Environment
Farmers and Ranchers Take a Hit from Harvey, but the Exact Toll is Unknown
Introducing the Texas Observer’s Rural Reporting Project
Texas has the biggest rural population in the nation, yet many journalists treat much of the state as flyover country.
Trump’s election taught the nation many painful lessons. Among them: the traditional divide between town and country has become a chasm. People in blue, urban...Read More
Texas Warbler Suit Could Test Trump Administration’s Handling of Endangered Species
A little Texas bird could become a test case for the Trump administration’s willingness to defend Obama-era endangered species decisions.
Several prominent environmental organizations are citing the Trump’s administration’s hostility toward the Endangered Species Act as the reason for stepping...Read More
Gulf Coast Environmental Group Sues Plastic Company After Slow Response from TCEQ
The nonprofit San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper and an environmental activist are suing to stop Formosa Plastics from discharging plastic pellets into nearby bays and estuaries.
For the last year and a half, Bobby Lindsey and other volunteers with the San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper have collected more than 1,600 clusters of BB-si...Read More
The Texas Legislature’s Chainsaw Massacre
In the name of “liberty,” Senate Republicans are hacking down local rules protecting trees — except when they’re making exceptions for themselves.
At least 90 cities and counties in Texas have ordinances protecting trees. San Antonio has an ordinance. Weatherford has an ordinance. Austin has an ordinance. ...Read More
Despite Knowledge of Climate Change in 1970s, Texas Utility Companies Funded Climate Denial
Newly uncovered documents show Vistra Energy’s predecessors were involved in climate change research in the 1970s.
The predecessor companies of Texas’ largest power provider, Vistra Energy, helped fund climate change research in the 1970s and 1980s that warned of the risks...Read More
Dancing with Denial
Rick Perry has danced his way back into the climate denial camp. At his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, the secretary of energy admitted that the...Read More
‘The Hour of Land,’ Terry Tempest Williams’ Love Letter to National Parks
Trump’s attacks on public lands have given new urgency to Williams’ work.
Trump’s attacks on public lands have given new urgency to Williams’ work....Read More
Susan Combs, Fierce Critic of Endangered Species Act, Tapped for Agency in Charge of its Implementation
As Texas comptroller, Combs led the charge against endangered species listings, likening them to “incoming Scud missiles.”
In May, we published a deep-dive into the Texas comptroller’s office and its funding of endangered species research. We found that the comptroller’s office,...Read More
Report: Loopholes Allow Polluters to Get Away With Worsening Air Quality
A new report finds TCEQ only issued fines for about 3 percent of unauthorized air pollution releases from 2011 to 2016.
Every year petrochemical refineries, chemical plants, oil and gas wells and other facilities emit thousands of tons of pollutants illegally into the air. The Te...Read More