Consider the Rattle
In a state that still hosts grisly “rattlesnake roundups,” human Texans should learn to see something of themselves in their ancient, slithering kin.
Environment
Corpus Christi Launches Emergency Water Projects as Reservoirs Dwindle and Industrial Demand Grows
This Texas city has struggled to develop a seawater desalination plant, but its efforts have lagged as thirsty industries arrive and drought persists.
Texas Uranium Mining Portends Nuclear Revival
State leaders want nuclear reactors to provide power to large industrial facilities. But South Texas locals worry that a uranium boom could affect their groundwater.
How Texas Diminished a Once-Rigorous Air Pollution Monitoring Team
Former employees say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality weakened the unit in the years following the onset of the fracking boom. The operation never returned to what it was before.
A Texas Pipeline Giant Is Backing a Regulatory Disaster
Energy Transfer owns the pipeline that caught fire recently near Houston, and it’s setting another fire at the National Labor Relations Board with the help of right-wing jurists.
Confessions of a Beaumont Vegan
The only justification for animal suffering is that it is necessary or doesn’t matter. I have concluded it is not necessary and does matter.
How Can You Tell If Soil Is Healthy? Just Listen to It.
First-of-its-kind research shows how "ecoacoustics" can help scientists monitor the health of soils—using underground critter concerts.
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A Rough Road to the Christmas Mountains
The small range in West Texas provides gorgeous vistas and huge research opportunities that are finally being realized.
Funds to Help Low-Income Families With Summer Electric Bills Are Stretched Thin
A federal program helps people in poverty cover the costs of heat and cooling. But advocates say it disadvantages states like Texas, even though extreme heat is a key cause of weather-related deaths.
New Texas Appellate Court Alarms Environmentalists
The all-GOP 15th Court of Appeals soon will hear disputes involving the state’s environmental regulators. “It’s BYOC—bring your own court—for polluters and powerful interests.”