Next Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 pm Austin Film Festival Presents will screen the film Burning the Future: Coal in America at Alamo Lake Creek off Research Blvd.
Burning the Future: Coal in America is a documentary that examines the explosive conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Confronted by emerging “clean coal” energy policies, local activists watch a world blind to the devastation caused by coal’s extraction. Faced with toxic ground water and the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, our heroes launch a valiant fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life.
The showing will be FREE for AFF members, $4 for public
For more information, and a full listing of AFF Presents screenings and other AFF events, click here.
Posted in Coal | Tagged AFF, alamo lake creek, austin film festival, Austin Film Festival Presents, burning the future, Burning the Future: Coal in America, clean coal, Coal, coal in america, coal industry, Energy, mountain top removal, Texas, toxic ground water, west virginia |
For your Earth Day enjoyment, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense have written a joint Op-Ed that has been published in both the Austin American Statesman & the Houston Chronicle. So on this day of celebration, Let’s Begin a Better Future Now and Enact Energy Laws to Clear Air, Create Jobs!
Check it out:
Texas citizens get it.
More of us than ever are mindful of switching off lights, weatherizing our homes and doing all that we can to save energy. State legislators can get it too. This session, they have an opportunity and responsibility to save us even more money on our electricity bills, create thousands of green jobs and reduce pollution across the state. Our representatives now have less than six weeks to pass the best of nearly 100 bills that have been introduced on clean power and green jobs. These energy efficiency and renewable energy bills set the stage for rebuilding, repowering and renewing our state’s economy during tough times. They will build a sustainable future for Texas.
The energy efficiency bills contain plans for helping Texas families by creating jobs while reducing consumption of electricity in our homes and buildings. When our homes and buildings are well-insulated and our appliances more efficient, we don’t need to burn wasteful and damaging amounts of dirty fossil fuels for electricity.
An additional benefit to creating Texas’ new clean energy economy is that we can clean up our air and address climate change at the same time. As we provide new jobs installing clean energy technologies, we can decrease the public health risks and costs associated with the impacts of burning coal. Continue Reading »
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables | Tagged Austin American-Statesman, Clean Energy, consumption, earth day, Energy Efficiency, environmental defense fund, green jobs, houston chronicle, Public Citizen, Renewables, Sierra Club, Texas, Tom "Smitty" Smith, Weatherization |
Fraser’s solar bill, SB 545, just passed out of the Senate floor with a vote of 26 to 4.
SB 545 will:
- Build our emerging renewable technologies
- Create jobs
- Lower electric costs in the long term
- Reduce pollution
- Assure fair prices for excess electricity generated by distributive renewable energy sources; and
- Allow new home buyers to have a solar option.
More specifically, the bill provides $500 million over the next 5 years in solar incentives. The PUC will also have an option of extending the program.
A few good amendments also got tacked on at the 11th hour, so now the bill also contains:
- net metering language, so that folks with solar panels on their homes will be able to sell power back into the grid at a fair rate
- an amendment so that Home Owner’s Associations won’t be able to prevent people from putting solar panels on their homes unless the HOA can prove it is dangerous
- a website requirement so that PUC will have to provide information to the public on solar incentives and subsidies available
- a requirement that electrical coops and munis have to adopt a similar solar program and report back to the lege in 3 years to prove they’ve done their homework
Now all we need to get solar panels on your house… is to get a companion bill through the House 🙂
Posted in Renewables | Tagged fraser, green jobs, HOAs, pollution, sb 545, solar, Solar Incentives, Texas |
HB 2721 threatens to fast-track water permits for nuclear plants, which use vast quantities of water. Water is precious, and Governor Perry has just requested federal aid for all 254 counties in Texas due to statewide drought. Water permits should be given careful scrutiny, and not be rushed. This bill, which will be heard tomorrow on Earth Day, would actually deny citizens the right to a contested case hearing for these water permits!
According to Greg Harman over at the San Antonio Current’s QueBlog:
To cool down the superheated water used to create electricity can take hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per minute. According to the Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition fighting nuclear power in the state, the plants proposed at Comanche Peak in North Texas would require104,000 acre feet per year: 33.8 billion gallons.
