|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Environmental News Update 6/28/02 COALITION NOTES July 4th Action Ride On the 4th of July, the Freedom Riders will again take to the streets in Houston. The METRO Bike Ban B.B.A.S.H. (Bikers and Busriders Are Super Houstonians), organized by Bike Houston, is to promote the health, environmental, economic, and neighborhood quality of life benefits bikes can bring to Houston. It will also protest Harris County METRO’s policies that, according to Bike Houston, disregard bikers and walkers. Bike Houston would like to see bicycle racks on all METRO buses, bicycles allowed to ride in bus lanes, and bigger bicycle-friendly bus bumpers, among other demands. Riders should meet at 8 am at the Texas Medical Center, Braes Bayou (Galen) at Fannin. The ride begins at 8:30. http://www.bikehouston.org LOCAL Gulf Coast Climate Change Website Up The Union of Concerned Scientists has released of an interactive website about climate change impacts in the Gulf Coast. The site, which is based on the report Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast Region: Prospects for Sustaining our Ecological Heritage, looks at the potential impacts of climate change on Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and offers climate change solution options. The site is located at: http://www.ucsusa.org/gulf Texas Supreme Court Rules Against Chambers County Landfill Last week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that TSP Development has no legal standing to challenge a Chambers County ordinance that is stopping the company from constructing a landfill near Beach City. The ordinance prohibits landfills from being built in certain areas of the county. The ruling is good news for the County and environmentalists, who have long been fighting the proposed project. Although TSP could ask the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider, or could file a new lawsuit if they purchased the land in question, which is currently owned by a third party, these options are unlikely to be successful, according to legal analysts. TPWD to Feature Texas Water Pick up the July issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine to learn more about the state of water in Texas. Featured pieces include an overview of water for Texas' future by Dr. Larry McKinney, TPWD's Senior Director for Aquatic Resources, and stories examining Comal Springs, Caddo Lake, Matagorda Bay, the Guadalupe and Rio Grande Rivers, and the Marvin Nichols dam and reservoir on the Sulphur River. NATIONAL Should there be Freedom to Fish? Congress in currently considering the Freedom to Fish Act (FFA) (H.R. 3104, H.R. 3547 and S. 1314), which environmental groups say would put already stressed fishery resources at greater risk. Under the FFA, fishery managers would no longer be allowed to stop recreational fishing in marine protected areas (MPAs) – geographically defined fragile habitat and/or feeding and spawning areas. MPAs could still be protected from commercial fishing. In Texas, there are currently only 300 square miles of Gulf waters (out of 400,000 total) that are off-limits to recreational fishing, according to Environmental Defense. But fishery managers still want the power to restrict recreational fishing if deemed necessary. The Environmental Defense Action Network is asking citizens to oppose the FFA by faxing their legislators through the following website:http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/freedom_to_fish/in8w5s2p78xbxw Senate to Consider Clean Power Act The Senate Environment Committee passed the Clean Power Act to the full Senate Thursday. The legislation would cap four pollutants from power plants – sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury, and carbon dioxide. It would impose the first-ever federal limits on carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most blamed for global climate change. Analysts are doubtful that the controversial bill will be voted before the Senate adjourns in October, but environmental groups are still encouraging citizens to ask their Senators to support this powerful legislation. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison can be contacted through http://hutchison.senate.gov/e-mail.htm and Senator Phil Gramm can be contacted at Phil_Gramm@gramm.senate.gov. http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/06/06282002/reu_47689.asp GREEN JOBS Administrative/Project Assistant – SEED Coalition The Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition in Austin, Texas is seeking an Administrative/Project Assistant. Administrative duties include data entry, direct mail, and database management. Project work includes managing and recruiting volunteers, organizational outreach, assisting with press releases, project research, and designing fact sheets and flyers. Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work well independently as well as with a team, and the ability to work in a fast paced environment are required. Computer skills desired include Word, Excel, Acrobat, PageMaker, PhotoShop, and Filemaker. Environmental/Political experience and knowledge of HTML would be beneficial. If interested, fax or email to Gael, at 512-479-7645 or gael@seedcoalition.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. |
|
