March 18, 2014 by kaibawhite
Austin Energy customers turned out in force to support renewable energy last night. Over 100 people packed the Shudde Fath Conference room at Austin Energy headquarters for a joint hearing in front of the Electric Utility and Resource Management commissions. Not prepared for the enthusiastic turnout, Austin Energy staff provided additional chairs, but many attendees were left with standing room only.
Over 50 people signed up to speak at the hearing, which extended well past the scheduled ending time of 8:00 pm to about 9:30 pm, forcing some to leave before they had a chance to voice their concerns.
Citizens expressed passionate concern about climate change, water availability, water contamination, air quality, health, job creation and equity. The common theme was overwhelming support for a rapid transition away from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy resources, including wind, solar, energy efficiency and energy storage.
Climate change was brought front and center as an issue that cannot be ignored and which demands immediate action. The commissions heard from numerous citizens that Austin will be judged by future generations based on what we do to mitigate our impact on the climate.
One point of contention between Austin Energy and advocates has been whether or not goals, including the carbon reduction and renewable energy goals, will be expanded as part of this update of the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan. Austin Energy’s current goals were set as a starting point, but they aren’t nearly strong enough to protect our climate. Last night, with climate change already impacting our communities, Austin Energy ratepayers spoke clearly in favor of substantially expanding those goals.
With the ongoing drought still weighing on many minds, the connection between water and energy was repeatedly brought up throughout the evening. Citizens talked about water used in generating electricity at the Fayette coal plan and the billions of gallons used in Texas fracking jobs each year.
Austin Energy’s recent announcement of the 100-150 megawatt solar deal up for City Council approval this week added to the enthusiasm about renewable energy. That project will provide Austin Energy with energy at around 5 cents per kilowatt-hour and is projected to slightly reduce customer bills. Many ratepayers made the point that since wind and solar are already affordable, Austin Energy should support calls for increasing its renewable energy goals and should continue purchasing more wind and solar.
Click here if you want to watch the archived video recording of the meeting.
Posted in Air Quality, Austin Energy, Climate Change, Coal, Coal Plants, Consumers, drought, Efficiency, Energy, Fracking, Global Warming, Health, natural gas, Renewables, solar, Water, wind | Tagged austin climate protection plan, Austin Energy, Austin Energy Generation Plan, Texas |
March 18, 2014 by Citizen Carol
Environmental advocacy group members of the Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition (CGCC) filed suit against the United Bulk coal export terminal in Davant for violating the federal Clean Water Act.
The terminal, owned by United Bulk Terminals Davant LLC, has operated for more than four decades, shipping millions of tons of coal and petcoke – an oil-refining byproduct with high levels of arsenic, mercury and other toxins hazardous to human health and aquatic life – every year to overseas markets. But before they are shipped, that coal and petcoke sits in huge, open piles along the river, and blows right into the river and the wetlands when there is rain or wind.
Officially, the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) and Sierra Club are the parties that filed the suit in New Orleans’ U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The groups, represented by Tulane University’s Environmental Law Clinic, are members of the Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition (CGCC), which is working to clean-up existing coal terminals in the Gulf Coast region, stop any new coal export terminals, and promote cleaner, safer industries and jobs.
The suit contends that United Bulk has illegally discharged coal and petcoke into the river every day that it has operated for at least five years. It points out that coal and petcoke have been discharged into the river in enough quantities to produce visible spills on a regular basis. The suit also cites the EPA’s determination that storm water runoff from coal piles “can flush heavy metals from the coal, such as arsenic and lead, into nearby bodies of water.”
The international market for U.S. coal has also grown increasingly volatile. Port authorities on the West Coast and in Corpus Christi, Texas have concluded that the coal export market is simply too risky to invest significant sums in new or expanded shipping facilities.
For more information, check out The Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition’s website.