To ease the potential political stew that could come from the plants’ permit applications (if they are built), Canton-based Representative Dan Flynn filed a bill to fast-track the water permitting process. (Dan was joined by Houston’s Rep. Bill Callegari as co-author a couple days after the bill was filed and has since also been joined by reps Randy Weber, Tim Kleinschmidt, and Phil King.)
Under House Bill 2721, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must create “reasonably streamlined processes” to move those applications along. One key way to move a controversial permit it to not allow the TCEQ refer it to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for a public airing. Continue Reading »
Posted in Nuclear | Tagged dan flynn, ercot, governor perry, house environmental regulation, Luminant, nuclear plant, Nuclear Power, Texas, water permit |
Texas solar is all kinds of famous. Whether it is in print papers, the New York Times green blog, classified ads, the nightly news, Mic SoL-o’s sweet rhymes, or Public Citizen staffers with too much time on their hands and a taste for the spotlight… solar is all over the place!
But wait, there’s more. Along with Environmental Defense Fund and Environment Texas, we’ve just launched an ad campaign aimed at getting the Texas Legislature to support measures to make Texas a world solar leader. The commercials will run for a week in the Abilene, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tyler/Longview, and Wichita Falls viewing areas and call on the Legislature to support incentives to install solar panels on the equivalent of a half-million Texas rooftops by 2020.
Check it:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynmERFZzHLg]
So far more than 80 bills have been filed by a bi-partisan group of legislators to promote solar power and other renewable energy technologies, including:
- SB 545 (Fraser), which creates a statewide rebate program which would fund the installation of up to 500 megawatts of solar by 2015. SB 5454 has passed the Senate Business and Commerce committee and is expected to be voted on by the full Senate next week.
- SB 541 (Watson), which requires the development of 3000 megawatts of solar, geothermal and biomass energy by 2020. SB 541 is pending in the Senate Business and Commerce committee.
- HB 3405 (Swinford), which creates a statewide rebate program that would fund the installation of 3000 megawatts of solar by 2020. HB 3405 is pending in the House Energy Resources committee.
Posted in Renewables | Tagged ad campaign, environment texas, environmental defense fund, fraser, mic sol-o, New York Times, Public Citizen, solar power, swinford, Texas, watson |
Good news from Bay City! The preliminary hearing for White Stallion Energy Center was this morning, and the No Coal Coalition, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund ALL GOT STANDING. That means that when the real contested case hearing happens, in six months or so, we’ll all be legal parties to the process.
Anyone looking for more information on White Stallion or interested in getting involved in this fight is encouraged to visit the No Coal Coalition’s website. There you can find articles about the plant, sign up for e-mail updates, and get protest stickers and yard signs. You should also, of course, check out Coal Block and join the community to get in contact with other organizers and activists.
Maybe some day you can be as cool as this lady, who was among more than 40 people that just got arrested at a peaceful protest of Duke Energy over their coal policies. Nearly 300 people gathered near their headquarters in Charlotte, South Caroline this morning “to decry the expansion of Duke’s Cliffside coal-fired power plant in Rutherford County, its use of coal mined by flattening Appalachian mountains and its contributions to global warming.”
Definitely check out the slide show from this protest. Inspiring stuff… anybody want to do it here? Go link up on Coal Block Community. Its like Facebook for anti-coal activists.
Posted in Coal | Tagged bay city, cliffside, coal block, duke energy, environmental defense, no coal coalition, north carolina, peaceful protest, Public Citizen, Texas, white stallion energy center |
NEWSFLASH! Carbon Dioxide emissions may represent a threat to public health or welfare.
Shocking, I know. But what is old news to the rest of us, released in the form of a proposed endangerment finding by the EPA, is actually a really big deal. Environmentalists and concerned citizens alike have been waiting years for this announcement. In 2007, as a result of the landmark Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. EPA, the court ordered the EPA administrator to determine if greenhouse gas emissions could “cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.” The Bush Administration delayed reacting to this order, but Friday EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson signed a proposed endangerment finding which identified six global warming gasses that pose a threat to human health.
The finding will now enter a 60-day comment period, and have no immediate regulatory effect, but could give the EPA power to regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act.
According to the EPA’s official statement,
Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.
