Reflections on 2021
CPS Energy reform SLAPP'd down
Locally, the year began with CPS Energy announcing its lawsuit victory over the RecallCPS petition effort by us and other groups to bring a charter amendment to the ballot to change CPS. We didn’t even know of this legal attack until it was over and too late to participate directly. Over $1M of ratepayer/taxpayer funds have been spent on this SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) case to suppress citizen participation in our democracy.
We continue appeal efforts to get this bad ruling overturned, so far losing on very narrow procedural grounds that ignore the serious possible precedent this ruling could represent against public participation all over Texas. SAWS attempted a similar tactic against a similar petition effort against its Vista Ridge actions, but we were alerted in time to appear at the court proceedings, and oppose them, resulting in SAWS withdrawing their action. Both petition efforts failed, in part because of these SLAPP actions, in part because of ongoing Covid limitations on in person signature gathering, and lack of funds and volunteers. When we were able to reach the public we had no problem getting signatures.
Climate plan off to slow start
COSA passed a Climate Action & Adaptation Plan in October 2019, but basically took almost no actions until recently, blaming the Covid pandemic. Two citizen committees intended to advise and monitor implementation have barely begun to meet, and like the CPS RAC include Climate Deniers who oppose action or equity. As a result we are behind schedule in climate action as required by a plan already much weakened by CPS and business resistance. We have failed for at least 8 years, as an example, to overcome resistance to solar ready and EV ready standards for new home construction.
For the birds
Our city is now labeled “Bird City” even though we have failed to make significant “dark skies” progress despite years of local effort by us and others. Birds at our parks, like Elmendorf Lake, are subjected to all sorts of violence from local government.
Air pollution controls on the way
Our air quality has been in marginal non-attainment for a couple years, and EPA is expected to raise our non-attainment classification to Moderate Non-Attainment. Our leaders continue to argue that this is caused by Mexican and other bad air, not our own. Minimal “voluntary” actions to address our air quality problem over the years have had minimal benefit. Moderate rules will require much more serious and expensive attention, and hopefully achieve some positive benefit for our children, elderly, outdoor workers and those who depend on clean air...
Time to re-examine our vision for growth
Covid put a stop to ConnectSA and resulted in a big drop in transit use here. We already had some of the lowest ridership rates in the nation, and some of the highest single passenger vehicle use and vehicle miles traveled.
TXDOT continues to spend more than $1B annually to expand our local roads and encourage more sprawl, air pollution and congestion. Our local “leaders” for decades have advertised SA as a place for business relocation due to low cost housing, low cost labor, low cost electricity, low cost water, and of course low taxes. They have had “success” as our population has grown substantially and our environmental problems as well.
SC has worked for smart growth and Low Impact Development that pays for itself, and is not subsidized by current residents. We have been told that growth is always good, and pays for itself. Recently, however, CPS has had to use growth costs as part of its rate hike request justification. Go figure. Despite decades of growth, trickle-down growth economics continue to make SA one of the poorest and most economically segregated large cities in America. It is long past time to re-examine our urban growth “vision”, and re-imagine our mobility.
Alamo Group marks political successes
SC is rare among environmental groups in that it has an ability to take political action. 2021 was a year for local elections and so the local group endorsed and worked for a number of successful local candidates. City Council has several new and more environmentally concerned and committed members. The Mayor was endorsed and reelected, but after the petition drives to change our utilities our relations with him remain strained. Current SC Chair Montemayor is working on repairing relations frayed by these petition efforts.
As a past leader of those efforts I can only hope that more good than bad has resulted from the increased attention they drew to our utility problems. In my opinion the Mayor and some other leaders expect environmentalists to stay in the “San Antonio nice” tradition, working politely in the system and accepting incremental small change. I and National SC increasingly reject that approach in this time of urgent climate crisis and environmental injustice.
Uri exposes CPS Energy mismanagement
In Texas, severe winter Storm Uri killed hundreds across the state due to electric grid failures, resulting in massive profits for our fossil fuel industry, and legislation to maintain the status quo. Cities were specifically banned from limiting natural gas distribution to new homes, undercutting our local effort to get these pollutants out of our home air, stem the spread of pipelines, and clean our climate.
The cheapest, simplest solution to Storm Uri got no consideration. Connecting our ERCOT electric grid to the USA is a non-starter, even though resources would have flowed in to keep us going during Uri. Most of the time, these connections would provide huge profits to support more renewable energy in Texas flowing out into the rest of the country. The potential for more federal input makes such connections politically untenable to our politicians, the rest of us be damned.
Storm Uri resulted in CPS Energy acquiring a $1B one week debt due to:
- failures at its Spruce coal and South Texas Nuclear plants,
- poor demand management and load shedding, and
- price gouging by natural gas suppliers.
