For your Earth Day enjoyment, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense have written a joint Op-Ed that has been published in both the Austin American Statesman & the Houston Chronicle. So on this day of celebration, Let’s Begin a Better Future Now and Enact Energy Laws to Clear Air, Create Jobs!
Check it out:
Texas citizens get it.
More of us than ever are mindful of switching off lights, weatherizing our homes and doing all that we can to save energy. State legislators can get it too. This session, they have an opportunity and responsibility to save us even more money on our electricity bills, create thousands of green jobs and reduce pollution across the state. Our representatives now have less than six weeks to pass the best of nearly 100 bills that have been introduced on clean power and green jobs. These energy efficiency and renewable energy bills set the stage for rebuilding, repowering and renewing our state’s economy during tough times. They will build a sustainable future for Texas.
The energy efficiency bills contain plans for helping Texas families by creating jobs while reducing consumption of electricity in our homes and buildings. When our homes and buildings are well-insulated and our appliances more efficient, we don’t need to burn wasteful and damaging amounts of dirty fossil fuels for electricity.
An additional benefit to creating Texas’ new clean energy economy is that we can clean up our air and address climate change at the same time. As we provide new jobs installing clean energy technologies, we can decrease the public health risks and costs associated with the impacts of burning coal. (more…)
Fraser’s solar bill, SB 545, just passed out of the Senate floor with a vote of 26 to 4.
HB 2721 threatens to fast-track water permits for nuclear plants, which use vast quantities of water. Water is precious, and Governor Perry has just requested federal aid for all 254 counties in Texas due to statewide drought. Water permits should be given careful scrutiny, and not be rushed. This bill, which will be heard tomorrow on Earth Day, would actually deny citizens the right to a contested case hearing for these water permits!
Maybe some day you can be as cool as this lady, who was among more than 40 people that just got arrested at 
NEWSFLASH! Carbon Dioxide emissions may represent a threat to public health or welfare.
There is too much fun going on in the next few days… I can’t handle it. I wish I could be multiple places at once… and influence climate change legislation by sheer will power.. and attach documents to e-mails telepathically. Ah well, if wishes were horses, I’d have gotten that pony when I was six.
The City of Austin’s municipal elections are coming up May 9th, which means that throughout the following weeks there will be lots of candidate forums and opportunities to question our potential leaders. From our friends at 
Residents Who May Be Affected by Plant’s Pollutants Should Tell the Judge
This week citizens submitted two separate filings to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) opposing Luminant (formerly TXU)’s proposed Comanche Peak nuclear reactors. Petitioners include state Rep. Lon Burnam, the 
Want to vote in the upcoming City of Austin Municipal Elections? The deadline to vote in the May 9th elections is this Thursday, March 9th.
