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Gas flaring has persisted from the beginning of oil production more than 160 years ago. (supakitmod/Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 15, 2024

TX faith, environmental groups hopeful about new EPA methane rule

Oil and gas companies have until 2025 to reduce the emissions they release into the air through the practices known as venting and flaring. You may …

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says

TX watchdog group targets pipeline leaks, Railroad Commission priorities

A Texas group is on a mission to reform how the state monitors and repairs oil and gas pipeline leaks. More than 480,000 miles of pipeline run …

The Empowering Rural America program represents the largest investment in rural electrification since implementation of the 1936 Rural Electrification Act. (Courtesy Rural Power Coalition)

'Power to People' film highlights 'New ERA' for rural electric co-ops

A film debuts in Texas today to help member-owned utility customers learn more about opportunities coming their way from the 2022 Inflation Reduction …

Vast tracts of Texas land can accommodate traditional agriculture, including grazing, and solar farms. (trongnguyen/Adobe Stock)

Texas on track for rapid transition to solar-generated power

Texas is showing a flair for solar power generation, demonstrating renewable energy transitions are indeed possible. Dennis Wamsted, analyst at the …

$Oil and gas rigs that emit methane, volatile organic compounds and other pollutants can cause respiratory illness in children and adults. (fracktrack.org) <br />$

2024 will bring comprehensive methane monitoring at Texas well sites

Combating climate change is a major goal of the Biden administration, but new rules governing methane emissions also seek to improve health - …

In addition to accelerating global warming, methane emissions can cause or exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions. (Hihitetlin/Adobe Stock)

New EPA rule expected to affect Texas oil industry emissions

A new rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency could reduce the amount of methane escaping from equipment in Texas oil fields. Last …

A new poll by four environmental groups found a majority of Texas voters, 58% to 33%, want the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen its proposal to eliminate emissions from routine flaring at oil wells. (Alexisaj/Adobestock)

Poll: Two-Thirds of Texas Voters Support Tougher EPA Methane Rules

As conservationists await finalization of revised rules governing methane on public lands, a new survey shows a majority of Texans support stronger …

From Florida to Texas and California, excessive heat warnings have plagued the United States for weeks. (ALAN/AdobeStock)

TX Bill Banning Heat-Related Worker Breaks Could Be Overridden

Scorching temperatures are not letting up across much of the Southwest, including Texas, just as the issue of how to protect outdoor workers heats up …

As of Sept. 1, a new Texas law will repeal ordinances enacted by Austin and Dallas establishing 10-minute breaks every four hours, to allow construction workers to drink water and get out of the sun. (thebigland45/Adobe Stock)

Amid Heat Wave, New TX Law Limits Outdoor Workers' Water Breaks

Parts of Texas have been suffering from dangerous heat, just after Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott signed a law to strip authority from cities, including …

The El Ni�o weather pattern, which produces unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean around Christmas, was originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America in the 1600s. (FengYu/AdobeStock)

Forecasters: Texas Should Expect Drought, High Temps, El Niño

Memorial Day is considered the unofficial beginning of summer in the United States, with many Texans keeping an eye on what the weather has in store…

July 2022 was the hottest July since 1895 in Texas, according to Weather.com. (praewpailyn/Adobe Stock)

Texas Heatwaves are Coming; New Toolkit Available to Docs

Extreme heat kills about 700 people in the United States each year, but a new toolkit and weather alerts can protect folks in Texas and beyond…

Scientific evidence shows air pollution can contribute to adverse birth outcomes, infant mortality, damaged lung function, asthma, cancer and even neurological disorders and childhood obesity, according to UNICEF data. (SoloviovaLiudmyla/AdobeStock)

West Dallas Neighborhood Seeks Relief From Major Air Polluter

A West Dallas neighborhood, citing decades of air and noise pollution, wants an asphalt shingle plant to abandon its decades-old location - but foot-…

Experts are predicting an above-average tornado season in 2023, in part fueled by climate change. (jetcityimage/AdobeStock)

