research & news
Two Dallas Bars Ditching Plastic Straws
Two Dallas bar owners recently announced they are switching from plastic to paper straws this month.
Silent Spills: For Crosby residents, a ‘bitter taste’ about Arkema, and little help from government
Houston Chronicle By Alex Stuckey CROSBY — By the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 29, the skeleton crew at Arkema’s chemical plant knew it was time to go. Flooding from Hurricane Harvey had caused the plant to lose power. Thousands of gallons of chemical-laden water had spilled into the floodwaters. Soon, the company’s stash of volatile […]
Middle schoolers aim to make Houston plastic bag free
Houston Chronicle By Rebecca Hazen Caoilin Krathaus and Lila Mankad, 12-year-old friends and classmates at Hogg Middle School, are sixth-graders on a campaign to save the world. They enjoy typical hobbies such as reading, being outdoors, and camping, but they also have a common goal to make Houston more sustainable and waste free by starting […]
Hurricane Harvey’s toxic impact deeper than public told
Associated Press By Justin Pritchard, Associated Press and Alex Stuckey, Houston Chronicle A toxic onslaught from the nation’s petrochemical hub was largely overshadowed by the record-shattering deluge of Hurricane Harvey as residents and first responders struggled to save lives and property. More than a half-year after floodwaters swamped America’s fourth-largest city, the extent of this environmental […]
Waste pits activist meets with environmental head in D.C.
Baytown Sun By Christopher James Environmental activist Jacquelyn Young continues to advocate for the cleanup of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, this time taking the fight to Washington, D.C. In late January, Young joined community leaders from across the country in the nation’s capital to meet with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Albert Kelly, […]
Dallas could force apartments, offices to offer recycling
Dallas Morning News: Dallas City Council members don’t want to waste any more time waiting for apartment complexes and businesses to offer recycling programs. With a unanimous vote, the council’s Quality of Life Committee directed city staff to start drafting a universal recycling ordinance.
Walgreens pledges to launch long-awaited chemical policy
Chemical Watch: U.S. pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced it will launch its long-awaited chemicals management programme this year, pledging it will publish a list of high priority chemicals of concern in its products and create an action plan for their management in 2018.
Who wins in the new recycling deal? Houston.
Houston Chronicle Guest Op-Ed: Mayor Sylvester Turner was right when he said the city’s newly approved recycling contract is a “win for Houstonians and the environment.”
Health concerns swirl in Texas months after floods from Harvey spread toxic waste
PBC NewsHour: Three months after Hurricane Harvey struck the shores of Texas, some local environmental groups say they are in the dark about the safety of federal Superfund sites damaged during the storm.
As Austin concludes recycling phase-in, city preps for zero waste goal
Community Impact News: Austin aims to be zero waste by 2040—meaning 90% of discarded materials will be either recycled or composted and not sent to landfills. Business community members and environmental advocates alike seem to agree that Austin is making strides toward the target.