Tag Archives: climate change

It’s like the drought never really went away

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

If it ever did go away it didn’t go far, because here it is again. Even as light rain moved through the region Thursday, Houston officially slipped back into a moderate drought. Although most areas only recorded a few hundredths … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s like the drought never really went away

SCOTUS will hear another EPA lawsuit appeal

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas’ challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories, the court announced Tuesday. But it declined to hear the state’s appeals … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas versus EPA, round one zillion

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The desire to coddle polluters is strong in this one. A Texas-led coalition of energy-producing states has asked the Supreme Court to hear a case involving the Obama administration’s efforts to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas versus EPA, round one zillion

That drought we’re having? It’s still bad

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So says our state climatologist in testimony before the Lege. John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist, said that during the past two years Texas received only 68 percent of its typical rainfall, making it the third driest period on record. If … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on That drought we’re having? It’s still bad

We’re still looking at a drought here

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know we just got a lot of rain this week, but that doesn’t mean that drought conditions are over. The latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that for much of Texas and … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on We’re still looking at a drought here

The drought is back

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bad news, y’all. The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, released this morning, shows that more than three-quarters of Texas is now in at least a “moderate” drought, and nearly half the state is in a “severe” or worse … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

CNG garbage trucks

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You won’t hear them coming. Waste Management [announced on Friday that] it is pushing forward on a nationwide plan to convert all of its 18,342 trucks from loud and smoky diesel engines to quieter and cleaner compressed natural gas-powered machines. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

How dry we were

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We were drier than ever last year. Federal scientists confirmed Friday that Texas had its driest year on record in 2011. The statewide average rainfall for the year totaled just 14.88 inches, according to the National Climatic Data Center, beating … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We’re #9!

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The ninth greenest metro area, at least in terms of “green” jobs, according to a Brookings study. Houston’s “clean” or “green” economy is ranked 9th among the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, according to a new report from the Brookings … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on We’re #9!

TCEQ a no-show at EPA hearing

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They’d rather sue than engage. At the hearing in a hotel ballroom, Al Armendariz, the EPA’s regional administrator for Texas and five adjacent states, said the federal agency prefers to let the state issue the permits, as it does for … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA 3, Texas 0

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How many times will the courts have to bench-slap our Governor and Attorney General before they get the message that Texas must comply with the same laws as every other state? It’s three and counting. Texas had asked the Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Federal court denies stay in Texas’ lawsuit against EPA

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No love from the Fifth Circuit. Texas’ bid to stop the federal government’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gases hit another roadblock today, when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the state’s request for a stay of a move … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Federal court denies stay in Texas’ lawsuit against EPA

Federal court clears the way for greenhouse gas rules to be enforced in Texas

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, Texas is subject to the same laws as those other states. Who knew? A federal appeals court on Friday rejected pleas from Texas, some other states and industry allies to block nationwide rules on greenhouse gas emissions slated to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Burning biomass

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t say I knew much about this before I read the story, but now that I have my initial reaction is to be skeptical. Interest in building power plants fueled by wood waste has recently surged in East Texas, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

San Antonio solar farm

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more solar energy available in Texas now than before. [Texas’] first solar farm, an array of 215,000 photovoltaic panels that capture sun rays and turn them into power, went on line Thursday in San Antonio. Statewide, at least six … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cap and trade would cut the federal deficit

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Surely this means all those “deficit hawks” I keep hearing about will rush to embrace the American Power Act now. Right? The CBO analysis of the American Power Act, championed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) found … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What will climate change legislation cost?

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

My friend Robert Nagle surveys the literature on climate change, specifically analyses of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACESA), also known as the Waxman-Markey bill, and finds estimates for how much it will cost the average … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on What will climate change legislation cost?

