Most recent 40 articles: Dallas News
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ERCOT warns rising temperatures may cause power emergency next week - Dallas News  (Apr 12) |
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Apr 12 · Texans may soon be asked to help support the state’s grid. ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, is warning residents that higher temperatures will increase demand across the grid, resulting in a power emergency. ERCOT plans to delay and cancel planned generator outages across the state to help reinforce the grid during a time of high demand and strain. The power emergency is expected to last from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday, according to a Friday notice. The Electric Reliability Council of Texasdid not respond to The Dallas Morning News at the time of publication. Temperatures in Dallas next week are expected to hit a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday and ... | By Irving Mejia-Hilario Read more ... |
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Giving fossil fuels the edge is a mistake, and these numbers prove it - Dallas News  (Feb 26, 2024) |
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Feb 26, 2024 · There’s good news in a recently released dashboard that estimates Texas’ energy production demand through 2050. The dashboard, developed by the think tank Texas 2036, analyzed four scenarios: status quo (meaning no major advances in any energy technology), a transition to renewables, advancing fossil fuels only, and expanding energy production from a variety of sources. Energy expansion means a diversified portfolio that includes renewables and fossil fuel production, also known as the all-of-the-above approach. This is what several energy analysts, along with this editorial page, have advocated for. This dataset offers a compelling argument for that. The Texas ... | By Dallas Morning News Editorial Read more ... |
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Stop letting Texas oil and gas companies police themselves - Dallas News  (Aug 03, 2022) |
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Aug 03, 2022 · Last week The Associated Press published an investigative report that told us what we already knew: The fox is guarding the hen house in the Permian Basin. AP journalists visited dozens of sites with infrared cameras to confirm findings of an industry watchdog called Carbon Mapper, a partnership of university researchers, which detected 533 methane “super emitters” in the Permian Basin in 2021. Methane is a regulated greenhouse gas, roughly 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in its first several years in the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. There’s now nearly three times as much methane in the air than there was before industrial ... | By Dallas Morning News Editorial Read more ... |
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How a Texas sociologist became the father of the environmental justice movement - Dallas News  (Apr 17, 2022) |
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Apr 17, 2022 · In the beginning, the idea of environmental justice didn’t have a name. It didn’t have much support, either. A few years after the first Earth Day, a young sociologist named Robert Bullard gathered data for a 1979 lawsuit, filed by his then-wife, about a landfill planned for a middle-class Black neighborhood in Houston. His work showed that although only about a quarter of Houston’s residents were Black, all of the city-owned landfills and most city-owned incinerators were in Black neighborhoods. Today, environmental justice is widely accepted as a crucial public health issue. And Bullard is now known as father of the movement. He leads the Center for Environmental and ... | By Michael Merschel Read more ... |
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natural gas let us down. Again - Dallas News  (Aug 15, 2021) |
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Aug 15, 2021 · This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find the full series here: Keeping the Lights On. After the energy crisis in February, Texas policymakers are looking for scapegoats that fit a political narrative. But we have a collective inability to admit that natural gas let us down again, which sets us up for another energy crisis. Texas is the No. 3 natural gas producer in the world after Russia and the U.S. It has enriched us and helped us clean up the power sector by displacing coal. Gas has been good to us and is central to our identity as a state. But as a ... | By Michael E. Webber Read more ... |
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Texas loses to Oklahoma on electric vehicle company Canoo's ‘mega-factory - Dallas News  (Jun 17, 2021) |
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Jun 17, 2021 · Canoo says it will complete its assembly plant in Oklahoma by 2023 but will manufacture and ship its first vehicles to U.S. customers from the Netherlands by the end of 2022. The electric vehicle maker Canoo announced Thursday that it would take a mega-factory and thousands of high-paying jobs to the Tulsa region, citing Oklahoma’s “energy-forward initiatives.” North Texas was “definitely in the race” in the multistate competition for the new assembly plant, but Texas energy infrastructure issues and other factors led the company to choose Oklahoma, chairman and CEO Tony Aquila told The Dallas Morning News. “Will we be big enough fish in that pond? Will we get ... | By Dom DiFurio Read more ... |
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inefficient homes - Dallas News  (May 02, 2021) |
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May 02, 2021 · This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find the full series here: Keeping the Lights On. The February blackouts gave Texans a clear view of our state’s energy system. Texas legislators still haven’t come to grips with it. In the freezing early hours of Feb. 15, inefficient heaters gulped electricity to keep homes and buildings warm, and Texas’ energy use was headed for an all-time record. Yes, gas supplies froze and generators went dark, but beyond those failures, poorly insulated homes and buildings were on a pace to draw more power from the electricity ... | By Doug Lewin Read more ... |
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott names construction industry lobbyist to Public Utility Commission - Dallas News  (Apr 01, 2021) |
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Apr 01, 2021 · Will McAdams, who’s worked for powerful GOP lawmakers, will join the agency that was heavily criticized for electricity outages during the recent winter storm. AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday named to the embattled Public Utility Commission of Texas a construction industry lobbyist with strong ties to the GOP-controlled Legislature. Will McAdams, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas, will take one of the three vacancies on the three-member PUC. In the wake of February’s prolonged and devastating arctic blast, the regulatory agency for electricity and telecommunications is struggling to defend its oversight of a nonprofit board that ... | By Robert T. Garrett Read more ... |
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We are too focused on green energy rather than adapting to climate change - Dallas News  (Mar 07, 2021) |
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Mar 07, 2021 · This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find the full series here: Keeping the Lights On. The late philosopher and historian Will Durant said, “Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” Mother Nature threw Texans a curveball with the weeklong freeze. But if the 100-year weather event is now the 20-year event, we need to adjust our thinking to derive strategies that protect our infrastructure and health. Texans know our electrical grid was designed to deal with blistering heat rather than prolonged, subfreezing cold. ... | By Kenneth Hersh Read more ... |
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We are too focused on green energy rather than adapting to climate change - Dallas News  (Mar 07, 2021) |
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Mar 07, 2021 · This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find the full series here: Keeping the Lights On. This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find the full series here: Keeping the Lights On. The late philosopher and historian Will Durant said, “Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” The late philosopher and historian Will Durant said, “Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without ... | By Kenneth Hersh Read more ... |
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Blackouts reveal endemic problems in the Texas power market - Dallas News  (Feb 21, 2021) |
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Feb 21, 2021 · Now that the Texas deep freeze is receding and electric power is being restored, the blame game is heating up. Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an investigation and resignations at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, known as ERCOT, the state’s electric grid operator. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has asked two committees in the lower chamber to hold a joint hearing later this month to review the outages. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, head of the state Senate, says the Senate Business and Commerce Committee will soon hold hearings “to get answers to our questions.” Meanwhile, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins is blaming the power failures on Abbott and the Texas Railroad ... | By Bernard L. Weinstein Read more ... |
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Texas' electric bargain: a deregulated market brought fast growth, big investments and cheap rates - Dallas News  (Feb 21, 2021) |
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Feb 21, 2021 · But last week’s deep freeze left millions exposed - and blame must be assigned. After a cold front knocked out part of Texas’ electric grid a decade ago, companies were urged to winter-proof their power plants against severe weather. It was a suggestion, not an order, because generators are independent players in Texas’ deregulated market. They alone decide whether such investments are worthy. “We’re not an enforcement entity,” said Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state grid operator known as ERCOT. Texas prefers to dangle a carrot: “There’s a very strong financial incentive” for generators, Magness told reporters on a ... | By Mitchell Schnurman Read more ... |
