Environment Texas Blog

Check out our blog for the latest in the fight to protect Texas’ environment.

Judge Rules for Neches Wildlife Refuge

By luke - 07/06/2008 Last week, a federal judge ruled in favor of the creation of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge in east Texas. The refuge was established in 2006 by the Fish and Wildlife Service with the support of a coalition of organizations including Environment Texas, Texas Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Neches River and others. Unfortunately, the city of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board, under the direction of Gov. Perry, filed a lawsuit to block the refuge, seeking instead to dam the Neches River and flood the surrounding forests for use as a reservoir. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove that there were no alternative sites for a reservoir.

Texas Energy Plan: More of the Same

By luke - 07/03/2008 While the debate about our energy future rages among the Presidential candidates, a similar debate is quietly taking place here in Texas. Last week, the Governor’s Competitiveness Council released a draft Texas Energy Plan to guide Texas’ energy decisions in coming years.

Mayor Wynn Speaks Out on Misinformation Campaign by Realtors

By luke - 2008/06/09 If you live in Austin, you might have heard radio ads or received flyers in the mail decrying a proposed policy to improve energy efficiency in older homes at the "point of sale". The Austin Board of Realtors, worried that efficiency upgrades might cause delays that cut in to their profits, have launched a campaign to confuse the public about the proposal. Here is the real story, straight from Mayor Wynn.

Who owns the sun?

By luke - 03/25/2008 Solar power is on the verge of hitting the big-time, close to achieving a scale and affordability that will allow it to replace dirty coal-fired power plants and significantly reduce global warming pollution. But a Texas agency has proposed rules that will create a serious barrier to solar’s widespread deployment. One of the ways solar can be cost-effective is if a homeowner is given credit by their utility for excess electricity put back on to the grid (known as “net-metering”). On Friday, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued a surprise proposed rule which create heavy burdens on customers wanting to install solar panels and provide financial rewards to the utilities, but provide no guarantees that customers who generate surplus electricity will ever get paid.

SXSW FILM: THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY

By luke - 03/05/2008

THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY On February 12th, 2005, Sister Dorothy Stang, a Catholic nun from Dayton, Ohio, was shot six times and left to die on a muddy road in the Brazilian Amazon. Who was this woman? Why was she killed? And what will be done about it? The answers may hold the fate of the rainforest itself.

Bryan Goes Solar!

By luke - 03/03/2008 The city of Bryan's municipally owned utility has become the third Texas utility to offer rebates for the purchase and installation of solar panels.

THE GREEN SCARE: How corporations created the "eco-terrorist" menace

By luke - 2008/02/27 sorry for the short notice, but i just found out about this. looks pretty interesting. THE GREEN SCARE: How corporations created the "eco-terrorist" menace When: Wednesday Feb 27, 7pm Where: GEO (Geology Building) 2.324

Clean Air Smells Like Money

By luke - 12/7/2007 10:58 am It used to be that business leaders might describe the odor of industrial emissions as the “smell of money”. But these days, money has an entirely different smell - that of fresh, clean air. While no state has likely made more money off of smokestack industries than Texas, the growing urgency of our state’s air quality crisis, combined with the emergence of new “cleantech” industries, is leading many entrepreneurs to new, clean ways to make money.

2007 in Review

By luke - 1/15/2008 5:52 pm Environment Texas played an integral part in delivering a number of important victories for our environment and health in 2007. Here are some of the highlights: WORKING TO SAVE THE CHRISTMAS MOUNTAINS On Nov. 6, the School Land Board voted to postpone the sale of the Christmas Mountains to private interests and instead give the National Park Service time to develop a proposal to add the land to Big Bend National Park.

Temporary Reprieve for Christmas Mountains!

By luke - 9/18/2007 After hearing from more than 3,000 Texans, today the School Land Board rejected all six private bids for the Christmas Mountains. Their official reason was that a "mistake in the map that delineated the area in the original bid specifications" forced the rejection. Now, the Mountains will go up a second auction with a decision to be made in November.

