If you’re going to miss  me, miss me — come out to Old Settler’s and say hi!

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

• Bluegrass
• Americana
• Camping
• Barbeque
• the Texas Hill Country
• Public Citizen

One out of six? Four, five, six? Excellent! Join us this weekend, April 15-18, at the Old Settler’s Music Festival,

a nationally known music festival featuring the best in roots and Americana music. The festival is held in the gorgeous Texas hill country, at the height of the Bluebonnet and wildflower season. Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.

The Festival is held at Salt Lick Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch, just minutes from Austin, located 11 miles south of Highway 290 West on Farm Road 1826.

We had so much fun last year, we had to make a video about it. Check it out and join us! We’ll have a booth and banners all over the place. Come on over and check us out.  Say hello to the team, grab a couple stickers, and learn more about Public Citizen Texas and the work we do!

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know why Republicans like Victoria’s DA Steve Tyler, Nueces County’s DA Anna Jimenez and (who could forget) Alberto Gonzales abuse their offices?

The Texas Cloverleaf thinks Rick Perry is eyeing 2012 before 2010 is even over with.

WhosPlayin is watching the situation in Flower Mound, where a group of citizens successfully petitioned to have an oil and gas drilling moratorium put on the ballot, only to get some mostly frivolous ethics charges filed against them by a former Town Councilman.

Continuing his examination of partisan voting trends, Off the Kuff looks at how voting changed in judicial races between 2002 and 2006.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson has an update as the runoff, to see who will challenge Rep. Diana Maldonado, approaches HD-52 GOP Runoff – issues take a back seat.

Bay Area Houston compares Sarah Palin’s intelligence on safe sex and nuclear disarmament.

They’re everywhere! They’re everywhere! Emissions, which are really toxins, are throughout the entire Barnett Shale area. Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

McBlogger loves it when Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business let’s Teh Stupid flow freely.

FOX News’ 24-hour “War of the Worlds”-styled fearmongering caught the attention of PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy reports on the how the campaign in the Republican primary for Texas Congressional District 17 has turned negative. Also, Teddy takes a first look at the College Station City Council Place 2 candidates and at the Bryan City Council Single Member District 3 candidates. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

Libby Shaw asks a simple question over at TexasKaos – So, How will Rick Perry deliver access to affordable health care to Texas? . She points out that “According to new federal regulations, Rick Perry and the health insurance companies in Texas have 90 days to deliver a plan that will cover uninsured Texans.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted on the history of disco music. Disco Inferno! Learn The Interesting History Of Disco Music Despite the bad historical reviews disco receives, a new book says that the music was an important social indicator in a time of societal gains for women and gays.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Today Texans proved that there is a very high demand for energy-efficient products and services when they made reservations for $23 million worth of appliance rebates in just eight hours, using up rebates in the first day they became available. This goes to show how eager Texans are to trade in their tired, energy-sucking clunkers for newer, more efficient models. Not only will this trade-in program reduce consumers’ energy bills, it also will reduce smog and global warming pollution.

Given this incredible demand, we urge the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to establish another appliance rebate program like this as part of the expanded energy efficiency program the agency is currently considering. We’re sure that the numerous Texans who were unable to make a reservation are disappointed and would jump at a second chance at additional funds. In order to make the money go further, the size of the rebates probably should be reduced to assure that more people can participate.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

UPDATE: Apparently the program got such a high volume of interest, they were having some problems with their website today! Go figure. Here’s an update, looks like there is still plenty of money in rebates left:

While we are still experiencing a heavy response and high traffic, the online rebate reservation system at Texas Powerful Smart has been restored to limited traffic as of 12:25 p.m. CT.

The latest numbers show over $15 million in rebates are still available. So, don’t give up.

The Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program officially began today! Rebate reservations will continue to be accepted online at www.texaspowerfulsmart.org or via toll-free call to 1-877-780-3039.

Word from the Comptroller’s office is that they are getting swamped with requests for rebates. They sent out an email just now with the following:

We’re experiencing unprecedented response to the Texas Powerful Smart Web site and phones for the rebate reservations! Please keep trying!