CO2 emissions down

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I thought this was worth sharing. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) just issued its must-read report on U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009.  It turns out energy-related CO2 emissions have dropped faster than EIA had expected just a few months … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on CO2 emissions down

Texas State Climatologist on the EPA and greenhouse gases

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Did you know that Texas had a State Climatologist? I didn’t. His name is John Nielsen-Gammon, he’s a professor at Texas A&M, and you should read this brief interview in Think Progress about his opinions on carbon dioxide, the Environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas State Climatologist on the EPA and greenhouse gases

Seeing gold in green

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Denying climate change and the adverse effects of carbon dioxide may be official policy of our Republican leaders, but word has apparently not filtered down to the business entrepreneurs whose capitalistic opportunism those Republicans usually lionize. “Energy is the biggest … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas takes a stand in favor of global warming

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There was a time when stuff like this would have surprised me. But then, there was a time when being anti-science wasn’t a point of pride for the Republican Party. Texas on Tuesday became the first state to challenge the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

If we’re looking for revenue to help deal with that budget gap…

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We could always follow the lead of many other states and adopt our own climate plan. Already, ten states in the Northeast have put their electric utilities under a cap-and-trade system known as RGGI. Eleven Western states and Canadian provinces … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA public hearing on hazardous ozone standards in Houston

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The following was sent to me from the Sierra Club: Right now the EPA is accepting public comments on proposed new ozone standards that will make the air we breathe cleaner and our communities healthier, but they are facing fierce … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More or stronger?

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If we’re talking about hurricanes, neither sounds like an attractive choice. A new study with the most extensive computer modeling of storm activity to date suggests the overall number of Atlantic storms will fall 30 percent by century’s end, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How green is your website?

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here are two thoughtful and interesting posts about data centers and carbon neutrality from my friend and Trinity classmate Robert Nagle; a postscript with some added thoughts is here. I’m glad to see that my webhost does pretty well in … Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on How green is your website?

Lawsuit filed to force TCEQ to regulate greenhouse gases

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, if you want the TCEQ to do its job, you need to file a lawsuit against them to make them do it. Which is what Public Citizen did on Tuesday, with a request to stop the permitting of coal-fired … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed to force TCEQ to regulate greenhouse gases

If that’s your best, your best won’t do

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may never actually comply with federal clean air regulations. Texas’ new plan to improve the Houston area’s famously dirty air may not meet federal limits for smog. The pollution-fighting plan that state regulators are rolling out today predicts marked … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wyoming and wind

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting story about the boom in the wind energy industry out west and how some of that is bumping up against private property and NIMBYism, but what caught my eye was this bit: Wyoming and the West are home to … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wyoming and wind

Bryan Shaw

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

One gets used to disappointments with Rick Perry. In late 2007, the appointment of Bryan Shaw, a Texas A&M professor and air pollution expert, to the three-member board that oversees the state’s environmental agency drew praise from a prominent government … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hot enough for ya?

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, it’s really hot out there. Houston’s relentless heat wave prompted the National Weather Service today to declare a “Heat Emergency,” a designation that air temperature and humidity is a potential health threat for all people and is particularly dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Voting right on climate change, part 3

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. The late-stage whip count on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 has produced a particular political irony. A measure crafted by two Democrats in the House of Representatives — Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Did Tom DeLay do us a favor on climate change?

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Via Yglesias, I see that one of the biggest impediments to a real solution for climate change is Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, who is the chair of the Agriculture Committee. This has Chris Bowers thinking outside the box. Here is … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Town hall meeting on climate change

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from the office of State Sen. Rodney Ellis: Houston Residents to Dialogue with National Experts on Climate Change Impacts Joint Center’s Climate Change Commission Hosts Town Hall Meeting WHO: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (Joint … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Green and Gonzalez get plaudits for climate change bill

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After all the haranging I did on this, the least I can do is to note this. The Obama administration joined environmentalists Friday in heaping praise on Texas Democratic Reps. Charlie Gonzalez and Gene Green for helping climate change legislation … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green and Gonzalez get plaudits for climate change bill