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Lake Creek runs along the northern boundary of nearly 1,000 acres to be protected within the Houston metropolitan area. (Photo courtesy Bayou Land Conservancy)

Houston metro residents benefit from conservation easement

A conservation easement nine years in the making will benefit a local Texas community by preserving almost 1,000 acres. The Bayou Land Conservancy …

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 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 …

Scientists say ephemeral streams across the United States, including those in Texas, have become less reliable over the past 40 years, likely as a result of climate change. (usgs.gov)

Conservation Groups: Far-Reaching Clean Water Protections in Peril

Fifty years ago this week, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, allowing policymakers in the 50 states to limit pollution, prosecute polluters and …

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 …

Texas has the highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters and leads the United States in total cumulative costs from billion-dollar disasters since 1980, according to NOAA. (andrewtheshrew/Pixabay)

Climate Change Expected to Increase Displacement, Migration in Texas

HOUSTON -- The Biden administration has said it wants to prevent worst-case scenarios due to climate change, and Texas has several risks that need to …

Water conservation by Texas providers has stalled, but more utilities are submitting their required reporting and the accuracy of reporting generally is improving, according to the Texas Living Water Project. (danielsfotowelt/Pixabay)

Texas Water Conservation Stalls in Latest Scorecard

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has some of the most progressive water-conservation laws and policies in the United States, but water conservation by …

Texas students are getting hands on, high-tech experience growing fresh produce inside converted shipping containers. (Freight Farms)

Texas Schools Tap Container Farms to Fill Cafeterias with Fresh Produce

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Texas schools are using refrigerated freight containers converted into hydroponic farms as an extension of the classroom…

Flood damage debris lines a Houston residential street following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. More than 200,000 homes and businesses along the Texas Gulf Coast were damaged or destroyed by the storm. (IrinaK/AdobeStock)<br /><br />

Texas Improves Flood Preparedness After Hurricane Harvey

HOUSTON – The State of Texas, still reeling from damage from Hurricane Harvey and other recent storms, has taken a major step toward improving …

Global water withdrawal for energy production constitutes 15 percent of the world�s total water consumption. (Pixnio)

Report: Fracking Stresses Texas Water Supplies

AMARILLO, Texas – The oil and gas industry's thirst for water – a critical component of hydraulic fracturing – has skyrocketed…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

In a 2017 lawsuit, Energy Transfer Partners cited RICO laws, used to prosecute the Mafia in the 1970s, to argue a coalition of environmental and Indigenous groups constituted a criminal enterprise. (Fibonacci Blue)

Report: Dakota Access Pipeline Demonstrations Inspired Legislative Crackdown

AUSTIN, Texas – A new Greenpeace USA report documents how the corporate sponsor behind the Dakota Access Pipeline continues to use a variety of …

Hurricane Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rain to the Houston area in a four-day period last August. (urban.houstonian/flickr)

Texas Communities Planting Seeds of Protection Before Next Big Storm

SAN ANTONIO - Hurricane Harvey left its mark on the Houston area, tying with Hurricane Katrina for the most costly storm at $125 billion in damage…

Many scientists believe the heavy floods that accompanied Hurricane Harvey last summer were caused, in part, by climate change. (Platt/GettyImages)

Credit Agency Warns Cities to Prepare for Climate Change

HOUSTON - Municipal officials could be forced to deal with climate change sooner rather than later, or have their bond ratings downgraded. Moody's …

$Ponds near oil rigs store wastewater from the fracking process, which is disposed of by injecting it back into the well. Some scientists believe this can cause earthquakes. (GettyImages)$

Evidence Grows of Link Between Fracking, Texas Earthquakes

DALLAS – A new study is adding fuel to the debate over whether recent earthquakes in Texas are caused by oil and gas operations or natural geolo…

A new report finds that urban waterways in Texas such as the San Antonio River could benefit from green infrastructure to control flooding and pollution from stormwater runoff. (Warshaw/GettyImages)

Report: TX Cities Need Policies to Control Stormwater Runoff

AUSTIN, Texas – Rain is the lifeblood of Texas, but a new study shows that when there's too much of it, the state's major cities need to do …

The GulfCorps project plans to hire 300 new conservation workers to help restore portions of the Gulf Coast damaged by the 2010 BP oil spill. (Thayer/GettyImages)

Oil-Spill Fines to Create 300 Conservation Jobs in Gulf Coast States

GALVESTON, Texas -- Conservation groups announced that 300 new conservation jobs will be created in Texas and other Gulf Coast states with …

A stand of live oak trees in Butler Park frames the downtown Austin skyline. Conservationists say urban forests are critical to air and water quality in Texas cities. (Wikimedia Commons)

Texas Groups Fight State Plan to "Cut" Local Tree Regulations

AUSTIN, Texas - Conservation groups, cities and business interests are fighting bills in the Texas Legislature that would strip municipalities of the …