Posted in Coal, Global Warming, Gulf Coast Coal Export Terminals, Water | Tagged Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition, Texas, the�Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition, United Bulk, United Bulk Terminals Davant LLC |
March 14, 2014 by Citizen Carol
In February 2013, 40 intrepid Texans from from all over the state, (Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, East Texas, and Austin), boarded a bus and traveled 34 straight hours to join folks in an inspiring event where Bill McKibben of 350, Michael Brune of Sierra Club, other speakers from prominent eco groups and celebrities in the largest rally ever held in history in Washington, DC. In the freezing February weather, between 40,000 to 50,000 people from around the country came together and said NO to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Among the Texans on the long bus trip were three filmmakers from Dallas. Sponsored by DOLPHIN BLUE, they documented the trip and interviewed the young people who were joining this fight. There is also a portion of the movie which shows exclusive footage and interviews with first responders and residents affected by the devastating tar sands spill in Mayflower, Arksansas due to Exxon’s Pegasus pipeline rupture with interviews and footage of the neighborhood.
That movie, Cry Heard ‘Round the World, premiers with a free screening on Thursday, March 20th in Dallas and if you are in the area we hope you consider seeing this new film.
Check out the trailer and reserve your seat below.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/58jD4wRTvKo]
Click here to reserve your seat at this FREE movie
Cry Heard ‘Round the World
Angelika Film Center
5321 E Mockingbird Ln
Dallas, TX 75206
THURSDAY, MARCH 20 at 8 pm
Seats are filling up quickly, and reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.
After the film, there will be a panel
with landowner Julia Trigg Crawford, who STILL has her fight at the Texas Supreme Court against KXL,
Rita Beving of Public Citizen and David Griggs of Sierra Club
to talk about the rally and tar sands
Others who were at the rally may join the discussion.
Posted in Global Warming, Tarsands | Tagged #nokxl, Bill McKibben, Climate rally, dallas, keystone xl, Michael Brune, Sierra Club, Texas |
March 13, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
When we think of the effects of climate change, we typically think of rising sea level, heat waves, drought and volatile weather. What we don’t often think about is guacamole. Or to be more specific, foods that are in danger because of climate change.
In its 2014 annual report, the popular Mexican food chain Chipotle warned investors that, “Increasing weather volatility or other long-term changes in global weather patterns, including any changes associated with global climate change, could have a significant impact on the price or availability of some of our ingredients”. The report went on to add “in the event of cost increases with respect to one or more of our raw ingredients, we may choose to temporarily suspend serving menu items, such as guacamole or one or more of our salsas, rather than paying the increased cost for the ingredients”.
While Chipotle would be largely affected by a drop in avocado production, which is expected to drop by 40% over the next three decades, other crops are in danger too, such as almonds, walnuts, oranges and grapes. A common thread between all of these crops is that they are grown in California, which has been through a particularly brutal drought this year. While California has always been susceptible to droughts, climate change is making them worse and more frequent and can be expected to do so to an even greater extent in the future.
In November of this past year, news outlets reported on a leaked draft of a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report noted that food production could drop as much as 2% per decade in the coming century compared to production estimates before climate change. All the while, the population on the planet is expected to reach between 8 and 11 billion people by 2100.
The bottom line is that climate change has effects beyond the most salient weather changes – climate change can negatively affect our ability to produce food. This is particularly dangerous as the diets of the world’s citizens become more similar – scientists note that this makes our food supply even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. A decreased ability to produce food can cause increased food prices, limited access to fresh food, global food shortages, and in turn, political turmoil.
Can we really afford to not address climate change?
Posted in Climate Change, drought, Global Warming, Water | Tagged climate change, drought, food supply, Global Climate Change, Texas |
March 12, 2014 by kaibawhite
Late last week, Austin Energy announced that it will bring contracts for two large new solar projects to City Council for approval at the March 20th meeting. The contracts that Austin Energy is poised to sign, after Council approval, are for 150 megawatts of solar power from SunEdison and the price agreed to is nothing short of phenomenal. At less than 5 cents per kilowatt-hour, Austin will have solar energy for the same price as electricity from natural gas generators.
Austin Energy predicts that this solar project will actually LOWER RATES slightly. That’s right folks – we’re getting clean renewable energy AND lower bills.
These new solar facilities will be completed by 2016, and will provide Austin Energy with power for 25 years. That’s 25 years of electricity at a fixed cost, something that simply can’t be obtained from a gas or coal plant. When natural gas prices go up, so does that “Power Supply Adjustment Fee” on bills. The beauty of wind and solar projects as that there are no fuel costs, so consumers are protected from unexpected price hikes.
