Comments from the Chair

New Council holds promise

Our new City Council and reelected Mayor were sworn into office on June 19th. This Council presents a real opportunity for progressive people to influence our city’s future. I attach an expanded version of comments I made to the Council's "A" session on June 20th, and that I have sent to all Council and Mayor offices describing our priorities for 2019-2020.

Climate plan needs a push to get it over the finish line

Our new City Council must pass the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP). We need members to sign up to speak about CAAP (“Meeting in a Box” materials are available to make this fairly easy) at homeowner, business, and other local meetings and gatherings.

We need to rally support over the next couple months because right wing anti-government and pro-fossil fuel groups will be pushing back hard against the CAAP. The cost—in dollars, health, and catastrophic losses—of business as usual will be far greater than the cost of the CAAP. Meanwhile, our scientific understanding of climate change is better and more certain than ever. Renewable clean energy is better and cheaper than ever, and technologies such as energy efficiency and electric vehicles continues to improve rapidly. Our main deficiency is a lack of political will.

Study proves CPS coal plants were a financial mistake

The National Sierra Club has issued “An Updated Look at the Economics of the J.K. Spruce Power Plant”, which again shows the bad economic problems CPS faces by continuing to operate the Spruce coal plants at a loss in almost every conceivable future scenario. The Spruce plants are “stranded assets” that should not have been built, and CPS leadership is wedded to their use as long as possible only because of the huge investments made.

And, of course, they are unwilling to admit their energy generation planning process was fundamentally flawed. The fact is, common sense citizens in the Sierra Club knew we manage better with more energy efficiency, more renewables, and incremental market purchases or gas plant investments. Citizen input was ignored, and now citizens are expected to pay a high cost for these management mistakes. Citizens have a right to protest.

Progress is made at CPS Energy...

After years of effort we now have video streaming of CPS Board of Trustees meetings and Citizens to be Heard opportunities. We thank Mayor Nirenberg for supporting us in this effort.

But CEO pay is a problem

CEO Paula Gold-Williams was granted a “bonus” of over $440,000, bringing her total compensation to over $930,000. Too bad she didn’t see the image problem this creates and do as Mr. Puente, CEO of SAWS, did last year in declining to accept his bonus. This happens as CPS prepares to ask for customer rate increases....

Transportation plans key to tackling air pollution, climate change  

ConnectSA is the joint COSA-Bexar County-VIA effort started a year ago to address our transportation needs. Progress on our transportation needs is critical to addressing air quality, Climate Plan needs of carbon reduction, and our quality of life.

Our air is unhealthy and we are in ozone non-attainment. Spruce coal plants need to be shut down to improve our air and our health. We have some of the highest asthma rates in Texas, and our children suffer especially from asthma, missing lots of days of school, spending lots on medicine, doctor and ER visits, and even hospitalizations. Asthma can be fatal, but never should be. Our air impairs many outdoor activities for recreation and work also. We have little over a year to improve our air enough to avoid moderate non-attainment for ozone, which comes with much more burdensome regulatory costs.

We cannot build more traffic lanes to solve our problem. There is abundant research showing this approach virtually never works. We need effective transit, and changes to our personal vehicle-dependent sprawl-based urban growth pattern. Former City Councilman Rey Saldana (term limited) was just appointed new Chairman of the VIA Board. He has been an advocate for improved transit in San Antonio. The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approved $63 million in congestion mitigation and air quality improvement projects recently (not more highways!).

SAWS, the continuing saga

I was wrong last month about Board Chairman Guerra’s term expiring. It turns out it expired in May, 2018!! He and his protégé Merritt are both over one year past their term limits! This should not be allowed to continue. We need the Mayor to use his authority to replace Guerra with Amy Hardberger, and begin the replacement process for Merritt now.

SAWS rates going up again

They will be raising our water rates again! They are seeking volunteers for a new Rate Advisory Committee (RAC) to meet over probably six months to develop new water rates. It is time this RAC represent social and environmental justice concerns, as well as business. It is time for real alternatives to the present fee for service (sell more, make more) model used by our utilities (SAWS and CPS). Please get involved and ask your City Council Member to nominate you, or nominate yourself directly. Learn more about nominations, which are due by July 31st, on SAWS' Rate Advisory Committee page.

Abbott nixes SAWS' plan to export Edwards water

SAWS suffered quite a setback when the Governor vetoed their pet bill, HB 1806, after they succeeded in pushing it through the legislature. This bill was specifically designed for (and perhaps by) SAWS so that they would be permitted to export Edwards Aquifer (EA) water outside of Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) jurisdiction.

The EAA was set up decades ago in response to a Sierra Club lawsuit for the protection of spring flows in the New Braunfels/San Marcos area. EAA manages EA water to protect the springs, coordinating many competing demands placed on the EA. Had this bill become law, even with its “compromise” maximum of 6,000 acre-feet/year, the potential export implications of EA water to other users, possibly by other water agencies, and steady pressures to increase allowed export amounts, and weakening of EAA, could have had catastrophic consequences to decades of careful collaborative management.

SAWS' effort was, of course, made because they fear having way too much water starting next year. To my knowledge they have no firm commitments from others on the IH-35 corridor to buy excess Vista Ridge (VR) water. They also saw HB 1806 as a way to vastly simplify their water accounting because they would not have to be sure EA water is not going outside EAA jurisdiction. It is also sad to note that SAWS promised never to go to the legislature to change rules in their favor in ways to help their VR project, but here they are. They also went again to Austin, and this time succeeded, to get special legislation to allow them to time coordinate permits with the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District (GCD), another bully move that weakens GCD authority in Texas.