A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council says Texas has the most Safe Drinking Water Act violations of any state in the U.S. (caristo/GettyImages)

Report: Texas Tops Nation for Safe Drinking Water Violations

AUSTIN, Texas -- Water systems in Texas have the nation's worst record for violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, a new report says. …

Grupos ambientalistas temen que la Administraci�n Trump pudiera revertir a�os de progreso para detener el cambio clim�tico, y un aire y agua m�s limpios. (phxidalgo/iStockphoto)

Ambientalistas temen que Trump pudiera revertir décadas de progreso

AUSTIN, Texas – Grupos pro conservación expresan sus preocupaciones de que la combinación de Donald Trump en la Casa Blanca, y un …

A swimmer prepares to dive into the cold, clear water of the pool at Balmorhea State Park. (Texas Parks and Wildlife photo)

Environmentalists: Fracking Could Pollute Iconic Texas Park

ALPINE, Texas – Environmentalists are deeply concerned over plans by a Texas oil company to drill thousands of wells near iconic Balmorhea …

Native Americans and environmental groups protest at the Houston headquarters of Energy Transfer Partners, the contractor building Dakota Access and other pipeline projects. (Grassroots Global Justice Alliance)

Natives, Environmentalists Protest in Houston Over Pipeline

HOUSTON – A coalition of environmental groups and Native American activists has taken protests over a controversial pipeline to the Houston offi…

Drinking water for more than 82,000 Texans contains arsenic levels that exceed safe limits, and environmental groups say state officials aren�t doing enough to warn consumers. (AbelMitjaValeva/iStockphoto)<br /><br />

Texas Groups Demand Better Arsenic Warnings

AUSTIN, Texas - Environmental groups want the federal government to tell Texas officials to do a better job of warning thousands of people their …

A landowner in Burleson County posts a sign opposing the Vista Ridge water pipeline project, which would pump billions of gallons from a local aquifer 142 miles to San Antonio. (SOS Alliance)

Environmental Groups Fight Proposed Texas Water Pipeline

AUSTIN, Texas - A coalition of environmental groups has filed a protest with the Texas Water Development Board over a request for more than $1 …

View of lower Pine Spring Canyon and the Guadalupe Peak Trail from Hunter Peak in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Texas is battling the EPA over regulations designed to control haze in the park. (National Park Service)

Texas Sues EPA Over Haze Plan Enforcement

AUSTIN, Texas - The state of Texas has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting the state's haze reduction plan for national …

Wildlife-conservation groups say proposed new rules for marine mammal parks could make the animals' lives worse, not better. (aconant/morguefile)

Wildlife Advocates Oppose New Rules for Marine Animals

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Wildlife groups are protesting new federal rules designed to improve conditions for captive marine mammals in places such as …

Climate change is likely to have far-reaching impacts on livestock and crops throughout the world, according to a new report. Credit: USDA

Global Food System Faces Multiple Threats from Climate Change

AUSTIN, Texas - Climate change will have a big impact on food security across the globe, but will hit the poor and people living in tropical regions …

New information on the scale of BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster finally was made public. Credit: Mandy Tumlin, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

New Data: BP Disaster Greater than Previously Thought

AUSTIN, Texas – After BP agreed to pay more than $20 billion in fines and penalties for spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of …

Reproductive health physicians say increases in exposure to toxic chemicals over the last four decades is threatening human reproduction and health. Credit: Tomas Sereda/iStockphoto

Doctors Urge Greater Efforts to Prevent Toxic Chemical Exposure

AUSTIN, Texas - Dramatic increases in exposure to toxic chemicals over the last four decades is threatening human reproduction and health. That's …

More than three quarters of Latino voters support Pope Francis' theology on environmental conservation, according to a new study. Credit: Neneos/iStockphoto

Survey: Latino Voters Agree with Pope on Climate

AUSTIN, Texas - One group particularly receptive to Pope Francis during his U.S. visit was the Latino community. A recent survey by GreenLatinos …

A new report highlights how U.S. presidents have legal authority to keep 450-billion tons of climate pollution in the ground. Credit: acilo/iStockphoto.

Report: Presidents Have Power to Limit Climate Pollution

AUSTIN, Texas - A new report from the Center for Biological Diversity highlights how President Barack Obama, or any other sitting president, has …

Texas is on the hook to reduce carbon emissions from existing fossil fuel power plants. Credit: Larry D. Moore/Wikimedia Commons.

Clean Power Plan Could Have Texas Breathing Easier

HOUSTON – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a significant step to slash carbon pollution with Monday's release of the Clean Po…

Gulf Coast voters still concerned about the impacts of Deepwater Horizon spill. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Gulf Coast Voters Want BP Money to Fund Ecosystem Restoration

AUSTIN, Texas - Voters along the Gulf Coast still are worried about the long-term impacts of the BP oil spill, and a majority want BP settlement …

$Water use for hydraulic fracturing is increasing. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.$

Water Use Rising for Fracking in Texas and Nation

AUSTIN, Texas - Water used for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is on the rise across the nation, according to a new study from the U.S. …

Pelicans and many other species suffered in the 2005 BP oil spill. Credit: U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

BP Settlement Would Send Additional $788 Million to Texas

AUSTIN - Texas conservation groups say the BP settlement announced Thursday is a big step forward giving certainty that the funding will be there to…

EPA warns slowing climate change will require action on global scale. Credit: EPA.