Austin Energy should be commended for it’s excellent work in seeking competitive bids for this project and for capitalizing on an opportunity to contract for more than the 25 to 50 megawatts it initially planned for when it became clear that prices were lower than expected. This significant Austin Energy solar expansion is big news, not just for the utility and the city, but for the state of Texas.
Show your utility some love on Facebook and Twitter (@austinenergy) for a job well done. Use the hashtag #solarsaves.
Posted in Austin Energy, Consumers, Energy, solar | Tagged Austin Energy, solar power, SunEdison, Texas |
March 11, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
Photo by Max Anderson
Above All Else had their world premiere to a full audience at South by Southwest in Austin on Monday, March 10, 2014. The film takes an intimate look at a group of landowners and activists in East Texas who tried to stop construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which carries tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.
The film focuses on David Daniel, a former circus performer who settled down with his family in the woods of East Texas. David and his family wanted to settle down for a quiet life in the country when something unexpected happens: TransCanada tells him they want to put a pipeline through his property. David begins to build a tree-sit on his property with the help of organizers from the Tar Sands Blockade. The film takes a personal look at how David begins to rally his neighbors and allies to try and stop the Keystone XL pipeline.
Photo by Vanessa Ramos
After the film John Fiege, director, his crew and several people featured in the film answered questions about the film from a lively audience. Julia Trigg Crawford, one of the landowners featured in the film, said, “It is an unbelievable travesty what happened with David. They’ve taken away his First Amendment right.”
John Fiege and his crew made an excellent film that tells the personal stories of individuals who risked financial ruin, their personal safety, and the security of their families. Above All Else will give anyone interested in the Keystone XL and tar sands issue a different perspective of the fight on the ground.
Above All Else will have two more showings at SXSW this week. The next showing is today, March 11, at SXSatellite: Alamo Village from 4:30 PM to 6:04 PM. The final showing will be Saturday, March 15, at the Topfer Theatre at ZACH from 2:00 PM to 3:34 PM. Check out the Above All Else website and the film’s SXSW page.
Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, pipelines, Privacy, Property Rights, Tarsands, Transportation | Tagged Above All Else, david daniel, East Texas, John Fiege, Keystone XL pipeline, public citizen texas, Tar Sands Blockade, Texas |
March 10, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
Senator Brian Schatz (D – Hawaii) will lead the Talkathon
Photo by Audrey McAvoy, AP
Tonight, 28 US Senators will stay up discussing climate change all night to get Congress to ‘wake up’ to the realities of the issue.
The so-called talkathon is scheduled to begin after Senate’s last votes today and continue until 9 AM tomorrow morning. During the night the Senators, comprised of 26 Democrats and 2 Independents, will be tweeting from the talkathon using the hashtag #Up4Climate, hoping to get the attention of Congress and the American people.
The talkathon is organized by the Climate Action Task Force, a group launched in January whose goal is to take an aggressive stance on climate in Congress, and led by Brian Schatz (D – Hawaii).
You can follow the Senate’s Climate Change Talkathon on Twitter with the hashtag #Up4Climate and sign the Climate Action Task Force’s petition here.
Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, Good Government | Tagged Brian Schatz, Climate Action Task Force, climate change, Congress, senate, Texas, US Senators |
March 8, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
Blog post by Vanessa Ramos and Max Anderson
KXL protesters march to the Austin Club
Photo by Kaiba White
The heat has been turning up on the State Department and President Obama this past week from KXL Dissent. Nearly 400 youth were arrested while protesting against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in front of the White House this past weekend, which was the largest youth act of non-violent civil disobedience at the White House in more than a generation. On Monday, nine people were arrested at the State Department building in San Francisco during a youth led protest of the Keystone XL pipeline. The momentum to stop this climate-killing pipeline has been building all across the country, and yesterday people in Austin made their stand against toxic tar sands.
People gathered at the south gates of the Texas Capitol and marched to Austin Club to have a welcoming demonstration for Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer, who was in town to give a speech promoting the Keystone XL pipeline, among other things. Public Citizen, Sierra Club, Austin Climate Action Network, and Environment Texas organized the event, but opposition to the pipeline extends well beyond environmental groups and includes many conservative landowners.