You can also follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates. Use the hashtag: #txrebate

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

We are thrilled – but not surprised – that because of a growth spurt in the development of wind energy, Texas has met its renewable energy goal 15 years ahead of schedule. Each time Texas has set a renewable energy goal, the state has achieved it far in advance of the deadline set by the Texas Legislature. That’s because Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) policies are incredibly effective at stimulating new technologies and economic growth.

RPS policies are also remarkably successful at reducing air pollution and global warming gases. This program has resulted in 9 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide and reduces emissions of nitrous oxide, or NOx, by 15,000 tons per year and as such should be heralded as one of the state’s most effective environmental programs. The success of this initiative goes to show the positive outcomes that can be reached when environmentalists and business communities work together.

In 1999, the Texas Legislature created a Renewable Portfolio Standard that required all utilities to get at least 3 percent of their energy or a statewide total of 2,000 megawatts from renewables by 2020. In 2005, that goal was increased to 5,880 megawatts by 2015, with a target of 10,880 megawatts capacity created by 2025, which is the target that has been met. At the time of its implementation, this legislation was the most aggressive in the country. Similar policies have proven successful at creating demand for renewable energy throughout the United States, but nowhere have they been as successful as Texas. In Texas, these policies have resulted in the creation of as many as 83,000 jobs, according to Public Citizen studies.

Texas should adopt the same policies to encourage the growth of non-wind renewable energy such as solar, geothermal, biomass, agricultural methane and landfill gas. Texas has become a leader in wind as a result of carefully crafted policies like the RPS, but there is no reason we can’t do the same and become a leader in non-wind renewable energy as well. The Public Utility Commission and the Texas Legislature have the opportunity to develop other sources of renewable energy and thereby bring economic growth to Texas. This is happening elsewhere, but not in Texas, because we lack the specific incentives for non-wind renewables that other states have jumped to adopt.

The current success would not have been possible without the hard work of environmentalists, large wind producers like the Wind Coalition, the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA), environmental groups, church groups and rural county officials who worked together on what has become one of the state’s largest job creation programs and boon, through increased property taxes, to educational services in rural communities. Our thanks go out to these parties, and we certainly hope that in 10 years, we can applaud the similar success of solar and geothermal energy due to a non-wind RPS.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

The mine is owned and operated by Massey Energy, who has a terrible record of safety violations. At the mine where the disaster occurred, 57 violations were reported in March alone, including “repeatedly failing to develop and follow a ventilation plan.”

Massey is responsible and should be held accountable for this tragedy, but instead they are “actively contesting millions of dollars of fines for safety violations at its West Virginia coal mine where disaster struck yesterday afternoon.”

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

We know from past experience that reservations for programs like this fill up quickly. If you don’t make a reservation Wednesday, you may be put on a waiting list or miss out entirely on this opportunity.

Texas residents can receive rebates for replacing old appliances with new, more efficient models. Rebates range from $45 up to $1,000 and may be even more if you qualify for additional rebates through your electric utility.

Go online or call 1-877-780-3039 toll free to make your reservation. You don’t need a specific model in mind, just the appliance category. Then, purchase your qualified appliance at any Texas retailer starting April 16.

Reserve your appliance trade up April 7, starting at 7 a.m. CT. Save money and conserve water and energy with the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program!

The idea behind the program is to incentive new technology that uses renewable energy and reduces emissions, specifically regulated pollutants from point sources. Ideal applicants would be would be electricity storage projects related to renewable energy like Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), pumped hydropower, sodium sulfur storage batteries, and flywheels — but really any new technology that reduces emissions will qualify! This is by no means free money though, it is a rebate and you must be able to match grant funds with a little moola of your own.

Applicants will have 3 opportunities to cast their line at the big grant fish. After the first go-round, if all of the money has not been granted out to renewable energy storage technologies, advanced clean energy projects (cough cough, clean coal) will have an opportunity to apply. After that application period, if there is any money left, the grant will once again be open to energy storage projects. And next year, they’ll do the whole thing all over again!

