Environment
Battleground Plant
In Deer Park and other chemical corridor communities, the slow seepage of toxics can affect families like mine for generations.
This story is from the July/August 2021 issue. Sam Allen almost always hitched a ride to work with his best friend Floyd. The plant was only a 10-minute drive f...Read More
In West Texas, Astronomers Worry About Growing Oilfield Light Pollution
A major Texas observatory is trying to convince oil and gas companies to minimize light pollution from things like drilling rigs and gas plants.
This Marfa Public Radio story first appeared on American Public Media’s Marketplace. In a rural corner of West Texas, hours away from the bright lights of big...Read More
After Kelcy Warren’s Energy Transfer Partners Made Billions from the Deadly Texas Blackouts, He Gave $1 Million to Greg Abbott
The natural gas industry raked in billions during the winter grid failure and Governor Abbott let them off the hook. He was rewarded with a huge campaign contribution from the grid collapse’s biggest profiteer.
The Texas electric grid collapse during the February winter storm killed hundreds of Texans and caused an estimated $295 billion in damages, while generating se...Read More
Communities of Color in Houston Will Face Another Hurricane Season Without Adequate Flood Control
After nearly $4 billion in county and federal funding for infrastructure projects, the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods still aren't protected.
Doris Brown’s home in Scenic Woods, a neighborhood in northeast Houston, flooded four years ago during Hurricane Harvey when water rose over the banks of Hall...Read More
“People Are Wiped Out”: Costs Pile Up as Hurricane Season Begins
Hurricanes, a winter storm, and spring floods have left low-income Gulf Coast residents exhausted and cash strapped before this year’s season, with no significant aid in sight.
This story was published in partnership with Southerly. When Chrishelle Palay inherited her great-aunt’s home in Kashmere Gardens, a flood-prone neighborhood ...Read More
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?
This story was produced by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. When Wanda Vincent looks out the windows of her day care center in Arlington, Tex...Read More
The Unlikely Demise of Texas’ Biggest Corporate Tax Break
After 20 years, the state’s most lucrative corporate welfare program comes to an end.
In 2001, state lawmakers and business leaders warned that the state’s high property tax rates were discouraging corporations from locating big projects in...Read More
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.
On a Wednesday in March, a cool, northerly breeze rustled through the pines. It was a good day for a fire. Gesse Bullock, a 16-year woodlands firefighter and bu...Read More
La Niña Brings Wildfires
Texas fires are growing in volume, severity, and sheer number.
From the May/June 2021 issue. Brad Smith is looking at Texas’ wildfire forecast, and what he sees is not encouraging. Smith, the head of a Texas A&M Fores...Read More
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.
Robert Bullard Isn’t Done Yet More than 40 years after the Texas Southern University professor researched the first environmental justice case, communitie...Read More