Tag Archives: climate change

The Houston toad’s recovery

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

How about some good news? I think we could all use a bit of that, and the endangered Houston toad is here to give you some. The Houston toad may no longer live in the city it’s named for. Urban … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Houston toad’s recovery

A couple of water stories

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Story #1: Texas’ Refusal to Plan for Climate Change Created a Crisis in Corpus Christi. A decade ago, Corpus Christi’s regional water plan projected shortages as soon as 2050. The next plan, released five years later, shortened that timeline to 2030. The next plan, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A couple of water stories

A data center roundup

Posted on June 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Jeremy Wallace’s newsletter. A flood of new data centers trying to hook into the Texas electrical grid could force the state to significantly expand its power grid to accommodate the new demand. More than 480 “large” data centers have … Continue reading →

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

One million toad eggs

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I love stories like this. More than 1 million Houston toad eggs have been released at Bastrop State Park this spring as part of efforts to reintroduce the endangered species after it disappeared from the park more than a decade ago. Several organizations, including … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One million toad eggs

How cities can help mitigate floods

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. A new study on rain events in Texas could help reduce urban flood risks and improve planning for extreme weather. The Texas A&M Urban Flood Study found that cities can actually change the weather, depending on the type of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How cities can help mitigate floods

On dealing with hotter summers

Posted on May 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Inside Climate News, a report on how summers are expected to be hotter soon, and what we can do about it. Temperatures can vary across big cities like New York and Houston, depending on the landscape and the amount … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On dealing with hotter summers

A brief history of failing to pass flood protection laws

Posted on May 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We just do our thing here and don’t much care about the consequences. The sound of construction machinery filled the air as Kylie Nidever walked past properties ravaged months earlier by floodwaters. Nidever’s home was among those in her Bumble … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Anti-fossil fuel boycott law ruled unconstitutional

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal district judge on Wednesday declared a 2021 law restricting state investments in companies boycotting the fossil fuel industry unconstitutional, calling it “facially overbroad” and citing First and Fourteenth Amendment concerns. Legislators passed Senate Bill 13 as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-fossil fuel boycott law ruled unconstitutional

The flood insurance problem

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is only going to get worse unless we take steps to mitigate it. Less than 5% of residential properties in high-risk areas in Kerr County were covered by flood insurance before the July 4 storm, according to a Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Hill Country flood roundup

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just some articles of interest, no real thread. Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Led to Devastating Texas Flood Climate scientists said the torrential downpours on July 4 exemplify the devastating outcomes of weather intensified by a warming atmosphere. … Continue reading →

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

It’s more than just FEMA

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The 2025 hurricane season is underway. It won’t be just the storms that determine how bad it is. FEMA leads the federal response when disaster strikes. It coordinates rescue efforts, provides temporary housing and medical help, and offers financial assistance to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A start-of-hurricane-season roundup

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your latest forecast. The nation’s top weather agency, where federal job cuts and staffing shortages are stretching forecast resources thin, is predicting 13 to 19 named storms in its 2025 hurricane season outlook released Thursday. This hurricane season, which begins in less … Continue reading →

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

We really should be composting more

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not too late to start. Alex Cantoran parks his truck at the final house on the block, jumps out and grabs the five-gallon white bucket sitting near the edge of the property. He unscrews the lid quickly. Inside are … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We really should be composting more

Who cares about weather disasters?

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not the Trump administration. The Trump administration’s steep staff cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) triggered shutdowns of several climate-related programs Thursday. Perhaps most notably, the NOAA announced it would be shuttering the “billion-dollar weather and climate disasters” database … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who cares about weather disasters?

The tariff effect on chocolate

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Chocoholics beware. For weeks, businesses across the U.S. have scrambled to plan for President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs. That includes two Houston Heights dessert shops. Pudgy’s Fine Cookies and Underground Creamery at 1010 N Shepherd Dr. have been on edge as news about Trump’s “Liberation … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

School districts have those “our insurance is too expensive” blues

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, the Lege will do something to help. Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Port Aransas Independent School District when it hit in 2017, damaging every classroom and prompting weeks-long school closures. The district is still facing ripple effects today, but in … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School districts have those “our insurance is too expensive” blues

Carbon capture permit granted

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a Texas company’s application to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and inject it underground, becoming the first project in the state to be awarded such a permit. Occidental Petroleum Corporation, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

