You won’t hear about the water problems out West during the GOP presidential debate, but as Ben Philpott reports for KUT News and the Texas Tribune, the problems are there — and the next President could play a role in the solutions.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Energy
Dewhurst Tells Senate Committees to Study Drought, Wildfires
State Senate committees will soon begin studying the impact of drought on power generation, agriculture and the economy, along with how to improve Texas’ response to wildfires, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced today.
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Energy
More Bad Drought News: End Not in Sight
The town of Junction recently endured a six-week ban on outdoor watering, during which residents sometimes used bathwater to water lawns. With the prospect of drought becoming a way of life, Junction is searching for solutions.
Posted in
Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor’s debunking of climate change “myths,” Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right’s new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry’s performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state’s Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011.
Posted in
Energy
Looking Back on Perry’s Energy Record
With Rick Perry set to unveil an energy-centric jobs plan today, Mose Buchele of KUT News looks back at the governor’s handling of energy policy here in Texas.
Posted in
Energy
Peanut Farmers Feeling Strain of Record Drought
Little-known fact: Texas is second only to Georgia in peanut farming. But as Terrence Henry of KUT News reports, while Texas’ peanut farmers have dealt with droughts before, they’ve never seen anything like this year’s crippling dry spell.
Posted in
Energy
With the Drought, More Dust Storms
Despite last weekend’s rains, the Texas drought lingers — and experts say the number of irritating and dangerous dust storms could increase across the state, especially in West Texas and the Panhandle.
Posted in
Energy
UT Professor Debunks Climate Change “Myths”
The head of the UT’s Energy Institute, Raymond Orbach, is wading into politicized territory with a new paper aiming to debunk eight “myths” about climate change.
Posted in
Energy
Carolyn Brittin: The TT Interview
The deputy executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board on overseeing the 295-page water plan, what the state should spend to fully ensure it has adequate water supplies and what scares her about the future.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Murphy, Ramshaw and Root on Rick Perry and race, Philpott on Perry’s vague economic plans, Tan and Wiseman on Barack Obama’s foray into Texas to defend his jobs plan, Aguilar on Perry’s proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico, Ramshaw on efforts to leash rising health care costs, M. Smith on upcoming legal challenges to the state’s school finance system, Aaronson interactively explores Medicare spending proposals, Galbraith on efforts to pass — and to oppose — a $6 billion water program, Grissom on the release of a man wrongly convicted of murder and Hamilton on efforts to let the public write some legislation: The best of our best content from October 3 to 7, 2011.