New Philanthropy Fund Helps With Tornado Recovery

A record number of tornadoes struck U.S. communities in the first three months of this year, prompting the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to …

Texas, with about 367 miles of coastline, is expected to benefit from the output of offshore wind projects proposed by the Biden administration. (zentilia/Adobe Stock)

Texas Unions Want Offshore Wind to Provide Well-Paid, Safe Jobs

Offshore wind development is coming to Texas under the Biden administration's plan to grow America's clean-energy economy, and union members want the …

Federal agencies such as FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the EPA now offer guides on how communities can incorporate nature-based, green solutions. (clcwa.org)

TX Climate Change Mitigation Project Could Benefit Other Communities

By Katie Watkins for Houston Public Media.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public …

The 50-story Trammel Crow Center in the downtown Dallas Arts District has received multiple green building certifications since it was completed in the 1980s. (dallaswartsdistrict.org)

TX Among Top 10 States for Green Building in 2022

The 2022 ranking of "green" buildings shows Texas in 9th place, demonstrating a commitment to LEED certification, according to the U.S. Green …

The 2023 U.S. Congress will include lots of new faces, but many of the same old problems of divided government. (chaiyapruek/Adobe Stock)

Opinion: A Survivable Future through Contraction, Not Expansion

It's 2023, and with it lawmakers will focus on some new, and plenty of old, problems. A retired Texas journalism professor believes while short-term …

A report headed to the Texas Legislature urges state lawmakers to expand

Report: Addressing Non-Medical Factors a Game-Changer for Texans

Investing in factors outside the doctor's office could improve Texans' health and save the state money, according to a report from a group appointed …

Texas has produced more oil and natural gas than any other state, and remains the largest daily producer. (RobertCoy/Adobe Stock)

Texas Could Reduce Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Wells in 2023

As part of the U.S. energy transition, the Biden administration has made slashing methane emissions a priority, and supplemental federal rules aim to …

Texas leads the nation in wind-powered electricity generation, producing nearly 26% of the U.S. wind energy, according to the Texas Comptroller's website. (nordroden/Adobe Stock)

How Texas Could Benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act

The U.S. is moving toward net-zero emissions energy goals under the Inflation Reduction Act, but an independent research group believes some regions …

The City of Corpus Christi says seawater desalination plants would create a new water source with a low impact to ratepayers, but a lawsuit and the EPA could be obstacles to getting them built. (wikipedia)

Groups Charge Desalination Plants Are Wrong for Corpus Christi

A Texas environmental group is sounding the alarm about seawater desalination plants proposed for Corpus Christi Bay, warning they could have …

Methane released into the atmosphere is responsible for at least 25% of current global warming, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. (permianmap.org)

Report: Oil-Field Flaring Emits More Methane than Previously Known

Ahead of revised methane regulations expected from the federal government, a new study shows that gas flaring in oil-producing states such as Texas …

If you put faith in predictions by the Old Farmer's Almanac, expect record-breaking cold in the eastern half of the United States this winter and above-average snow totals. (Claudia/Pixabay)

Old Farmer's Almanac Predicts 'A Tale of Two Winters' for 2023

Fall arrives in Texas next week, which means winter and its challenges will be right behind. But never fear, the Old Farmer's Almanac says it will be …

Congress passed historic legislation to battle climate change last month, but researchers say the average American badly underestimates support by their fellow citizens. (Niklas/Pixabay)

Study: Perception Versus Reality about Climate-Change Distress

If you protest in the streets of Texas about climate change and your neighbor doesn't, you may think they don't care about the issue. But new …

The Inflation Reduction Act contains $369 billion in new spending to fight global warming from the oil and gas industry and boost clean energy. (Mike/Pixabay)

New Climate Bill to Tackle Texas Methane Emissions

Included in the Inflation Reduction Act is a provision aimed at cutting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling, but it remains to be seen …