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‘they were not prepared': after winter crisis, Texas will have to confront its energy, politics and culture - Dallas News  (Feb 20, 2021) |
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Feb 20, 2021 · The historic storm and cascading disasters - power and water shortages - are forcing the state to take a hard look at its ideals and principles. Like so many Texans, LaShonda McGrew spent most of Sunday dazzled by the rare blanket of snow that covered her suburban Fort Worth home. It was beautiful, she told her husband, as they spent the day listening to sermons, sitting next to the fire and preparing for the workweek. As the evening approached, the warnings of a more serious weather event started to pop up. McGrew paid attention. She audited her food and water. She placed candles and flashlights with fresh batteries throughout the house. The family charged extra ... | By Nic Garcia Read more ... |
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Texas rushes plumbers to fix broken pipes, airlifts bottled water as crisis focus shifts to damages, water supplies - Dallas News  (Feb 19, 2021) |
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Feb 19, 2021 · Almost 15 million Texans have had their drinking water systems disrupted by the storm, officials said. AUSTIN -- Texas is rushing to bring more plumbers into the state as residents contend with broken pipes after the winter freeze and power outages this week. On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott said that more than 320 plumbers renewed their licenses and Texas is working with out-of-state companies to dispatch more. The Republican governor urged people to contact their insurance providers to fix busted pipes. Under a federal disaster declaration, Texans will be able to apply for additional assistance to fix their homes, beyond what insurance might cover. While the ... | By Robert T. Garrett and Allie Morris Read more ... |
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Texas tells power plants to be winter-ready, but how to prepare is up to them - Dallas News  (Feb 19, 2021) |
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Feb 19, 2021 · Lack of winterization standards lets power generators decide for themselves how to best prepare for deep freezes. AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on Texas legislators to make winterizing the state’s power production equipment a top concern, saying they must find a way to prioritize and pay for the improvements. But while the state requires power generators to plan for extreme weather, it offers best practices that serve as guidelines only - not requirements. Without mandated state standards, Texas does not penalize power plants that are ill-equipped for severe cold. In fact, state utility regulators have issued only three fines ever related to inadequate ... | By Lauren McGaughy and Holly K. Hacker Read more ... |
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Texas leaders drop the snowball, fail to protect residents against rare but predictable harsh winter storm - Dallas News  (Feb 18, 2021) |
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Feb 18, 2021 · In 2011 lawmakers knew the Electric Reliability Council needed reforms, but failed to force needed change. Led by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas leaders are outraged over the devastating power outages that have left millions of residents freezing and without power as an historic cold front grips the state. “The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” said Abbott this week, when he made reviewing the council’s decisions an emergency legislative agenda item. “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable” What’s also ... | By Gromer Jeffers Jr. Read more ... |
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Texas leaders drop the snowball, fail to protect residents against rare but predictable harsh winter storm - Dallas News  (Feb 18, 2021) |
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Feb 18, 2021 · In 2011 lawmakers knew the Electric Reliability Council needed reforms, but failed to force needed change. Led by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas leaders are outraged over the devastating power outages that have left millions of residents freezing and without power as an historic cold front grips the state. “The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” said Abbott this week, when he made reviewing the council’s decisions an emergency legislative agenda item. “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable” What’s also ... | By Gromer Jeffers Jr. Read more ... |
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Powerless Dallas residents wait out freezing temperatures at home as hotels book up completely - Dallas News  (Feb 17, 2021) |
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Feb 17, 2021 · businessLocal Companies The hotel industry was already reeling from an immense drop in revenue from the pandemic. Then widespread power outages and burst pipes hit Texans, and a number of hotels, too. A mad dash for warm accommodations has left nearly every hotel in the region booked up, forcing powerless North Texans to wait it out in cold homes as power outages and sub-freezing temperatures blanketed the region for a fourth straight day Wednesday. Richardson resident David Burrows, 58, and his wife Margaret finally found a room at the Courtyard Marriott in Addison on Monday evening after sitting in the cold for hours and charging devices in their car as they ... | By Dom DiFurio Read more ... |
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Cruz says he has ‘no defense' for mocking California's past power outages as Texas' grid falters amid historic freeze - Dallas News  (Feb 17, 2021) |
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Feb 17, 2021 · 'A blizzard strikes Texas & our state shuts down,’ the Republican wrote on Twitter. 'Not good.’ WASHINGTON - Confronted with his mocking last year of California over that state’s power outages during a heat wave, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz late on Tuesday said he had “no defense” for his past criticism as Texas’ power grid falters amid a historic winter storm. “I got no defense,” the Republican wrote on Twitter, quoting a news story about others highlighting his jabs at California. “A blizzard strikes Texas & our state shuts down. Not good.” Cruz and other Republican leaders in Texas have come under an intense spotlight during the ongoing power failure, which has left ... | By Tom Benning Read more ... |
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No, frozen wind turbines aren't the main culprit for Texas' power outages - Dallas News  (Feb 17, 2021) |
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Feb 17, 2021 · ERCOT said Tuesday that 16 gigawatts of renewable energy generation, mostly from wind, were offline. Nearly double that, 30 gigawatts, had been lost from thermal sources, which includes gas, coal and nuclear energy. Frozen wind turbines in Texas caused some conservative state politicians to declare Tuesday that the state was relying too much on renewable energy. But in reality, the wind power was expected to make up only a fraction of what the state had planned for during the winter. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas projected that 80% of the grid’s winter capacity, or 67 gigawatts, could be generated by natural gas, coal and some nuclear power. An official ... | By Erin Douglas and Ross Ramsey/The Texas Tribune Read more ... |
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Dallas's Energy Transfer strikes $7 billion deal to expand pipeline holdings - Dallas News  (Feb 17, 2021) |
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Feb 17, 2021 · The deal positions the Dallas-based company to capitalize on growing global demand for natural gas. Dallas-based pipeline giant Energy Transfer is acquiring an Oklahoma City company in an all-stock deal valued at $7.2 billion during an unprecedented Arctic storm that continues to grip the nation’s energy capital of Texas. Energy Transfer announced the deal with Enable Midstream before Wednesday’s trading markets opened. The deal did little to move Energy Transfer’s share price, which declined slightly to $6.89. Enable shares fell 6% to close at $6.11. The acquisition makes Energy Transfer, already one of the country’s largest pipeline companies, nearly 40% larger ... | By Paul O'Donnell and Kyle Arnold Read more ... |
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For her work as a climate change diplomat: Texas Tech's Katharine Hayhoe is a finalist for Texan of the Year - Dallas News  (Dec 19, 2019) |
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Dec 19, 2019 · Katharine Hayhoe is an evangelical Christian professor at Texas Tech University who researches climate change. And because she was born in Canada, it took her some time to understand why those things don't tend to go together here in the U.S. She's become a bridge to help nonscientists, particularly people of faith, understand climate change and to spread hope that humans can find solutions that make life better for everyone. Hayhoe might call herself Canadian, but we'll claim her as a Texan, and not just because she's worked in Lubbock for a number of years. She reflects the Texan values of free thinking, commitment to her faith and respect for others. In 2019 the ... | By Dallas Morning News Editorial Read more ... |
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Could climate change lead to more extreme hailstorms in Dallas-Fort Worth? - Dallas News  (Dec 12, 2019) |
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Dec 12, 2019 · From tornadoes to blizzards, when extreme weather happens it's easy to wonder if climate change is to blame. Scientists often say it's difficult to say whether one specific storm was the result of climate change, but as researchers gather more data, it's also becoming easier to observe trends. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society on Monday published an annual report that looks at weather observations from the previous year and model simulations to see if climate change could have played a role in extreme weather events. "The evidence that human-caused climate change is impacting weather events has only been increasing," said Stephanie Herring, editor ... | By Jesus Jimenez Read more ... |