After years of global warming being the elephant in the room that the government would not address, the EPA’s proposed finding finally gives the agency the ability to take action on climate change — though as stated, everyone would rather Congress take care of business. Hopefully, this finding will light a fire under cap-and-trade negotiations.
Its kind of like when my mother used threaten that she’d clean my room herself if I didn’t get cracking — which I knew meant she would just come in with a trash bag and clear everything out. The EPA could straight up regulate carbon dioxide — but few people would really be happy with the result, most environmentalists included. By creating new policy, Congress is simply better equipped to deal with our greenhouse gas emissions than the EPA.
So sorry Congress — no more reading the comics you found with the dust bunnies under the bed. Go clean up, or Mom’s going to start vacuuming.
But don’t take my word for it. Andy Wilson (Citizen Andy, if you will), Global Warming Program Director here at the Texas Office, wrote a statement on how this finding relates to the big picture, and Texas specifically. Check it out!
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged andy wilson, cap and trade, Carbon Dioxide, charlie gonzalez, citizen andy, clean air act, climate change, co2, coal plant, Congress, drought, endangerment finding, EPA, Gene Green, Global Warming, greenhouse gasses, house energy and commerce, Joe Barton, Lisa Jackson, lowered crop yields, Markey, mass v epa, michael burgess, president obama, Public Citizen, supreme court, Texas, Waxman |
Coming soon, more information about our TV commercials that will air soon to promote solar (there are lots of good solar bills at the Lege) brought to you by Public Citizen, Environment Texas, and the Environmental Defense Fund.
Posted in Energy, Renewables | Tagged environment texas, environmental defense fund, Public Citizen, Texas, TV commercials |
There is too much fun going on in the next few days… I can’t handle it. I wish I could be multiple places at once… and influence climate change legislation by sheer will power.. and attach documents to e-mails telepathically. Ah well, if wishes were horses, I’d have gotten that pony when I was six.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all the good stuff going on over the next couple days:
Old Settler’s Music Festival, Thursday March 16 – Sunday March 20
Old Settler’s Music Festival is 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.
Public Citizen is an official sponsor of the event, so keep your eyes out for our table, banners, and slide-shows in between sets. We hope to live blog the festivities, so be on the lookout for artist interviews and sneak peaks of shows. And don’t forget your sunscreen, that hill country sun can be brutal!
Fighting Goliath screening, Thursday April 16
When: Thursday, April 16 at 7:00pm
Where: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, 14311 Wellsport Drive (one block west of the Wells Branch exit off of I-40).
Narrated by Robert Redford and produced by The Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and Alpheus Media, FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS follows the story of Texans fighting a high-stakes battle for clean air. The film introduces the unlikely partners-mayors, ranchers, CEOs, community groups, legislators, lawyers, and citizens-that have come together to oppose the construction of 19 conventional coal-fired power plants that were slated to be built in Eastern and Central Texas and that were being fast-tracked by the Governor. (34 minutes)
Public Citizen’s Ryan Rittenhosue will do a short presentation on Texas’ current coal threat and have a Q&A session afterward.
