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Environmental News Update 5/25/01 COALITION NOTES Nature Center Dedication Natural Legacy will dedicate their new A.R.T.S. program and nature center at Lockhart Elementary, 3501 Southmore (at Tierwester) on Thursday, May 31 from 5 – 6:30 pm. The dedication is meant to celebrate the creativity of students at Lockhart Elementary, recognize contributors and partners in the A.R.T.S. program, and congratulate all who assisted with the development and construction of the nature center. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Debbie Rhodes at Natural Legacy at 713-520-5008 or debbie.rhodes@naturallegacy.com. Course on Natural History of Southeast Texas The University of Houston Clear Lake will offer a summer graduate course about the natural history of southeast Texas on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 am – 3:20 pm from June 6 to July 5. Dr. Jim Lester, director of the Environmental Institute of Houston, will be the instructor. Visit http://www.eih.uh.edu for more information. Linking Environmental Education to your Classroom The Environmental Institute of Houston will offer Linking Environmental Education to your Classroom: A Summer Course for Educators several times in June. The dates are June 5-7, 12-14, or 19-21 from 9 am – 3 pm at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. Call Brenda Weiser at 281-283-3950 or visit http://www.eih.uh.edu for more information. MfCA Bus Tour The Southeast Houston Chapter of Mothers for Clean Air is planning a Breathe Easy Tour of southeast Houston on Saturday, June 9th from 9 am to 12:30 pm, departing from Milby Park, 2001 Central Street. This free bus tour will allow participants to learn more about local air pollution sources and how to take action to improve the environment. Experts will be on hand to answer questions. Space is limited, and priority will be given to residents of southeast Houston. Call Linda Block at 713-802-0405 to sign up. LOCAL Latest on Bayport The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will release the Bayport Container Port Facility Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on August 1. Public workshops will follow on August 7 and August 24 with the DEIS public hearing set for September 11. The public comment period will close on October 31. The Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association (GBCPA) is trying to convince the Corps to wait until September 1 to release the DEIS, because so many citizens are out of town in August. GBCPA is also lobbying for a comment period of at least 180 days. For more information on GBCPA’s fight against Bayport, visit http://www.gbcpa.org or email gbcpa@gbcpa.org. Mosquito Season It’s mosquito season again. Ever wonder what those trucks are spraying out in your neighborhood to kill those unwanted guests? Most local contractors who spray for mosquitoes use malathion, a common organosphosphate, according to Harris County Mosquito Control (HCMC). Although malathion is classified as a pesticide of low toxicity, numerous poisoning incidents have occurred among pesticide workers and small children through accidental exposure, according to the Extension Toxicology Network. It also poses a slight risk to birds and aquatic wildlife. The EPA recommends using sprays that kill adult mosquitoes, like malathion, only during an outbreak of mosquito-borne disease or a "very heavy nuisance infestation." But many subdivisions here use this method for regular control. http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/malathio.htm Asthma Symposium The Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center will host a symposium on Environmental Air Toxics and their Role in Asthma Occurrence on May 30 and 31. Nationally known speakers from hospitals, universities, and federal agencies will present. Researchers, risk assessors, and policy makers from universities, federal agencies, industry, labor organizations, and public advocacy and community groups may be interested in attending. The symposium will be held at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-Clark Clinic Building, Hickey Auditorium. For more information visit http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/mleland. News, the Media, and Corporate Influence Larry Bensky, 35-year veteran of community-sponsored radio station KPFA and former Pacifica employee, will speak on news, the media, and corporate influence at three upcoming events. He will discuss the history and mission of resistance radio on Friday, June 8 from 7 to 10 pm at Leisure Learning, 2990 Richmond. On Saturday, June 9 from 10 am to 1 pm, Bensky will host a fund raising brunch at 7260 Santa Fe Drive. From 7 to 10 pm that evening, he will speak at a town hall meeting on solutions and alternatives for KPFT. Location is being decided. Call 713-524-2682 or visit http://www.mypacifica.org for more information. Bayou Brochures Available As part of the Clean Rivers Program, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has published brochures on Armand Bayou and Greens Bayou. The brochures cover the history, water quality, flood control, and watershed profile of the waterways. H-GAC will eventually complete brochures for all the local bayous. To acquire copies, contact Karen Brettschneider at brettschneider@hgac.cog.tx.us. STATE River to Nowhere The Rio Grande has ceased to flow into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in recorded history, according to a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor. The river now ends 500 feet from the shore, caused by drought in South Texas, rapid population growth on both sides of the border, and an infestation of exotic weeds. Entergy will Cap CO2 Emissions - Correction As mentioned in last weeks Environmental News Update, Entergy Corp., a major energy conglomerate, says it plans to keep carbon dioxide emissions at current levels voluntarily while increasing power production from its fossil fuel plants by 25 percent over the next four years. However, we neglected to mention that Entergy will use nuclear power as one of its major strategies to reach this goal. http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010503/20/entergy-pollution RESOURCES Money for Reducing Energy Consumption The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) tracks tax incentives, grants, and rebates that are available to consumers who buy energy efficient appliances or use renewable energy sources. If you plan to install new appliances or solar panels, check out http://www.dcs.ncsu.edu/solar/dsire/dsire.cfm to see what financial incentive programs apply. ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication by the Citizens' Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 dedicated to fostering dialogue, education and collaboration about environmental issues in the Houston-Gulf Coast Region. Visit the CEC online at www.cechouston.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe, or to suggest items for inclusion, send your request via e-mail to Sarah Doss at sarah@cechouston.org. |
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