Judge Rules for Neches Wildlife Refuge 7/06/2008

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.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Calls for Dramatic Improvements in Energy Efficiency of Buildings 6/25/2008

This week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) unanimously voted for a resolution endorsing a 30% increase in the energy efficiency of new residential buildings and calling for a dramatic improvement of the model energy building codes that guide local and state building codes.

Global Warming Solutions That Work 6/18/2008

Global warming is the defining challenge of our time. The latest climate science tells us that the United States must reduce its emissions of global warming pollutants quickly and dramatically if we hope to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of global warming. The rest of the world must take strong action as well.

The Gulf: From Overfishing to Healthy Waters 6/05/2008

America’s oceans are home to whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fish and an enormous variety of other sea life. But today our oceans are in trouble. Destructive overfishing, pollution, global warming and habitat damage are putting important marine animals at risk. Many populations are in serious decline.

S.A. refiners say expanding offshore drilling 7/11/2008

Luke Metzger, director of Austin-based Environment Texas, says more offshore drilling is not the answer to energy independence for America. Environment Texas is a nonprofit citizens group that advocates at the state and federal level for clean air, clean water and open spaces. "If you compare Texas beaches to the pristine Florida beaches, there's your answer," Metzger says. "Drilling has had a serious impact on beach quality and water quality. Increasing drilling will only exacerbate that." Metzger says the key to helping the U.S. be more dependent on itself for energy is to look at alternatives such as Congress raising fuel mileage standards for vehicles, hybrid technologies for vehicles and alternative fuels like ethanol. "We are never going to drill our way to energy independence," he says. "If we are going to be serious about solving our energy problems, we need to invest in those alternatives."

Public Utility Commission Mulling Transmission Proposals 7/03/2008

“We think CPS is taking a very narrow view,” said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, an environmental advocacy organization. “It's unfortunate that CPS is making public proclamations about support for renewables, but behind closed doors they're resisting policies that we need to get there.”

The Greening of Michael McCaul 7/03/2008

Environmental groups lauded the bill but remain unimpressed with McCaul. In this case, they say, the "win-win" aspect of HR 3021 explains McCaul's green clothing. "Generally with Michael McCaul, his voting record is pretty terrible," says Luke Metzger of Environment Texas, the local chapter of Environment America. "He talks a good game. He aligns himself with perhaps less controversial issues like green schools or issues where there isn't a powerful special interest standing in the way. Any time that that happens, he regularly sides with big polluters and against the environment."