El Paso’s wastewater recycling plant

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Dealing with our state’s water needs will require lots of different types of solutions. By 2028, El Pasoans will begin receiving water from a $295 million advanced water purification plant that will convert treated wastewater into drinking water, the first … Continue reading →

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

An overview of our state water situation

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s pretty bad. Texas officials fear the state is gravely close to running out of water. Towns and cities could be on a path toward a severe shortage of water by 2030, data compiled in the state’s 2022 water plan … Continue reading →

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

The cost of the warming centers

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week. The City of Houston spent about $6.5 million as the January winter storm brought freezing temperatures and snow to the region. Mayor John Whitmire’s chief of staff, Chris Newport, told the city’s resilience committee Thursday that the 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Beryl was stronger than we thought

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Some lessons for the future here. A new report from the National Hurricane Center found that Hurricane Beryl roared into the upper Texas Gulf Coast with maximum winds of 92 miles per hour, just 3 miles per hour shy of … Continue reading →

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

Assessing North Texas’ wildfire risk

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting stuff. North Texas terrain and climate differ significantly from Southern California’s, but the possibility of wildfires in the Tarrant County area that are as destructive as those in Los Angeles cannot be ruled out, according to Luke Kanclerz, head … Continue reading →

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

Three water stories

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This lawmaker wants to fix Texas’ water shortage with desalination and billion-dollar pipelines The state lawmaker expected to carry out Gov. Greg Abbott’s “transformative” water reforms this year wants to earmark billions of dollars to develop new sources and fix … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Three water stories

The homeowners’ insurance is too damn high

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Texas isn’t such a cheap place to live when you factor in insurance costs. When Maryann McGregor retired in 2020, she and her husband considered downsizing and selling their four-bedroom home in Clear Lake to their adult son. The couple … Continue reading →

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

On landfills and methane

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

To the extent that we can, we should capture methane gas from landfills and use it for energy. Around 20 miles north of downtown Houston, seated between Interstate 69 and the Sam Houston Tollway, acres of pipeline weave through piles … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On landfills and methane

Houston hydrogen hub deal signed

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As Evan Mintz likes to say on that cursed microblogging site, good news for Houston. The U.S. Department of Energy signed a deal with energy developers Wednesday for the creation of a $1.2 billion clean hydrogen hub based in Houston. … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston hydrogen hub deal signed

Cool pavement

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. More than 20 people died in Dallas and Tarrant counties from heat-related illnesses in 2023 as Texas saw record heat waves and triple-digit temperatures, according to the counties’ medical examiners. Heat-related emergency visits to hospitals also spiked. Cities … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The less-than-expected hurricane season (so far)

Posted on September 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sure hope this doesn’t jinx anything. Although the historical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is around Sept. 10, based on data since the 1850s, storm experts are giving the next two weeks of tropical development a 60% chance of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Water, water, everywhere

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All due to leaks. Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water … Continue reading →

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

Lawsuit filed over Texas anti-ESG law

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. A coalition of progressive business organizations is suing Texas over a 2021 law that blocks the state from investing in and contracting with companies that boycott the fossil fuel industry. The suit, filed in federal court in Austin … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed over Texas anti-ESG law

We have a statewide flood plan

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Now let’s see what we do with it. Texas officials adopted their first-ever statewide flood plan Thursday, recommending $54.5 billion worth of strategies and studies to protect the 1 in 6 Texans who live or work in flood hazard … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on We have a statewide flood plan

Heat mapping

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty cool. Or hot. Kinda both. Your choice. Chris and Rachel Powers were ready for their second drive of the day when they parked outside a bakery in Houston’s East End. They cracked the passenger-side window of their Audi and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Heat mapping

Another Tuesday Beryl roundup

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hurricane Beryl killed at least 22 people in the Houston area. More than half were heat-related deaths. Hurricane Beryl claimed at least 22 lives in the Houston area. Recent additions to the list include 11 people who died from hyperthermia, … Continue reading →

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

CenterPoint’s uninspired performance

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So what happened here? CenterPoint Energy faced an early round of scrutiny Tuesday about whether it adequately prepared for Hurricane Beryl, as more than 1 million Houston-area customers prepared to sweat through multiple days without power. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments