Naveena Sadasivam
By Naveena Sadasivam:
El Paso School Consolidation Exposes More Kids to Lead and Other Hazards, Parents Say
Millions of Plastic Pellets in Lavaca Bay? Formosa Says it’s Just ‘Trace Amounts’
After decades of polluting the air and water in Point Comfort, Formosa is now being confronted about its release of millions of plastic pellets.
Once a week, Diane Wilson launches her kayak on Cox Creek, a brackish stream near Point Comfort that feeds Cox and Lavaca bays, and paddles for four to five hours looking for white, grain-size plastic bits called nurdles. Used in … Read More
Environmentalists Fear Conservative Group’s Push to End Corporate Subsidies is Really Just a Hit on Renewables
“TPPF only talks about tax breaks for renewables without touching the vastly greater subsidies that support coal and other fossil fuels.”
In the last few months, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) has ramped up its war on wind. To kick off the 86th Texas Legislature, the Austin-based conservative think tank published four reports on the scourge of renewables and how … Read More
The Strange, Record-Setting Weather Extremes Texans Faced in 2018
Scientists predict temperatures, seasonal extremes and flooding will continue to intensify if carbon emissions aren’t immediately reduced.
In 2018, natural disasters touched nearly every part of the country. Hurricanes Michael and Florence hit the East Coast, killing at least 89 people and causing more than $21 billion in damage. Wildfires engulfed large parts of California, driving thousands … Read More
As Speaker of the House, Will Dennis Bonnen be a Menace to the Environment?
Despite his earlier reputation as a hatchet man for environmental regulation bills, activists are cautiously optimistic that they can find common ground with Bonnen as speaker.
As chair of the Texas House Committee on Environmental Regulation from 2003 to 2008, Representative Dennis Bonnen was labeled a “tyrant,” a “Clean Air Villain” and consistently rated among the worst lawmakers in the Legislature by environmental activists. The Gulf … Read More
Audit Says State Windstorm Insurance Program is Failing… Again
After Hurricane Harvey, the windstorm insurer of last resort for the Texas coast is “broke, in debt and facing a shrinking revenue pool.”
In 2008, after hurricanes Ike and Dolly ravaged the Texas coast and caused more than $30 billion in property damage, the state’s quasi-governmental windstorm insurance agency struggled to process the wave of claims that followed. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association … Read More
Trump Administration Report: Climate Change Is Hurting Texas
If greenhouse gasses aren’t curbed, the Texas economy will likely face devastating consequences from climate change.
Sea levels along the Texas coast could rise by as much as 8 feet by 2100, submerging parts of the Galveston and Corpus Christi shoreline. Temperatures may increase by as much as 8.4 degrees by the end of the century, … Read More
Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia Make History as First Texas Latinas Elected to Congress
Escobar said she hopes to be a check on Trump’s worst tendencies and “push back against the politics of hatred” in Congress.
In the nearly 175 years since Texas joined the union, the state has sent more 300 representatives to Congress, but none have been Latina — until now. As of 8:30 p.m., campaigns for El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar and … Read More
House District 105 is Gerrymandered but Diversifying. Will Republicans Eke Out Another Win?
In the last decade, Democrats have come within a few percentage points of winning House District 105 in the Dallas suburbs three times. In 2008, the year of the last blue wave in Texas fueled by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, … Read More
Why Environmental Groups Are Salty on Corpus Christi’s Pricey Desalination Plan
Despite the cost, logistical challenges and environmental side effects, city officials are moving forward on their plan to bolster Corpus Christi's water supply.
Having tried little else to save its water supply, Corpus Christi is considering an option that no other Texas city has embraced: seawater desalination. The strategy has long been considered a far-in-the-future option because of its cost, logistical challenges and … Read More