Calendar
Join us for the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable on Monday, July 8, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
The PNA Roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas, promotes the PNA Award Program, and maintains a regional inventory of parks. The PNA roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region. To register visit events.r20.constantcontact.com/register.
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi
In general, the series is screened on the third Wednesday of each month.
For current films, visit the Houston Green Films website or Facebook page.
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi
“There has to be a fuel revolution.”
-Donnie Tipton of Going Green Grease Recycling
Set in Houston, Texas in the shadow of the nation’s oil industry, Hot Grease tells the surprising story of how the biodiesel industry is turning an ostensibly worthless raw material, spent kitchen grease, into a renewable energy source capable of fueling cars, buses and fleets of trucks throughout the country.
The millions of gallons of cooking oil that our country’s restaurants use to fry up chicken, fries, and donuts used to end up as waste in landfills and pollutants in our waterways. But today, thanks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and politicians, it’s being turned into a functional fuel: biodiesel. Biodiesel reduces carbon emissions up to 85% compared to petroleum fuel, the equivalent of removing over 19 million cars from our highways. This film dives into the untapped market of biodiesel as it rapidly becomes a commodity and individuals dedicate their livelihood to making it an accessible fuel choice in Houston.
This month’s panelists & exhibitors:
Chris Powers, Houston Biodiesel
Jody Gibson, Energy Institute High School
Michael McClere, Dependable Cooking Oil
Alona Hernandez, Houston Public Works
Ted Driscoll, Galveston Bay Foundation
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. Rice Cinema is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
- 6:30 PM Reception & Refreshments
- 7:00 PM Film Screening
- 8:00 PM Panel Discussion
- 9:00 PM The conversation continues at Valhalla, Rice University’s Graduate Student Pub
For questions about transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event go to https://park-trans.rice.edu/

Join us for this important Environmental Forum to discuss topics that are focused on the City of Houston. You are encouraged to bike or travel electrically by taking the Green Line to the Coffee Plant/Second Ward light rail station. The house is one block away at 317 Sampson Street. Please bring your own chair and reusable water bottle.
The event is sponsored by 350.org Houston, Citizens Climate Lobby Houston, Energy & Environmental Democrats, Environment Texas, Houston Climate Movement, and Houston Renewable Energy Group. #oursharedhouston
Shell Educators’ Preview: Start your evening at 4 p.m. and earn one hour of CPE credit while viewing our newly renovated George W. Strake Hall of Malacology.
HMNS’ Educator Members will have an opportunity to speak to Tina Petway, the
Museum’s Associate Curator of Malacology, during the Shell Educators’ Preview.
As a special treat, all guests will also be able to visit our newest special exhibition,
Art of the Brick until 6:00 p.m.!
The Educator Event @HMNS: Continue your evening with us starting at 5 p.m.
and earn up to three additional hours of CPE credit depending on which
programming you attend. HMNS is featuring several ways to earn CPE credit from
attending workshops to taking a guided tour to seeing a show in our Planetarium.
Educators are able to earn a total of up to 4 hours of CPE credit while attending
HMNS’, An Evening for Educators!
Registration Information
Educators: Free
Non-Educators: $10.00
(Pricing includes entry to the George W. Strake Hall of Malacology and Art of the Brick)
Registration begins Tuesday, July 30th and ends Wednesday, October 2nd.
Please complete the online form at hmns.org/eveningforeducators to reserve your spot. For questions, contact educatorevent@hmns.org.
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi
In general, the series is screened on the third Wednesday of each month.
For current films, visit the Houston Green Films website or Facebook page.
Rain is as important as carbon dioxide in cooling our planet. People must restore trees and soil to restore the water cycle.
The image above shows how trees pump huge amounts of water back into the air and create more rain further inland. It is a river in the sky.
When folks started climate modeling, to simplify, they ignored water vapor and focused on carbon dioxide. But the water cycle is 95% of planetary cooling while carbon dioxide is only 5%, according to Dr. Walter Jehne. We need to keep on reducing emissions, but it’s time to also work on restoring ecosystems and their soils. Besides this may be an easier and faster way to make a difference.
To learn more and register to this event visit Coolingourplanet