The grant is the result of hard-won legislation passed in the spring of 2009.  The original legislation put the pool of money at $10 million, but that amount was cut significantly due to Governor Perry’s attempts to balance the budget out. We’re pretty sad that the Guv cut funds from this program to encourage both Emerging and Advanced technologies, but it certainly wasn’t up to us.  Hopefully Texas entrepreneurs will be able to do well with what is available, and we’ll see new technology supported and significant emissions reductions as a result.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Off the Kuff looked at how voting returns changed in Texas from 2004 to 2008 in the Presidential and judicial races.

Aruba Petroleum: The Epic Fail of the Barnett Shale. Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS now brings you 55 posts to document this failure of epic proportions.

Marshmallow Peeps make sweeping endorsements of Democrats on The Texas Cloverleaf.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders why Republicans and Republican suck ups act like bleeping thugs? New Perry appointee, Nueces County DA Jimenez, threw out the board certified attorneys to bring in her cronies and HD 76 rep Norma Chávez is channeling Karl Rove.

The last chapter (?) in the sad saga of Stay Bailey Hutchison is read aloud by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Sure April Fools Day is over, but this was funny enough to share again. Sarah Palin to Replace Michael Steele as Chair of the GOP. Bay Area Houston continues to be full of wit.

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy takes a first look at the Bryan mayoral candidates, and this week he will be taking a look at the candidates for College Station City Council Place 2 and Bryan City Council Single Member District 3. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the GOP’s latest posturing and states that it’s time for Gov. Perry and the Texas GOP to put up or shut up.

Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about undersea volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico that shoot out asphalt. Who knew?

WhosPlayin says animal welfare actvists in North Texas are claiming a victory in their fight against puppy mills: After months of weekly picketing by Texans Exposing Petland, the Lewisville, Texas Petland store is closing down.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Click here to take action! Tell the Compact Commission you do not want Texas to become the nation’s radioactive waste dumping ground!

An environmental analysis performed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found potential problems with the site, including possible pathways to underground aquifers. Three TCEQ staff members have resigned or taken early retirement as a result of the decision to grant the license. While TCEQ did approve the license, the Sierra Club has appealed that decision to the State District Court.

Take Action Now!

Even though the license granted by the TCEQ has been appealed, and the site has yet to be constructed, the eight-member Compact Commission is rushing ahead with this proposed rule at the behest of WCS and nuclear power plants, who are both desperate to find a place to send their waste. The Compact Commission does not even have a staff to review proposed importation agreements. A coalition of groups is opposing the rush to approve this rule. The groups are urging the Commission to deny the ability to import any waste other than Texas-Vermont compact waste or to put much stricter rules in place on how waste might be imported on a case-by-case basis. The present license only has enough capacity for waste from Texas and the other compact state Vermont.

Join us now to send a message to the Compact Commission!

In addition to e-mailed comments, the public may also make comments at two public hearings in Austin, TX on April 5 and Andrews, TX on April 6.

Austin Hearing – April 5, 2010, 1:00 PM at the Texas State Capitol Extension Auditorium, E1.004

Andrews Hearing – April 6, 2010, 6:00 PM at Andrews High School Little Theater, 1401 NW Avenue K.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Join GASLAND Director Josh Fox, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Texas State Representative Lon Burnam, and Oil & Gas Accountability Program Director Gwen Lachelt, and learn about the impacts of natural gas drilling on our clean air, our drinking water, our communities and our environment.

Where: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Wort
When: Wednesday May 12th, 2010

The Schedule:

5:30 PM Pre-party with cash bar (open to everyone)
6:30 PM GASLAND Screening (ticket price: $15)
8:30 PM VIP After-party (entry fee: $85)

RSVP! (And save the date)

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Appliance rebate program good for Texans

If someone handed you a $300 check to trade in your old fridge for a new one, would you do it? Would knowing you could shave $150 a year from your electric bill sweeten the deal? By taking advantage of the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program from April 16-25, you can do just that.

We often have critical things to say about the state government, especially when it comes to how it approaches energy and climate change issues. Consider, for instance, our ongoing campaigns to block new coal plants and stop new nuclear reactors.

But in this case, we must praise Texas, because it has come up with a way to boost energy efficiency and ease the burden on Texans’ pocketbooks.

