The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
A year ago, much of Central Texas was in danger because of raging wildfires. Drought-sticken green spaces had provided the perfect tinder for far-reaching blazes. These are the stories of Central Texans who lived through the Labor Day wildfires. Full Story
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Starting last year, federal regulators began urging pipeline operators to replace aging systems. Nowhere may that be more critical than in Texas, which is experiencing a major change in how crude oil is flowing up and down the state. Full Story
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The Texas Forest Service wants to plant 4 million loblolly pine seedlings in Bastrop State Park over the next few years, to help restore the forest after last year's fires. But stored seedlings were almost thrown out ahead of the fires. Full Story
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The state's top lawyer has filed a pile of lawsuits against the federal government. Two decisions last week — on redistricting maps and the state's voter ID law — went against Attorney General Greg Abbott and the state. Full Story
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Texas will lose about 1 percent of its power supply over the winter and spring as Luminant temporarily shuts two units at its 1970s-era Monticello coal plant. The company blamed low power prices. Full Story
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In the year since wildfires destroyed thousands of homes across Central Texas, officials have looked for ways to reduce the threat of fires. They've since found one, in technology developed not for fighting fires but for exploring outer space. Full Story
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Texas lags in solar-power development, and lawmakers have been reluctant to promote it with incentives. Nonetheless, solar power can play a role in aiding Texas’ strained electric grid, industry officials and regulators said at a meeting in San Antonio. Full Story
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Sept. 4 marks one year since wildfires ravaged Central Texas, causing officials and residents to rethink how they manage their land. Since then, some communities have taken it upon themselves to make their surroundings safer in the event of another wildfire. Full Story
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Nearly a year after wildfires tore through Central Texas, Spicewood residents Melvin Pulver and Debbie Opdahl recount how Pulver survived the Pedernales fire Sept. 4 through quick thinking and a little luck. Full Story
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Where did a Lubbock County judge get the idea that the U.S. might cede sovereignty to the U.N.? In Texas, activists fearful of such a prospect have cited a 20-year-old resolution called Agenda 21. Full Story
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As the anniversary of last year's Central Texas wildfires draws near, KUT News and StateImpact Texas revisit what led to the worst fires in state history, and how the state has changed since last summer. Full Story
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A look at the upcoming Republican and Democratic party conventions, the state's win in a court battle over women's health programs, and a second win on federal cross-state pollution rules. Full Story
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Texas State University in San Marcos on Friday will announce a major gift from the Meadows Foundation. The $1 million donation will help launch the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
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For years researchers have been studying how to develop cattle that are heat and drought tolerant. And while crossbreeding isn't a new development, it's becoming more common among Texas ranchers as summers become drier and hotter. Full Story
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In a twist of fate for Texas, where dry conditions wreaked havoc last year, much of the state has pulled out of the drought just as the rest of the country has entered into it. But that doesn't mean Texas isn't feeling the effects. Full Story
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UPDATED: Al Armendariz, a former EPA regional administrator, said a court's ruling overturning the EPA's cross-state pollution rule "only delays the inevitable." Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott called the ruling a "victory for federalism." Full Story
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Dramatic increases in oil and gas production, and the drilling technique called fracking, have been tied to elevated levels of air pollution in Texas, stirring concerns over health risks like cancer. Full Story
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"Pocket prairies" have been popping up all over Houston, helping beautify the city while preserving the native plants that are now harder to find in Harris County. Full Story
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Through a nearly 40-year-old program run by the Texas General Land Office, several people hold permits to use cabins on remote, state-owned islands near the Intracoastal Waterway. Permit holders love the isolation — and the fishing. Full Story
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Houston conservationists reintroduce native plants to the area, and we examine how much money school districts spend per student. Full Story
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