The city of Houston, which recycles only 6 percent of the waste it collects, has a new idea to improve that figure: Eliminate that extra blue bin altogether.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
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Energy
TribLive: Friedman on Legalizing Marijuana
At our 3/20 TribLive conversation, Kinky Friedman, a Democratic candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner in 2014, talked about why he wants to legalize marijuana — and what it would mean for the state.
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Energy
Claims of Dumping in West Texas Raise Oversight Questions
Allegations that a drilling equipment company illegally dumped dangerous chemicals in Ector County have stirred concerns over whether state agencies are doing enough to monitor and regulate hazardous waste in the drilling industry.
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Energy
Regulations Could Harm Texas’ Bid for Tesla Plant
Tesla, a manufacturer of high-end electric cars, has named Texas one of four finalists to house its planned $5 billion lithium-ion battery factory. But the state’s strict auto dealership laws could hurt its chances, company officials say.
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Energy
Denton Group Seeking Fracking Ban Cites Gains
UPDATED: A group of concerned Denton residents says it has gathered enough signatures to put a proposed city ban on hydraulic fracturing on the November ballot.
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Energy
States’ Plan to Save Rare Bird Stirs Debate in Texas
Environmental officials in five states, including Texas, say interest in a plan to save the lesser prairie chicken should persuade the federal government not to list the bird as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
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Energy
Hugh Daigle: The TT Interview
The University of Texas at Austin professor of petroleum and geosystems on the idea of tapping methane hydrates — an abundant source of natural gas found in rocks buried beneath the ocean’s surface.
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Criminal Justice
AG’s Opinion Sought on Cities’ Plastic Bag Bans
A letter from a state lawmaker asks the attorney general’s office to give an opinion on whether Texas cities’ bans on plastic bags are in compliance with the state’s health and safety laws.
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Energy
In Central Texas, Drought Threatens Hydropower
The ongoing drought in Central Texas is claiming an innocent bystander: hydroelectricity. As the Lower Colorado River Authority limits water releases downstream, hydroelectricity — a power source that spurred the LCRA’s creation almost 80 years ago — has faded further into obscurity.
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Energy
Water Planners Look to Define Eligibility for Conservation Funds
When voters approved spending $2 billion in state money on water financing last November, they also agreed to reserve 20 percent of funding for “water conservation and reuse.” Now, planners are debating exactly what that means.