Under the rebate program, Texans not only will save money but will continue to save on their electric and water bills throughout the life of the more efficient appliances. Rebate reservations can be made through www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org or by calling 1-877-780-3039 toll free starting April 7. However, funds are limited to only $23 million, and based on past appliance rebates, this money will go fast. Reserve your rebate early or you will miss this opportunity.

Most people think of energy conservation as having to give something up, but with highly efficient appliances you get the same product and end result — with less energy and money spent. Clothes washed in an energy-efficient washer will be just as clean as those from an old energy-sucking clunker, and you’ll spend less at the end of the month. Why not get the same amount of bang from fewer bucks?

Texas residents with a valid Texas residential address will qualify to receive a rebate check if they replace old appliances with a new ENERGY STAR or Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) qualified model. Residents may receive up to two rebates per household for a wide variety of appliances including air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, hot water heaters and more. You can qualify for only one rebate per appliance category — no double dipping!

Rebates range from $45 for window units to $1,000 for central air conditioners. Consumers can get even more money by recycling their old appliances and getting $75 back for their efforts. Customers should also check to see if they qualify for additional home energy rebates currently offered by CPS Energy, San Antonio’s energy utility.

By committing to energy efficiency, we save more than just money. If thousands of Texans use less electricity because they’ve switched to efficient appliances and buildings, that also means we burn fewer fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming and contaminate our air and water. And building new coal-fired power plants? There would be no need for them! So fewer Texans would become ill from diseases associated with power plant pollution. With energy efficiency, we can be good stewards of our environment and protect public health — without having to give anything up, and by saving money at the same time.

The rebate program will be administered through the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). SECO will ask you to provide your name, address and appliance category when requesting a reservation, so start planning now to decide what appliances you would like to replace.

Times are tough for Texas families, and this program will help thousands of consumers across the state save money, energy, and water.

David Power is deputy director of Public Citizen, a nonprofit advocacy group focusing on energy issues.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Appliance Rebate Program Reservation Launch Date Changed to April 7

Because we want to ensure all Texas residents have an opportunity to participate in the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program, the date to reserve rebates for select appliances has been changed from April 5 to Wednesday, April 7, beginning at 7 a.m. CT.

The Comptroller’s office made this move in response to inquiries from families who plan to celebrate and travel during the religious holidays.

Beginning April 7, 2010 at 7 a.m. CT, consumers can visit the online reservation system at www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org or call toll-free to 1-877-780-3039 to reserve rebates. The purchase period start date for all appliances remains April 16, 2010.

For more information, including a complete set of rules and qualifying appliances, or to sign up for Texas Appliance Rebate e-mails and mobile alerts, visit www.texaspowerfulsmart.org/rebate/. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/powerfulsmart.

As always, subscribers to our Appliance Rebate e-mail list will receive updated information as it becomes available.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Rebates range from $45 up to $1,000 and may be even more if you qualify for additional rebates through your electric utility.

Visit www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org to learn more about the program and start planning what appliances you would like to replace.

Based on past experience, the money available for this program will go fast. If you want to give yourself the best possible chance to get your rebate, be ready to make a reservation on April 5.

You may receive up to two rebates per household for a wide variety of qualified appliances including air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, and more.

By replacing major appliances with more efficient models, you can save money, conserve water and energy, and help defray the need for polluting power plants.

Learn how to participate in the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program today!

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees vast differences between Perry, his bud David Dewhurst and Democrat Bill White. Democrats are for a robust public education while Republicans are doing their darnedest to kill it.

Are you playing the Barnett Shale economic shell game? Learn the rules at Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS before you play.

The Texas Cloverleaf commentary on Congressional GOP members behaving like grown ups, if grown ups were 4 years old

Off the Kuff took a look at voting trends in Texas’ fastest-growing counties. Hint: They getting bluer.

The week at Left of College Station, Teddy reports on the Coalition for Life possibly being in conflict with itself 501(c) 3 status by appearing connected to the Rob Curnock for Congress campaign.  Left of College Station also takes a first look at the candidates for College Station mayor, and this week will take a first look at the candidates for Bryan mayor.