The migratory monarch butterfly is known for its annual journey of up to 3,000 miles across the Americas. (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy)

Habitat Loss, Climate Change Threaten Iconic Monarch Butterfly

An insect species which can evoke childhood memories is in trouble, and has just been added to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the …

Black communities bear disproportionate hardships of the environmental crisis, but have historically been left out of the environmental movement. (upstreamsolutions.org)

Environmentalists: Education, Empowerment Needed Post-Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrations this month commemorated freedom, but Black and Brown people are still disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices …

When Category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017 it killed more than a hundred people. (army.mil)

It's Hurricane Season in Texas – Do You Have a Plan?

State agencies gathered in Austin last week for hurricane exercises. They emphasize that all Texans need to prepare before the next disaster…

Cuando el hurac�n Harvey de categor�a 4 toc� tierra en Texas y Luisiana en agosto de 2017, mat� a m�s de cien personas. (army.mil)

Es temporada de huracanes en Texas. ¿Tiene un plan?

Las agencias estatales se reunieron en Austin la semana pasada para ejercicios de huracanes. Enfatizan que todos los texanos y texanas deben …

Some oil and gas lobbyists want low-producing wells to be excluded from coming regulation. (Adobe Stock) Some oil and gas lobbyists want low-producing wells to be excluded from coming regulation. (Adobe Stock)

Researchers Question Cost-benefit of Methane Emissions from Low-Producing Oil and Gas Wells

The country's 565,000 low-producing oil and gas wells - thousands of them in Texas - are responsible for approximately half of the methane discharged …

Over the past five years, the U.S. has gone from exporting almost no liquefied natural gas (LNG), to exports being about 10% of total U.S. gas production, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. (Adobe Stock)

TX Group Makes Earth Day Plea for Cleaner Environment

It is Earth Day, and the Texas Campaign for the Environment is backing a movement targeting fossil-fuel exporters across the state. Texas is the …

A 2020 report by Greenpeace USA and Oil Change International found reinstating the crude-oil export ban could cut global carbon-dioxide emissions by as much as 181 million tons annually. (Adobe Stock)

“Sacrifice Zone:" Port Arthur in Path of Industrial Pollution

The latest American Cancer Society research estimates more than 139,000 Texans will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2022. One of the "hot …

More than 11,600 Adopt-a-Highway and Keep Texas Beautiful volunteers collected 1.29 million pounds of litter during the 2021

The Month of April Means "Don't mess with Texas"

The month of April has special meaning for Texans. It's when many groups - like Adopt-a-Highway and Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates - participate in …

The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 250 miles per hour. (Adobe Stock) The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 250 miles per hour. (Adobe Stock)

Climate Change Shifts Tornado Alley Further into Texas

The area known as "Tornado Alley" now includes more parts of Texas than it once did, according to scientists, who believe climate change could be the …

Cover cropping offers many benefits in dryland farming in eastern and central Texas. (agrilife.org)

Sustainable Agriculture Gets Boost from New USDA Program

The federal government is adding financial support for farmers in Texas and across the U.S. to adopt climate-friendly practices. This month, the U.S…

Winter Storm Uri in Texas, on this date last year, caused the largest energy infrastructure failure in the state's history. (NickyPe/Pixabay)

2021 Winter Storm Uri Repercussions Still Felt – in Minnesota

CORRECTION: Brian Edstorm did not directly mention the Build Back Better Act, re-characterized as proponents of the legislation (11:20AM. MST, Feb…

Despite new rules requiring Texas power companies to better weatherize their facilities following 2021's Winter Storm Uri, 13 power plants did not file winter preparedness reports with the state's Public Utility Commission. (M.Maggs/Pixabay)

TX Power Reform Triggered by Winter Storm Uri Needs Public Input

Not enough has been done to prevent another catastrophic power-grid failure such as the one in Texas last February, according to AARP Texas, which …

Collapse of the 90-year-old Lake Dunlap Dam spillway in 2019 because of aging structural steel highlighted infrastructure needs in Texas. (Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority)

