Archives

Administration Tramples Roadless Rules
October 2004

Earlier this summer, the Bush administration announced it's plans to repeal the federal roadless rule that protects millions of acres of pristine forests across the nation.

Kerry Earth Day Event
May 2004

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry chose one of the most polluted cities in the country for the site of his earth day campaign speech. About 1,000 gathered at the University of Houston campus for Kerry’s address; the focus was the economics of environmentalism.

Tree's: A resource we can't afford to look over
April 2004

Trees are the oldest living things on the planet, and they play an important role in the health of the environment. Trees provide natural, cost effective protection from forces of nature such as wind and stormwater management. They beautify, provide shade, reduce noise pollution, and make living and working environments more humane.

Dangers of Diesel-powered School Buses
January 5, 2004

The daily routine of your child’s bus ride to school may prove to be hazardous to their health. The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) reports that children who ride a diesel bus to school may be exposed to more than four times the amount of toxic diesel exhaust that would be inhaled by a passenger of a car driving directly in front of it.

Environmental Child Abuse
November 2003

Youngsters are victims of an under scrutinized form of life-imperiling abuse that occurs routinely and is rarely reported. If the news media were as alert and primed to draw the public’s attention to the frequency and harmfulness of toxicity that air pollution inflicts on children daily as they are to headlining the more lurid forms of physical, mental and emotional child abuse, undoubtedly there would be a corresponding eruption of public concern, and even outrage directed at a class of offenders who currently attract very little scorn.

Give Mother Nature a fighting chance to improve Houston area's air
September 2003

In the Chronicle's Sept. 9 article ("Ozone levels return to unhealthy status") Dina Cappiello reports the hourly ozone standard that the Houston-Galveston area has to meet by 2007 and says it is being "replaced by the more protective eight-hour standard." But I wonder if that is "protective" to citizens or to the emitters?

Behind closed Doors: An Inside Look at Indoor Air Pollution
September 2003

The health threats posed by outdoor air pollution are now known by almost everybody. But so far there is considerably less awareness of the health risks presented by indoor air pollution. Yet indoor air can be just as dangerous as our polluted outdoor air-in some aspects more so. Studies on human exposure to air pollution conducted by the EPA have shown that indoor air pollutant levels may be 2-5 times, in some instances as much as 100 times, higher than outdoor pollution levels.

ExxonMobil Shareholder Concerns Expressed
May 12, 2003

At the May 28 meeting, two main shareholder concerns emerged regarding the environment: Resolutions 14 and 15. Resolution 14 called for an evaluation of the potential financial risks from climate change, and how the company will mitigate those risks. This resolution urging the company to take a stronger stand received a 22 percent vote at this year’s meeting, a slight increase in support since last year.

Leaf Blowers: Stirring Up a Mess
May 12, 2003

Although certainly a conspicuous issue in many U.S. localities, use of leaf blowers has been the subject of particularly intense debate and rulemaking in the State of California. As many as 44 California cities have already enacted bans, laws and regulations regarding leaf blower use.

An Eye-Opening Read: "A is for Air Pollution: Part II"
May 12, 2003

The quality of the air we breathe is at the top of the list of factors beyond parental control that impact the ability of our children to grow, learn and play normally while risking affliction by serious environmentally caused health impairments.

Houston’s Abundant Renewable Resources
April 3, 2003

Houston is endowed with an abundance of renewable energy resources that, considering their potential, are still relatively untapped. There is adequate solar energy, and with proper implementation, wind and, yes, even hydro (wave energy) can be made functional in our region. Fresh water resources can be put to use rather than drained away as it is now.

Looking Beyond A Cancellation
February 11, 2003

Real progress is needed on environmental quality, and we need to make sure that we can attain the 2007 emissions standards--not only for the $4 billion in funds that hangs in the balance, but also for the purpose of eliminating the toxic rapid ozone precursors that continue to degrade the health of our citizens.

Funding Matters
February 5, 2003

Tremendous budgeting problems exist for environmental cleanup in Houston. Both the Dallas and Houston clean air plans will be scrapped unless fully funded by the legislature by September. Houston's air plan is already about 56 tons per day short of meeting federal air quality standards.

What's up with the SIP?
January 28, 2003

We've begun the year 2003 with a heightened awareness of the impact that air pollution imposes on us as citizens of the Houston community. The brew that we breathe daily includes many toxins and carcinogens emitted into the air from industrial sources and our own motor vehicles.

The Smell of Money
January 19, 2003

Houston needs help. When our region surpassed Los Angeles for ozone pollution in 2000 Houston’s air quality briefly became a topic in the presidential race. But international terrorism has pushed environmental issues to the bottom of our national priorities.

To the Board of the Federation of American Scientists:
January 7, 2003

Houston needs your help. When our region surpassed Los Angeles for ozone pollution in 2000, Houston's air quality briefly became a topic in the presidential race. Texas politicians have done a brilliant job of displacing the blame for air pollution onto the driving habits of ordinary citizens, while ignoring the single most important source of air pollution in the Houston area: the petro-chemical plants along the Houston Ship Channel.

Wanted: straight answers from city's big polluters
July 2, 2002

Earlier this month, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission heard two proposals from its staff. One was to end the 55-mph speed limit in the Houston- Galveston area. The other was to ease industry standards on air pollution. Unfortunately, the speed limit has drawn most of the attention, while the industry rollback has taken a back seat.

Founder Would Surely Be Troubled By Exxon
May 31, 2000

The values we learn from our families can guide us for generations. As the granddaughter of Robert Lee Blaffer, one of the founders of Humble Oil (predecessor to ExxonMobil), I learned some very important values from my grandfather: integrity, concern for the community and responsibility.