All of us here at the EcoNetwork are excited to announce 

that we are looking to expand the AEN team! We are currently searching for an editorial intern to help EcoNews editor, Amy Stansbury, with the production of the EcoNews. AEN's editorial intern will have the opportunity to jump right into the action, writing blogs and assisting in the production of the EcoNews. If you are passionate about the environment and excited about the opportunity to work with us, send a resume a multiple writing clips to amyrstansbury@gmail.com.
 

---

[Transportation] Capital Metro ridership was down by 4.25 percent last year, according to a new story out from KUT. This decrease came despite the fact that the city's population overall is growing at an explosive rate and national public ridership is up.
So what's going on with Capital Metro? KUT lays out several possibilities:

• UT has cut funding in recent years for its share of the Capital Metro system, reducing shuttle services.
• When Capital Metro launched its first Metro Rapid line last year, it cut local servicesalong the same route, despite the fact that it was the city's most popular local bus route.
• Capital Metro has not been able to increase its service offerings at the same rate of Austin's population growth, meaning that less people have access to public transportation in the first place.
• Much of Austin's population growth is happening in the more suburban sections of the city, which are notoriously more difficult for public transportation services to access.

 

---

[Transportation/Water]There were new developments in the SH 45SW story this week, when the Department of Transportation released its environmental impact study, saying the proposed road will have little negative impact on the sensitive Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.

Environmental advocates dispute this claim, and the continued forward progress surrounding SH 45SW has even prompted Travis County CommissionerBrigid Shea to push the commissioners to appoint someone with experience in environmental or social justice issues to the toll authority's board.  A new appointee, she said in an article for the Austin American-Stateman, could serve as a“watchdog” during construction of SH 45SW, which would connect the south end of MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) to FM 1626. Read more about the latest SH 45SW news here>>
 

---

[Water] Interested in learning more about local water quality? Check out this amazing database fromAustin Youth River Watch. The students at AYRW have been collecting regular samples from streams and waterways across the city and have made theirfindings public. A great resource for learning more about your local environment! 
 

---

[Zero Waste] Have you taken a composting course from 

Austin Resource Recoveryyet? The city offers FREE composting classes to the public throughout the year, and there are several classes coming up in February, including a class at the Natural Gardeneron Feb. 7th from 10am to 11pm. A full list of next month's classes is available here>>

And, after you finish the class, you will receive a$75 coupon to buy your very own home composting system. This is an amazing deal! Do not miss out. Register for a class today.
 

---

[Green Building/ Design] Learn how to build, remodel or buy green homes that improve energy and water efficiency, increase comfort, and reduce maintenance with Austin Energy Green Building's Green By Design workshop. This three-part workshop will teach you how to plan and design a green home, utilize sustainable landscaping methods, and choose the most efficient venting, heating and plumbing systems for your home. For only $25, this is a workshop that can't be missed! Register today>>
 

---

[Awards] Camp Fire Central Texas, an organization that helps youth and families explore their local environment and achieve their potential, is proud to announce thewinner of its 2015 Promise to Children Award. Gigi Edwards Bryant is this year's recipient of the award, which honors extraordinary individuals in the local community who share Camp Fire’s passion for helping children find their spark and foster the skills and knowledge to develop a growth mindset and become leaders in their communities.

Bryant is a loyal advocate for education, children, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation issues. She has served her community over the past thirty years through a number of organizations that create collective change at the point when that change is the difference between giving up or using the experiences to make a change for the better. Learn more about Bryant and Camp Fire Central Texas here>>
 

---

[Energy] Even though Austin's new generation plan has been approved, thedebate over the city's energy future is not over.

Earlier this month, AE General Manager Larry Weis issued a staff memo commenting on the future of the generation plan. He said that although there has been a lot of good progress with the plan, he still hasconcerns about affordability. He even said that a2 percent annual rate increase is likely, just to pay for day-to-day operations. Read more here>>

Austin Energy also announced this week that it will update its call for consultants to conduct an independent study of a proposed new natural gas plant. This comes after a request on Monday from the Electric Utility Commission.

The new generation plan calls already for this study, to determine if the purchase of a 500 MW natural gas plant is the best move for Austin Energy. However, many residents and members of the EUC have expressed fears that the study will treat thegas plant like a foregone conclusion, instead of comparing it to other, more sustainable energy options. 

At its last meeting, the EUC approved a resolution asking Austin Energy to amend the request for proposal to note that the study must consider“energy efficiency; full fuel costs including hedging, operations and maintenance, fuel and financing; power purchases; environmental impacts and impacts on Austin’s ability to meet climate change and affordability goals; analysis over the period of the longest expected generation asset; and resultant water use and impacts on water quality.”

At this point, it is unknown which, if any, of these suggestions were incorporated into AE's call for consultants. Although AE has made some changes to its original call, it is not making them public at this time. Learn more with this article from the Austin Monitor>>
 

---

[Energy] Are you an Austin Energy customer with a 

home solar system? If so, you need to watch this video from Native, a local green building company. The short, incredibly informative video guides customers through their Austin Energy bill, helping them to realize what they are being charged and how much money they are saving from solar.Watch the video here>>
 

---

[Energy] ImagineSolar will be hosting an Advanced 5-day workshopfrom January 31st – February 4th. Students will be taken through the steps of PV project implementation. Register here for the workshop and here for the 1st lab day featuring a 3.7kW PV system installation. 
 

---

[Film making] It's time for the 2015 Eco-Comedy Video Competition!Sponsored by the Center for Environmental Film Making and the Nature Conservancy, the contest offers a$2,000 prize to anyone worldwide who has a flare for producing videos with something to say about conservation. This year's theme is "Clean Water, Clean Air" and all videos must be submitted byMarch 1st. More info>>
 

---

---

Politics

---

---

[Austin City Hall] The new city council's first officialmeeting was today, at city hall. The agenda for today's meeting was pretty light and mostly revolved around council's proposals to shorten their notoriously long meetings and nearly double the number of council committees. To learn more about the kind of work these committees will be doing, check out this short radio story from KUT>>

And for a broader look at the issues council will be tackling in the future, be sure to run through this list from Community Impact Newspaper. Top issuesthat council will address in 2015 include:

• The possible approval of a new natural gas plant for Austin Energy
• A new way of governing, including a deeper dive into city issues, as opposed to governing "crisis-by-crisis"
• An attempt to tackle the city's growing affordability and transportation problems
• (Although it was not included in the Community Impact article, you can also expect Austin Water and its handling of the city's drought/water rates to be among the issues council tries to address this year.)

 

[Austin City Hall] For acloser look at the inner workings of city hall, be sure to bookmark this page. It is the City of Austin Council Message Board and it is the place where city council members hold virtual discussions. The entire thing isopen to the public and provides an excellent opportunity for you to keep up-to-date on what your city council member is up to. Items on the discussion board this week include:

• proposed amendments to today's city council agenda 
• a policy proposal from the Mayor's Office about "deep dives" into city issues
• a request from council member Sherri Gallo's office to build better district-specific websites
• A proposed resolution from Don Zimmerman to remove council staff from the dais during council meetings