CPS was responsible for 2 of these and Storm Uri revealed much of the mismanagement we have warned about for years. CEO Paula Gold-Williams finally resigned in October, and her mentor, Board member Ed Kelley, will be termed out in January. Neither has ever admitted any leadership failures in all this, as far as I know. The CPS Board as well as CEO have been revealed to be self serving and incompetent, failing in basic fiduciary oversight, and we ratepayers are to bear the costs of their failures for decades. CPS needs complete overhaul and new leadership.
Opportunities and challenges abound
Tesla and other large corporations continue to move to Texas to reap huge tax subsidies paid for by the rest of us. A local example of pernicious subsidized growth are the large server farms of Microsoft relying on our cheap energy. In a moment of decency the Legislature approved an end to this Chapter 313 program, which businesses are now looking for ways to continue via the Comptroller. Other 2021 Legislature results, attacking education, voters, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+, etc. are well known, as is the ongoing crisis in Child Protective Services.
Nationally, the politics are extreme, but the gathering climate storm does not wait, as data show, and was reported by the UN this fall and at COP 26. The COP 26 failure at Glasgow has serious consequences, even while many countries are moving forward with electrification, renewable energy etc. Our own Biden Administration is attempting progress to reassert rules to cut methane emissions, to improve CAFE standards, restore National Monuments, support EV etc. Despite huge self interested opposition, there may still be time to make real environmental and climate justice progress.
by Terry Burns, M.D.Simulating Solutions to Climate Change — Put Yourself in the Driver's Seat
Our January general meeting features speakers from the San Antonio Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL).
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
6:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
At this point, what is the best way to minimize climate change? What power do I have?
For over a decade, CCL has been advocating for a price on carbon coupled, importantly, with a carbon-cash back dividend to people. This forms a main part of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307). Aiming to help reduce America’s carbon pollution to net zero by 2050, this legislation puts a fee on carbon pollution, creating a level playing field for clean energy.
The money collected from fossil fuel companies goes to Americans in the form of a monthly 'carbon cash back' payment, so that everyone can afford the transition. Lots of people say we can't get where we need to be unless we put a price on carbon; the dividend is intended to soften the blow to consumers when they pay more at the gas pump. Our speakers will discuss the carbon tax/dividend proposal; sure to be interesting and controversial.
They will also introduce attendees to En-ROADS, an on-line climate change solutions simulator where you can design your own scenarios and see the impacts on global warming. The simulator includes combinations of energy sources, transportation, industrial emissions control, recapture, population and economic growth, etc. You can try your own experiments and assumptions, and get immediate feedback on the likely impacts. The results may surprise you!
About our speakers
Dr. Stuart J. Birnbaum is Co-Leader of the San Antonio Chapter of the CCL. An emeritus professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at UTSA, Dr. Birnbaum is also a board member of the Scenic Loop – Helotes Creek Alliance, a local environmental organization, and an En-ROADS ambassador with Climate Interactive. In addition, he serves on the board of the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District.
As a UTSA faculty member, Dr. Birnbaum conducted research in sedimentology and microbial geochemistry and was studying analogs for life on Mars when he retired. He earned his B.S. degree in geology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Ph.D. from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
Bill Hurley has been a group leader with the CCL since 2016. He has a long history of involvement with environmental groups in various capacities, including with the Bexar Audubon Society (1980’s), Land Heritage Institute (until late 1990’s), Friends of Government Canyon (1998-2000), the San Antonio River Foundation, and San Antonio River Authority (retired 2014).
Bill has a BA in Information Systems from Our Lady of the Lake University, and a Minor in English from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He attended the Masters Leadership Program of Greater San Antonio in 2010.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is an international, nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy climate change organization focused on national policies to address climate change. It trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with their elected representatives to influence climate legislation. Its views are unabashedly pro-environment, but it seeks to gain influence by adhering to and presenting evidence that is scientifically sound.
Worldwide the organization reports its membership at approximately 180,000 members in 590 chapters. Join the CCL, membership is free.
Resources provided by our speakers
Zoom meeting schedule
| Informal get-to-know-you | 6:00 pm to 6:15 pm |
| Announcements | 6:15 pm to 6:30 pm |
| Featured program | 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm |
RSVP
To receive an email with the information you need to join the Zoom meeting, visit our event page and submit the RSVP form.
Our general meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of most months. They're always free and open to the public.
Some Notes from a Recent Trip to Puerto Rico
Here are some of my observations from a recent trip to Puerto Rico:
COVID is taken very seriously. As part of making my airline reservation, my vaccination card was scanned to send to the Health Department of Puerto Rico. Upon approval, a QR code was sent to me to show to the health official upon arrival. Without such pre-approval, arrangements had to be made on the spot for testing within 48 hours. Every restaurant required a vaccination card, ID and mask – even McDonald's!