Environmental Justice & the Multicultural City: The Transformative Role of Urban Planning City Forum, Friday, April 17
People of color and low-income communities have disproportionately suffered from the environmental burdens generated by consumption and production choices made by others. Responding to these injustices, neighborhood activists have been fighting for over 30 years for the right to live, work, and play in healthy environments. In this City Forum, the panelists will share their insights from research and activist work, and discuss the potential role of planning educators, students and practitioners in addressing environmental justice concerns. Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal, Global Warming, Toxics, Uncategorized | Tagged americana, Austin, Austin Energy, Brewster McCracken, camp ben mcculloch, city forum, climate change, coal block, coal wars, earth day weekend, environmental justice, fighting goliath, focus the nation, green apple festival, hundred acre3s, Lloyd Doggett, old settler's music festival, PODER, Public Citizen, robert redford, Roger Duncan, ryan rittenhouse, salt lick pavilion, St. Edward's University, susana almanza, Texas, texas union, town hall, urban planning, will wynn |
The City of Austin’s municipal elections are coming up May 9th, which means that throughout the following weeks there will be lots of candidate forums and opportunities to question our potential leaders. From our friends at PODER, here are two upcoming events:
East Austin Candidate Forums
What do this year’s Mayoral and City Council candidates have to offer East Austin? Ask them yourself! By attending these upcoming forums, you’ll find out what the candidates plan to do about quality of life disparities in East Austin. Hear how they respond to tough questions from the community about unemployment, housing, stimulus funding for neighborhoods, and minority representation.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 AT 6 PM
Southwest Key‘s Mayoral and Place 1 Candidate Forum
6002 Jain Lane, Austin
512.462.2181
*Childcare and refreshments provided by AARP
*Habla Español
THURSDAY, APRIL 23 AT 6 PM
PODER’s Mayoral and City Council Candidate Forum
Space 12 located at 3221 East 12th Street
512.472.9921
*Sponsored by PODER, Space 12, Rosewood & other East Austin Neighborhood Associations & Muntu: Reflections in East Austin
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aarp, candidate forum, city of austin, east austin, housing, mayoral race, minority representation, municipal elections, muntu, place 1, PODER, rosewood, southwest key, space 12, stimulus funds, Texas, unemployment |
Residents Who May Be Affected by Plant’s Pollutants Should Tell the Judge
AUSTIN – Next Monday marks the last chance to register as legal opponents to the White Stallion power plant proposed near Bay City, and Public Citizen is urging people to attend. Opponents have organized a group called the No Coal Coalition around concerns for air quality, water use, the health effects of increased pollution and the plant’s potential contribution to global warming.
The White Stallion Energy Center is slated for construction just 10 miles south of Bay City. The State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) will conduct a preliminary hearing on the White Stallion Energy Center at 10 a.m. Monday, April 20, at the Bay City Convention Center.
Anyone with concerns or who anticipates being affected by air contaminant emissions from the facility may attend Monday’s hearing and request to be a party to the case. A SOAH judge will decide who will be eligible to participate in the case; the actual contested case hearing, which will be in about six months, will be a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court.
“We are extremely concerned about the White Stallion plant,” said Robert M. Malina, Ph.D, a Bay City resident representing the No Coal Coalition and a professor emeritus with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin.” If built, White Stallion would emit thousands of tons of pollution, which could have serious health consequences for a large number of people and the environment. Emissions from coal plants can complicate asthma, cardiac pulmonary disease, and many other circulatory and respiratory conditions. Mercury and lead, both emitted in large quantities from coal and petroleum coke plants, accumulate in our bodies and the environment and are associated with serious developmental problems in children. Simply stated, the White Stallion plant should not be built.” Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal | Tagged bay city, bay city convention center, coal block, colorado river, hunton igcc, no coal coalition, NRG, Public Citizen, robert malina, ryan rittenhouse, soah, state office of administrative hearings, Texas, Tom "Smitty" Smith, white stallion, white stallion energy center, white stallion power plant |
April 13, 2009 by Citizen Carol
The Sustainable Endowments Institute, a nonprofit organization that advances sustainability on university and college campuses, has released their 2009 College Sustainability Report Card. An independent evaluation of campus and endowment sustainability activities at colleges and universities with the 300 largest endowments in the United States and Canada, the report card is designed to identify institutions that are leading by example on sustainability.
The Report Card’s grading system seeks to encourage sustainability as a priority in college operations and endowment investment practices by offering independent yearly assessments. The focus is on policies and practices in nine main categories:
- Administration
- Climate Change & Energy
- Endowment Transparency
- Food & Recycling
- Green Building
- Investment Priorities
- Shareholder Engagement
- Student Involvement
- Transportation
How does my school rank?
Twelve Texas schools are represented in the report card but only one school, Rice University, falls in the top third with an overall score of B-. Eight Texas schools land in the bottom third with scores of C- to D. Below is a listing of the Texas schools rated and their overall score.
| Texas University |
City |
2008 Score |
2009 Score |
| Rice University |
Houston |
C+ |
B- |
| University of Texas at Austin |
Austin |
B- |
C+ |
| Texas A & M University |
College Station |
C- |
C+ |
| Southern Methodist University |
Dallas |
C- |
C+ |
| University of Houston |
Houston |
D |
C- |
| Trinity University |
San Antonio |
D- |
C- |
| Baylor University |
Waco |
C- |
C- |
| Southwestern University |
Georgetown |
D+ |
C- |
| Texas Christian University |
Fort Worth |
D+ |
C- |
| University of Texas at Dallas |
Dallas |
N/A |
C- |
| Abilene Christian University |
Abilene |
N/A |
D+ |
| Texas Tech University |
Lubbock |
D |
D |
To find out more about your school’s rankings go to The College Sustainability Report Card.
