“So, where are you from?” someone asks me, probably just to keep the conversation going. I’m from Houston. “Really? You were born here in Houston?” He makes it sound like that’s a crime. When I lived in the Middle East, I learned to answer that question differently. I’m from Texas, I would say. The response was always positive when I was from Texas, but always neutral or confused when I was from Houston. I didn’t like Houston that much growing up. The suburbs seemed to fit the American standard developer fare – boring, ugly, and spread out. My solace was the monthly camping trips I took as a Boy Scout. Unbeknownst to me, my experiences on those nights under the stars would form the foundation of both my ecological understanding and my environmental ethics.

It wasn’t until college that I gained an appreciation for the meaningful things that Houston has to offer. Rice was a pretty sheltered place, so I picked the inner loop to be my campus. Wandering in Houston and studying our city’s history made me laugh. How could the Space City and Glorious Port that was the King of Oil become the Ozone Capital where the Car is King? Surely our situation would be humorous, if it weren’t for the fact that our children are getting asthma and people are dying because of the air quality. I think it wouldn’t be so sad if we hadn’t purposely planned it this way.

Talking with those who are active in Houston’s environmental community is at once depressing and inspiring. Certainly the charts and graphs show many improvements (and hey, at least the ship channel is no longer flammable), but our city’s thinking hasn’t come along that far. My father, who was the Director of the Houston Health Department back in the eighties, likes to tell “pre-TNRCC Houston pollution stories.” Although the characters have changed, the obstacles have not.

Because of the constant challenges faced by environmental activists in Houston, I hope that those of you who are responsible for the improvements over the last three decades give yourself a big pat on the back. Recognizing your achievements is a critical part of keeping things in perspective and gearing up for future challenges.

For those who are just getting started in the environmental community (and I include myself in that group), please welcome yourselves to the team. Know that the CEC is dedicated to the success of each of the 90+ member organizations that make up the coalition.

Our job is to listen to you and to support you in any way that will help you improve the environment in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. If you have an idea of how we can better do that, be sure to speak up. We want to hear from you.