Study: Birth Defects in Corpus Christi Twice State Rate

By luke - 7/13/2006 A new study conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services finds that babies born in the heavily polluted Corpus Christi area are twice as likely to have birth defects as the rest of the state and 17 percent more likely to have a severe birth defect.

Architecture 2030: A Bold Solution to Global Warming 3/21/07

By luke - 3/3/2007 This event will be held on March 21, 2007, in Austin, at the Wildflower Center from 9am to 12:30pm. Speakers will include Mayor Will Wynn, Ed Mazria (founder of Architecture2030.org), Fritz Steiner (dean, University of Texas School of Architecture), Laurence Doxsey (Housing and Urban Development), Andy Vernooy (dean, Texas Tech School of Architecture), Mike Myers (project manager, Texas Energy Partnership), and Ray Tonjes (chair, Green Building Initiative, National Association of Home Builders). Admission is $20. CEUs will be available from the American Institute of Architects. More details are laid out in the attached announcement. Registration is on-line with the chief sponsor, the Conference of Southwest Foundations: http://www.c-s-f.org/form/eventregistration.asp?EID=134

"Surprise" announcement on Christmas Mountains

By luke - 11/5/2007 Today Commissioner Patterson held a news conference to make a "surprise" announcement about the Christmas Mountains. Unfortunately, it was more of a surprise punch to the head than good news. Basically he says that tomorrow the School Land Board will accept one of the two bids received from private interests in the recent auction. However, he says he will give the National Park Service ninety days to meet or exceed the terms laid out by the winning bid, which includes allowing hunting and concealed weapons, which the National Park Service doesn't do, so it's a poison pill provision. So basically no change. Also today, Environment Texas turned in about 6000 petition signatures to Gov. Perry and Attorney General Abbott asking them to instruct their appointees on the School Land Board to vote against Patterson. We'll see how they end up voting at tomorrow's meeting.If you can attend, the info is below.

Overwhelming Public Support for Barton Springs, Open Space

By luke - 5/26/2006 Public support for protecting environmentally sensitive land in the Barton Springs watershed has been overwhelming in the last few weeks.

Vote Yes on 2 & 3 Event @ Zilker Clubhouse

By luke - 10/24/2006 Come support City Bond Propositions 2 & 3, which include: $50 million to Preserve Land to Protect Water Quality $20 million for New Parks, Natural Areas & Greenways Improvements to Parks, Pools and Trails Citywide Flood Control, Erosion Control and Water Quality Controls Across the City.

Solar Brewery in San Antonio

By luke - 6/12/2007 Today's San Antonio Express-News reports that an old Pearl Brewery that is being retrofitted into condos and offices will sport the state's largest solar installation. The project will take over that distinction from Fort Sam Houston, an Army base in San Antonio. Kudos to City Public Service (CPS), San Antonio's municipally-owned utility, for teaming up with the project developer, Silver Ventures, to pay for the solar installation. CPS has committed to generate 15% of the its electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar by the year 2020, matching a standard to be voted on in the US Senate today. CPS is reportedly also considering offering a modest solar rebate program, to help homeonwers and businesses pay for solar. Nice work, CPS! On the downside, CPS is planning to participate in the expansion of the South Texas (Nuclear) Project and is building a new coal-fired power plant.

Why the Christmas Mountains Should Not Be Sold

By luke - 9/13/2007 The School Land Board will vote on Sep. 18 on the proposed sale of the Christmas Mountains to a private interest. Here are the big problems with the sale: 1) BAD PRECEDENT. The Richard King Mellon Foundation, which donated the land and is one of the nation's largest funders of open space preservation, is expressly opposed to the sale. The lease they signed with the state says GLO has to get their permission to sell, but Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson (who chairs the School Land Board) says that provision won't hold up in court so he's ignoring it. The Statesman reported that Richard King Mellon Foundation officer Mike Watson wrote that if the auction goes through "the state [should] not look to the R.K. Mellon Foundation for any future help." Other funders may follow suit.