How can my school participate in the College Sustainability Report Card?
In 2010, the Sustainable Endowments Institute is offering the opportunity for all institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada to be included in the College Sustainability Report Card. Through a new Opt-In Initiative, any higher education institution may apply for inclusion in the 2010 edition of the College Sustainability Report Card. Applications to Opt-In a school may be submitted by administrators, alumni, faculty, staff, students or trustees and must be received by May 8, 2009.
This process will dramatically increase the depth and breadth of school evaluations in the Report Card, however to sustain this increase there is a requirement of a $700 donation. Grant assistance is available to schools that have a demonstrated need.
If you would like to have your school included in the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card you can find links to the application forms here.
Where can I get help if I would like to encourage sustainability at my campus?
ReEnergize Texas, a project of the Texas office of Public Citizen, is a coalition of students fighting climate change across the Lone Star State. We have staff available to assist student groups who want to get active on their campuses. If you would like to have your campus participate in the College Sustainability Report Card or would like ideas about what your campus can do to improve their score, visit ReEnergize Texas to find out how we can help.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Sustainability Texas campus reenergize, Texas |
It has been accepted for a while now that the Arctic and the Antarctic Peninsula have been warming, at least partly due to anthropogenic warming. However, recent scientific studies have concluded that the entire continent of Antarctica is warming and is clearly linked to the worldwide warming trend. Based on recent studies and recent events, scientists are extremely concerned that the melting in the Arctic and Antarctic are warming much faster than was previously expected.
One of the most alarming events occurred when an ice bridge that was previously anchoring the Wilkins Ice Shelf to the rest of the Antarctic Peninsula shattered. To use the words of British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Professor David Vaugha, “the ice sheet has almost exploded into a large number, hundreds of small icebergs.”It is also important to note that this ice sheet was formerly thought to be relatively stable, at least for the foreseeable future. This ice bridge was thought to be a critical barrier keeping the rest of the ice sheet in place. Now that it has collapsed, there is nothing to prevent this enormous ice sheet from disintegrating.
Parts of the ice shelf are now beginning to resemble shattered glass.
But this type of phenomena is not a singular occurrence. In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey recently released a report concluding that the “Wordie Ice Shelf, which has been retreating in the past 40 years, is completely gone.” The same study also stated that the Northern part of the Larsen Ice Shelf has also disintegrated. However, it is important to acknowledge that these and other sea based ice shelves will not contribute to any substantial rise in seas level. Instead, the melting of these sheets opens the door for further melting which will very likely affect sea levels in the future.
But scientists now have evidence that this warming trend is not solely represented in the Antarctic Peninsula. In fact, a new scientific report has concluded that, on average, the entire continent of Antarctica has been warming over the past half century. This report disproves the former belief that the Eastern Part of Antarctica has actually been cooling over the past century. The dispute on the warming in this region of the Arctic was largely due to the lack of weather stations in the interior of the continent. However, with the help of satellite images over the past 25 years and several unmanned weather stations in the interior, scientists were able to conclude that the eastern part of the Antarctic is, in fact, warming. The scientists concluded in the study that anthropogenic green house gas emissions is almost certainly a primary cause of this warming trend.
But as well all know, Antarctica is not the only place in the world experiencing the effects of global climate change. On the other side of the world, scientists are predicting that the Arctic ocean may be nearly ice-free in only 30 years. This figure was reached after averaging six of the most specific models dealing with sea-ice released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The average of these six models was around 32 years, with one of the models estimating an ice-free arctic summer being only an mere 11 years away.
Based on these events and recent scientific studies, it is evident that global climate change is affecting both poles. The effects of global warming are being felt worldwide, on all 7 continents. The time for debate on this issue has passed, the time for action is now.
