Naveena Sadasivam
By Naveena Sadasivam:
The Texas-Mexico Border Wall Comes with a Dangerous, Costly Side Effect: Flooding
Unpublished Federal Report Projects Bleak Future for Central Texas Mussels and Rivers
Without any conservation measures, four species are “extremely vulnerable” to extinction, according to a draft Fish and Wildlife Service report.
If the state’s population continues to balloon and climate change worsens, four Central Texas mussels could face near-certain extinction, according to an internal analysis by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) obtained by the Observer. While mussels aren’t exactly … Read More
Troubled Waters: New Book Plunges into Texas’ Convoluted Water Law
Seamus McGraw's reporting tour de force goes beyond policy and history by trying to understand the perverse incentives that drive decision-making.
In 2009, the Williams family began an almost decade-long battle over whether the water beneath their land is theirs to do with as they please. Claytie and Jeff Williams, the father-son duo who led the fight, grow alfalfa, cotton, teff … Read More
Despite Trump, Water Agency Fosters Cross-Border Cooperation Between U.S. and Mexico
A binational agency is working to transcend the immigration, trade and border wall battle between the two countries.
In early March, Ed Drusina and Roberto Fernando Salmón Castelo sat at the back of an almost empty auditorium with plates of food, talking amiably and struggling with plastic knives to cut chicken smothered in a red mystery sauce. The … Read More
Trump’s Border Wall Lands Rio Grande on List of Nation’s Most Endangered Rivers
The river has long suffered from pollution and overuse, but 33 new miles of border wall could be the “last nail in the coffin,” environmentalists say.
Last month, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending package to keep the government funded through September. Tucked in between increases in military spending and funding for highways, lawmakers set aside $641 million to build 33 miles of border wall along … Read More
Alleging ‘Environmental Racism,’ El Paso Activists File Civil Rights Complaint Against School District
“EPISD didn’t propose [a hub for 124 buses] anywhere else because other communities wouldn’t have accepted it,” said Chamizal community organizer Hilda Villegas.
Katherine Villegas, 16, is a junior at Bowie High School in El Paso. She lives in the Chamizal neighborhood, a border community besieged by environmental hazards and a long legacy of segregation. Here, a metal scrap yard stands only a … Read More
How the Fate of Texas’ Endangered Mussels Could Affect Water Usage Statewide
The designation could have significant consequences for people, farmers and companies along the Rio Grande and holds clues for how listing other rare mussels would change water use in Texas.
The Texas hornshell, a freshwater mussel found in crevices and boulder outcroppings of the Rio Grande, isn’t much to look at. While it can be easily mistaken for a stray rock, the unobtrusive bivalve’s fate may have significant consequences for … Read More
Dirtying the Waters: Texas Ranks First in Violating Water Pollution Rules
A new report raises questions about whether TCEQ is doing enough to protect the state’s water.
Texas has a dirty secret. Its industries are routinely violating environmental laws by dumping excess chemicals and human waste into its rivers and bays, often without consequence. At least that’s the finding of a new report by Environment Texas, which … Read More
Meet Mary Street Wilson, Underdog of the 2018 Texas Primaries
In a surprising turn of events, the candidate that raised the least amount of money and had the lower profile won the most votes in the Democratic primary for Congressional District 21.
Mary Wilson, a former math teacher running for Congressional District 21, raised a measly $40,000 over the last year. She had a handful of profiles in Science magazine, Dame and KUT. In comparison, Joseph Kopser raised about $770,000, received a … Read More
Oil and Gas Lobbyist Claims Texas Drone Law Meant to Deter ‘Bad Journalists’
A recording of a prominent Texas energy lobbyist’s recent speech to insiders provides an unvarnished look at what Big Oil considers its biggest accomplishments from the 2017 legislative session.
When Texas lawmakers passed a bill last year banning drones from flying near animal feedlots and oil and gas facilities, proponents said it was needed to protect critical infrastructure from terrorists. But critics suspected that the bill was intended to … Read More