Texas Climate & Energy
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas is the largest energy-producing and energy-consuming state in the nation. Texas produces more electricity than any other state, generating almost twice as much as Florida, the second-highest electricity-producing state. Thus, Texas has a disproportionate impact on the ability of the U.S. and the global community to mitigate climate change. Texas also can be an energy justice leader, ensuring that energy production doesn’t harm vulnerable communities, and energy is available even to the marginalized.
Light and Life
Using the Public Utility Commission of Texas Sunset Review to Safeguard Texans’ Health and Wellbeing
The upcoming 2022-2023 Sunset review of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, offers a unique opportunity for Texas lawmakers to advance public health in the Lone Star State.
NEWS + LATEST UPDATES
Tax Rebates, EV Credits, and Energy Savings: How the Inflation Reduction Act Benefits Consumers
The evenly divided U.S. Senate passed a historic $740 billion reconciliation bill—the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—packed with clean energy investments, health care reform, and tax incentives. Despite Republican efforts to stifle its passage, Democrats prevailed,...
The 2023 Farm Bill Can Reduce Hunger While Fighting Climate Change
The reauthorization of the omnibus Farm Bill can reduce food insecurity, benefit the environment, and increase agricultural equity across the country. For nearly a century, this piece of legislation has evolved to meet the needs of farmers and consumers from farm to...
There’s Hope for Climate Progress Even Without Legislation
Despite the setback to climate legislation resulting from W.Va. Senator Joe Manchin's intransigence, there’s still hope for climate action through the executive branch. After hearing of Sen. Manchin’s decision, President Biden promised to take "strong executive...
A Methane Refresher: What’s New?
With another heat wave radiating across Texas and an unsettling energy conservation alert, courtesy of ERCOT, it’s prudent to consider the cause of these extreme temperatures. The answer is climate change; as confirmed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...
EU Taxonomy to Include Nuclear and Natural Gas as Green Energy Sources
European Union lawmakers voted Wednesday to incorporate natural gas and nuclear power as "green" energy sources, joining the EU’s taxonomy, despite avid protest from environmental activists and organizations threatening legal action. The EU’s taxonomy is a...
U.S. Climate Action Network: A Beacon of Hope
Last week, Bee Moorhead and I visited North Carolina as members of USCAN, a group of dedicated and passionate environmentalists committed to fighting climate change for over 28 years. USCAN is a collaborative network of over 190 organizations active on climate change...
SCOTUS Undermines the EPA’s Power to Fight Climate Change
Today’s decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency drastically undermines federal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from power plants under the guidance of the Clean Air Act. West Virginia v. EPA was brought before the Supreme Court of the...
The Unsustainable Reality of a Car-centric United States
As temperatures continued to rise across the Southwest, imposing heat watches, advisories, and warnings, so did the price at the pumps. Gasoline prices hit a record high of $5 a gallon this weekend, harming the pockets of those who rely on cars to commute. The U.S. is...
Tackling CO2 Emissions Isn’t Enough to Solve Climate Change
In order to curb climate change, climate policies must go beyond mitigating CO2 emissions and focus on “short-lived climate pollutants” such as methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and black carbon, new research concludes. The scientific study found that curbing climate...
What is the Future of Food: Lab-Grown Meat, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Deserts?
It’s no surprise that climate change is a threat to human well-being and natural systems, imposing great strain on natural resources and human capacity. The food system is an intriguing case because while climate change restricts its production, the production of food...