Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: April 24, 2015
Featured
- “The new abnormal†– the latest Houston flood disaster’s climate context (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News, 4/20/2016)
“This week’s catastrophic flooding in and around Houston – which claimed at least eight lives, officials reported – calls for climate context. It’s way too early, of course, for any scientific analyses of the sort that researchers call ‘attribution studies’ – attempts to calculate how much, if any, influence manmade climate change may have had on a particular weather event. Scientists, however, are increasingly pointing in general terms to links between warming temperatures due to carbon pollution, more water vapor in the air, and extreme downpours.”
http://texasclimatenews.org - Cheatham honored by Garden Club of America (Useful Wild Plants, Inc., 4/20/2016)
“Scooter Cheatham, architect, community and regional planner, and president and founder of the non-profit organization Useful Wild Plants, Inc., has been selected to receive the prestigious Horticulture Commendation award at the Garden Club of America Zone IX (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi) convention on April 27 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Horticulture Commendation is awarded to individuals or organizations who are not members of the Garden Club of America but who have made a significant contribution to horticulture. Cheatham was nominated for the award by the Garden Club of Houston, one of the oldest and largest clubs in Zone IX states, for his extensive research, writing, and illustrations on the usefulness of plants and the importance of conserving and protecting these natural resources.”
GCA PRESS RELEASE 04.20.16_2 - A Century Ago, How Houston Home Developers Reduced Flood Risk (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media, 4/22/2016)
“The East End is one of Houston’s older neighborhoods, an area bordered by Buffalo Bayou downstream from where White Oak Bayou dumps into it. John Jacob lives here. He heads Texas A&M’s Coastal Watershed Program. So was he worried earlier this week as those two bayous surged with so much runoff? ‘No we are far from the floodplain,’ Jacob says. As he stood in his front yard, Jacob explained that a century ago, dirt dredged as they built the Ship Channel was put here to build the neighborhood where he now lives. So the homes are higher and out of the flood plain. “’n top of that (the homes are) built pier and beam. I have a crawl space underneath here,’ Jacob says, pointing to his porch that is a couple feet higher than the yard. Apparently, a hundred years ago, developers knew Houston flooded and went to great lengths to reduce the risk. But then there is what John Jacob saw this week: news video of people wading out of their much newer homes and apartments in places like the Greenspoint area, homes Jacob said were constructed right in the floodway of Greens Bayou, an area that he says is sure to flood.”
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
EcoNotes
- 22 April
- LNVA funds a grant for BTA’s Neches River Adventures Environmental “Floating†Classroom (Big Thicket Association)
PR LNVA.2016 - Friday Weather Updates And Closures: Addicks Dam On Flood Watch (Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - A Century Ago, How Houston Home Developers Reduced Flood Risk (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - How To Avoid Future Houston Flooding Crises? Build Higher And Away From Bayous (Florian Martin – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - 7 Clean-Tech Companies That Solve More Than Environmental Problems (My SA News)
www.mysanantonio.com - World-wide environmental movement to celebrate Earth Day (Stephenville Empire-Tribune)
www.yourstephenvilletx.com - Owners of polluting VW vehicles could hear details of deal in June Wingate Wire (Wingate Wire)
http://wingatewire.com
- LNVA funds a grant for BTA’s Neches River Adventures Environmental “Floating†Classroom (Big Thicket Association)
- 21 April
- REPORT: Houston air quality improved (The Pasadena Citizen)
www.yourhoustonnews.com - Houston Metro Supports Flood Recovery Efforts (Mass Transit)
www.masstransitmag.com - Environmental Experts Underscore Clean Power Plan Uncertainty (Sonal Patel – Power)
www.powermag.com - Why Little Gas Leaks Are Adding Up To Big Losses For Texas (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Lawmakers fume over EPA-funded ads seeking pollution controls (Marc Heller – E&E Publishing)
www.eenews.net - 2016’s ‘State of the Air’ report released (Lance Thomas – Investment Underground)
http://investmentunderground.com - VW to offer to buy back nearly 500,000 U.S. diesel cars – sources (David Shepardson – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org - Climate change brings more pleasant weather to U.S.: for now (Will Dunham – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org
- REPORT: Houston air quality improved (The Pasadena Citizen)
- 20 April
- “The new abnormal†– the latest Houston flood disaster’s climate context (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org - Cheatham honored by Garden Club of America (Useful Wild Plants, Inc.)