Libby Shaw updates us on GoodHair and companies reaction to HCR. It is not pretty. Perry and Abbott On Crusade to Block Health Care Benefits for Texans

Neil at Texas Liberal visited a Walgreen’s in suburban Chicago in the week just past. While there he took a picture of chocolate praying hands and of a chocolate cross that are on sale for easter. Maybe these items are for people who adhere to the Chocolate God Theory.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson chronicles the fact that after the Democrats passed a historic health care bill the GOP went Crazy over health care.

Randy Noogie-Booger, the West Texas Congress critter who yelled “Baby killer!” during the debate on healthcare reform last week, was profiled by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Bay Area Houston writes about When Teabaggers Become Terrorist

WhosPlayin, like a lot of other progressive bloggers this week, had thoughts on the historic passage of health care insurance reform.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

The website is only available to customers that have had digital smart meters installed, of course. Have your most recent electric bill on hand when you log in to establish proper identification. As of Tuesday, 1 million customers in the Oncor and Centerpoint territories can use the site — and eventually more than 6.3 million Texans will be able to manage their energy use through the site.

This is the first step towards an exciting energy future where you’ll be able to view your electricity use through a browser on your smart phone and turn off or on the electricity flow to various devices.  In the future you will be able to work with energy management partners (such as Google) and your retail electric provider to help better  manage your use and reduce your energy consumption.  In this not-so-distant frame, you’ll be able to tell if Junior left the TV on and turn it off from afar (and send him a nagging text message of course). Or maybe you realize you’re getting off work early; you’ll be able to go ahead and set your thermostat so the house will be nice and cool by the time you get home.  The technological possibilities of smart meters will eventually offer us radically more control of our energy use, which will decrease overall pollution from power plants, the need for new power plants to be built, and of course our energy costs.

For now though, just a little more information may be enough to change our habits. Once we see how much energy we’re using and in what quantities, we’ll be able to change those usage patterns for the better.

Still not convinced? Just think of it this way — if you’re trying to diet you’re not going to get very far if you don’t even know the nutritional content of what you’re eating. But once you learn how many fat grams and calories are in that candy bar, you’ll probably think twice before you eat it. In the same way, folks with more information about how much energy they waste even when they’re not at home may be motivated to turn off and unplug unnecessary appliances or turn down their thermostat. This technology will help you discover those “phantom” loads or “energy vampires” that suck up electricity when they’re not even on so that you can unplug them when not in use.  With a little experimentation, you’ll also be able to identify the energy hogs in your house, like refrigerators and washing machines, and can use the upcoming Trade Up Appliance Rebate to replace them. Texas has $32 million in stimulus funds available for energy efficient appliance rebates, go to the website for more information and stay tuned to Texas Vox for more information!

For more information, check out the PUC’s press release.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Last week, TXsharon made a video statement at the EPA Public Hearing on the proposed ozone standards.

Who Needs a Proctologist when you have former State Representative Rick Green running for the Texas Supreme Court?

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy looks at the voter turnout in the Bryan and College Station municipal elections and has to ask the question if minority rules? Teddy also unpacks the misleading poll on health care reform that the Chamber of Commerce commissioned to attack Democrats in conservative congressional districts. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know why monuments to racism and fear are so important to Republicans. Why not spend taxpayer dollars on something constructive like education or health care?

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the continuation of skyrocketing homeowners insurance rates in Texas Homeowners insurance corporations – increasing our pain, Perry, GOP sit idly by.

Off the Kuff writes about tough times for school districts. Get ready for another school finance lawsuit, because it’s coming sooner or later.

The Texas Cloverleaf tells the Dallas Trinity Tollers I told ya so.

Phillip Martin at Burnt Orange Report has covered Rick Perry’s “secret” border plan in great detail — namely, the lies and politics Perry has thrust into a very serious and dangerous situation along the Texas-Mexico border. Be sure to read his post, Rick Perry’s Political Grandstanding Misrepresents Definition of “Spillover Violence” and follow the links at the bottom of that post to learn much, much more.

