Meter Reading: Texas Gas Service Violated Rules, Miners Weather Coal’s Demise, and More

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Victoria Hogue helps to move cattle into pens after they had been sold at the Abilene Livestock Auction July 26, 2011 in Abilene, Texas.

Heat Forces Ranchers to Sell Herds to Cut Losses – “As a relentless drought bakes prairie soil to dust and dries up streams across the country, ranchers struggling to feed their cattle are unloading them by the thousands, a wrenching decision likely to ripple from the Plains to supermarket shelves over the next year.” — New York Times

Miners Weather The Slow Burn Of Coal’s Demise – “Four years ago, something started to change. First it was slow, and then this past month that change became dramatic. Coal now generates just 34 percent of our electricity, down from about 50 percent just four years ago. Now, the loss of coal as the dominant energy source is having damaging effects on the towns that once relied on the black rock for their livelihood.” — NPR

Texas Gas violated safety rules in fatal gas leak, report says – “The Texas Gas Service violated safety rules in handling a gas leak reported in November at a North Austin house where a gas explosion killed a man in January, according to a report released Friday by the Texas Railroad Commission.” — Austin American-Statesman