– Andrew Townsend, Global Warming Intern
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Antarctic, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, arctic, climate change, Global Warming, Ice Shelf, Larsen ICe Shelf, Melting, Shattered ice, Texas, Wilkens Ice Shelf, Wordie Ice Shelf |
This week citizens submitted two separate filings to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) opposing Luminant (formerly TXU)’s proposed Comanche Peak nuclear reactors. Petitioners include state Rep. Lon Burnam, the SEED Coalition, Public Citizen and the Ft. Worth based True Cost of Nukes.
In the past, NRC has made companies jump through two major hoops before their operating license is granted. First, the company must complete the reactor design certification process which ensures that the design for the plant is safe. If a company decides to choose a pre-certified design that has been built before and the NRC has vetted, they may get their operating license faster because they can skip dealing with design issues. After their design is approved, the company can then file for their license to operate in a separate process. This is when citizens have the opportunity to analyze such documents as the Environmental Impact Statement and file contentions.
But for this new fleet of nuclear plants being licensed, the NRC has streamlined this process, combining both the design certification and licensing process into one. This is a major problem for reactors such as those proposed at Comanche Peak because they are submitting a design that has never been built before anywhere in the world. It hardly makes sense that NRC can approve a plant to operate when they don’t even know if the plant design is feasible or safe, but that is exactly what is happening. This is kind of like getting in car and driving off to the drugstore when you’re not sure where it is and… oops, might not even know how to drive.
“By
moving
the
license
forward
without
having
certified
the
design,
the
NRC
is
violating
its
own
rules,”
said
attorney
Robert
Eye, “The
licensing
process
should
be
halted
until
the
NRC
can
honestly
say
that
the
reactor
design
is
safe.”
Rep. Lon Burnam has compared what the NRC is doing to making those living near Comanche Peak “guinea pigs in a radioactive experiment.” Other nuclear plants that have
gone forth with construction before their design was finalized and approved by regulators have seen serious complications.
In addition to the madness of the NRC’s licensing process, there were even further contentions filed concerning defects in Comanche Peak’s license application. These contentions include:
- inadequate fire protection
- no viable radioactive waste disposal plan
- inability to secure against airplane attacks
- financial, health and safety risks
- vast water consumption
- failure to address safe, clean energy alternatives
The next step in this process is for the NRC to respond to citizen’s petitions and contentions.
For further information on contentions filed, check out SEED Coalition’s press release after the jump. Continue Reading »
Posted in Nuclear | Tagged citizen contentions, comanche peak nuclear plant, environmental impact statement, lon burnam, Luminant, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Public Citizen, reactor design certification, SEED Coalition, Texas, true cost of nukes, TXU |
Want to vote in the upcoming City of Austin Municipal Elections? The deadline to vote in the May 9th elections is this Thursday, March 9th.
Says the Statesman:
To be eligible to vote for mayor or city council members or ballot initiatives in Travis County communities, you must mail a registration application to the Travis County Registrar. Those already registered to vote in Travis County do not have to re-apply.
Residents of Austin and other Travis County cities can find a registration application at the Travis County Tax Assessor/Collector’s website or by calling 238-8683. Some parts of North Austin are actually in Williamson County; those voters can obtain applications at www.wilco.org or by calling 943-1630.
To vote in Texas, you must be a U.S. citizen, live in the county you register, be at least 18 years old on Election Day, not have been convicted of a felony, and not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law, according to a release from the City of Austin.
Want to see where the candidates stand on environmental issues? Come to a candidate forum focused on sustainability issues this Thursday, March 9 at 5:30 pm at City Hall. Continue Reading »
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged american youthworks, Austin, Austin American-Statesman, austin carshare, Austin EcoNetwork, austin metro trails and greenways, Austin Permaculture Guild, Central Texas Zero Waste Alliance, Citizen Gardner, city of austin, Clean Water Action, election day, environment texas, environmental candidate forum, municipal elections, north austin, OHPEN, PODER, Public Citizen, Save Barton Creek Association, Save Our Springs Alliance, SEED Coalition, Sierra Club, Solar Austin, Sustainable Food Center, Texas, Texas Campaign for the Environment, texas climate emergency campaign, Texas Environmental Democrats, Texas Green Network, travis county, Travis County Registrar, voter registration, williamson county |
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