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We are throwing money at the wrong solutions to climate change - Dallas News  (Dec 02, 2019) |
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Dec 02, 2019 · Bjorn Lomborg is an academic and author of the book "The Skeptical Environmentalist." In a visit to the Dallas Morning News editorial board, he urged policymakers to spend money on countering climate change more effectively. Rather than spending on feel-good green projects, our leaders must approach various climate change solutions unemotionally, and they must invest in the ideas that will do the most good for the most people. You've often made the point that you aren't going to debate the science of global warming, but instead consider the best ways to spend money to save human lives. Where do we spend money to fix climate in the most effective way and, of course, also ... | By Bjorn Lomborg Q&A Read more ... |
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After pipeline blast killed Dallas 12-year-old, Texas lawmakers pass bills to prevent gas explosions - Dallas News  (May 25, 2019) |
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May 25, 2019 · AUSTIN — Natural gas pipeline operators would be required to remove some of the most dangerous pipes in Texas under a bill headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk that was spurred by the death of a Dallas 12-year-old last year. House Bill 866 by Dallas Democrat Rafael Anchia would require pipeline operators to remove all cast-iron pipes from their systems by Dec. 31, 2021. Safety experts have warned that this material was used in the oldest energy pipelines constructed in the country and is more prone to leaks as a result of its age. The bill would also require operators to increase from 5% to 8% the amount of the riskiest pipes they replace in their systems annually. That ... Read more ... |
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Democrats tried a Green New Deal before, to disastrous results - Dallas News  (Mar 25, 2019) |
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Mar 25, 2019 · opinion Commentary By Stephen Moore|Contributor 7:00 AM on Mar 25, 2019 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal has been widely ridiculed for its massive disruption to the economy and a price tag of tens of trillions of dollars. Now some Democrats are countering that this isn't the first Green New Deal in America. They point to the Obama fiscal stimulus plan of 2009-10 as an example of how spreading around tax dollars for green energy programs can be good for the environment and the economy. Think again. That isn't at all what happened during the Obama green new deal. By every objective criteria confirmed by every independent investigation, the ... | By Stephen Moore Read more ... |
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At first NH stop, Beto O'Rourke warns that climate change could trigger a massive refugee crisis - Dallas News  (Mar 19, 2019) |
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Mar 19, 2019 · news Politics By Todd J. Gillman 2:18 AM on Mar 20, 2019 KEENE, N.H. — Beto O'Rourke, at his first stop in New Hampshire since jumping into the 2020 presidential scramble, painted a dire picture of a world degraded by climate change, warning of mass migrations that no nation will be able to cope with. "If you are worried about 400,000 apprehensions on our southern border with Mexico last year, wait until some of the countries in the Western hemisphere are no longer habitable by human beings. The refugee crisis here and all over the world is beyond our imagination," he said. O'Rourke arrived at Keene State College 75 minutes behind schedule, after ... Read more ... |
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Gov. Abbott, let us scientists help you understand climate change - Dallas News  (Jan 29, 2019) |
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Jan 29, 2019 · What's more, Abbott's Commission to Rebuild Texas concluded in December that Texas will face significant damage as sea levels rise and future storms become more intense. Hurricane Harvey, the commission said, is a warning that should not be ignored. And these are just a few findings. These reports warn with increasing urgency that climate change will have dire effects for Texas. In a time as politically polarized as today, it's more important than ever to hear each other out. This issue isn't red or blue. It's about all of us. We should be working hard, together, to protect our coastlines and communities from global warming. So my colleagues and I are stepping up to the plate. | By Andrew Dessler Read more ... |
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How economists can slow climate change - Dallas News  (Jan 25, 2019) |
