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Archive for January, 2011

EPA listening to stakeholders about their proposed rules on greenhouse gas standards

Posted in Air Quality, Global Warming, tagged , , on January 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a series of “listening sessions” in the coming months in order to get input from stakeholders on the agency’s plans to implement new greenhouse gas standards on power plants and refineries. If  you cannot make it to the sessions, each session will be webcast and recorded for later viewing [...]

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Texas News Roundup Jan 31, 2011

Posted in News Roundup on January 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The Texas Progressive Alliance is ready to retire the phrase “blue norther” for another year as it brings you this week’s blog roundup. Off the Kuff took an early look at fundraising for 2011 city of Houston elections. The Big Gas Mafia says it’s impossible but hydraulic fracturing causes gas to migrate threatening life…AGAIN. TXsharon [...]

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State of the Union (LOL)

Posted in Good Government, tagged , on January 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Check out the State of the Union address as seen through the eyes of editorial cartoonists.  Click here to get to MSNBC’s slideshow.

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What is causing all this wicked weather?

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on January 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

MSNBC’s Today Show host Matt Lauer interviews CUNY physics professor, Michio Kaku, about possible causes of these wild winter storms.  Click here to watch this segment.

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Representative Lon Burnam (D-Ft Worth) taking on climate change

Posted in Global Warming, Texas Legislature, tagged , , , , , , , on January 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »

State Rep. Lon Burnam filed legislation (House Bill 977) that would have state agencies develop plans to address the implications their policies might have on climate change. Burnam’s bill is similar to a measure he offered last session. The bill would have 12 entities in the state each publish a plan assessing that entity’s role with [...]

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Legislation filed in response to fight between city of Byran and its electric company could end city-owned utilities open records exemption

Posted in Good Government, tagged , , , , on January 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Municipally owned utility companies could lose their exemption to parts of the Texas Open Meetings Act under a bill filed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden.  The bill was filed in response to a dispute between the City of Bryan and its publicly operated electric company. Last year City of Byran officials asked Bryan Texas Utilities [...]

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White House climate change coordinator resigns

Posted in Air Quality, Global Warming, tagged , on January 27, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Carol M. Browner, the White House coordinator for energy and climate change policy, is resigning.  Ms. Browner, a former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, was charged with directing the administration’s effort to enact comprehensive legislation to reduce emissions of climate-altering gases and move the country away from a dependence on dirty-burning fossil fuels. Failing [...]

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Local organization fighting Exelon’s proposed new nuclear plant

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on January 27, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Texans For A Sound Energy Policy (TSEP) has filed formal legal contentions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) urging denial of Exelon’s application for an Early Site Permit (ESP) for a proposed nuclear power plant site south of Victoria, Texas. The filing of these contentions will set the stage for a formal legal hearing on [...]

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Where’s the Outrage? TCEQ Approves Las Brisas Pollution Permit

Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2011 | 8 Comments »

In a completely un-shocking and saddening display of administrative arrogance, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) commissioners Bryan Shaw and Buddy Garcia granted an air permit for the proposed Las Brisas coal plant. Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein abstained from voting due to being briefed on the permit when he previously served as deputy executive director. [...]

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“GASLAND” NOMINATED FOR ACADEMY AWARD

Posted in Air Quality, TCEQ, tagged , , , , , on January 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

“Gasland,” the documentary film by Josh Fox, that examines whether hydraulic fracturing of shale formations threatens water supplies and poses other environmental hazards, was nominated today for an Academy Award. The movie is a cross-country tour that included visits to people who live near several drilling sites, including North Texas’ Barnett Shale. If you want to [...]

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Wind still making in roads into the Texas energy portfolio

Posted in Renewables, tagged , , , on January 26, 2011 | 3 Comments »

When Texans turn on their lights, run their air conditioning, charge thier cell phones or even plug in their plug-in hybrid cars, they are getting an increasing amount of power from the wind.  Figures released by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the pseudo state agency that regulates the Texas electric grid, earlier this month [...]

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PEC board member could be disqualified from serving because of a bylaw he helped vote into place

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on January 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

At yesterday’s board meeting, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative voted to review a recently passed bylaw that could disqualify one of its members from serving on the board.  Specifically, if the board applies this bylaw retroactively, it could disqualify Chris Perry from continuing his position on the board.  Coop attorneys have been questioning Perry about his energy [...]

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Las Brisas coke-fired plant air permit considered by TCEQ tomorrow

Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Global Warming, TCEQ, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

On Wednesday, January 26th, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will consider the air quality permit application for the Las Brisas Energy Center, a planned petroleum coke-fired power plant that just last month, two administrative law judges said does not meet emission standards. Public Citizen, the SEED Coalition and Sierra Club have all argued [...]

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TPPF Energy Report Shows Lack of Vision

Posted in Coal, Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Renewables, solar, Texas Legislature, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Keynote’s promotion of coal leans heavily on unrealistic view of the Texas energy market In a forum held last Thursday the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) unveiled a report that attempts to sway the debate about Texas energy policy off its current trajectory – namely ideas put forward by high-profile Republicans officials like Lt. [...]

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Texas News Roundup for 1/24

Posted in News Roundup on January 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates the Packers and the Steelers as it brings you this week’s roundup. WhosPlayin helped organize a cleanup for an historic African American cemetery dating back to about 1845 that had been the target of litterbugs and illegal dumpers. Respect for the dead, and respect for the land are still values [...]

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