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Environment Texas Blog

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

Comptroller Issues Disappointing Report on Home Energy Efficiency

By luke - 10/07/08 Comptroller Combs has released a somewhat disappointing new study on home energy efficiency. The report points out that improving the energy efficiency of existing homes could save the average Texas homeowner $1,791 to $2,507 on electric bills over a five- to seven-year period. If every one of the 5.5 million single-family homes in Texas increased their efficiency by 20 percent, the owners of those homes would save “$1.9 billion annually, for $9.8 billion in savings over five years or more than $13.7 billion over seven years.” The report didn’t estimate the emissions reductions of such a program, but they would certainly be sizable.

Clean Energy Events This Thursday

By luke - 10/7/08 There are three big clean energy events happening this Thursday. Coal protest, Pickens Town hall, Talk in Victoria on Nuclear Power

Recycle Your Old Fridge

By luke - 10/02/2008 If you have an old refrigerator in your garage taking up space and wasting energy, it may be time to find a new place to keep your beer cold. If you live in the Oncor service territory (which includes the DFW area and other parts of central and northern Texas) or in Austin, you can have that fridge picked up and recycled and they'll give you 50 bucks! Here's a press release about the program from the company that provides the service:

Hurricane Ike and State Parks

By luke - 09/25/2008 Our state parks system, already suffering from a $400 million backlog in needed repairs, got walloped along with the rest of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Ike. A total of thirteen parks remain closed due to damages, including Galveston Island and Sea Rim state parks which sustained catastrophic damage. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), "Structures and facilities at Sea Rim near Port Arthur appear to be a total loss. At Galveston Island, Ike caused heavy beach erosion and swept away the park headquarters building, restrooms, and shelters". Beyond the parks, the entire coastal ecosystem suffered massive damage "that could take a generation to heal"

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.

Environment Focus of Governor's Race

By luke - 7/25/2006 What a difference four years makes. In the last gubernatorial election in 2002, nary a word was mentioned by the candidates about Texas' significant environmental challenges. This time around, Texas' poor air quality, struggling parks system and dependence on dirty energy are getting lots of attention by the leading candidates.

SXSW Film: King Corn

By luke - 3/7/2007 See the film that will change the way you eat! King Corn, a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the crop that created the fast-food nation, is having its world premiere next weekend at SXSW.

New hope for Christmas Mountains

By luke - 10/16/2007 Good news and bad news on Christmas Mountains. The good news is that the National Park Service (NPS) is now working to acquire the Christmas Mountains to add to Big Bend National Park. This would be an ideal solution as the mountains were first purchased in order to protect Big Bend's viewshed. The bad news is Commissioner Patterson says he won't sell to NPS, because they don't allow concealed handguns on their properties. This is ridiculous and we can't stand for it. Patterson is only one vote on the School Land Board, the other two are appointees of Gov. Perry and Lt. Gov Dewhurst. Please call Gov Perry at 512-463-2000 and Lt. Gov Dewhurst at 512-463-0001 and urge them to "direct their appointees on the School Land Board to stop the sale of the Christmas Mountains and allow Big Bend National Park to manage the property."

Great Environmental Events Coming up

By luke - 5/25/2006 There are lots of great environmental events coming up in the next few weeks.

Drive Stake Through Heart of Energy Vampires

By luke - 10/30/2006 By driving a stake through the heart of energy vampires and other energy wasters, Texans can prevent the increased pollution of our precious air, waterways and wildlife habitats. They can also help reduce utility expenses and minimize our dependence on foreign fossil fuels.

Environment Texas T-Shirts On Sale

By luke - 6/20/2007 Environment Texas now has t-shirts, baby gear and mugs for sale. You can check out our online store here.

Land Commissioner Patterson Briefs E-Tex Staff on Wind Energy

By luke - 6/29/2006 Commissioner Jerry Patterson spoke to Environment Texas staff yesterday about the General Land Office's work to encourage wind power.

1000 Texans Rally Against Coal Plants

By luke - 2/12/2007 Last Sunday, hundreds of Texans gathered on the lawn of the state capitol to protest the construction of nineteen coal plants. Protesters called for a moratorium on the fast-track permitting of coal plants.

Environmental Harms of Border Fence

By luke - 9/11/2007 On June 11, 2007, Environment Texas and 41 other environmental, sportsmen, agriculature and business organizations wrote Congress in support of H.R. 2593, the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act of 2007. The legislation would amend existing border security law to help alleviate the devastating impacts of border enforcement activities and undocumented immigration on public lands, wildlife, and borderland communities, while providing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the flexibility it needs to effectively secure our borders. For more on this issue, please read the following article from the Sierra Club's Scott Nicol:

Author to Speak at Bookpeople on E-Waste

By luke - 10/16/2006 Elizabeth Grossman, author High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health, will be in Austin to discuss her global investigation of high tech manufacture and disposal.

Details on Parks Funding Victory

By luke - 6/4/2007 - 1 Replies Here's a good analysis by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department of the money appropriated by the Legislature to support Texas local and state parks. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20070601b

Reform the Infamous 1872 Mining Law

By luke - 10/30/2007 Action alert from our friends at the Texas Conservation Alliance: Congress will vote Wednesday on H.R. 2262, to provide reforms to the infamous 1872 Mining Law. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TODAY AND ASK HIM OR HER TO VOTE FOR H.R. 2262!

Neches River Refuge Protected

By luke - 6/13/2006 Yesterday, the director of the Fish and Wildlife Service announced the establishment of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, which will protect one of Texas's last wild rivers, the surrounding forests, and the habitat of wildlife like bobcats, river otters, and the threatened American Alligator.

Organic Conference - Jan 24- 27

By luke - 1/8/2007 - 2 Replies The Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association invites you to attend their January 24th-27th 'Bringing Texas Home' conference on Organic Production Systems.

Man Sits in Worldâ€™s Largest Reusable Shopping Bag to Raise Environmental Awareness about Plastic Bags

By luke - 9/5/2007 I just received the press release below from a man in San Angelo who plans to "be lowered by crane into BIGBAG1, the worldâ€™s largest reusable canvas shopping bag, at noon on Saturday, September 8th, to raise awareness of the environmental challenges that plastic shopping bags present". Sometimes you need a good gimmick to get attention; hopefully this works, because plastic bags do pose serious problems for our environment. The city of Austin is considering joining San Francisco in a ban of the bags.

Campus Alliance for Progress

By luke - 10/9/2006 Environment Texas has teamed up with the University of Austin’s Campus Alliance for Progress (CAP) in an effort to continue mobilizing students to fight for the protection and preservation of Texas’ natural areas.

Efficiency Bill Passes House

By luke - 5/15/2007 Yesterday, Rep. Anchia, with the support of Rep. Dennis Bonnen, amended SB 12 (a clean air funding bill) to set minimum efficiency standards for nine consumer products including DVD players, office water coolers and pool pumps (thanks to all the Environment Texas members who contacted their rep in support of this measure!). The electricity savings from this amendment are huge - enough to offset 514 megawatts of peak demand (that's a pretty big coal-fired power plant we won't need thanks to this standard).

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