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Environmental News Update 8/10/01CEC NOTES CEC Roundtable on Wed, Aug 22 On Wednesday, August 22, Craig Biskid from the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC) will speak at CECs evening roundtable. Biskid will discuss the work of the center and overview some of their recent research projects. As usual, the free roundtable will be held at the Houston Environmental Center, 3015 Richmond. Come at 6:30 pm for refreshments and social; the program begins at 7. Call 713-524-4232 for more information. Candidate Forum Scheduled CEC, Neartown University Place, and Upper Kirby District will host a Candidates' Forum on Tuesday, September 4 at 7 pm at Rice University's Hamman Hall. Candidates for mayor, city council at-large positions, district c, district d, and district g are being invited to participate. CEC would like to encourage the environmental community to attend and ask our city's future leaders relevant questions. For more information, contact Evalyn Krudy at 713-807-1787. COALITION NOTES Responsible Storm Water Management: Lessons from Allison The White Oak Bayou Association will hold their General Meeting on Wednesday, August 15. The topic is "Responsible Storm Water Management: Lessons from Allison." This event will be hosted jointly by The White Oak Bayou Association, The Bayou Preservation Association, Greater Heights Community Alliance, and Timbergrove Manor Civic Club. The social starts at 6:30 pm and the meeting will start at 7 at the Heights Fire House, Yale at 12th Street. There will be a panel of invited guests on hand making short presentations and answering questions from the public. The panel will include representatives from the City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control, TxDot, Hydrologist/Engineer Gary Struzick, Kevin Shanley, and Jim Pulliam. Call Teresa Matlock 713-864-3008 for more information. Water Conference Scheduled A day-long conference, "Water for People and the Environment," will be held on Saturday, September 29 at the Hilton Hotel on the University of Houston nmain campus. A small fee will be charged to cover lunch and refreshments. Conference information will be available at http://www.texas.sierraclub.org/. Sponsored by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and other organizations, this event is part of the Texas Living Waters Project, a public education project on water resources that is funded by the Houston Endowment, the Meadows Foundation, the Hershey Foundation, and Magnolia Charitable Trust. Contact conference organizer Glenda Callaway in Houston at 713-520-9031 or the Sierra Club Chapter office in Austin at 512-477-1729 for more information. Flood Control Communications Director to Speak Mr. Fred Garcia, Director of Communications at the Harris County Flood Control District will speak at the upcoming Texas Association of Environmental Professionals meeting on August 15. He will discuss the June flood - its magnitude, damage, status of recovery, and implications for the future. The meeting will be at Brady’s Landing restaurant, which is located at 8505 Cypress Street off of Broadway near the Houston Ship Channel. Registration will begin at approximately 11:15 am. Lunch will be served at about 11:45, with Mr. Garcia's presentation following immediately thereafter. The cost of the meeting is $20 for TAEP members and $25 for nonmembers. TAEP accepts cash or checks/money orders payable, but not credit cards or purchase orders. For more information or to make reservation, email reservations@taep.org. LOCAL Concert to Benefit Houston Global Awareness Collective On Friday, August 10, Dave Lippman, a folk singer and satirist, will be performing a benefit concert at 7:30 pm at the Art Car Museum, 140 Heights Blvd. (just below I-10). The show will benefit the Houston Global Awareness Collective, a group of students from local colleges and activists who are preparing a series of events leading up to the IMF meetings and protests in October. STATE Green-E Releases Texas Standards The Green-e program, which certifies cleaner energy, has released its certification standards for Texas. To be eligible for Green-e certification, at least half of an electricity product's energy supply must come from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, or small hydro. The product must also contain an increasing percentage of new renewable resources each year. Any non-renewable portion of the product must be as clean or cleaner than the traditional power mix and none of the electricity for the product can be purchased directly from a nuclear facility. The Center for Resource Solutions, which runs the Green-e program, verifies that companies are meeting their requirements through an annual verification process by an independent auditor. In addition, Green-e staff conduct a semi-annual review of product marketing materials to ensure companies are adhering to Green-e's Code of Conduct. For more information, visit http://www.green-e.org. Texas Recycling Summit The 2001 Texas Recycling Summit has been scheduled for October 14 – 17 in Arlington. Program topics range from community recycling projects and composting to household hazardous waste and buying recycled products. For more information, visit http://www.TexasRecyclingSummit.com. Pedestrian Audits Available The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is funding a program to provide "pedestrian audits" to help communities improve pedestrian safety and overall "walkability." TXDOT has hired Livable Communities Consulting to conduct the audits, which will consist of identifying opportunities for improving walkability and safety, generating a plan of action and building broad support for implementing the plan. For more information, contact David Foster at 512-474-0605. Green Living and Sustainability Fair The Texas Renewable Energy Roundup has scheduled their annual Green Living and Sustainability Fair for September 28-30 in Fredericksburg. Featured events include exhibits, workshops, and tours. Visit http://www.renewableenergyroundup.com for details. NATIONAL EPA Considering B.t. Crop Registrations The EPA is now considering whether or not to approve registrations of genetically engineered B.t. crops. These plants have been spliced with bacterial DNA to produce proteins that are toxic to some insect pests and butterflies. Opponents say the crops pose risks to human health and negative economic consequences to organic and conventional farmers. The Center for Food Safety is asking people to visit their campaign website, http://www.foodsafetynow.org, where they can send letters directly to the EPA. The deadline for comment is August 31. GREEN JOBS Green Party – Fundraiser The Green Party is seeking a full-time fundraiser. The job will involve extensive telephone contacts of prospects, increasing the base of donors, and planning fundraising events. Some travel will also be required. Applicants must have extensive fundraising experience and Green values. Salary plus benefits offered. Send resume to The Green Party, Attention Marnie Glickman, 2226 SE 55th Avenue, Portland, OR 97215, or via email to mglickman@igc.org. Resumes must be received by September 3 to be considered. 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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