85th Texas Legislature Finally Ends! On Monday, the most popular two words in the Latin language were heard in Texas politics: Sine Die . Literally, it means "without day" but it refers to the ostensible last day of the session. It was, by most accounts, a brutal 140 days. On top of unprecedented levels of opposition to and mobilization on several discriminatory bills, such as the notorious SB 4 (anti-immigrant) and SB 6 (the "bathroom bill"), there were several attempts to roll back rights of Texans to fight polluters, restrict wind energy development, and put coastal bays and estuaries at risk. However, the Sierra Club was able to work with our allies to pass some good legislation on water conservation, clean air incentives, drinking water quality funding, and we stopped some really egregious efforts to roll back environmental protection. Please stay tuned to our blog in the coming days for our legislative recap and ways to stay engaged.
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Four years ago, the Sierra Club, led by Lone Star Chapter's Clean Air Director Neil Carman, joined beekeepers, food safety and consumer advocates, and other wildlife conservation groups to sue the EPA for allowing the widespread use of bee-killing insecticides called neonics. Now, a federal court has ruled that the EPA violated the Endangered Species Act when it approved the use of neonics. This incredible victory means that the EPA will have to remedy its legal violations and may have to cancel the 59 pesticide products and registrations, including many seed coating insecticides approved for scores of different crop uses. The thought of large explosives in close proximity to even larger vats of accelerant, like natural gas, would trouble anyone who isn't a pyromaniac or a fool. The residents of the Rio Grande Valley are neither and they are troubled at the dangerous facilities being planned in their community. SpaceX, a private space exploration corporation, is building its latest launch site in Brownsville, Texas, a mere stone's throw away from proposed export terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) a highly flammable substance. For the Laguna Madre communities that live within the six mile radius of the two facilities, "too close for comfort" only scratches the surface of their opposition to the two projects.
The Texas Senate has shown once again the high level of influence that the oil and gas industry has on Texas governance. In a 29-2 vote, the Senate passed the Railroad Commission Sunset bill (HB 1818) making very modest reforms and reauthorizing the oil and gas regulator of Texas for another 12 years. The bill lacked many common sense amendments that would have fundamentally reformed an agency captured by the oil and gas industry. The bill was generated after the Sunset Advisory Commission extensively reviewed the Railroad Commission and recommended a range of reforms to the agency, including changing the agency's name to better reflect its function. Most of the Sunset Commission's recommendations were rejected in favor of HB 1818, a bill that just barely counts as reform.
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Our awesome RGV organizer, Bekah Hinojosa, travelled all the way to Paris to confront the banks who have invested in LNG! Though she was booed by rude bank shareholders for speaking her truth, she stood firm to represent her community and defend her home. Bekah and Carrizo Comecrudo chairman Juan Mancias also met with BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Natixis, and Crédit Agricole executives, in addition to French organizers, reporters, Parisian college students and radio hosts. Mancias even met with advisors to the newly elected French President, Emmanuel Macron.
We are excited to announce three new additions to the Sierra Club's Texas team. Kristal Ibarra-Rodriguez is our new Volunteer Coordinator based in Austin, Greg Harman is our new Clean Energy Organizer based in San Antonio, and Bryan Parras is our new Dirty Fuels Gulf Organizer based in Houston! These three will play key roles in helping to build a justice-focused, environmental movement in the Lone Star state and help Texas achieve its clean energy future.
TOPS ON FACEBOOK - Pope Francis politely shades Trump's climate ignorance with a parting gift.
- In an update to our March 27 blog, the company seeking to build the frack-sand mining operation in Atascosa County has postponed the start of construction and is moving their operation!
- Rick Perry thinks *you're* stupid...
- The Dakota Access Pipeline is not yet fully operational and it's already leaking. Seriously...
- Some good news! SB 103m which would have prohibited local governments from passing ordinances to address pollution from single-use bags, is no more!
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Energy storage leaders from around the world gathered in Denver in April to discuss the future of energy storage, rallying for 35 GW of storage by 2025, and exhibiting the technology that will make it possible. The Energy Storage Association's 27th Annual Conference & Expo set a record for attendance, hosting utility and tech executives alongside political leaders and clean energy advocates. Our Clean Energy Coordinator, Drew O'Bryan, went to Denver hoping to get a feel for the state of the industry, to see what new products are hitting the market, and what the future of energy will look like (hint, think bigger batteries than the ones pictured).
TOPS ON TWITTER - EPA dismisses half of key board's scientific advisers, Interior suspends more than 200 advisory panels.
- Alaska's sea ice is melting unusually early, "another sign Arctic is unraveling."
- NOAA predicts "above-normal" activity in Atlantic hurricane season.
- "Last night's meltdown was the worst case of political immaturity I have seen in my 35 years of working at the Capitol." -Smitty #txlege
- By delaying chemical safety rule, Pruitt endangers first responders and refinery towns.
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On Sunday, May 21, a fleet of five canoes and nine kayaks set out to explore the San Bernard River near the town of Kendleton, Texas. This stretch of the river, which lies within the Columbia Bottomlands ecological system, forms the boundary between Fort Bend County to the east and Wharton County to the west. It is called the "Blue Hole" because the river's channel is wider and deeper here. The trip began downstream on calm waters, under a gray sky, and surrounded by a forest of bald cypress, black willow, and green ash. Some of the cypresses at the Blue Hole have been documented by tree ring analysis to be at least 1,200 years old, and they are likely much older than that.
Read more & check out these awesome photos from Houston Sierra Club members
TOPS ON INSTAGRAM
Head over to our Instagram and pick your favorite photo of #TxWater from all around the state! From May 22 to May 26 we posted five photos celebrating Texas water and asked our followers to vote for their favorite. Rivers, lakes, reservoirs, beaches, and other bodies of water in our beautiful state are vital to business, sustenance, and recreation. Water is an indispensable resource and one that we must continue to strive to protect and conserve. The Instagrammer with the most likes wins some Texas Sierra Club goodies! Make sure to check out each contest photo and "like" your favorite picture! The winner will be chosen and announced on Instagram on Friday, June 2 . Do you have a photo you'd like to share with us? Please send it to Olka Forster at olka.forster@sierraclub.org. We'd love to share it with our growing Instagram community. Be sure to follow us @TexasSierraClub.
Director, Reggie James, Goes Digital! |
