Our news section, updated weekly, provides you with the latest news on environmentally related issues from newspapers, magazines, journals, and other media outlets worldwide. Be sure to check back weekly to get the latest information.
Vilsack calls for renewed emphasis on forests
Associated Press, August 14, 2009
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is urging more attentive management of forests, calling them valuable environmental and economic attributes that are in need of restoration and conservation.
Obama asks court to block forest road building
Associated Press, August 13, 2009
The Obama administration says it will defend a 2001 rule imposed by President Bill Clinton that blocked road construction and other development on tens of millions of acres of remote national forests.
Exxon Mobil pays fine in case tied to bird deaths
Houston Chronicle, August 13, 2009
Exxon Mobil Corp. has agreed to pay $600,000 in fines and community service payments under a deal with the federal government concerning violations of a federal migratory bird law in five states including Texas, the Justice Department said today.
Conroe floats several options for water conservation
Houston Chronicle, August 13, 2009
Conroe is investigating several options to conserve the dwindling water supply in the city and county, including tiered water rates, defined watering schedules and education efforts.
Maine's windkeepers: From ship masts to windmills
Associated Press, August 12, 2009
The winds that once powered fleets of Maine's storied sailing ships now churn out the juice for a green energy industry the state is breathlessly pursuing. Technology that moves ships through the seas is much the same as what's applied on the turbines.
'Energy Citizens' take aim at climate legislation
The New York Times, August 12, 2009
A coalition of industry groups and conservative advocacy organizations will launch a "grass roots" campaign next week aimed at urging the Senate to make business-friendly changes to the House-passed energy and climate bill.
EPA awards UH lead role to study toxin effects on embryonic development
University of Houston Public Release, August, 12, 2009
Thanks to a $3.2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, a group of University of Houston researchers is taking the lead with about $1.5 million in a collaboration involving the Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine and Indiana University to contribute to a more reliable chemical risk assessment that will provide clues to how certain chemicals affect human health.
GM says mercury pollution not its problem anymore
Associated Press, August 11, 2009
As hundreds of thousands of clunkers head to the scrap yard, General Motors has dropped out of a partnership that collects toxic parts from recycled automobiles to prevent mercury pollution.
CareerBuilder launches green jobs site
Houston Business Journal, August 11, 2009
CareerBuilder has created a Web site for environmentally conscious job seekers.
Oil sands test of Obama's green credentials
Financial Times, August 10, 2009
The Obama administration faces a test of its environmental credentials in deciding whether to approve a pipeline carrying greenhouse gas-intensive oil sands fuel from Canada into the US.
On the lookout for a Texan of the past
Houston Chronicle, August 9, 2009
Once legion in the region's swamps and forests, black bears effectively vanished from Texas by the mid-1960s — victims of overhunting and habitat destruction. But now, graduate students from Nacogdoches' Stephen F. Austin State University, heartened by repeated reports of sightings, have taken to the woods to determine how many of the “threatened” animals may have returned.
CEO envisions a Gulf Coast algae boom
Houston Chronicle, August 8, 2009
In June, Algenol and Dow Chemical Co., the nation's largest chemical maker, announced plans to build a $50 million pilot plant at Dow's massive complex in Freeport that will test Algenol's technology on a large scale.The project will put Texas at the center of a unique experiment that could have several important implications.
Restaurant's approach is good to the earth
Houston Chronicle, August 7, 2009
There is nothing unusual about the menu at Ruggles Green: salads, paninis, pastas, pizza and specials. The premium fast casual restaurant does stand out, though, by being one of only two in the Houston area certified by the Green Restaurant Association.
TVA plan for Ala. nuclear plant drops to 1 reactor
Associated Press, August 7, 2009
The Tennessee Valley Authority has reduced its plans for a potentially four-unit nuclear plant in northeast Alabama down to one reactor.
The Homely Costs of Energy Conservation
The Wall Street Journal, August 7, 2009
Scientist Amory Lovins has completed a renovation that he hopes will demonstrate how much more energy-efficient houses can become. But the project also serves as a reminder of the still-enormous gulf between what is technologically possible and what society is able or willing to pay for.
National Wind buys biodiesel plant
Houston Business Journal, August 6, 2009
Houston-based National Wind Solutions Inc. has acquired a biodiesel plant from an unnamed seller for $3 million.
Battle brewing over giant desert solar farm
New York Times, August 5, 2009
Tessera Solar plans to plant 34,000 solar dishes in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. Although the lengthy licensing process for the Calico solar farm remains in the early stages, several environmental groups are already raising red flags about the massive project’s impact on wildlife.
Ground bird is a wind issue
Houston Chronicle, August 4, 2009
A little prairie grouse could give the wind energy industry big fits. Should the lesser prairie chicken become listed as threatened or endangered — and it's close now — there would be significant restrictions on companies hoping to plant towering turbines across a five-state region believed to have some of the nation's best wind energy potential.
Smart Meters: CenterPoint seeking funds for grid update
Houston Chronicle, August 3, 2009
CenterPoint Energy is applying for $200 million in federal funding to speed up deployment of new grid technology, including the smart meters for which Houston-area customers are paying $3.24 per month.
Exxon makes first big investment in biofuels
Houston Chronicle, July 14, 2009
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Tuesday it will make its first major investment in greenhouse-gas reducing biofuels in a $600 million partnership with biotech company Synthetic Genomics Inc. to develop transportation fuels from algae.
Beltway Lakes Phase II construction completed
Houston Business Journal, July 14, 2009
The office buildings, developed by Houston-based Radler, have been pre-certified as LEED gold. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that measures the environmental impact of a building’s design, construction and operations.
UT program will seek energy independence for state, U.S.
Houston Chronicle, July 14, 2009
Building upon its $100 million portfolio in energy research, the University of Texas at Austin is launching an ambitious initiative to promote energy independence in Texas and the rest of the country.
Stirling engine solar dish farms also seek to restart Detroit
EE Times, July 14, 2009
Tessera Solar (Houston) is constructing two pilot solar dish farms using collectors manufactured by Stirling Energy Systems (SES, Scottsdale, Calif.). The first is a 1,600-megawatt facility for the San Diego California Gas and Electric Utility scheduled to go online in 2010. The second is a Southern California Edison project for a 1,000-megawatt facility in the Mojave Desert to be launched in 2012.
Accord reached on EPA air review
The Alvarado Post, July 13, 2009
Others, including city of Houston and citizen groups, have echoed concerns over the Texas air permitting program. The actions taken by EPA under this agreement will help to address their concerns by making Texas' permit process more transparent, and ensuring the Texas' program has all the environmental protections required by federal law.
Navajo man returns home to fight power plant
Albuquerque Journal, July 13, 2009
If you drive through here on the road that connects Gallup and Shiprock, you’ll see stretches of tawny dirt and a whole lot of empty. It’s the place a Houston-based power company decided would be perfect for a huge, twin-tower 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The company called it Desert Rock, a name that embodies desolation. But if you’re from here, you don’t see empty. You see the place where your grandparents made their sheep camp and where you ran around as a boy and where all your relatives still live. You don’t call it Desert Rock.”
Metro breaks ground on new rail lines
KHOU 11 News, July 13, 2009
On Monday, Metro finally broke ground on its new light rail lines. Ceremonial spikes were driven in Southeast Houston and again 20 miles north on Fulton Street.
Texas energy projects set to receive $200 million in stimulus money
Houston Business Journal, July 13, 2009
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved Texas’ request to use more than $218 million worth of stimulus funds to help state and local governments cut their energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Midland wells contaminated with chromium
July 11, 2009, Associated Press
Beverly Crouch spent hundreds of dollars on chemicals last fall to try to get the green tinge out of her backyard pool. All for naught. It wasn’t until two months ago that she learned why the chemicals she put into her 13,000-gallon, above-ground pool wouldn’t clear the water. The green color came from well water contaminated with hexavalent chromium, a known human carcinogen.
A Rising Tide for Water Power Funding?
RenewableEnergyWorld.com, July 10, 2009
Houston, TX-based Hydro Green Energy is one of the few U.S. water-power startups to have attracted venture capital — it alone accounted for the $2.6 million raised last year. The company has developed systems for generating power downstream from existing hydro plants and in the downstream portion of auxiliary or active navigational locks. One is a floating platform that suspends underwater hydrokinetic turbines at existing hydropower plants, and the other is a metallic lock gate with rows of underwater turbines. The lock gate systems could each generate between 5 and 50 MW of power.