Far right lobbying group mounts anti-CAAP offensive

In 2017, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a free market think tank, sued the federal government on behalf of the Texas General Land Office, attacking the endangered species status of our Golden-cheeked warbler. That suit failed and was dismissed in February, 2019. This is the same organization that is now involving itself in opposition to our local CAAP efforts.

They held a "SA Climate Change Gamble” Forum on June 12th to present the “facts” in a “nonpartisan” manner, while doing everything they could to encourage the doubts and denials of their small audience of maybe 30 largely elderly white supporters.

I, and maybe ten other environmental or neutral (CoSA/CPS) persons, attended and observed as a retired Marine Colonel emotionally declared this Climate talk was “all nonsense and a lot of baloney”. The TPPF Public Outreach Speaker Rafa Bejar declared his agreement with this speaker.

This is an example of how outlandishly they distort information for their political purposes.

TPPF plans three more events here to get their forces out to support “free market” solutions to our climate crisis. We need to remain vigilant and active to counter this false narrative of climate doubt, denial, and "free market will save us" magical thinking.

Action Alert: Passing the CAAP, Growing our Group

In the coming weeks, members of the Alamo Group's Executive Committee will be finalizing plans for two important projects.

One

We are embarking on a planning initiative to determine how best we can help pass San Antonio's Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. You may recall, a vote on the would-be historic plan was twice delayed by our mayor earlier this year after local business leaders and key Council members came out in opposition after the January draft release. Mayor Ron Nirenberg remains committed to passage but will certainly need help moving community and Council solidly into the “For” camp.

Two

More broadly, as part of a new strategic planning process, we will be surveying all area members to participate to help us determine our future priorities and tactics for the group. This will be followed by a membership-wide meeting to determine the charge for members entered into a facilitated retreat and a report back with full membership inclusion. Currently identified priorities include visioning priorities for the next several years, membership engagement, and building youth power.

For more information, contact Wendell Fuqua or Terry Burns.

El Malpais National Monument

Until looking at unfamiliar green blobs on a New Mexico map, I had never heard of El Malpais. It is just south of I-40 between Gallup and Albuquerque. This place is mostly vast lava flows of ages between 2000 and 115,000 years, stretching up to 40 miles north-south and 15 miles west-east. Here are links to a map from the National Park Service (NPS) website and the Wikipedia page.

Ancestral Puebloan peoples were here long before the Spanish, with the largest population occurring between 940 and 1350 AD; here's an NPS page. In particular, the Dittert Site is believed to be a Chacoan culture outlier. An NPS document about the later, rich cultural history of the area is titled: In The Land of Frozen Fires.

Late afternoon from the Sandstone Bluffs viewpoint, looking north-northwest. The area to the left is all lava flows. A short distance north of Joe Skeen campground, both just off Hwy 117. The Zuni-Acoma Trail crosses out of the picture to the left. Hazy due to very high winds; had to sleep in the car. April 2018.

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) runs through El Malpais on the Zuni-Acoma Trail (here is a photo gallery), and along the Chain of Craters (cinder cones) in El Malpais National Conservation Area just west of the monument. There are hiking trails up many of the cinder cones off Chain of Craters Road.

Several lava tubes can be explored seasonally. Get a permit and learn about how to avoid transmitting white-nose syndrome to the bats.

Nearby, the El Morro National Monument (article in July, 2016 newsletter) is a short drive west and Chaco Culture National Historic Park is a few hours north. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is three hours northwest and Petrified Forest National Park (article in January, 2017 newsletter) is two hours west.

La Ventana Arch, just off Hwy 117.

At the south end of Chain of Craters Road on the CDT, after driving the road; Alamo Group hiking buddies on the way back from a private trip to Grand Canyon and Chaco Culture national parks. One of them, at a slightly challenging spot on the drive, said the road was #@$% !!! April 2017.

Hiking buddies on the El Calderon cinder cone, on the El Calderon loop trail. Part of the Chain of Craters is on the right, with the Chain of Craters Road in the low area. April 2016.

Sierra Club Youth Outdoors Enjoys Guadalupe River

Sierra Club Youth Outdoors is back in action and looking for new volunteers and leaders to show local kids the joys of getting outside. We do hiking and camping; watch birds, bats and butterflies; stargaze; and help these young people become the next generation of conservationists. 

Call [(210) 748-1740] or email Chair Anne Pearson to get involved. It's the best way you can spend a Saturday, I guarantee!

Kids from from Inner City Development enjoyed a cool dip in the river on June 22nd at Guadalupe River State Park.

Kids from from Inner City Development Development practicing their bow and arrow skills at Guadalupe River State Park.

Kids from from Inner City Development enjoyed a cool dip in the river on June 22nd at Guadalupe River State Park.

Outings: The Call of the Wild

Visit the Alamo Sierra Club Outings page on Meetup for detailed information about all of our upcoming Sierra Club Outings.

The Alamo Sierran Newsletter

Richard Alles, Editor
Published by The Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 6443, San Antonio, TX 78209, AlamoSierraClub.org.
The Alamo Group is one of 13 regional groups within the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

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