Banner pointing to the Austin Club
Photo by Kaiba White
Banners hung from the parking garage next door to the Austin Club greeted the protesters. People carried signs and marched to the sounds of djembe, pots and pans, cornet and chanting.
Attendees for Ambassador Doer’s luncheon had to walk through the crowd of about 30 chanting protesters who formed a picket line in front of the entrance.
Yesterday marked the end of the public comment period with the State Department for the Keystone XL pipeline. This was the last chance for citizens to officially weigh in on the issue. President Obama still has 60 more days to hear from the different government departments as to whether they think the pipeline will be in our national interest. President Obama is expected to make a final decision on whether or not to approve the pipeline by the middle of summer.
Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, Tarsands | Tagged #nokxl, #xldissent, Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer, climate change, president obama, state department, Texas |
March 6, 2014 by kaibawhite
Good governance advocates got a win at City Hall today when the Austin City Council approved a resolution to create the Austin Generation Resource Planning Task Force. The task force will examine energy options and make recommendations regarding the 2014 update to the Austin Energy Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan, which will be approved by City Council later this year.
A similar task force was instrumental in developing the original Austin Energy Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan, which was approved in 2010 and advocates representing a variety of interests where dismayed to discover that a task force wasn’t part of the panned process this time around. Luckily though, City Council saw the need for greater public involvement and worked quickly to approve a task force. The resolution was sponsored by Council Members Tovo, Spelman and Morrison and passed on a 6 to 0 vote (Mayor Leffingwell was absent).
In addition to providing greater transparency and public involvement in the update process, the task force will afford an opportunity to more thoroughly analyze the the energy options available. The full costs and benefits of Austin’s energy choices, including climate change, air quality, water use, water contamination, health impacts, local economic development, and short and long term impact on rates need to be considered.
The task force will also provide a value able opportunity to examine what goals are being set and what programs are being implemented in other cities and states that could be favorably applied to Austin Energy. Carbon reduction and renewable energy goals and community solar and energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for low income customers deserve a closer look. Likewise, the task force will be able to gather more information on energy sources that are viable in Texas, but have been underutilized, such as concentrating solar power (CSP), thermal energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and geothermal energy.
The task force will be appointed by the end of March and will have three months to complete its work. It’s meetings will be open to the public, so all will be welcome to attend.
Posted in Austin Energy, Climate Change, Consumers, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government | Tagged austin city council, austin climate protection plan, Austin Energy, Generation Plan Task Force, Texas |
March 4, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
The deadline is fast approaching for the public’s last chance to register an official comment against the Keystone XL pipeline. The State Department’s public comment period will end on Friday, March 7th. Right now is your last chance to tell Secretary of State John Kerry that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is not in our national interest. Secretary Kerry’s opinion will weigh heavily in President Obama’s decision.
This is our final opportunity to officially weigh in on the decision. Submit a comment right now to tell the Obama Administration that the “game over for the climate” Keystone XL pipeline is NOT in our national interest.
Now President Obama must choose whether he wants to take us down the road of expanding the use of dirty fossil fuels, like tar sands, or fight for a sustainable future. The Keystone XL is central to increasing production of the Alberta tar sands, which will significantly add to carbon emissions. The massive infrastructure would lock us into dependence on this dirty fuel for decades to come. Last June, standing in the sweltering heat before an outdoor audience at Georgetown University, President Obama pledged that he would not approve the pipeline if it would “significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.” Now, he should reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
March 2nd Keystone XL Youth Protest in Washington D.C
Photo credit: Nicholas Kammafp, Getty Images
From Coast-to-Coast People Are Standing Up Against Tar Sands
- Last Sunday, more than 1,200 youths from across the country marched from Georgetown University to the White House to protest the Keystone XL. Nearly 400 youths were arrested for zip-tying themselves to the White House fence and staging a mock oil spill. This protest is the largest youth act of non-violent civil disobedience in front of the White House in more than a generation.
- On Monday, nine people were arrested at the State Department building in San Francisco during a youth led protest of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- Last month, thousands of people got together and held more than 280 vigils in 49 states across the country to say NO to Keystone XL.