EPA Quantifies Benefits of Tackling Climate Change

HOUSTON – A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compares health and economic outcomes based on whether the world moves for…

PHOTO: To keep Barton Springs fresh in time for summer, this coming Saturday volunteers will be cleaning trash and debris from the Shudde Fath Tract in Southwest Austin. Photo courtesy of the City of Austin.

Clean-up Planned to Protect Barton Creek

AUSTIN, Texas - Summer is here, and that means a trip to Barton Springs is on the horizon for many Texans. To help keep the iconic pool's water …

PHOTO: One thousand bottlenose dolphins have been found dead in an area stretching from the Florida Panhandle to the Texas-Louisiana border in the five years since the BP oil spill. Photo Credit: Courtesy Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Five Years after Oil Spill, Wildlife Still Struggling

AUSTIN, Texas - Five years after the Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 workers and released at least 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of …

PHOTO: On Tuesday, the EPA proposed adding a contaminated groundwater site in the Texas hill country to the National Priorities List of Superfund Sites. Photo credit: Zereshk/Wikimedia Commons.

EPA Proposes Hill Country Site for Superfund Cleanup List

AUSTIN, Texas - The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to add a contaminated site in the Texas hill country to the Superfund National …

PHOTO: The penalty could be as high as $13.7 billion for BP, as the final phase in the trial over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico begins today. Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Penalty Phase Begins in BP Oil Spill Disaster Trial

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - The third and final phase in the civil trial over the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico begins …

PHOTO: A number of projects along the Texas Gulf Coast are being recommended as top priorities for restoration from the effects of the 2010 BP oil spill disaster. Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr.

Texas Projects Key in Gulf Coast Oil Spill Restoration

AUSTIN, Texas - As Texas and the Gulf Coast move toward what likely will be the largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history, a new report …

PHOTO: Texas is on the verge of receiving one billion dollars in damages stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the proper use of those funds is being called vital to the state's future ecology and economy. Photo credit: Stuart Seegar/Flickr.

One Billion Dollars in BP Fines Creates Opportunity for Texas Gulf Coast Restoration

GALVESTON, Texas - Fines paid by British oil giant BP in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will soon be flowing …

$PHOTO: There is contamination of drinking water associated with hydraulic fracturing, but a new study also finds the primary cause is from faulty shale gas wells, not migrating methane from the process itself. Photo credit: Roy Luck/Flickr.$

Contaminated Texas Drinking Water Linked to Faulty Shale Gas Wells

FORT WORTH, Texas - A new study finds contamination of drinking water in parts of Texas from the extraction of shale gas, but the primary cause is …

PHOTO: Immigration is an important issue heading into the fall's election, but another key when it comes to Latino voters is the stance that candidates have on conservation issues. Photo credit: Rob Boudon/Flickr.

Conservation Issues Among Top Priorities for Hispanic Voters

AUSTIN, Texas - As the mid-term elections approach, a new analysis shows that Latinos overwhelming support greater environmental protections…

PHOTO: The Environmental Protection Agency has outlined a draft rule on reducing carbon emissions and its backers say for Texas, the effects would be cleaner air and a drive toward more use of renewaable energy. Photo credit: Peter Kratochvil/publicdomainpictures.net.

Proposed EPA Carbon Standards: The Impact on Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - Environmental leaders in Texas say the proposed rule on carbon emissions announced this week by the Environmental Protection Agency …

PHOTO: This photo, taken in 2010 following the Deepwater Horizon spill, shows an oil-covered pelican. Photo courtesy Louisiana Governor's Office.

Impacts Continue, Four Years into BP Oil Spill Disaster

AUSTIN, Texas - Nearly four years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study says the disaster is far from over…

PHOTO: A long-running legal battle over which water bodies are covered by the Clean Water Act could be coming to an end, with a proposed rule to provide clarity on which are eligible. Photo credit: Robert Nunnally

Texas Brewer Raises a Glass for Clarity on Clean Water Act

AUSTIN, Texas - It's a plan to better protect the most vulnerable waters across the state and nation, and among those giving cheers are some Texas …

PHOTO: The pelicans of Galveston Bay are among the birds affected by the oil spill from the crash of a ship and a barge carrying marine fuel oil. CREDIT: Mike Fisher

Texas Attorney General Opens Civil Investigation into Oil Spill

GALVESTON, Texas - As work continues on cleanup from the weekend oil spill in Galveston Bay, a civil investigation has been opened by the Texas …

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