ENVIRONMENTAL HEADLINES, FEBRUARY 16 – 22
CANDIDATE FORUM FOCUSES MORE ON GRAND PARKWAY
Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster 2/21/08
Politicians might have different ideas for solving problems, but they were in perfect harmony about one local topic Wednesday.
A LOOK AT THE TEXAS PRIMARY SYSTEM
Brazosport Facts 2/22/08
Officials are rushing to educate voters about the state’s extremely complicated primary and convention process.
OBAMA, CLINTON TOP MCCAIN ON ENVIRONMENT VOTES – REPORT
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS VOTER’S GUIDE
SIERRA CLUB PROTESTS DYNEGY’S COAL OPERATIONS
Houston Chronicle 2/20/09
An environmental group’s protest in downtown Houston on Wednesday put a spotlight on the debate over coal — which generates half the nation’s electricity but also contributes to climate change.
TENASKA DEVELOPING CLEANER COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT IN TEXAS
CITY’S CLEAN-AIR ORDINANCE SPURS LAWSUIT
Houston Chronicle 2/18/08
A coalition of Houston plant operators filed a lawsuit Friday against the city of Houston, alleging an air quality ordinance adopted by the city last summer violates state law.
FLOODWAY LAW COULD COST HARRIS COUNTY MILLIONS
Houston Chronicle 2/21/08
A city ordinance that places new restrictions on development in flood-prone areas known as floodways is likely to reduce taxable property values by hundreds of millions of dollars, Harris County’s tax assessor-collector said Thursday.
MAYOR WILL SEE HIS PROPERTY’S VALUE DROP
LA PORTE HOTEL PLAN GETS INITIAL APPROVAL
Houston Chronicle 2/20/08
La Porte city leaders wanting to attract a hotel to the local Sylvan Beach area won approval from Harris County commissioners Tuesday to pursue a developer.
STUDY DOWNPLAYS EXTENT OF GULF FISHERY COLLAPSE
Houston Chronicle 2/21/08
A new analysis of fish in the Gulf of Mexico suggests that previous estimates of fishery collapse were vastly overestimated.
U.N. SAYS WORLD FISHERIES FACE COLLAPSE
FUNDRAISER TO EXPAND MEMORIAL PARK KICKS OFF
Houston Chronicle 2/20/08
City officials and local parks advocates Tuesday launched a $10 million fundraising campaign for a new running trail, expanded tennis facilities, a pedestrian bridge and other amenities at Memorial Park.
LET THERE BE (FLUORESCENT) LIGHT
Greentips February 2008
A provision in the 2007 energy bill requires light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy-efficient starting in 2012–a standard that will effectively phase out traditional incandescent bulbs. But why wait? Today’s compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) already use 50 to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
WHALE BONES TURN UP AT MATAGORDA ISLAND
Houston Chronicle 2/20/08
The Gulf of Mexico coughs surprising things onto the desolate and isolated curve of sand marking the seaward rim of Matagorda Island, a part of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and a state wildlife management area.
WHEN FROGS AND TOADS FALL SILENT, ECOLOGISTS LISTEN
Houston Chronicle 2/14/08
Frogs used to be slimy green things boys carted around in their pockets. Now they’re environmental fortune-tellers, slightly mysterious creatures that tell us when we’re headed for trouble.
GET BACK TO BIRDING BASICS
Brazosport Facts 2/21/08
I have been writing this column for about 10 years now and that’s a lot of bird droppings.