M. Smith on a shock awaiting the state’s fifth- and eighth-graders, E. Smith’s interview with two of Washington’s Gang of Eight, Dehn and Rocha on legislative inquiries into the explosion and fire in West, Ramshaw on state leaders’ apparent disinterest in transparency, KUT’s Philpott explains points of order, Murphy and Ramshaw on the current status of ethics bills, Hamilton finds that not all college degrees are equal, Galbraith on the budget and the shale boom, Batheja on the Legislature’s do-over votes, Aguilar on a Texas application for more border drones: The best of our best for the week of April 29-May 3, 2012.

The oil industry vigorously opposed efforts to list the threatened dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species. But three oil company lobbyists were given day-to-day oversight of the effort to save the reptile.

A battle over Texas coal is heating up, as the Sierra Club is launching a targeted effort to close down 1970s-era coal plants owned by power-generation giant Luminant. It will be one of the club's biggest anti-coal campaigns in the nation.

Several Texas cities have plans to implement potable reuse projects, which put treated wastewater through extra chemical and biological processes before it eventually becomes part of the drinking supply.

State Rep. Allan Ritter, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, filed two bills on Thursday that would allocate $2 billion from Texas' Rainy Day Fund to create a fund for water-supply projects. It's the largest amount proposed to date.

Lawmakers will descend on the state Capitol next week to kick off the 83rd legislative session, and a host of issues related to energy and the environment — from funding a state water plan to reforming regulatory agencies — awaits them.

It's a common occurrence: A tree or branch falls on a power line, cutting off electricity to nearby residents. On Thursday, though, the state's Public Utility Commission will vote on rules aiming to make that a little less likely in the future. 

Guaranteeing safe, clean and available water supplies should be a top priority when lawmakers assemble for their regular legislative session next month.

Methane, a byproduct of landfill waste, can be used to generate electricity or power industrial equipment. But in Texas, future methane-capturing landfill projects may be at risk. 

Increasingly hot summers and new extreme weather patterns have helped activists raise awareness of climate change. But in Texas, weather that once would have been considered extreme has become commonplace.

A fracking boom in rural counties south of San Antonio continues to produce an enormous amount of oil for the state. But some of those counties are just now beginning to grapple with the consequences — and downsides — of the boom.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been receiving hate mail from around the country thanks to the gastronomic adventures of an Austin-area food blogger. It all started when the man’s unlikely dinner literally went bump in the night.

As the Formula One Grand Prix gears up for its Austin debut, the event has become an example of the promises and pitfalls of trying to organize a carbon-neutral sports event. In the case of F1, the real challenge comes off the track.

The Lower Colorado River Authority, the utility that controls the water in the Highland Lakes, has come under fire from Central Texans for a proposal to send water downstream to rice farmers, who were cut off earlier this year due to drought conditions.

A research team is studying  how changes in land development and vegetation are affecting the ability of Texas coast wetlands to absorb carbon dioxide. An increase in mangrove population is raising new questions for the team.

As Bevo arrives in Dallas ahead of Saturday's Red River Rivalry game, it's worth remembering that longhorn cattle might have gone extinct nearly a century ago but for the quick actions of some federal employees, who assembled a herd on an Oklahoma wildlife refuge.

A series of small earthquakes in the Dallas region has prompted another round of speculation about the link between seismic activity and oil and gas drilling in North Texas.

On Friday, a Beaumont county judge will rule on yet another case involving TransCanada, the company building the Keystone XL pipeline. Despite all the court action, some say recent eminent domain rulings still haven't clarified where private-property rights end.