. H-GAC now provides a Pedestrian Evaluation Tool to help local governments and other interested stakeholders evaluate the safety, comfort and convenience of pedestrian facilities in their community, helping to plan future infrastructure investments. This tool, available online and as a printable PDF, is intended to be used for preliminary planning and project prioritization. View the Pedestrian Evaluation Tool on h-gac.com.
  14. Additional Upcoming Events

COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Houston Sustainability Leaders + Networking. Join Net Impact Houston on Dec. 15, 6 pm – 8 pm, 2016, at Cafe Brasil. Come grab a drink or coffee, and hear from Houston’s sustainability. Confirmed speakers include Karen Man, Co-Founder of Okra and Oxheart, Jeffrey Frey, Director of Innovation Communities, and Lisa Lin, City of Houston Sustainability Manager. Please RSVP to the eventbrite page, eventbrite.com/houstonsustainability.
  2. Webinar: Restoring the Carbon Budget, Session 1. This webinar will be hosted Dec. 15, 2016, 12 pm – 1:30 CST. This webinar will discuss the capacity of the Earth’s atmosphere to safely hold excess carbon without too much warming. Join Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Security Forum in the first of a three part series. Panelists will include Jeffry Sachs, David Biello, and Kevin Anderson. For more information about the panelists and to join the webinar, register here.
  3. NOAA Marine Debris Research Federal Funding Opportunity. Deadline: December 19, 2016. NOAA’s Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce the FY2017 Marine Debris Research Federal Funding Opportunity. The announcement can be found on Grants.gov at www.grants.gov.
  4. Plan Houston 2016. Plan Survey and Update. In 2015, Houston’s City Council took the groundbreaking step of adopting the city’s first general plan, Plan Houston. The Plan describes a vision and goals for our community and identifies twelve core strategies that represent the City’s approach for achieving the vision. The City of Houston is now actively working towards achieving the community goals laid out in Plan Houston. The next step is to understand the community’s interests so that policy makers can consider them as they develop City priorities for the next budget year. The City’s next fiscal year begins July 1, 2017. Your input, coupled with Plan Houston’s strategic guidance, ensures that the City will use its limited resources in the most effective means possible to improve our community. You can share your thoughts on what the City should be focusing on by responding to a brief survey. Learn more and take the survey at planhouston.org.
  5. Keeping Our Communities Healthy Conference. Early Registration Deadline: Dec. 31, 2016. Conference will take place May 17-19, 2017. For more information and to register, visit hungerfreetexas.org.
  6. 2017 NFWF GEBF Project Solicitation. The Texas Trustee agencies (GLO, TPWD and TCEQ) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are in the process of soliciting projects for the 2017 funding cycle from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. During the next funding cycle (2017), there is approximately $37 million available for new projects in Texas. Learn more at www.restorethetexascoast.org. Deadlines begin on January 3, 2017.
  7. Texas Sea Grant Seeking Proposals. The proposals can come from investigators from ALL Texas universities and colleges. Non-profits, non-academic institutions,for profit organizations; state, local and Native American tribal governments are also eligible. Grant rewards will support outcome-oriented researchs that spans broad areas of natural, physical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences and engineering, will improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas’ coastal and marine resources. Proposals will aim to generate substantial social, economic, and environmental impacts in Texas. Funding priorities are now in development. Please complete the survey here. For more information on how to apply for the grant, visit texasgrant.org. Pre-proposal due date is Jan. 20, 2017. Full proposal due date is April 3, 2017. Award period is February 1, 2018 – January 31, 2020.
  8. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
    • Ocean Office
    • Hill Country Haven
    • A Conservation Career
  9. Additional Upcoming Events

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