[Climate Change] For the first time in its history, the US now has federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions. For the first time ever, the federal government is demanding that the country take serious steps to combat climate change.

This is all because of the Clean Power Plan, an EPA program to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants nationwide by about 32 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2030. President Obama released the final version of this plan on Monday.

Here are the key points:

• Under the plan, each state has been given an individual emissions reduction goal. (Texas’ is about a 21 percent reduction from 2012 emissions levels)
• It is then up to the states to decide how to reach these goals, by submitting their own emissions reduction plans by September of 2018. 
• Actual emissions reduction is then set to begin in 2022 and continue on to 2030. 
• But here’s the thing – states can refuse to submit their own plans, and in that case the EPA will impose its own federal plan on them. Several Texas lawmakers have already resisted against designing their own plan and have said that will instead be fighting the Clean Power Plan every step of the way.

 

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[Climate Change] Reactions to the Clean Power Plan: At the state level, there has been a lot of negative reaction to the plan. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that, "Texas will lead the fight against an overreaching federal government that seems hell-bent on threatening the free-market principles this country was founded on." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that he will continue to move forward with plans to sue the Obama Administration over the new rules.

In Austin, the response has been much more positive. Earlier this week, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Texas State Representative Donna Howard, and Austin city council members Greg Casar, Delia Garza, Kathie Tovo, Ann Kitchen, Leslie Pool, and Sabino "Pio" Renteria all gathered to announce their support for the Clean Power Plan.

Here's what Adler said – “While the time for action on climate and carbon pollution was long ago, I applaud President Obama and the EPA for making history by bringing forward the Clean Power Plan to put common sense limits on carbon pollution from power plants.”For video and audio clips of Adler's speech, be sure to check out our latest blog>>
 

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[Climate Change/Energy]Austin Energy also announced its support for the Clean Power Plan this week,pointing out that the utility is already on track to get 55 percent of its energy from renewables by 2025. The only concern that they raised is that Austin should receive credit under the plan for being such an early adopter. "It is our hope that the US Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Texas will now give our community credit for being early adopters and clean energy leaders for decades," said Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis. "After all, we were clean energy leaders before clean energy was actually cool." More info>>

 

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[Climate Change/Energy]Even as the Clean Power Plan is announced, coal mining continues in Texas. Just 25 miles outside of Austin (near Elgin) is the Three Oaks Mine, where strip mining has been plaguing the local environment for years. 

The Army Corps of Engineers is currently reviewing Texas coal mining operations at a series of open houses and public meetings throughout the state. The Sierra Club is organizing an effort to bring people to these meetings to speak out against the harmful effects of coal mining. The closest hearing is at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton on August 12th,but you can find the full list of hearings here>>
 

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[Transportation] Last week the Austin EcoNetwork went on a field trip – a public transportation field trip! AEN Editor Amy Stansbury guided our intern, Emma VanDelinder, through her first ever CapMetro bus ride and we're proud to report that the trip was a success! Amy recorded the entire thing in this fun, educational video, which you can watch here>>

Taking these transportation "field trips" with friends and family is a great way to try out public transportation for the first time. It makes the entire experience more fun and way less uncomfortable. To hear how some of Austin's largest employers are trying out public transportation as well, be sure to check out the latest AEN podcast, "Yes, We Hate to Be Uncomfortable and Try New Things: The Story of Public Transportation in Austin."
 

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[Transportation] After six weeks of experimentation, the RideScout Route pilot ended last week. The RideScout Route was a free hop-on, hop-off downtown circulator shuttle designed to enhance the city's existing public transportation infrastructure. It was run byRideScout, a transportation app company that wanted to see if there was a market for downtown east to west transportation. As it turns out, there is! 

RideScout is now going to take the data and insights they gathered during their pilot project and present it to the City of Austin, helping the city to make more informed transportation decisions in the future. More info>>
 

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[Food] Please welcome our newest AEN partner,Sunfield Community Garden! The garden is located in the the Sunfield Neighborhood in Buda. Though garden membership is reserved for residents, the garden hosts FREE hands-on classes on various topics the 3rd Saturday of each month for the general public. They strive to demonstrate ecological gardening at it's best and encourage everyone to come see their orchards, chickens, water-recycling sink, rain gardens and more! 

Sunfield Community Garden's free August class is right around the corner! On Saturday, August 22nd from 10am to noon they'll be hosting a fall gardening basics class. More info>>

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[Recycling/Zero Waste] Recycling in Austin just got a little easier with the expansion of Austin Resource Recovery's"Recycle on the Go"initiative. The program encourages Austinites and visitors alike to recycle in the city's public spaces. To expand this effort, Austin Resource Recovery is installing 50 new recycling cans in downtown Austin over the next few days. The cans will be marked with bright blue domes to distinguish them from trash cans and will be located at street corners along Congress Avenue and 2nd and 3rd streets. Over the next few years, the city plans to expand its "Recycle on the Go" initiative even further, installing more recycling cans throughout the downtown area. More info>>

 

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[Recycling/Zero Waste] The City of Austin needs yourhelp. A recent study found that 44 percent of what we throw away is actually recyclable. That's a big problem, so now the city is asking you – what do you think is causing this problem? And how can we fix it?

The city wants your opinions, ideas, thoughts, and insights on how to increase recycling in Austin. If you're interested in helping, you can fill out this survey, or text your thoughts to 512-580-7778. 
 

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[Recycling/Zero Waste] Are you a recycling STAR? Then you might want to apply for an Environmental Leadership Award from the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR). The awards recognize individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses developing and maintaining programs involving recycling, composting, sustainable materials management, public education, and special event recycling. If you or your organization fits that bill, now is the time to apply because the deadline for submissions is August 28th. More info>>
 

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[Green Design] Austin Energy Green Building's popular Green by Design Workshop is back and there are only two classes left. The series teaches attendees how to build, remodel, or buy green homes that improve energy and water efficiency, increase comfort, and reduce maintenance.

The remaining two session topics are:

All of the sessions will be held at the Norris Conference Center from 7pm to 9pm. Participants can choose to attend one or two of the sessions for only $25, but advance registration is required. More info>>