WhosPlayin’s story last week about a tax-dodging Lewisville City Councilman resulted in a tearful admission at the next council meeting, where news cameras were running. WhosPlayin follows up on the results of that meeting, and analyzes the media coverage and truthfulness of the councilman in his response.

A little March madness in the form of preparations for his Senate district convention overtook PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, and he lumped in two updates on the campaigns of Bill White and Lakeisha Rogers (completely unrelated, trust him).

LibbyShaw over at TexasKaos, checks in on Representative Rep. Louie Gohmert who, in speaking to a Tea Bagger rally “declared that “demons” – yes, demons – have invaded the capital (and likely the souls of Democrats), forcing lawmakers to mislead the public about the content of the health care bill.” Check out the rest of the fun here: TX U.S. House Rep: “Demons have Invaded the Capital”.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

“For well over a century, migratory birds have faced stresses such as commercial hunting, loss of forests,  the use of DDT and other pesticides, a loss of wetlands and other key habitat, the introduction of invasive species, and other impacts of human development,” Salazar said. “Now they are facing a new threat–climate change–that could dramatically alter their habitat and food supply and push many species towards extinction.”

The State of the Birds reports on oceanic, coastal, wetlands, islands, aridlands, grasslands and forest birds. These findings include observations and predictions, their vulnerability and potential impacts.

Key findings from the report include:

• Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don’t raise many young each year; they face challenges from a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise. All 67 oceanic bird species, such as petrels and albatrosses, are among the most vulnerable birds on Earth to climate change.

• For bird species that are already of conservation concern such as the golden-cheeked warbler (which only nests right here in Central Texas), whooping crane, and spectacled eider, the added vulnerability to climate change may hasten declines or prevent recovery.

• The report identified common bird species such as the American oystercatcher, common nighthawk, and northern pintail that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.

State agencies and conservation organizations are provided with alternative solutions to assist with the local bird population in their area.

“While there is much to be concerned about in this report, we can reduce the impact of climate change by taking immediate action to reduce carbon emissions and find creative conservation solutions to help birds adapt to the changes that are already in process,” said David Pashley, vice president of the American Bird Conservancy.

It is important to remember that we share this environment with other species. It is our responsibility to protect the natural world around us. Not only for us but for our future generation.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Check out the flyer and blog below by Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas — hope to see you there!

In Texas, we have enough sun to power the entire state, and enough beats and beer to power Environment Texas’ unofficial SXSW party A Solar Affair: Beats and Beers for Solar Power. Friday’s party – which features music by Daedelus and a short talk by state Representative Mark Strama – comes amidst a major push for Texas to go solar.

Our state has the most solar radiation in the country, we are home to the world’s largest supplier of solar-grade silicon, and we are great innovators in the high-tech industry. Texas would be a natural home for the nation’s solar industry.

But we need leadership to get us there. By providing incentives to help Texans put solar panels on the roofs of homes and businesses and by building large-scale solar farms, we can clean the air, create good manufacturing jobs and become a national leader in solar power.

The best way for Texas to ensure that this happens is by committing to a 10-year market development program that includes financial incentives and new construction design policies. With even a modest investment, we can help create economies of scale to make solar affordable for everyone and create a major economic engine for the state.

As a first step, the Public Utility Commission should use its authority to implement a 500-megawatt “non-wind” 2015 goal in our state renewable energy law and include a 100-megawatt program for distributed renewable energy generation.

Additionally, we should ensure that retail electric providers offer fair buyback rates to electric customers who produce a surplus of electricity and are able to put electricity back on the grid. These policies would be an important down payment for solar that we can improve on in the 82nd Legislature as we look ahead to 2020 and beyond.

According to a survey done by the governor’s own pollster, “There is a statewide consensus to ‘require’ electric companies to provide a certain percentage of their product from renewable sources such as wind and solar. Support crossed party, racial and gender lines — 86 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of Republicans, 89 percent of Hispanics, 84 percent of females under the age of 55 and 61 percent of males over the age of 55.”

Texas should adopt a solar program and make sure we don’t miss out on what is sure to become a major economic driver for the 21st century.

So this Friday, meet some of the leaders in Texas’ solar movement over beers and hip hop and electronic music and learn what you can do to help Texas Go Solar.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.