Roll Beyond Coal for Clean Air/Energy in Texas (2009)

Did you know that Texas is still building and planning more dirty, coal-fired power plants, and that it is the only state in the nation with such a deadly, costly “coal rush” advancing (more info)?  Scary isn’t it?

Join us for an important and fun-filled Halloween event supporting renewable energy, green jobs, clean air and clean energy which moves us beyond coal and puts Texas on a path to brighter and cleaner energy future.

Date: Saturday – October 31st, 2009
Time: 8:30am – noon (Young Sierrans meet @ 9:30 at the registration table)
Cost: FREE to participate!!
T-shirts: Adults: $10, Students: $5 – Must be ordered by 10/23 to guarantee! * All donations benefit the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club to help fight against new coal plants in TX.
Location: Bath House Cultural Center, White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Drive, Dallas, 75218 (map and directions)
Advanced Registration: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club

Included Activities:

• Halloween costume contest (prizes awarded!)
• Basic bike check ups
• Facepainting
• Exhibitors on green living & transportation and sustainability
• Postcard signings to the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act (more info OR speak out online)

Schedule:

• 8:30a – Event Begins – Includes Bike/Walk/Run Registration
• 9:30-10:30a – Speakers & Rally
• 10:30a – Bike/Walk/Run around the lake in support of Clean Air/Energy in TX.

To volunteer or for more event information, please contact organizer Lori Peniche (972-980-7176).  Follow these links if you can’t attend, but still want to support clean air/energy in TX, learn more about Sierra Club Beyond Coal initiatives or sign-up for TX Sierra Club Action Alerts.

10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup / Green Living Fair – Fredericksburg, TX (9/2009)

Do these subjects interest you?  Solar – Wind – Geothermal – Water Use & Reuse – Energy Conservation – Rainwater Harvesting – Green & Sustainable Building – Organic Growing – Alternative Transportation – Exhibits – Free Guest Speakers – Natural Food – Family Activities.  If so, you’ll have plenty of like-minded company at the 10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup/Green Living Fair.

When: September 25 – 27, 2009
Where: Fredericksburg, TX
Tickets/Gate Fee: $10 for Friday or Sunday, $12 for Saturday or $20 for a 3-day pass (children under 12 free).  No pets please.  General admission tickets are sold at the gate only.

Advance ticket packages are available – If you are interested in purchasing a special package call 877-3ROUNDUP for details.

Admission includes:

• Exhibits and on-going demonstrations
• Over 50 speakers (keynote listed below) and workshops
  • Toby Hemenway – author of Gaia’s Garden: A guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
  • Karl Rabago – Vice President, Distributed Energy Services Austin Energy
  • Bob Dixson – Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas
• Green job training (ImagineSolar – PV System Design & Installation)
• Fun learning activities for kids
• Musical performances

Website: See their site for more event details (schedule of events, speakers, exhibitors) or for electronic copies of previous year speaker presentations: http://theroundup.org/

Public Comments Needed re: Texas Parks & Wildlife State Plan (2009)

We have until midnight on September 17th, 2009 to make comments on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Update of the 2005 Land and Water Conservation and Recreation Plan.

To view a PDF of plan and to find a link to make online comments, click here.

To read the five recommendations from the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club on making the plan better/stronger, click here.

For questions, please contact Evelyn L. Merz (Lone Star Chpt Conservation Chair) by phone (713.644.8228) or email (elmrz@hal-pc.org).

Texas Legislative Update – June 1st, 2009

Quick Summary of today’s Clean Power & Green Jobs Press Release

Clean Power, Green Energy bills that passed both bodies and WILL go to the Governor’s Desk include:
• Green fleets legislation to promote low emissions and plug-in hybrid vehicles for fleets of major State Agencies (HB 432)
• Legislation allowing cities to create financial districts to loan money
for renewable power and energy efficiency (HB 1937)
• Legislation setting a ‘no regrets’ strategy for greenhouse gas reduction in the State; a study of the state’s energy use to find ways to reduce our emissions and save money at the same time (SB 184)
• A coordinated green jobs strategy including funds allocated for child care programs, vocational training initiatives, energy efficiency measures, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and/or any other recovery funds (passed as a Rider to Article 12)
• Green fee bill passed allowing governing board of public colleges and universities to institute an environmental service fee once approved by student body election.