Green Screen: Films From the Environmental Front

By luke - 6/19/2006 All summer, there's a great environmental film series happening in Austin. This Wednesday features two water-related films: "The River" and "River of Innocence"

New Film on Texas Parks Starring Ethan Hawke

By luke - 1/10/2007 On Thursday, January 25, Environment Texas Research and Policy Center will premiere Texas Parks At Risk, a short-film narrated by two-time Oscar nominee and Texas native Ethan Hawke.

Step it Up Global Warming Rallies

By luke - 10/26/2007 Folks should definitely check out the upcoming Step it Up rallies on global warming. "On November 3rd, Americans will demand real leadership on global warming. From coast to coast, we'll rally in our communities and invite our politicians to join us. We'll see who rises to the occasion and who has a real plan to tackle the defining challenge of our time. One year before the election, let's make sure the world witnesses our national call to action: Step it Up, It's time for Climate Leaders"

Parks and Wildlife Expo

By luke - 10/9/2006 This weekend Environment Texas participated in the fifteenth annual Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo. The Expo provides a chance for visitors to learn more about the Texas parks system and how they can do their part to preserve this precious resource. Businesses and organizations from across the state gathered this year to raise awareness about our state parks.

Border Fence and Wildlife

By luke - 5/22/2007 - 2 Replies Here's an important article from the Dallas Morning News about the threat posed to wildlife from a planned border fence.

Utilities Launch Opposition to Renewable Standard

By luke - 8/1/2007 Tomorrow the US House will vote on an amendment by Reps. Udall (D-NM) and Platts (R-PA) to require 20% of the nation's electricity to come from renewable sources like wind and solar by the year 2020. The vote is expected to be very close and the utilities, manufacturers and other opponents are going all out to defeat the amendment.

Polar Bears Drowning, Eating Each Other

By luke - 6/13/2006 If the horrific stories of polar bears drowning because global warming is melting the Arctic ice shelf wasn't bad enough, new research reported by the Associated Press suggests polar bears may be resorting to cannibalism because "longer seasons without ice keep them from getting to their natural food".

Year in Review: 2006 Meant More Parks, Wind Power for Texas

By luke - 12/29/2006 2006 saw important victories and setbacks for the environment in Texas, with progress for natural areas and wind power, but new threats to Texas’ air and water quality emerging.

Enough Trash Talk Already!

By luke - 10/23/2007 by Gina Meagher, Environment Texas Intern At 9:00 this morning there was a public hearing concerning the trash deal BFI is proposing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. BFI Waste Management wants to build upon their trash empire because they believe there will not be adequate room for the accumulating trash piles.

Opposition to Parks Funding Emerges

By luke - 10/3/2006 Although the Legislature currently spends less than one-tenth of one percent of the budget on state parks, some politicians and lobbyist organizations think that’s too much...Their solution? They propose selling off state parks.

Bill Would Shield Companies From Liability For Water Contamination

By luke - 5/7/2007 I sent the following letter to members of the Texas House of Representatives on Monday urging them to oppose HB 1927, which would let oil and chemical companies off the hook for contaminating water supplies with the chemical MTBE. The good news is that the bill continues to be postponed, a good sign that the bill's author, Rep. Warren Chisum, doesn't have the votes to pass it. The deadline for the House to pass House bills is this Thursday.

Citgo Guilty of Breaking Environmental Laws

By luke - 7/3/2007 Congratulations to our friends at the Citizens for Environmental Justice for years of hard work to draw attention to air quality violations in Corpus Christi-area refineries.

On Smog day, Austin City Council speaks out against new coal plants

By luke - 6/8/2006 On yet another day in Austin in which state environmental officials have warned that our air is not safe to breathe, the Austin City Council passed a resolution opposing the construction of 16 new coal-fired power plants in Texas unless critical air quality mitigation steps are required.

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