Crash the Keystone XL Party: No KXL in ATX
The momentum to stop this pipeline is building all across the country. On Friday, March 7th, Austin will join Washington D.C. and San Francisco in telling President Obama that we do not want the Keystone XL. Join us at 10:30 a.m. at the South Gates of the Texas Capitol (11th and Congress). Be sure to bring your signs, pots-n-pans, walking shoes and conviction to stop this climate killing pipeline.
This is our last chance to voice concerns to the State Department before the public comment period ends on March 7th. We need to get our message across to Secretary Kerry, because what he says could be one of the biggest determining factors in President Obama’s decision.
Submit your comment: Keystone XL is NOT in our national interest.
Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, green jobs, pipelines, Property Rights, Tarsands | Tagged #nokxl, #xldissent, keystone xl, president obama, Secretary Kerry, state department, Tar Sands, Texas |
March 3, 2014 by Citizen Carol
ERCOT asks folks to set their thermostats no higher than 68 degrees
On March 2nd, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Texas electric grid operator, issued a watch due to the strong arctic front that made its way into Texas and through the ERCOT system. ERCOT is experiencing resource and transmission issues and is appealing to Texas customers to continue limiting their electric use as much as possible through 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 4, as these late winter weather conditions continue.
Power demand at ERCOT exceeded the previous March record of 43,033 MW every hour since 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2. ERCOT’s Report on the Capacity, Demand, and Reserves for 2013 shows a projected firm load forecast for winter 2014 of 53,742 MW, with operational generation of 72,476 (assuming there is not a sudden loss of generation during a winter event) with potential resources of 80,164. Of course, some units are down for scheduled maintenance so the potential resources and operational generation can be significantly lower at any given time and if there is sudden loss of generation as the state experienced in early February 2011, the state could experience rolling blackouts.
On February 2nd in 2011, ERCOT declared an energy emergency after unusually frigid weather unexpectantly shut down numerous power generators that produced 7,000 megawatts, about 8 percent of the installed capacity. That day, Texas imposed statewide rolling blackouts for only the second time in over two decades. Texans across the state were frustrated and cold, many initially blaming wind energy for the loss of power, but in fact, wind was performing as expected. It was coal and gas plants that destabilized the grid that day, but because ERCOT does not release information for 30 days after an outage about who is to blame, renewables were the scapegoat. So if we go into rolling blackouts, wait for thirty days before you start blaming one power source over others.
Concerned About Rolling Blackouts? There’s an app for that!
Because of the 2011 heat wave and drought, ERCOT introduced an app for smartphones intended to alert Texas users about emergencies to the electric grid that could trigger rolling blackouts. This alert system would urge consumers to conserve energy during those times.
In the midst of the record breaking heat in the summer of 2011, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas called on Texans to conserve when power generators weren’t able to keep up with extreme demand on several days. That conservation helped ERCOT avoid rolling outages. The new app will notify users of Apple and Android devices when the grid operator needs people to cut back usage to avoid blackouts.
iPhone, iPad and Android users can find the free ERCOT Energy Saver app by searching for ERCOT in the Apple and Google app stores, or you can link to the app below.
ERCOT will also use traditional methods of alerting the public about grid emergencies, but for the tech obsessed – this is an option. As for me, armed with my smart thermostat, its smartphone app and the ERCOT app, I stand ready to do my part this winter.
Posted in Renewables | Tagged conserve energy, ercot, rolling blackouts, Texas |
March 3, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
In a recent blog post, I reported on the completion of a large amount of CREZ transmission lines – infrastructure that incentivizes the production of wind energy – here in Texas. While the discussion around wind energy is usually around environmental responsibility, it is important not to overlook some of the more salient effects of wind energy – namely, consumer savings.
Photo from Renewable Energy Magazine
A recent report by the American Wind Energy Association notes that states that get more than 7% of their energy from wind have seen electric rates go down by .37% over the last five years, whereas all other states have seen a 7.79% increase in electric rates. Luckily, Texas is one of these 11 states that get more than 7% of its energy from wind, along with Wyoming, Oregon, Oklahoma, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.
