ECONOTES 2013-02-25: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- New TLCV Recycling Study Shows Positive Economic Impact Through A Beverage Container Deposit Program (TLCV News, 2/20/2013)
Implementing a refundable deposit on beverage containers in Texas would provide a significant, positive impact to the state through increased economic activity, job creation, and reduced litter, according to a study released today by the Texas League of Conservation Voters. The State of Texas and its local governments would also see an increase it their revenues through such a program, as well as a cost savings through reduced litter clean up costs.
http://www.tlcv.org/ - Ruling: Houston can’t void state air permit (Mike Morris – Houston Chronicle, 2/15/2013)
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Houston may not effectively void a state air pollution permit. The justices agreed with Southern Crushed Concrete that Houston’s 2007 law restricting the location of concrete-crushing facilities violates state statute by nullifying a permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. State law requires rock crushers to be more than a quarter-mile from residential areas, while the city ordinance calls for a buffer of 1,500 feet from the company’s property line, not the crushing machinery itself. Southern Crushed Concrete’s facility meets the state’s requirement, but not the city’s.
http://www.chron.com/ - Deep Yet Silent No Longer: Texas Artificial Reefs Launch New Website, Facebook Page (Texas Parks & Wildlife, 2/18/2013)
For more than thirty years, the Texas Artificial Reef program has generally run silent and deep – deep in its positive impact on marine ecosystems, recreational fishing and diving and coastal economies, silent because it’s probably largely unknown to most people. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department scientists hope that will change soon with a major website overhaul and new Facebook page.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/
EcoNotes
- 24 February
- Seasonal shift: Trend toward milder winters a factor in warming climate (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/
- Seasonal shift: Trend toward milder winters a factor in warming climate (Texas Climate News)
- 22 February
- Drink Up: New Bill Would Give You Cash Back For Empties (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Drink Up: New Bill Would Give You Cash Back For Empties (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
- 21 February
- “Barefoot in the Park” – Friends of Mandell Park (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Sierra Club Partners with Native, Inc. to Help Families Go Solar (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - This Week in Drought: Long Road May Lie Ahead (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Why Gulf Coast Refineries Started 2013 With Less Oil (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- “Barefoot in the Park” – Friends of Mandell Park (Guidry News)
- 20 February
- New TLCV Recycling Study Shows Positive Economic Impact Through A Beverage Container Deposit Program (TLCV News)
http://www.tlcv.org/ - A&M Wants More Funding for State Climatologist (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - As Drought Continues, A&M Asks to Permanently Fund Climatologist (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - TX bill would allow utility easement hike & bike trails (Jay Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Mayors lobby Legislature for water projects (Matthew Tresaugue and Colin McDonald – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ - Texas Lawmakers Push For Lactose Tolerance (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - How New Legislation Could Help Texas Go Native Again (David Barer – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - EPA Recognizes Medical Centers and Universities for Emissions Reductions and Energy Savings (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Q&A with Physicians for Social Responsibility (Earth Share)
http://www.earthshare.org/
- New TLCV Recycling Study Shows Positive Economic Impact Through A Beverage Container Deposit Program (TLCV News)
- 19 February
- 20th Annual Trash Bash Set for March 23 (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Boating Hazards Removed From Galveston Bay (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - A Plant Closes on the Plains, and a Community Ponders Its Future (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - HGAC to trade $154 million federal funds with TxDOT (Jay Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/
- 20th Annual Trash Bash Set for March 23 (Guidry News)
- 18 February
- White Stallion Coal Plant Suspends Operations (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Deep Yet Silent No Longer: Texas Artificial Reefs Launch New Website, Facebook Page (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - The Health Impacts of Climate Change (Earth Share)
http://www.earthshare.org/ - Farmers Weigh Floating Islands As Pollution Solution (Environmental Leader)
http://www.environmentalleader.com/ - Texas Mayors Stress Need For More Water Conservation and Less Red Tape (David Barer – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Fraud in the Oil Fields: A Boom in Theft Costs Texas Industry Millions (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- White Stallion Coal Plant Suspends Operations (Guidry News)
- 17 February
- Texas A&M University students in Bastrop State Park (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/
- Texas A&M University students in Bastrop State Park (Guidry News)
- 15 February
- Conservation Hero Yao Ming visits the Houston Zoo (Renee – The Wild Conservation Blog)
http://www.houstonzooblogs.org/ - Ruling: Houston can’t void state air permit (Mike Morris – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Houston businesses could save money from energy efficiency legislation (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - Developers drop plans for Texas coal plant (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/ - Texas poised to double wind energy output (Angela Kocherga – KVUE News)
http://www.kvue.com/ - TPWD prescribed burn at Mustang Island State Park
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - White Stallion Coal Proposal Cancelled (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Houston ‘Tar Sands Refinery Neighbor Collaborative’ Activists to Join Massive Rally for President Obama to Stop Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Hard session ahead for renewable energy advocates (James Jeffrey – Austin Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/
- Conservation Hero Yao Ming visits the Houston Zoo (Renee – The Wild Conservation Blog)
- 14 February
- Another record falls in the Texas wind (Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/blog/
- Another record falls in the Texas wind (Fuel Fix)
- 11 February
- Is Texas preparing to drop its refusal to issue greenhouse-gas permits? (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - DOJ suit against ATP Oil and Gas alleges Clean Water Act violations (Deon Daugherty – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/
- Is Texas preparing to drop its refusal to issue greenhouse-gas permits? (Texas Climate News)
- 10 February
- A tale told in maps and charts: Texas in the National Climate Assessment (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/
- A tale told in maps and charts: Texas in the National Climate Assessment (Texas Climate News)
- 9 February
- From flush to faucet: Dry Texas towns rethinking recycled water (Joe Conger – KVUE News)
http://www.kvue.com/
- From flush to faucet: Dry Texas towns rethinking recycled water (Joe Conger – KVUE News)