Author Archives: Jim Marston

Enviro Groups to Governor Abbott: Please Protect Texans’ Health

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: May 18, 2015

Last week, seven other Texas environmental groups came together with Environmental Defense Fund to deliver the following letter to Governor Abbott:

Dear Governor Abbott,

We are proud Texas likes to do things its own way. When Congress passed the Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) many decades ago, they included provisions that would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delegate administration of the related programs and regulations. Naturally, Texas applied for and received the right from EPA to manage the environmental permitting processes related to the CAA and CWA. A key component, though, was the obligation of states to meet the minimum requirements set by delegation of the federal rules, designed to ensure the safety and health of each state’s citizens.

We are very disappointed about the recent Senate Bill (SB) 709 by Senator Troy Fraser because it would put Texans’ health at risk for the sake of industry, all to solve a problem that does not exist. In addition, this bill puts the State of Texas at risk of losing EPA’s authorization to administer these permitting programs. If we want to protect the health of future generations of Texans, as well as Texas to remain in control of our environmental permitting programs, you must veto this bill. Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency| Comments are closed

WANTED: Gang of Texas Legislators on the Loose at the Capitol Upending Local Control and Putting Texas in Harm’s Way

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: April 15, 2015

There is an assault on public health and environmental integrity underway in the Texas Legislature right now that’s the worst I’ve seen in my twenty-something years as an environmental advocate.

The Texas Legislature is currently considering a series of bills that would eliminate much of the important rules protecting not just air and water, but also public health and safety. Many of these laws have been in place for decades and are critical in a state where the energy industry and large polluting companies are a key part of our economy.

Here’s a run-down of some of the worst bills being considered at the Texas Legislature and the elected “leaders” sponsoring them: Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Wind| Tagged Texas Deserves Better| Read 2 Responses

Think Texas Energy Is all about Oil? Think Again.

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: February 19, 2015

Source: Flickr/David Ingram

Technology is making clean energy competitive with coal for the first time in history, and that’s a game changer.

In 1999, we pushed to get the first renewable energy mandate passed in the country – in Texas of all places. There were all sorts of concerns at the time that wind could not be integrated into the system, or that it would be too expensive. Time has proven otherwise.

Yes, Texas has plenty of oil and gas, but we also have a lot of sun and wind. Those early investments in renewables paid off and today, the Lone Star State is the top wind energy-producing state in the nation.

As such, I believe we're helping to drive investments in wind across the United States.

Texas is on the cutting edge of technology – and proud of it… Read More »

Posted in Natural gas, Oil, Renewable Energy, Solar, Wind| Comments are closed

Kathleen Harnett White Proves She is Not a Scientist

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: January 16, 2015

Source: By NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory

At a recent event hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the group’s director, Kathleen Harnett White, declared that carbon dioxide, the pollutant most responsible for warming Earth’s climate, is the “gas of life” and that we don’t need limits on carbon emissions. Yes, some amount of carbon is needed for the climate, just like some amount of arsenic is needed by the human body. But at higher levels, arsenic is deadly poisonous. The fast-growing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is like too much arsenic in the body – deadly. White apparently has forgotten elementary aspects of high school science.

Here is what the real scientists say about the impact of carbon dioxide on our climate: Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Climate Change, TPPF| Comments are closed

Governor Greg Abbott’s Vision for Texas

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: January 9, 2015

“My vision is one where individual liberties are not bound by city limits. I will insist on protecting unlimited liberty,” said Governor Greg Abbott on January 8, 2015 to the ideological group Texas Public Policy Foundation. During his speech, Abbott announced he was going to try to undermine local controls, including city regulations that protect trees, limit plastic bag waste, and regulate where fracking can occur. And what a vision of Texas the Governor has.

Abbott’s vision for Texas:

Posted in Uncategorized| Tagged Greg Abbott| Comments are closed

How Can You Tell When a Politician is Doing it for Money, Or Just for Fun?

By Jim Marston | Bio | Published: December 22, 2014

Source: flickr/gageskidmore

The New York Times recently came out with an article that I could not ignore. It looked at how Attorneys General across the country have been supported by campaign donations from a “secretive energy alliance” that includes some of the nation’s top fossil fuel power companies. Texas Attorney General and Governor-elect Greg Abbott received the most—a whopping $2.5 million, compared to the $577,000 for the next largest beneficiary of the polluters’ largess.

Abbott has been quoted as saying, “What I really do for fun is I go into the office, [and] I sue the Obama administration.” True to his word, Abbott has sued the federal government 30 times (27 since Obama took office), including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) eight times, spending at least $2.58 million of taxpayers' money and more than 14,113 in state employee staff hours in the process—all with little success. But, of course, those $2.5 million in campaign funds had no effect on his actions. He's doing it for fun. Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Environmental Protection Agency| Tagged Attorney General Greg Abbott| Comments are closed