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Environmental News Update 4/5/02 CEC NOTES Houston Press Covers Earth Day Challenge This week’s Houston Press features a story on CEC’s challenge to radio station 104 KRBE to either make their Earth Day festival greener, or stop using the name Earth Day. For the past six years, CEC has partnered with KRBE for the event, but backed out this year over frustrations that the day was losing its environmental focus. CEC will instead hold its own event, Houston Earth Day 2002, which will center around environmental awareness and action. To read the full article, titled Earth Quake Day: CEC splits from an increasingly commercial fest, visit http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2002-04-04/news.html/1/index.html.
COALITION NOTES
KPC Calls for Volunteers The Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC) is seeking volunteers to help staff their booths at the following events: Migration Celebration, April 7, 12 - 3 pm, Houston Zoo; Houston Earth Day 2002, April 13, 10 am - 6 pm, Rice University; and the 2002 Attwater Prairie Chicken Festival, April 13, 9:30 am – 4 pm, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. The booths will include information on the Katy Prairie and why it is such a precious and irreplaceable natural resource, the great Texas coastal birding trail, plants and animal of the Katy Prairie, and more. Volunteers will answer people’s question, run various activities, and hand out information on KPC activities and membership. For details, call Alesha at 713-523-6135.
Need an Intern?
The U.S. PIRG Education Fund is launching the Texas Environmental Fellowship Program. This project is meant to educate Texas college students about environmental problems facing the state, train them to organize effectively, give them a small stipend, and provide them with real world experience working for non-profit environmental groups. This program will connect community groups with needed, trained volunteers, help identify and train potential staff for these groups, and support a range of efforts to improve Texas' environment, public health, and quality of life. U.S. PIRG is currently recruiting students and organizations to participate in the first year of the program. If your organization could use an intern to work 15 hours a week for the next nine months, please submit a short proposal detailing the project you would assign to the Fellow. They will select projects by reviewing the demonstrated need for assistance as well as determining the potential the project has to give the Fellow a valuable experience, require them to use a variety of skills, and involve the community. The deadline for submission of proposals is July 15. For more information, email txfield@pirg.org. LOCAL
Ozone Exceedance Correction
Last week’s ozone exceedence was actually the second this year, not the first, as reported in the CEC Environmental News Update last week. The first exceedance occurred January 27, with a reading of 129 ppb. Thanks to all who wrote in with the correction!
PETA Touts Burger King Veggie Burger PETA activists are putting together a Burger King Veggie Burger Demonstration in Houston to promote the fast-food chain’s new Veggie Burger on April 20. Organizers are looking for people to hold up posters and pass out leaflets in front of the Burger King on 5115 Kirby (between Bissonet and Westpark) from 1 to 3 pm. PETA representatives say the burgers are not only healthier and do not involve killing animals, but are also better for the environment. Contact Adriana van der Ende at adri3713@yahoo.com to get more information or to sign up. Water Fair This Weekend ED White Elementary School at 708 Les Talley in El Lago will host a Water Fair on Saturday, April 6 from 1 to 3 pm. Families are welcome to come and enjoy fun activities and displays about our watershed. The free event will also feature live animals, music, games, prizes, and more. Burtman Uncovers Relationship between Medical Center and Industry In a lengthy article published in OnEarth Magazine, local journalist Bob Burtman asks why the Texas Medical Center does so little research on the health effects of pollution. Through a series of interviews with local citizens, environmental activists, and medical researchers, Burtman investigates whether a cozy alliance between Big Oil and Big Medicine is keeping things quiet. To read the entire article http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/02spr/texas1.asp.
Houston Companies Receive Energy Star Awards On March 26, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christie Whitman recognized 36 businesses and organizations with Energy Star Partner Awards for their efforts to enhance energy efficiency and reduce global warming gases. Houston-based Hines won an Excellence in Energy Management award and Reliant Energy HL&P won an Excellence in Homes award. The Energy Star program was established by EPA in 1992 to offer energy saving and pollution preventing solutions for consumers and businesses. Energy Star now works with more than 7,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/nrgystar/news.html. GREEN JOBS
Administrative Assistant/Development Specialist (Donor Relations) – Planned Parenthood of Houston & Southeast Texas The Administrative Assistant/Development Specialist is responsible for database management, financial reports, and trend analyses. The positions entails assisting with the management of all special events, sharing coordination of multiple project details, and interacting with donors and volunteers, and requires extensive computer experience, great interpersonal skills, and organizational ability. For more information, visit http://www.pphouston.org/site/PageServer?pagename=jobopportunities. Resumes can be emailed to pphset@pphouston.org. 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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