There’s still more good news to come – as more wind develops in Texas, your electric bill could be lowered even more. Some reports show that when wind provides 14% of electricity, prices drop 10%, and when it reaches 24%, prices decline 15% .
Wind’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for your wallet, too.
Posted in Consumers, Energy, Renewables, Utilities, wind | Tagged American Wind Energy Association, CREZ, electric bills, Texas, wind energy |
March 1, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
Oil drilling site, w/ pond for fracking water, Cotulla, TX
Photo by Al Braden
The Eagle Ford Shale play in south Texas is the 400-mile-long area that has become home to one of the country’s biggest energy booms in the past six years. The thousands of oil and gas wells producing in the region have brought dangerous air pollution to residents.
The Center for Public Integrity, InsideClimate News and The Weather Channel released a new exposé titled, “Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale: Big Oil & Bad Air on the Texas Prairie,” last week. Their eight month investigation reveals the dangers that come with fracking in the form of toxic chemicals released into the air as a result of the complicit culture of the government of Texas. In case you just want to read the highlights of the report, the team was nice enough to summarize their major findings:
- Texas’ air monitoring system is so flawed that the state knows almost nothing about the extent of the pollution in the Eagle Ford. Only five permanent air monitors are installed in the 20,000-square-mile region, and all are at the fringes of the shale play, far from the heavy drilling areas where emissions are highest.
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Anadarko Brasada Cyro Gas Plant, Phase 1 of 3, Cotulla, TX.
Photo by Al Braden
Thousands of oil and gas facilities, including six of the nine production sites near the Buehrings’ house, are allowed to self-audit their emissions without reporting them to the state. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), which regulates most air emissions, doesn’t even know some of these facilities exist. An internal agency document acknowledges that the rule allowing this practice “[c]annot be proven to be protective.”
- Companies that break the law are rarely fined. Of the 284 oil and gas industry-related complaints filed with the TCEQ by Eagle Ford residents between Jan. 1, 2010, and Nov. 19, 2013, only two resulted in fines despite 164 documented violations. The largest was just $14,250. (Pending enforcement actions could lead to six more fines).
- The Texas legislature has cut the TCEQ’s budget by a third since the Eagle Ford boom began, from $555 million in 2008 to $372 million in 2014. At the same time, the amount allocated for air monitoring equipment dropped from $1.2 million to $579,000.
- The Eagle Ford boom is feeding an ominous trend: A 100 percent statewide increase in unplanned, toxic air releases associated with oil and gas production since 2009. Known as emission events, these releases are usually caused by human error or faulty equipment.
- Residents of the mostly rural Eagle Ford counties are at a disadvantage even in Texas, because they haven’t been given air quality protections, such as more permanent monitors, provided to the wealthier, more suburban Barnett Shale region near Dallas-Fort Worth.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, Energy, Fracking, Global Warming, Health, natural gas, Safety, TCEQ, Toxics | Tagged Air Quality, benzene, Big Oil Bad Air, Cottulla, Eagle Ford Shale, fracking, hydrogen sulfide, karnes city, Karnes County, natural gas, Texas, toxic |
February 28, 2014 by Adrian Shelley
Drilling Rig Reflected in Wastewater Holding Pond
Photo by Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty Images
Studies released over the past few months have linked pollution from natural gas extraction with birth defects.
In a study released in January by Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers examined data from 124,842 births between 1996 and 2009 in rural Colorado. They examined correlations between how close and dense natural gas development was to the pregnant mother and incidences of various birth defects, including congenital heart defects, neural tube defects, oral cleft, preterm birth and low term birth weight.
The study found that the most exposed mothers, who lived in areas containing over 125 natural gas wells per mile, were 30% more likely to have a child born with a congenital heart defect than a mother who does not live near any wells. One might ask – how is this possible?
Many pollutants from the natural gas extraction processes, including toluene, xylenes and benzene, are suspected to cause physiological abnormalities and mutations in human DNA. These pollutants are known to be able to cross the placenta blood barrier, raising the possibility of fetal exposure to these and other air pollutants.
