The pipeline would have been a disaster for our climate, the quality of the air we breathe, and critical water resources across our country. It would have deepened our dependence on dirty oil from Canada’s tar sands, producing catastrophic levels of global warming pollution.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Energy
Guest Column: The Keystone XL Decision was Wrong
Not only would Keystone XL have brought jobs to the United States, it would have bolstered our national security by bringing us almost one million barrels each day of secure, North American oil.
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Environment
Donkey Procession at Capitol Aims to Protect Wild Burros
An unlikely sight descended on the Capitol on Wednesday: a contingent of donkeys circling the building in the midday sun. As Mose Buchele of KUT News reports, the animals were led there as part of a protest aimed at stopping state officials from killing wild burros in West Texas.
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Energy
Government Hearings on Drilling Regulations Attract Few
As more of the Gulf is opened to drilling after the lifting of a moratorium, the government has been holding hearings on industry regulations. But as Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas reports, there’s been one thing missing from those hearings: the public.
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Energy
With Surface Water, It’s First Come, First Served
The long-lasting Texas drought has sparked an unprecedented tug of war for surface water, between those whose rights date back centuries and those who only secured water rights in the 20th century. The system may sound weird, but it is slowly changing.
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Energy
Fracking Disclosures to Include Water Totals
Starting Feb. 1, drillers will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well.
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Energy
Greenhouse Gas Wars to Resume in Texas
Texas’ greenhouse gas battles are about to heat up again. Next month, a federal court hears oral arguments in lawsuits that Texas has filed against the EPA, which began regulating heat-trapping emissions a year ago. But the agency is hardly backing down.
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Energy
At Senate Hearing, Warnings of Drought and Power
At a committee hearing Tuesday about the impact of drought on power generation, state senators voiced concerns that a lack of adequate water could harm Texas’ long-term growth.
Posted in
Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The first week of 2012 started with the first presidential voting of the cycle, and our coverage included Dehn’s videos of Rick Perry’s “reassessment” and “next leg of the marathon” speeches, Ramshaw’s reporting on the rationale behind his decision and Root’s analysis of just what happened in the hours after the Iowa results came in, plus Galbraith on the Texas critters that might be added to the endangered list, Tan’s look at new laws regulating payday lenders, Hamilton on an impending battle over tuition increases at UT, and Murphy with a new data map using the latest Census numbers for Texas: The best of our best content from January 2 to 6, 2012.
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Energy
Endangered Species Conflicts Loom in 2012
The recent kerfuffle over the sand dunes lizard in the West Texas oilfields may be nothing compared to what’s coming. Across Texas, dozens of species are under consideration for a possible endangered species listing.