Houstonians asked to be careful, conserve power in heat
Houston Chronicle, July 9, 2009
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas encourages consumers to continue energy conservation today, especially during the peak hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, consumers used a record 62,786 megawatts up from the previous highest usage of 62,339 set Aug 17, 2006. One megawatt typically powers about 200 average homes during hot summer weather.
Metro to begin two new rail lines
Houston Business Journal, July 8, 2009
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will be breaking ground July 13 on the next phase of the MetroRail.
Chemicals detected in Clear Creek fish, officials say
Houston Chronicle, July 8, 2009
Texas health officials on Wednesday issued a warning against eating any fish caught within the banks of Clear Creek after high levels of dangerous industrial chemicals were detected in several varieties of marine life.
Pickens calls off massive wind farm in Texas
Associated Press, July 7, 2009
Plans for the world's largest wind farm in the Texas Panhandle have been scrapped, energy baron T. Boone Pickens said Tuesday, and he's looking for a home for 687 giant wind turbines.
Garbage in, profits out
CNN Small Business, July 6, 2009
Although recycling options for hazardous waste are limited, American Ecology CEO Steve Romano is finding innovative ways to generate business. Last year the company built a recycling center in Robstown, Texas, that treats and recycles oil sludge from refineries and sells the reclaimed oil. American Ecology's success there has Romano looking for ways to expand its recycling efforts.
This E.T. sure isn’t science fiction
Houston Chronicle, July 5, 2009
“China is moving,” says Hal Harvey, the chief executive of ClimateWorks, which shares clean energy ideas around the world. “They want to be leaders in green technology. China has already adopted the most aggressive energy efficiency program in the world. It is committed to reducing the energy intensity of its economy — energy used per dollar of goods produced — by 20 percent in five years.
Air-quality alert issued for Houston, coast
Houston Chronicle, July 2, 2009
State environmental officials issued an air-quality alert today for Houston and coastal areas as dangerous ozone pollution creates hazardous conditions.
BP agrees to stop unlawful refinery emissions
Houston Business Journal, June 29, 2009
BP Products North America Inc. has agreed to stop unlawful emitting of pollutants into the air from its Texas City refinery, according to the Texas Attorney General’s office.
New life for old carpet with Houston recycling program
Houston Chronicle, June 28, 2009
A local flooring company is working to reduce its share of an estimated 5 billion pounds of carpet that ends up in landfills each year. In the one month that Houston-based Texan Floor Service has committed to a recycling program at its warehouse, the company has already reduced its contribution by 43 tons, according to Carpet America Recovery Effort or CARE, an alliance of businesses and government agencies created to reduce the amount of used carpet thrown into landfills.
Maybe flex time really is worthy of passion
Houston Chronicle, June 28, 2009
“Flex in the City” is a slightly silly name for a pretty interesting transportation experiment going on in Houston. It’s a yearly event that encourages local companies to allow their workers to try flexible commute options—a compressed work week, telecommuting or flexible start and stop times.
First Community begins work on ‘green’ HQ
Houston Business Journal, June 26, 2009
As expected, FC Holdings Inc., the parent company of First Community Bank NA, broke ground Friday on its new headquarters, one of only a handful of gold LEED certified buildings in Texas.
Obama says Texas will win in his energy plan
Houston Chronicle, June 24, 2009
“China is moving,” says Hal Harvey, the chief executive of ClimateWorks, which shares clean energy ideas around the world. “They want to be leaders in green technology. China has already adopted the most aggressive energy efficiency program in the world. It is committed to reducing the energy intensity of its economy — energy used per dollar of goods produced — by 20 percent in five years.
EPA echoes activists in challenging Texas' air pollution permits, practices, commission
Dallas Morning News, June 24, 2009
Groups attacking Texas' environmental policies have gained an important ally: the Obama administration. Shucking off years of arms-length relations with Texas' anti-pollution activists, the Environmental Protection Agency has reached out to organizations that have challenged state permits and practices.
Southwest Houston business helps ‘keep it green’ through recycling program
Houston Chronicle, June 23, 2009
As technology rushes forward, consumers go through electronic devices at ever-increasing speed. The result is growing mounds of castoff computers, televisions and other equipment, with too few opportunities to reclaim and recycle them.
Green Building Spotlight: First City Tower
Houston Business Journal, May 22, 2009
Downtown Houston’s First City Tower at 1001 Fannin St. recently earned a gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