Of course, air pollutants are not the only danger posed by natural gas extraction. The fluid used in this process is already known to contain over a hundred known or suspected endocrine disruptors – chemicals that can interfere with the body’s responses to estrogen and testosterone – which can lead to many health problems including infertility and cancer. What researches found in a late 2013 study was that groundwater samples taken from areas around natural gas extraction contained very high levels of these endocrine disruptors, while groundwater taken from an area without natural gas had much lower levels. In other words, natural gas extraction is linked with the contamination of groundwater with chemicals that cause infertility.
While researchers cannot say that their studies definitively prove that the natural gas extraction process causes birth defects or groundwater contamination, it is clear that more research needs to be done and the process needs to be further regulated before America continues on an ‘All of the Above’ energy policy. These studies suggest that the future health of generations to come depends on it.
Posted in Air Quality, Fracking, Health, natural gas, Safety, Toxics, Water | Tagged air pollution, birth defects, cancer, clean water act, fracking, infertility, natural gas extraction, Texas |
February 27, 2014 by kaibawhite
Austin Energy Ratepayers Rally for an Accelerated Transition to Affordable Renewable Energy
Photo by Al Braden
Read this post, then click here if you want to submit comments online to Austin Energy.
With 2 stakeholder meetings behind us and the final one ahead this afternoon, a lot of people are wondering what the purpose of of updating the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan is if we aren’t going to update the goals in it.
To be fair, Austin Energy has done a decent job of providing information about how it is progressing with achieving current goals, and giving people an opportunity to share their views and ask questions.
What is so disconcerting though, is that Austin Energy has attempted to craft the whole update to exclude what is arguably the most important elements of the Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan – setting new goals for carbon reduction and renewable energy. We’re told we can submit proposals that will be analyzed and considered for some future update, but that there’s not enough time to update those goals now. Not enough time? We’re only 2 months in to 2014 and Austin Energy has been talking about this update since mid 2013. Let’s hope Austin Energy is more nimble than its giving itself credit for.
Read the excellent coverage we got in the Austin American-Statesman yesterday.
When it comes to solar energy, this idea that no new goals will be set is especially frustrating because the issue has been postponed for 2 years now. Increasing Austin Energy’s solar goal was on the table during the 2012 rate case, but Austin Energy wanted the issue studied. So City Council established the Austin Local Solar Advisory Committee (LSAC) to study options for a way forward for solar in Austin. The LSAC recommended several changes, including doubling the 2020 solar goal to 400 megawatts. It’s important to note that the LSAC analysis showed that increasing the goal would actually result in net savings to Austin Energy ratepayers, as well as a net of $300 million in economic benefits to the Austin area. When we tried to get that recommendation adopted in 2013, Austin Energy said it would be best taken up in the 2014 Generation Plan update, so City Council split the difference and passed a resolution recommending that the goal be adopted. Now Austin Energy says that it doesn’t intend to update any of it’s goals as part of this process. I’m starting to feel like the kid in the car on a long road trip and mom and dad just keep saying “we’re almost there.” After you hear that a few times, you just stop believing.
When it comes to the overall renewable energy goal, Austin Energy’s resistance to increasing it as part of this process makes even less sense for 2 reasons. First, renewable energy has become cheap energy. Wind is our cheapest energy option and solar is now competitive with natural gas, but without the risks of rising fuel costs and pollution. Second, Austin Energy has contracts that will allow it to meet it’s current 35% renewable energy goal 4 years early in 2016. They should build on that success and expand the goal to 50% for 2020 and 60% for 2024.
For anyone who isn’t stuck at work or class from 1pm to 3pm today, I suggest going to the last of Austin Energy’s 3 scheduled stakeholder meetings. Just don’t let them box you into a corner where the important issues are off the table. Tell the leadership and staff there that you want all of the goals updated over the next few months.
If you can’t go, then click here to submit comments online to Austin Energy.
Posted in Austin Energy, Energy, Renewables, solar | Tagged Austin Energy, generation plan, LSAC, solar goals, Texas |
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Austin Energy customers turned out in force to support renewable energy last night. Over 100 people packed the Shudde Fath Conference room at Austin Energy headquarters for a joint hearing in front of the Electric Utility and Resource Management commissions. Not prepared for the enthusiastic turnout, Austin Energy staff provided additional chairs, but many attendees were left with standing room only.
