The Export Boom
The United States’ oil and gas export boom has been a decade in the making. All along the Texas coast, communities are fighting back against the industry’s expansion.
Environment
‘A Lifetime of Damage’ On a Creosote Plume in Houston’s Fifth Ward
Decades of exposure to cancer-causing chemicals are sickening Black residents at alarming rates. But courts and the company responsible for the contamination say the burden of proof is on the community.
In the Drill Zone, Children’s Health Is Looking Bleak
More than a decade ago, the U.S. made a big bet on natural gas as a path to reduced emissions and energy independence. But has that bet gone bad for communities—and the climate?
How the Alabama-Coushatta Use Fire to Save the Longleaf Pine
In an ecosystem that needs fire to flourish, the actions of the tribe could decide the future of the longleaf pine.
Robert Bullard Isn’t Done Yet
More than 40 years after the Texas Southern University professor researched the first environmental justice case, communities of color still face an uphill battle claiming their right to clean air and a healthy neighborhood. Federal environmental justice legislation could change that.
Writer Rick Bass Fights for 20 Grizzly Bears
The author’s new collection of essays is a Texas naturalist’s scrapbook of the Lone Star State. It’s also a deep look at the natural world.
Texas Activists Took Their Fight Against a Natural Gas Project Abroad—And They’re Winning
The Texas Railroad Commission’s about-face on natural gas flaring can be partially linked to pressure from European companies concerned about Texas’ dirty gas.
SIGN UP FOR TEXAS OBSERVER EMAILS
Nobody Warned Texans About the Public Health Risks of the Winter Storm
Without advance warning about the true scale of power outages and the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, local officials say they were caught off guard, leaving residents to fend for themselves.
Who’s Going to Take Responsibility for Air Pollution in Texas?
Legal experts say that environmental laws must be more strongly enforced by the government to protect the health and safety of Texans.
The Sunniest City in Texas is Expanding … Natural Gas Production
After New Mexico rejected a proposal for the El Paso power plant, the Biden administration could be El Paso’s last line of defense.