GCA PRESS RELEASE 04.20.16_2 - Houston Will Get More Heavy Downpours Because Of Climate Change Say Scientists (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Reliant Program Raises More Than $450,000 for EarthShare of Texas (Business Wire)
www.businesswire.com - ‘State of the Air 2016’ – Health of More than Half of All Americans at Risk from Air Pollution (American Lung Association)
www.lung.org - Texas Landowners Earn Lone Star Land Steward Awards for Conservation Efforts (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwd.texas.gov
- “The new abnormal†– the latest Houston flood disaster’s climate context (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
- 19 April
- As Houston floods continue, residents question the city’s preparadness ( Michael Graczyk and Frank Bajak – The Christian Science Monitor)
www.csmonitor.com - Houston flooding: Texas declares city a ‘disaster zone’ after five killed in historic floods (Rachael Revesz – Independent)
www.independent.co.uk - New Flood Forecasting System May Help Warn Houston The Next Time (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - More road flooding expected in NW Harris Co. as reservoirs rise (Cindy George, Mihir Zaveri, and Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - After the flood: How to help (Andrea Waguespack – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - USGS Crews Measure Flooding in Central and Southeast Texas (USGS Newsroom)
www.usgs.gov - Texas Game Wardens Aid in Houston Area Flood Response (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwd.texas.gov - The Toyota Texas Bass Classic: A Conservation Success Story (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwd.texas.gov - The granite goliath inspires imaginative excursions for kids of all ages. (Melissa Gaskill – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwmagazine.com - Want healthier, happier kids? Take them outside! (Jennifer Bristol – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwmagazine.com - Secrets of the Serpentarium: Texas A&M-Kingsville lab explores beneficial uses of snake venom. (Reeve Hamilton – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwmagazine.com - Funds available for forest thinning through Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program (Texas A&M Forest Service)
http://tfsweb.tamu.edu
- As Houston floods continue, residents question the city’s preparadness ( Michael Graczyk and Frank Bajak – The Christian Science Monitor)
- 18 April
- Storms leave Montgomery Co. subdivision in waist-deep water (Bridget Balch, Matthew Tresaugue, and Emily Foxhall – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - Texas Parks and Wildlife Applauds “Land Stewardship Produces a Healthy Texas†Week April 24-May 1 (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://tpwd.texas.gov - American Cities are Defending the Clean Power Plan – Even Against their Own State Politicians (Martha Roberts – Texas Clean Air Matters)
http://blogs.edf.org - Is your vehicle allergic to spring? (Alex Osiadacz – KLTV)
www.kltv.com - Texas State Net Impact is helping local businesses conserve energy and save money (Bailey Buckingham – The University Star)
http://star.txstate.edu - Extremely Dangerous Roadway Conditions Prevent Safe Operations (Houston Style Magazine)
http://stylemagazine.com
- Storms leave Montgomery Co. subdivision in waist-deep water (Bridget Balch, Matthew Tresaugue, and Emily Foxhall – Houston Chronicle)
- 17 April
- Texans in Congress Largely Silent on Hurricane Protection (Neena Satija and Kiah Collier – Trib+Water)
www.texastribune.org - What Starts Here Chills the World: UT’s efficiency places it at forefront of environmental sustainability (Laura Zhang – The Daily Texan)
www.dailytexanonline.com - United Workers Youth Leader Receives Goldman Environmental Prize (Greg Sawtell – United Workers)
www.unitedworkers.org
- Texans in Congress Largely Silent on Hurricane Protection (Neena Satija and Kiah Collier – Trib+Water)
- 15 April
- The U.S. has been emitting a lot more methane than we thought, says EPA (Chris Mooney – The Washington Post)
www.washingtonpost.com
- The U.S. has been emitting a lot more methane than we thought, says EPA (Chris Mooney – The Washington Post)
- 14 April
- How Do We Get Our Drinking Water In The U.S.? (Zhai Yun Tan – NPR)
www.npr.org - Texas fracking numbers are mind-boggling, but what do they really mean? (Jeff Mosier – The Dallas Morning News)
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com
- How Do We Get Our Drinking Water In The U.S.? (Zhai Yun Tan – NPR)
- 13 April
- EPA: No Changes to Federal Lead Water Rule Until Next Year (Matthew Daly – ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com
- EPA: No Changes to Federal Lead Water Rule Until Next Year (Matthew Daly – ABC News)
- 11 April
- Lawmakers Pledge Support for Hurricane Plan (Kiah Collier – Trib+Water)
www.texastribune.org
- Lawmakers Pledge Support for Hurricane Plan (Kiah Collier – Trib+Water)