The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
The Environment track at The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival featured discussions on the water supply, the climate debate, related legislative issues and lessons from the May floods. There was also a conversation with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Full Story
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The Energy track at The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions on the state’s drilling industry and the state of the electric grid. We also featured a one-on-one interview with Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick. Full Story
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More than half a century after NASA came to Houston to pursue human spaceflight, Texas is again home to an emerging space industry. What does that mean for Texans who live near future commercial launch sites? Full Story
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As Texas' transportation needs multiply, voters in the rapidly growing state will be asked Nov. 3 to consider a way to pay for those needs. Full Story
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As promised, Texas is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over President Obama’s plan to combat climate change, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday, just after the new regulation had been finalized. Full Story
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SpaceX and Blue Origin have big — and sometimes secretive — plans for commercial space flight from South and West Texas. While some of the companies’ new neighbors are hopeful, others fear the effects on wildlife and small-town life. Full Story
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As evidenced Thursday during a U.S. House committee hearing, Texas officials and lawmakers are continuing to fight against tougher federal ground-level ozone standards implemented recently by the Environmental Protection Agency. Full Story
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The ousted author of a study that describes a controversial San Antonio water supply project as “high risk” squared off with the head of the city’s water utility Wednesday. Full Story
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A half-century after NASA began pursuing spaceflight from Houston, Texas has again become the center of an emerging space industry. SpaceX and Blue Origin plan to launch commercial rockets from Texas sites. But they haven't won over their neighbors. Full Story
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After a years-long tumble, Texas has taken a major leap forward in an annual state-by-state ranking of energy efficiency policies — those aimed at slashing utility bills and carbon emissions by curbing energy use. Full Story
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Texans are griping less about their electricity providers, but a sharp spike in complaints against one small company may affect oilman Ray Hunt's $18 billion bid to take over the state’s largest electric transmission company. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A new swimsuit material takes contaminants out of the water, South Carolina floods highlight problem of stormwater runoff and an interview with James Simons of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Full Story
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Harris County has politely declined Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to drop its lawsuit against Volkswagen over the carmaker's use of software that allowed its diesel vehicles to skirt emissions limits. Full Story
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On Nov. 3, Texas voters will consider whether to add another seven amendments to the hundreds already in the state constitution. Full Story
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After seeing the smog in China, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says he believes human actions have contributed to climate change — though Texas isn't a big part of the problem. Full Story
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President Obama’s plan to combat climate change will cause higher power prices in Texas and threaten electric reliability, but not as much as originally feared, operators of the state’s main grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas say in a new analysis. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott fired a new volley at the Bureau of Land Management Friday, adding to the years-long standoff between the state and the federal agency over the ownership of roughly 90,000 acres along the Red River. Full Story
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Austin is poised to dramatically expand its solar footprint after the City Council on Thursday directed Austin’s utility to line up contracts adding 600 megawatts of solar power to the city's energy mix by the end of 2019. Full Story
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Nearly a year after the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved what could be the most expensive water project in the region's history, some council members appear to be having doubts. Full Story
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After hearing oral arguments Wednesday, the Texas Supreme Court will consider whether a provision in oil-and-gas law that protects landowners who don’t own the minerals beneath their property should also apply to those who don’t own the groundwater. Full Story
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