Generally, the island is green and beautiful, but signs of 2017 Category 5 Hurricane Maria could be seen. Occasionally, building remnants were visible. Locals told me that many signs were gone. Obvious to me were the broken wind turbines. FEMA’s efforts to rebuild Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure are still controversial.
Stopping at a supermarket, the impact of Puerto Rican legislation prohibiting single use plastic bags became obvious. After being asked if I had a bag, I was provided with a heavier weight plastic bag which can be clearly used multiple times. Apparently, it is legal to charge the customer for such bags.
Some protected bike lanes in San Juan had an impressive design.
Hiked in the amazing El Yunque rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service. With an average rainfall of 120 inches a year, El Yunque has a very diverse ecosystem, hosting hundreds of unique plant and animal species, including the Island's famous coquí frog. I had to close my windows to get some relief from the male frog’s loud CO-KEE calls to find a date all night.
It was great taking a trip after being quarantined for so long. I’m ready to go back!
by Bill Barker, FAICP, FITE, Alamo Group Executive Committee memberGrand Canyon National Park: More North Rim Viewpoints
In the December 2021 issue of this newsletter there was an article about easily accessible North Rim viewpoints near the developed area. This article is about viewpoints accessible via drives through the section of Kaibab National Forest north of the Colorado River and longer hikes.
The drive to the developed area on the national park North Rim area is south along AZ hwy 67 from Jacob Lake, which is at the junction with US 89A. This passes close to the high point (9200') of the Kaibab Plateau which is a big uplift a bit southwest of the center of the much larger Colorado Plateau. The Kaibab Plateau is why the Colorado River makes a 50 mile detour to the south between Lake Powell and to the southwest of Steamboat Mountain (2nd picture). The December 2021 issue mentions that the vistas include many buttes and peaks named by the geologist Clarence Dutton, and how we can figure out what we are looking at.
Here is a high level map of the whole area; no detail. But you can see the national park boundary and that of the national forest north section, and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument to the west. Correlating with a better map we can pick out some key spots mentioned below: Steamboat Mountain, Point Sublime, a bunch of the buttes pictured in the December 2021 issue, and Tuweep/Toroweap (June 2021).
Just a few more vistas
From Crazy Jug Point (pictured below) I hoped to hike to Dutton Point on the Powell Plateau (see the reference in the caption). I had to pass on that plan due to a flat tire at Monument Point and so used my full size spare wheel. Certainly best to have one of those due to the rough 20 mile drive to the trailhead.
To get to Point Sublime (2nd picture below) via the road from the east, I would have needed serious 4WD. Conditions were much worse in October 2019 than during my 2014 trip. But there is an alternative route from the north. I read a reference to an easy short hike to the south down from the point. In another picture I took looking south I believe I can see a bit of that trail to what should be a good vista. Yet another spot to re-visit.
There is a pile of longer dayhikes to rim vistas and drives to others through Kaibab National Forest, some requiring 4WD/high clearance. For starters, Monument Point and the Esplanade (article in May 2021 newsletter), and the Widforss Trail. On the October 2019 trip we did the Widforss, 10 miles round trip.
I thought the trail ended at Widforss Point (see the last picture), but I've recently learned that the point is another ½ mile beyond the trail end. It is well worth it due to a grand vista to the east. So yet another hike to be repeated. Gunnar Widforss (Wikipedia article) was an artist for the park service; he died at the South Rim in 1934.
Panoramic pictures are abundant
Some folks are doing a superb job of assembling high-tech panoramas in the Grand Canyon; see GCpano.org. It is quite amazing to look for and find panoramas from the viewpoints such as those in these pictures. Here are ones from Crazy Jug Point and Point Sublime. The website also has panos from Toroweap Overlook (see June 2021 newsletter) and Monument Point (see May 2021 newsletter). Here's one from Widforss Point (picture below). I think I can see where my own picture was taken from.
From the e-Mailbag
From time-to-time, the Alamo Group receives messages concerning local environmental issues. If you have thoughts to share on any of these issues, send us a message and we'll forward it to the writer.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors individually and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Alamo Group or its members.
The world's littlest book on climate
I hope this 27-page primer helps with climate discussions. In their words "It is a concise primer for anyone interested in how CO2 impacts our climate. But even knowledgeable readers will learn something new and important about how climate change works." Enjoy!
submitted by Bill HurleyFloods, carbon, climate — oh my!
Ever wonder what we can do about flooding, carbon in the air, and climate? Deborah Reid, Technical Director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, will present solutions in a Zoom program on Tuesday, January 11th from 6:00 -7:30 pm. Visit the Comal County Conservation Alliance for details.
submitted by Alan Montemayor
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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