Clean Power, Green Jobs bills that passed the House OR Senate but DID NOT go to the Governor’s Desk include:
• Raising the state’s minimum residential and commercial building codes from 2001 to 2009 standards (passed Senate as SB 16 and HB 2783 in House)
• Raising the utility efficiency goal (SB 546 passed both houses but no
agreement was reached between Senator Fraser and Representative Anchia on the size of the goals)
• Adopting appliance efficiency standards for a variety of products, including pool pumps (passed Senate as SB 16)
• Creating a 1,500 MW Emerging Technology Renewable Standard (SB 541 – passed the Senate)
• Creating a $500 million solar incentive program (SB 545 – passed the Senate).
• Creating a Policy requiring utilities and retail electric providers to pay consumers fair buyback rates for excess electricity generation from renewable energy (HB 1243 – passed House and Senate, but was killed in the House through concerns over germaneness and Senate amendments.)
• High performance energy efficiency building standards for state buildings, including universities and public schools (HB 431). The Senate may pass the conference committee report today, on Sine Die.

The full press release contains information on factors which prevented bills with bipartisan support from making the Gov’s desk, other issues’ (nuclear, TV recycling, clean coal, transportation) successes/disappointments and perspectives on the session by the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, Environmental Defense Fund, Environment Texas and Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED).

The Alliance for a Clean Texas published its summary of the session and can be found on their website.

Texas Legislative Update – May 26th, 2009

ACTION REQUESTED!

SB16, SB 545 and SB 541 are on the House Major State Calendar today. This is great news! However, midnight tonight is the deadline for the House to pass Senate bills on second reading.

The Alliance for a Clean Texas asks all Texans who want clean air and clean energy to call their representatives immediately and ask them to vote for these three crucial bills.

SB 545 (Fraser/Strama) will:
* Build our solar technologies
* Creates TENS OF THOUSANDS of Texas jobs
* Lower electric costs in the long term
* Reduce pollution
* Create a program for solar on schools and churches
* Allow new home buyers to have a solar option

SB 541 (Watson/Farabee) will:
* Create a 1500 megawatt emerging renewables portfolio standard
* Encourage utility scale solar, geothermal, biomass, and small wind programs
* Attract industry investments in our state
* Create a ‘Made in Texas’ solar incentive that will attract manufacturing to Texas
* Create energy storage program for renewable power
* Set effective cost caps on the price of renewable energy

SB 16 (Averitt/Cook) will:
* Continue Texas’ most successful emissions reduction program that reduced smog pollution from diesel engines until 2019
* Update Texas Minimum Energy Efficiency Building Code Standards for residential and commercial buildings from 2001 to 2009 standards, meaning new homes and businesses will be 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient
* Allow the State Energy Conservation Office to contract with other state agencies and utilities to provide consumer rebates for energy efficient refrigerators and air conditioners
* Continue research into the causes of air pollution
* Create a new technology grant program for electricity projects related to renewable energy.

Texas Legislative Update – May 22th, 2009

From the Alliance for a Clean Texas:

Great News! Four of ACT’s top priority bills have made it one step farther in the legislative process. The House Committee on Energy Resources passed SB 545 out of committee yesterday afternoon. House Environmental Regulation reported the committee substitute for SB 16 out of committee last night. And this afternoon House State Affairs voted SB 541 out of committee.

The next step for these three bills is to be placed on the House calendar. ACT urges the members of the House Calendars committee to place SB 545, SB 16 and SB 541 on the calendar before Sunday (the deadline for Senate bills to be heard in the House). The Texas Legislature could make the 81st Session an historic one for the development of the next great Texas energy industries.

Another ACT high priority bill reaches the next step in the legislative process tomorrow morning. HB 821, the producer TV takeback bill, will be heard in the Senate Committee of Business & Commerce tomorrow morning. An unusual committee referral (most recycling and landfill bills are referred to Senate Natural Resouces), ACT hopes that the members of Senate B & C can see the value of this timely bill that will help keep more lead, mercury and other hazardous materials out of our landfills.