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Jan 25, 2019 · Even most climate change skeptics acknowledge the planet is warming. And when pressed, they agree our actions are contributing. But disagreement arises when possible solutions are proposed. A sudden switch from carbon based-fuels to renewables would be disruptive for our economy. But doing nothing carries risk, too, even if the most pessimistic scenarios fail to materialize. Into this environment, a call has been made by some of the country's leading economists and policymakers on a possible solution. Plan supporters include Republicans, Democrats, former Federal Reserve chairmen, Treasury secretaries and Nobel prize winners, as well as some of the world's largest firms ... | By Kevin Simmons Read more ... |
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We humans restored the ozone layer and defeated acid rain, we can solve climate change - Dallas News  (Jan 25, 2019) |
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Jan 25, 2019 · Similarly, also through interstate compacts and international accords, we switched from burning high-sulfur coal to low-sulfur coal, virtually eliminating acid rain, which was poisoning our surface water, from small streams to the Great Lakes, in addition to eroding many of our statuesque buildings and monuments. If we hadn't taken these rather simple, cooperative steps, we probably wouldn't be now arguing over whether to remove Confederate monuments from our parks, because we likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a bearded Gen. Lee and a bearded Gen. Grant anymore, such was the deterioration. That solution is another example of how relatively small ... | By Randolph Brandt Read more ... |
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Texas' fastest-growing jobs over the next five years have nothing to do with oil and gas - Dallas News  (Jan 16, 2019) |
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Jan 16, 2019 · Home health, nursing and renewable energy jobs top the list of fastest-growing jobs between now and 2023, according to a study by CareerBuilder . Considering North Texas is home to many Fortune 500 companies like Exxon , McKesson and AT&T , "it is clear there will be a plethora of opportunity for job seekers with varied backgrounds and experience over the next five years, especially as high growth is predicted in health care, tech, manufacturing, and social and community roles," said CareerBuilder chief people officer Michelle Armer. Take a look below at the fastest growing jobs in low, middle and high wage positions in Texas through 2023, and their general requirements. Read more ... |
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Trump renominates Texas climate change skeptic for key environmental post - Dallas News  (Jan 08, 2018) |
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Jan 08, 2018 · White faced tough questions at her Nov. 8 confirmation hearing, but the committee forwarded her confirmation three weeks later on a party-line vote. Now, the process will start over for her. But Democrats and environmental advocates say she's unfit for the position because she is skeptical of global warming, particulate matter and the Renewable Fuel Standard Program. "It seems to me you don't believe climate change is real," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said to White during the hearing. "You're not a scientist, are you?" "No," White replied. "But in my personal capacity, I have questions that remain unanswered," adding that scientists need to have a more precise ... | By Nicole Cobler Read more ... |
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EPA's new Dallas chief: 'It's possible that humans have some impact on climate change - Dallas News  (Dec 20, 2017) |
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Dec 20, 2017 · "Looking at water infrastructure, water quality ... I don't think it's a surprise to anybody that we have aging water infrastructure throughout the region and quite frankly, throughout the United States,” Idsal said. She also mentioned prioritizing the cleanup of toxic Superfund sites , which the Trump administration has emphasized as a priority. Also, Idsal said she wants the agency to be more collaborative. "I would like to see the EPA and Region 6 work more closely and really take into consideration the needs, the wants, the budgets, the capacity of local governments,” she said. "Too often in the past, you'd have federal agencies ... handing down very ... Read more ... |
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Dallas company behind Dakota Access pushes back on Trump's 'Buy American' pipelines mandate - Dallas News  (Apr 19, 2017) |
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Apr 19, 2017 · WASHINGTON - The Dallas-based pipeline giant that's benefited big league from the Trump administration's energy policies is nevertheless pushing back hard on one of the president's signature proposals to boost domestic manufacturing. Energy Transfer Partners - builder of the contentious Dakota Access pipeline - wrote this month to the Commerce Department to warn about "significant adverse” effects that could result from the White House's demand that pipelines built in the U.S. be made with American steel . "The impacts of such a restriction are expected to severely delay project schedules, drive up costs, decrease availability and lower quality,” wrote the company, which ... Read more ... |
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