U.S. Infrastructure Bill Signed, 'Build Back Better Act' on Deck

AUSTIN, Texas -- With the massive infrastructure bill now signed into law by President Joe Biden, environmental advocates are keeping the pressure on …

Galveston Bay will receive settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to build oyster reefs made mostly from limestone, recycled oyster shells or concrete. (ancolek1998/Pixabay)

Deep Horizon Oil Spill Settlement Funds to Help Restore TX Oyster Reefs

HOUSTON -- Storm damage, pollution and other factors, some related to climate change, are reducing the oyster population, but settlement funds from …

In 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to individual plans to fight global warming in the historic Paris climate agreement. (TheDigitalArtist/Pixabay)

COP26: Another Attempt to Avert Climate-Change Catastrophe

AUSTIN, Texas -- As climate scientists warn time is running out to reverse the worst effects of climate change, some Texans will be among those …

Four years ago last month, Hurricane Irma slammed into Texas with 100 mph winds and torrential rainfall. (harriscountysheriff)

How Texas Could Benefit from "Build Back Better"

HOUSTON -- How much would the Lone Star State benefit from the Biden administration proposals for clean energy and infrastructure? More than most…

The latest report by the world's top climate scientists confirms less than a decade remains to dramatically cut greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels to avoid catastrophic impacts, such as those inflicted by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. (andrewtheshrew/Pixabay)

Report: Media Complacent in Not Linking Extreme Weather, Climate Change

AUSTIN, Texas -- New research suggests the nation's most trusted news sources are dropping the ball when it comes to helping voters in Texas and …

Texas is home to the Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, one of only seven centers in the United States and 168 worldwide based on a United Nations program to develop global sustainability goals. (anncapictures/Pixabay)

Connecting Texas' Sustainability Goals, Nationally and Beyond

ARLINGTON, Texas - Three Texas cities are taking part in a challenge this year to create Sustainable Development Goals that help eliminate poverty…

The 2017 4th National Climate Assessment project concluded that, for the 83% of Americans who live in cities, the experience of extreme heat can vary across neighborhoods by as much as 20 degrees. (avMachine713/Pixabay)

Houston Site of Study on Extreme Heat Risk in Coastal Communities

HOUSTON - Cities in the southern United States, especially large urban communities along the coasts, are facing extreme heat attributable to climate …

Amid a recent spike in temperature, Texas residents were asked to set their thermostats higher, turn off lights and avoid using larger appliances to protect the power grid. (926663/Pixabay)

Texans Face Hot Summer, Fragile Power Grid

AUSTIN, Texas - Some areas of Texas already have approached triple-digit temperatures this month, and there's concern older adults could face grave …

En medio de un reciente aumento de temperatura, se pidi� a los residentes de Texas que ajusten sus termostatos m�s alto, que apaguen las luces y eviten el uso de los electrodom�sticos m�s grandes para proteger la red el�ctrica. (926663 / Pixabay)<br />

Tejanos enfrentan un verano caluroso y una red eléctrica frágil

AUSTIN, Texas -- Algunas áreas de Texas ya se han acercado a temperaturas de tres dígitos este mes y existe la preocupación de que los …

Legislation to improve Texas' power grid and avoid blackouts, such as the one in February due to an unexpected winter storm, must reach Gov. Greg Abbott's desk by Sunday. (Mirko Delcaldo/FreeImages.com)

Texas Power-Grid Reform Takes Backseat to Other Priorities

AUSTIN, Texas - With days remaining for Texas lawmakers to pass legislation to avoid future statewide blackouts like the one that occurred in …

An estimated 8% of Texas children, or about 541,000, suffer from asthma, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. (vitalrecordtamhsc.edu)

Congress on Track to Revive Oil, Gas Methane Emission Limits

AUSTIN, Texas -- Regulating methane emissions is seen as an important part of President Joe Biden's ambitious plans to address climate change…

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